CHAPTER 15 - 1985 CARIBBEAN CRUISE
November 1985 · From Richard's memoirs, recovered from his original WordPerfect files
In September 1985 the American Way Travel, Inc., offered a seven day cruise with an itinerary and a price that I felt we couldn't afford to miss. We had just taken a cruise the year before and DeVonne wasn't too excited about another one so soon. However, she finally agreed to go just to please me.
We made the arrangements through American Way at a total price of $1,874.00, including air fare, and on November 16th we flew from LAX again via Eastern Airlines on a DC-10, Flight No. 504 to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Kandy and Rod drove us to the airport. We were scheduled to leave LAX at 11:55 PM, however, the plane had engine trouble and after waiting for over an hour in the waiting room and then on the plane for about another hour, the pilot announced that we would have to transfer to another plane. We finally got off the ground around 2:00 AM, which was a poor way to start the trip.
We arrived in San Juan on Sunday in the late morning and were able to go directly by bus to the ship's port and board by 3:00 PM, even though we were not to sail until 10:00 PM. Before we got on board we passed by an informal checking station where some of the passengers showed their passports. I had forgotten to bring our birth certificates but showed them our California Drivers Licenses which seemed to be acceptable. I wondered at the time, however, what it was going to be like when we returned.
According to the Cruise information I found aboard ship it was stated that “Proof of U.S. citizenship is required of all Americans traveling to the Caribbean. A passport is preferable; however, a birth certificate or naturalization papers are acceptable if accompanied by a photo identification such as a driver's license. A driver's license alone is not acceptable as proof of citizenship.”
Our ship was the Ocean Princess of Ocean Cruise Lines. The Ocean Princess is 438 feet in length with a gross tonnage of 12,200 tons. The ship was considerably smaller than the Song of Norway we sailed in the year before (about 200 feet shorter in length). Passenger capacity is 460, and a crew and staff of 250. Our cruise was the first of the season for Ocean Cruise Lines and the passenger occupancy was only about 50-60 per cent. As a result we had waiters standing in line to serve us at every meal. As we boarded the ship we had our picture taken as the usual “Welcome Aboard gesture. Our Captain was Athanassios N. Beis and our Cruise Director was Van Elliott.
Our meals again were typical of Caribbean cruises. On different nights our dinner menu might include such culinary delights as shrimp cocktail or caviar, Beef Wellington or veal cordon bleu, broiled lobster or roast duckling a l'orange, Baked Alaska or cherries jubilee. Always, the freshest salads, fruits and vegetables are served, and fresh breads, rolls and pastries are baked every day. At lunchtime, we could enjoy a bountiful pool side buffet or a more formal meal in the restaurant (where there was a special Lean Line menu for weight watchers - who needed it). Each morning, a full American breakfast - eggs, bacon, pancakes and the like - is served in the dining room, while tea or coffee can be taken to your cabin. Mid-afternoon tea features assorted finger sandwiches and delicious cream pastries. And if we were still hungry by the midnight hour, there was a different tempting buffet each night, culminating in their spectacular Buffet Magnifique on the last night.
In the evenings, the Princess was aglow with exciting entertain-ment. Cabaret stars performed in the Marco Polo Lounge. There was dancing nightly to the music of a live band. A quieter mood in the Piano Bar where requests were honored before and after dinner. There was, of course, the Captain's welcome cocktail party and gala farewell dinner.
Cruise wear is quite informal. It is recommended our clothing should be lightweight and easy to care for. By day, the mood aboard ship is casual - sportswear is appropriate for both men and women. After 6:00 PM, men are requested to wear jackets in public rooms, while cocktail dresses or pantsuits are appropriate for women. On gala evenings, one may wish to be more formal, with a dinner jacket, tuxedo or party dress. For shore excursions, comfortable walking shoes are a must. I found that a dark suit got me by under any circumstances where the so called “Formal” was suggested.
Our cabin was No. 121 on the Capri Deck and our Cabin Steward was Liberato. We ate dinner in the Four Seasons Restaurant at Table No. 43 in the Late Sitting, Seating Reservation. Our Table Mates were Charles & Rosemary Meade and Ron & Eunice Bartlett both couples were a part of a tour group from Michigan. Our Waiter was Nieto and our Busboy was Carlitos. While we were visiting Caracas, Venezuela the film in my camera jammed and as Charles and Rosemary were with us on the bus tour I asked Charles Meade to send me copies of any pictures he took. After I got home I sent them a copy of one shot I took of them at our table but I never heard a word from them. So much for table mates.
Leaving port at 10:00 PM Sunday, we had a rough and stormy cruise during the night and the next morning in the area of the Leeward Islands. That morning DeVonne woke up sick to her stomach from the roll of the ship. She had not taken anything for seasickness as she had not experienced any problem on our previous cruise. However, on our previous cruise on the Song of Norway, she had taken the “behind the ear patch” and worn it successfully without any problem. She went to the ship's doctor, Michael Leonard, and requested a patch for the remainder of the cruise, which he gave her at a cost of $12.00. From then on she had no problem. We arrived at Antigua Monday afternoon at 2:00 PM. We passed St. Kitts (St. Christopher), Nevis and Montserrat before we reached Antigua. Earlier in the morning, around 10:00 AM we held a Compulsory Boat Drill, in compliance with International Maritime Law. On hearing the announcement over the ship's PA system I returned to our cabin, collect my life jacket, and proceeded to the Emergency Muster Station as posted behind our cabin door. At the Muster Station, the correct way to wear the Life Jacket was demonstrated. Meanwhile DeVonne stayed in our cabin still favoring her seasickness.
Our port was St. John's where we were met by Taxi at dockside and given a tour of the area. The tour took about 2 and a half hours and cost $22.00 each. We passed a lovely stone cathedral built in 1846 and the refurbished Redcliffe Quay shopping district. Then we drove into the countryside, via All Saints and Liberta, to one of the Caribbean's most interesting historical sights: Shirley Heights overlooking Nelson's Dockyards. The 18th Century came to life a we toured antique-filled Clarence House, once the home of England's King William IV. We saw the bedrooms used by the Queen and a large portrait of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, as well as the superbly restored Dockyards, commanded by Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson. A complimentary rum punch was available before we explored the sail loft and the engineer's workshop, before we returned by way of Sea View Farm and the Antiqua Sugar Factory.
Leaving Antiqua at 7:00 PM we enjoyed the Captain's Gala Cocktail party and cruised through the night, arriving at Martinique at 9:00 AM Tuesday. Docking at Fort-De-France we saw the Nordic Prince of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines berthed at another dock. Word came to us that the recent hurricane had given many of their passenger a scare and they were flying back to Miami rather than finishing their cruise. Our ship hit the rough seas somewhat later than the Nordic Prince had and although we experienced some rough seas they were not too bad.
Martinique, with the exception of three brief periods of British occupation, has loyally flown the French flag since 1635. It was an island inhabited only by women, as Columbus heard of it on his first voyage - women to whom Carib men came on occasion as lovers. Nothing of that tantalizing legend survives in the prosaic accounts of his landing there ten years later, after a decade of gazing upon paradise after paradise.
To the French, Martinique is the pearl of the Antilles, birthplace of Empress Josephine, a fecund land in which poets and admirals, revolutionaries and beautiful women have grown as riotously as tropical flowers. St. Pierre, known as the “Paris of the Antilles” lies beneath the volcanic Mont Pelee whose eruption on 8 May 1902 obliterated the city. Martinique's church of Sacre Coeur echoes the style and name of the great basilica of Montmartre, Paris.
We had the full day on Martinique to visit the city, shop, or just do as we pleased. We strolled through the streets and window shopped for a while. We entered Roger Albert, a busy emporium at 7 Rue Victor Hugo where one can find perfumes, cosmetics, crystal, watches, etc. We went to the open market across from the shopping area. We visited a park with many beautiful trees, and finally returned to the ship. That evening was the talent show and masquerade. We did not participate but enjoyed watching.
Sailing at midnight on Tuesday, we left Martinique and headed for the Grenadines. Meandering through the untouched Grenadine Islands in the morning, we viewed the exclusive hideaway of Mustique (favored by celebrities from Princess Margaret to Mick Jagger), then gliding by enchanting Union and Palm Islands we arrived in the colorful port of St. George's Grenada in time for lunch. Somewhere along the way we viewed the Wreck of the Antilles which is a shipwreck with just the upper structure showing above water. It was not much to see but apparently one of the points of interest in the area.
That afternoon, Wednesday, the cabin next to us had a pipe spring a leak, probably due to the heavy seas, and it not only flooded that room, but water ran under the door and flooded ours as well. We were in our room at the time and before we realized what was happening, Liberato was at our door and pounding on the door to be let in. He immediately picked up everything on the floor and place it on the bed. Then he made arrangements for us to have another cabin two decks above. (There were plenty of cabins available as I stated before the ship was only about 50 per cent filled.) It was a somewhat nicer and larger cabin and more convenient to the dining room. However, when you take a cruise you find that you spend very little time in your cabin, except for sleeping, so it really doesn't make much difference where your cabin is located.
Grenada was discovered by Columbus in 1498 when it was inhabited by the fierce Caribs. During the next few centuries, throughout the dynastic wars between Britain and France, the island changed hands several times until it was finally ceded to Britain in 1783. Its constitutional development culminated in the achieve-ment of Independence in 1974, when Grenada became a Member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Grenada - the beautiful Isle of Spice - is an independent three-island nation which includes Carriacou, the largest of the sunny Grenadines, and Petit Martinique, its nearest neighbor. St. George's is its capital with its picturesque harbor a popular port of call for cruise liners from all over the world. Spices include nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, cloves, pimento and tumeric or saffron.
Grenada's recent history put it on front pages everywhere in the autumn of 1983. On 24 October 1983 US troops invaded the island and airlifted out the American students there who were attending St. George's University Medical School. The men who were attempting to establish ties with Cuba were arrested and resistance to the American invasion was quickly put down. Since October 1983 Grenada has been extremely stable and peaceful. While Grenada rebuilds its police force, troops from the United States and Caribbean armies have been maintaining order.
DeVonne chose to stay on board and sunbathe on the deck for the day while I took off for St. George, the Capital adjacent to St. George Harbor. Immediately as I approached town I was surrounded by young women selling spices and all trying to get me to buy. I didn't want to carry anything during my visit so I asked one girl her name and said I would buy some from her on my return to the ship. In town I caught a Water Taxi which took me to the Fabulous Grand Anse Beach where I was able to swim and enjoy the sun and the sand. On returning to the ship I found the same group of women selling spices and when I called out the girl's name she came forward and I purchased a few containers of samplings of the various spices. Back on board I found DeVonne at the prow of the ship lying on a deck chair and reading a book while she enjoyed the sunshine.
Leaving Grenada at 6:00 PM on Wednesday evening we sailed for La Guaira which is the seaport town for debarking to take a bus ride into Caracas, Venezuela. We arrived at La Guaira at 1:00 PM on Thursday and passed a variety of other ships as we entered the harbor at La Guaira. There were some modern buildings near the shore but as we looked beyond them we saw hundreds of small hillside homes built up into the slopes of the mountain backdrop.
Caracas, Venezuela's ever growing capital, is one of the largest and richest cities in South America and has a population of 4,200,000. It is a city which wanders through the old valley of “Los Caracas.” On the North is the National Park “El Avila”, which separates Caracas from the Caribbean Sea and on its other cardinal points, it is surrounded by low lying hills. It was founded on 25 July 1567 by the conqueror Diego de Losada with the name of Santiago de Leon de Caracas in the valley inhabited by the Caracas Indians.
Our four and a half hour bus tour from the coastal port was on the impressive, scenic mountain highway, entering the long, narrow Rio Guaire valley that shelters Caracas. Coming into town we passed many similar homes (shacks) built upon the hillsides as we had seen at La Guaira. We also toured its modern El Este, busy El Centro and historic El Silencio districts. We stopped to inspect the Heroes Promenade, its statues and gardens honoring past patriots, the Colonial Arts Museum and other points of interest.
We left our bus at one point and took the underground metro of which the city is very proud. It was crowded and I had to stand up all the way but it was a modern subway. DeVonne and I walked to the Capital building and went inside to see the Interior National Congress. I ran out of film and had to chase back to the shopping area and get more film before I hurried back to take some pictures of the Capital building and its surroundings. In a little shop: “Joyeria Arte Guyana, C.A.” we purchased another charm for DeVonne's bracelet at $60.00 US money. Away from the bus and on our own I had a eerie feeling, wondering what would happen if an official wanted some identification from us such as a passport. The cruise had taken us into the foreign country of Venezuela and I was still somewhat concerned. Back to the bus and to the ship, we were ready for sailing at 9:00 PM.
Cruising at sea most of the night we arrived at Curacao, the Dutch Antilles, at 8:00 AM. Willemstad is the Capital of both the Netherlands Antilles and Curacao. The island itself is 38 miles long and 7 miles wide, with a population of 160,000 made up of about 50 different nationalities. If one ventures out into the countryside, one finds a few scattered windmills, some old Dutch plantation houses and a good deal of arid, windy land with cactus and dividivi trees. The scrawny dividivi, permanently bent at a right angle by the wind, is something of an island landmark. Often described as a fragment of Amsterdam set adrift in the West Indies, Willemstad is the most European of Caribbean cities. Somehow it manages to retain its old-world charm while forging ahead in the 20th century.
We approached Willemstad via St. Anne's Bay which connects the Caribbean Sea with the Schottegat Harbor, passing many typical Dutch buildings, brightly painted with step-gabled houses of a colonial style. We also passed the modern Plaza Hotel. The Queen Juliana Bridge is a beautiful sight which can be seen from many points in the city of Curacao. We passed directly under it approaching our berth. A Shell Oil Refinery is located toward the back of the bay and we passed many storage tanks and refinery units.
We had about 5 hours to visit Curacao and we went into town via taxi and walked the length of the Floating Market which is comprised of small harbor boats lined in row along the waterfront of the bay. All kinds of fruits and vegetables were available. We walked over the Pontoon Bridge and passed Roosevelt House which was presented by the Dutch to the United States in token of thanks after World War II, and which serves as the Governor General's House. In a local paper we found a notice reading: “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons), Angolaweg 38, Mon Repos. Sun. 9:30 till 12:30. Tel 70674.” That was enough evidence to show the Church is there.
Leaving Curacao at 1:00 PM on Friday we were at sea until 2:00 PM Saturday when we arrived at the US Virgin Island of St. Thomas. The island is 32 square miles in size and completely surrounded by spectacular scenery and bays with powdery beaches. A natural port, the capital town of Charlotte Amalie, named for an early Queen of Denmark, was once a bustling trading center and rendezvous for pirates. Two round towers still command the harbor, as does the three hundred year old Fort Christian, built on the waterfront to house the island's first settlement of Danish colonists. Thick-walled warehouses, used for molasses and rum storage in plantation days, that lined alleys and streets, are now handsome stores, dispensing world-wide imports to throngs of shoppers.
U.S. Customs smiles on shoppers in the American Virgin Islands. You are allowed to buy $800.00 worth of imports duty free rather than the $400.00 limitation placed on other Caribbean Islands and many foreign countries. You can ship purchases home and include them in that exemption; also mail one gift a day to a friend, valued up to $100.00, and not have it count against your exemption.
DeVonne and I chose to take the 2 hour drive by safari bus which began taking us through Charlotte Amelia. As a free port and the haunt of pirates like Captain Kidd and Blackbeard, it had the reputation as one of the liveliest and most colorful of Caribbean ports. We drove up Crown Mountain Road to enjoy sweeping views of the Harbor. Then we crossed the rugged landscape to the Atlantic coast. We stopped at Drake's Seat for a glorious panorama of the jewel-like Virgin Islands. We were able to leave the bus at this point and DeVonne got my picture sitting in Drake's seat. Below us we could see Magens Bay with its beach, considered by many to be the most beautiful in the world. Perhaps that is why Drake had his seat placed there.
We visited Bluebeard's castle and explored parts of the interior. Part of the tower was closed off with signs indicating it was unsafe to enter. I got a picture of the “Little Mermaid” in the patio of the castle. They try to compare it with the Little Mermaid in Denmark but I doubt that it is as refined a sculpture. Finally we returned to town with time to visit the Harbor warehouses which once stored pirate loot but now house duty-free bargains.
We strolled down Dronningens Gade, the main street of Charlotte Amelia, and purchased a bracelet charm for DeVonne at the Bolero (Bared Jewelers of the Virgin Islands, Inc.). Later at the Linen House, Inc., we bought place mats & napkins, embroidered hand towels, and what I will call, for lack of the correct name, “Hot Roll Warmers” trimmed with lace. Later on I found a T-Shirt marked with a picture of a sailboat and “St.Thomas - Virgin Islands” on it to prove I had been there. As we walked along the bay front we saw a catamaran which made daily trips to St. Johns Island, and a US Coast Guard ship in the harbor. We caught the local bus which took us back to our ship.
Sailing from St. Thomas at 10:00 PM on Saturday night we arrived at San Juan at 6:00 AM Sunday morning. Leaving the ship offered no problem as we were waved through customs without so much as a look at our luggage. All my fears were for naught, however, in the future I will be certain to have at least our birth certificates, if not our passports. We were to leave San Juan on Eastern Airlines Flight 958 for Miami, Florida at 1:10 PM and although we had time to do a bit of sightseeing we had both had enough of it and decided to go directly to the air terminal and wait for our flight. At one time while we sat in the waiting room of the terminal a man who looked like a customs official seemed to eye us suspiciously but nothing ever came of it.
We flew to Miami without mishap and were due to leave at 5:15 PM for Los Angeles International Airport. We made it to LA about on time and Dicky and Judie were at the airport to pick us up. The problem was that after watching the luggage carousel for 15 to 20 minutes without either of our bags appearing, I went to the Eastern Airlines office and complained about their service. They took down all the necessary data and said they would put a tracer on our luggage and deliver it as soon as possible. The following day someone from the airlines delivered our luggage intact to our home. From the problems we experienced with Eastern Airlines on both of our cruises, we have decided that we will not fly Eastern again. Now that Frank Lorenzo has taken the line over we are even more certain not to use them.