Just Cruises Plus

Nassau Horse & Carriage Ride - 5/4/12 Photo Contest

We had 54 responses to our May 4th photo contest but very few correct answers!  This was a tricky one.  We asked you to guess the name of the city in which the horse and carriage photo (shown here) was taken.  We hinted that the city is located on the Atlantic Ocean and is a popular cruise port.  “Nassau” was the correct answer.  The other responses we received were understandable given the hints we provided.  These responses included:  Hamilton, Bermuda; Charleston, SC; Key West, FL and Saint Jean de Luz, France.  

Congratulations to Norm Remer of Southampton, PA whose name was name was randomly drawn from the correct respondents. 

Bay Street

Nassau, a usual stop on a Bahamas cruise itinerary (especially on shorter cruises), is both the largest city and the capital of the Bahamas.  Bay Street,  the main street that runs parallel to the waters edge through Nassau, is filled with a mixture of high end jewelry shops and souvenir shops. 

The entrance to the colorful Straw Market is also located along Bay street.  Stop here if you don’t mind crowds and you like to haggle for island nick nacks.  Our appreciation of the brightly painted shops and government buildings and the view of the looming cruiseships docked along the waterfont is unfortunately trumped by our first-hand experience with occaissional rudeness and, on one trip, a “crooked” taxi driver.

Entrance to Straw Market

Cockeyed stop sign with ship in the background

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Local craftsman at work

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only 4 people correctly named the structure (shown below) featured in our April 22nd photo contest.  It is the Koutoubia.  Congratulations to Mark Shapiro of Mission Viejo, CA, whose name was randomly selected from those who responded correctly.  

Koutoubia Mosque, 4/22/12 Photo Contest

The Koutoubia is the dominating structure in Marrakesh’s Medina (old city) and is the largest mosque in Marrakesh.  Rising 221 feet in the air, the 5 times per day call to prayer can be heard throughout the city.  The Koutoubia’s minaret was completed nearly a thousand years ago in the 12th century.

The best tomato salad in the world is in Quarzazate, a Moroccan town at the edge of the Sahara dessert.  At least, that was our opinion on a visit to Morocco.  An order to get to this amazing salad, we had a hair raising bus ride over the Atlas mountains on a twisting, narrow road sans guard rails. 

Atlas Mountains en route to Quarzazate

Example of Quarzazate Architecture

Our “home base” was Marrakesh, one of the most exotic cities that we’ve visited, particularly the Medina where much haggling goes on in the Djemaa el Fna (Place of the Dead).  The photo of the square was taken from the café where 14 people died in a terrorist attack in 2011. 

View of the outside of the wall of the Medina

Djemaa el Fna viewed from a cafe balcony

In the new part of Marrakesh, we saw well dressed school children plucking oranges from trees as the made their way home.  This contrasted with the Berber markets outside of the city where locals bought and bartered the goods.  The Berbers used donkeys to bring their goods to market.  The only camels we saw were “tourist camels” used to give rides to visitors.

Gathering at the Berber Market

Fruit and vegetables at the Berber Market

Tourist Camels

We can’t say if it’s still there but we had a wonderful dinner cooked in tangines at Mr. Driess’ restaurant in Marrakesh.  Despite Rick’s Café, we think that Marrakesh is a far more interesting Moroccan city than Casablanca.

Congratulations to Alan Heller, of Pikesville, MD, whose name was randomly selected from the 14 who responded
correctly to last week’s Trivia contest question:  What is the link between  between Celebrity’s Millennium and the RMS Titanic?

The link is that Millennium’s specialty restaurant, the Olympic, is named for the Titanic’s sister ship, the RMS Olympic.

In addition, the restaurant’s authentic paneling was obtained from the premier dining room of the RMS Olympic.  Celebrity Cruise Line found the paneling in a private English residence, and purchased it through Sotheby’s.

Painting of RMS Olympic located in the room adjecent to the Olympic's dining area.

View of the magnificent, authentic paneling in Millennium's Olympic Restaurant.

View through the Archway

Congratulations to Pat Horne, of Edison, NJ, whose name was randomly selected from the 21 who responded correctly to our March 9th photo contest question. 

The London Eye, or Millennium Wheel (shown in the contest photo below), was officially called the British Airways London Eye and then the Merlin Entertainments London Eye.  In January of 2011, its new official name became the EDF Energy London Eye^[following a three-year sponsorship deal.   The Eye is located on the south bank of the River Thames in London.

The London Eye, 3/9/12 Photo Contest

View from within the capsule.

Big Ben and Parliament viewed from The Eye

The church  in last week’s contest photo, shown below,  has several name variations:  Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia (Catalan Version), Catedral de la Santa Cruz y Santa Eulalia (Spanish Version) and Barcelona Cathedral.  It is also referred to as La Seu.

Barcelona Cathedral, 2/3/12 Photo Contest

It is located in the beautiful city of Barcelona, Spain.

Congratulations to Elsie and Alan Saylor, of Downingtown,PA, who were randomly drawn from the 12 who gave the correct response to the 2-part contest question.

 The Cathedral, located in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic), is thought to be one of the best examples of medieval architecture in Europe.  Prior to the construction of the cathedral in the 13th century, the site was home to other religious structures  The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Eualia, a young virgin who, according to Catholic tradition, suffered martyrdom during Roman times in the city.    The cathedral has a secluded Gothic cloister where 13 white geese are kept.  The number “13″ is apparently explained by the assertion that Eulalia was 13 when she was martyred.

If you visit the church, it’s worth taking the time to visit the roof where you will get a spectacular view of the gothic quarter and Barcelona.

The name of the grouping of boulders shown in our January 6 photo contest (see photo below) is The Baths, which are located on the island of Virgin Gorda, part of the British Virgin Island chain.  The winner of the contest, randomly drawn from the 16 people who responded correctly, is Anne Quinn of Lansdale, PA.

Photo Contest 1/1/12 - The Baths, Virgin Gorda, BVI

The Baths are an amazing collection of exotic pools and grottos formed by giant boulders strewn across sand beaches.  Some of the boulders are best appreciated underwater.  On more than one snorkeling occaission, we have seen some of the best parrot fish feasting along these underwater havens.

Snorkelers planning their approach.

For those who wish to experience the boulders and grottos along an adventurous land/sea route, there is a marked trail to Devil’s bay, which is accessed by cutting through one of the grottos.  This path requires a combination of walking, climbing steps, crawling and wading and does require some agility.

Follow the trail for an exciting path through the grotto.

And for those who are most sure-footed and athletic, our rock-climbing friend demonstrated that with the right shoes (he just happened to bring them along) and the right experience, it was possible to reach the peak of one of these boulders.

At your own risk.

The Baths are usually offered as an excursion for those cruising to Tortolla, BVI.   The Baths also are easy to reach by sailboat (which we have done and can arrange for you).

The correct answer for the name of the locomotives in the December 9 photo contest (see photo below) is “mules” and the place is the “Panama Canal.”   The winner of the contest, randomly drawn from the 22 people who responded correctly, is Norman Remer of Southamption, PA.

Photo Contest 12/9/11 - Mules at the Panama Canal

The “mules” guide the ships through the Canal.  Today’s ships sometimes have less than two feet of clearance on either side of the ship, so it is critical that the mules keep ships in the center of the canal.  Cables are attached to the bow and stern and the mules pull or brake as needed to keep the ships centered.  They do not “pull” the ships through the Canal.  This is done by the ships’ own power. 

The cables at the bow of the ship are attached to mules which stabelize the ship as it passes through the Canal.

Why are they called “mules”?  Mules (the animal) were used to guide ships through many canals, including the one in New Hope, PA.  However, electric locomotives were always used on the Panama Canal.

Did you know?

- When you travel from the East Coast to the West Coast, you travel through the Panama Canal in an easterly direction.

- The existing lock chambers are 110 feet wide, 41.2 feet deep and 1000 feet long.  Because of clearance issues, the sizes of ships that can pass through are somewhat smaller.  The maximum sized ship that can transit the Canal is known as a “Panamax” ship. 

- A third set of locks to accommodate much larger ships is underway and is tentatively slated for completion in 2014.  These locks are expected to double the capacity of the Panama Canal.  The limit on ships sized for this new set of locks is referrred to as ” New Panamax.”

Additional Canal Photos

Another view of the ship being stabilized by Mules. Note that the starboard-side cable is taut and the port-side cable is slack.

The Galaxy, now called the Meinshift 1, using the second set of locks.

Opening the lock chambers.

Photo Contest 11/18/11 - Dead Sea - Photo by Michal Zvalova

The Dead Sea, also called the “Salt Sea”, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. It’s geographic claim to fame is that its surface and shores are 1,388 feet below sea level, the lowest elevation on the earth’s surface. However, it is probably most recognized for it’s extreme saltiness.  With 33.7% salinity, it is one of the world’s saltiests bodies of water.  This salinity makes floating  effortless.  It also makes for a harsh environment in which animals cannot flourish —  hence its name.

Dead Sea Salt Cluster - Photo by Michal Zvalova

Effortless Floating on the Dead Sea - Photo by Michal Zvalova

We received 25 responses to our 11/4/11 photo contest and all 25 correctly named the location of our photo (shown below) as Skagway Alaska.  The winner of the contest is Chuck Diefenderfer of Maple Glen, PA.  Chuck’s name  was randomly selected from the 25 who correctly responded.

Photo Contest 11/4/11 - Skagway, Alaska

The town of Skagway has a population of less than 1000 which doubles in size during the summer months to support the influx of tourists.  The port is a popular cruise ship stop — understandable when you walk through the small town and, everywhere you turn, there is a breathtaking view of mountains.

Skagway - A town with a view

Skagway’s White Pass and Yukon Route narrow gauge railroad runs throughout the summer months.  It’s locomotive “parks” right in town.  We highly recommend this trip which you can purchase as an excursion aboard your ship.  Even if you are not a narrow gauge railroad geek (as some of us are), the scenery is amazing.

White Pass and Yukon Narrow Gauge Railroad

The typical tour offered is round trip.  We opted for a tour which took us by train to the top of the mountain and then we biked down. Even with the drizzly weather, the ride to the bottom was exhilarating!  There was little pedaling and lots of braking.

Up by train, down by bike

We thank all of the participants in our photo contest.  This is only the second time that we stumped you.

Photo Contest 10/21/11 - Ships docked in Roatan, Honduras

Roatan was one of the very few Caribbean islands that we had never visited and, as certified scuba divers and avid snorkelers, we looked forward to hours of fun in the crystal clear waters for which Roatan is known.  Alas, mother nature had other plans for us.  One of the worst rain storms in Roatan’s history struck only hours before our arrival aboard Celebrity’s Millennium.  Winds were still whipping muddy waves into a dark froth as the ship tied up to the pier in Coxen Hole, the island’s capital.

Celebrity's Millennium docked in Coxen Hole

As soon as we got off the ship, we checked a number of booths offering various excursions.  These are nearly always significantly less expensive than the excursions offered by the cruise line.  We spent some time comparing the offerings of the local vendors and selected a tour which took us to the key sights of the 36 mile long and 4 mile wide island.  Our driver, Francisco, was outstanding and very skilled, which was lucky for us since there were several mud slides and uprooted trees along the hilly and winding roads which are not in good shape in the best weather conditions.

Important:  The cruise line guarantees that they will not leave you if you are late getting back from an excursion purchased from the ship.  However, you have no such guarantee when you do an excursion on your own or with a local operator.   You need to make certain that you know “ship’s time” and that you leave extra time in case your transportation breaks down.

Cruise ship dock in Coxen Hole

While the overcast skies and wet sand kept bathers off the beaches, it could not hide the beauty that would become stunningly evident once nature reverted to its usual sunny state.   The coral reef is not far from the shore and this was our original goal.  This reef is the longest in the Western hemisphere and stretches from the tip of the Yucatan down to the Bay Islands (Roatan is one of the Bay Islands and is part of Honduras).  The reefs of Riviera Maya, Belize and Cozumel are part of this reef system known as the Mesoamerican reef.  The reef is home to over 500 species of fish as well as a large population of manatees.

Many of the best beaches are located on West Bay, a 20 minute taxi ride from the cruise ship.   While all of the beaches are public, there’s a catch.  In order to get on a beach, you must go through one of the resorts and there is a charge.  Bananarama Dive Resort is one resort which will provide round trip transportation from the cruise ship dock and give you access to their facilities for $30 per person .  Tabyana is a gorgeous beach which caters to cruise ship passengers and is offered as an excursion by the cruise lines.  However, with a bit of effort, you can get to the West Bay beaches by taking a regular taxi to West End, a busy and colorful beach village, and then take a water taxi to West Bay.  You won’t pay to get on the beach athough there will be a small charge if you rent beach chairs and umbrella.

View of West Bay beach on an overcast day

During our drive, we saw much poverty which stood in stark contrast to the luxury experienced by most visitors.  We learned that most of the economy is controlled by five families and we also discovered that black and white people live in separate communities.  Most of the economy is based on tourism although there is a significant fishing industry.  Spanish and English are taught in the schools so most folks are bilingual.

View of Honduras' waters through native wildflowers

Should you visit?  If you are a certified scuba diver, this is heaven on earth.  Folks who love to soak up the sun on a beautiful beach would be right at home here although there are many other islands which have beaches that are equal to Roatan’s.  For our cruise, it was a refreshing change from Jamaica, a usual stop on Western Caribbean cruises.

View of Coxen Hole from our departing ship