In December, we opted for a cruise in the Caribbean to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary. We left Naples for Fort Lauderdale where a gigantic Italian cruise ship, the MSC POESIA awaited us and became our host for our first experience at sea.
DAY 1: Departure from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Reaching Port Everglades, we go to a huge hangar next to the MSC POESIA that can accommodate over 3200 passengers and more than 1900 crewmembers. The crowd around us is varied to the point of being somewhat disconcerting: couples of all ages, tiny, overweight, perfumed ladies, small and big bellies, a few children and an impressive number of tattooed men accompanied by sexy girls with generously silicone breasts: surprise! The boat was hosting a rock fest, fans, bands, groupies and all.
Line-up… check-in: we trade our credit card number for the infamous “cruise-card”. No more handbags, wallets, cell phones: freedom!
Our cabin number is 9084. Brian is walking so fast, one step for him equals three steps for me. I lose him in the crowd, great! … I forgot the cabin number. After a few unsuccessful attempts: 9024, 9124, 9014, I go back to the reception desk in order to get the number. Another line-up, it took 35 minutes to get the cabin number and fifteen other minutes to find the cabin. Brian greets me with a sardonic smile; everything is impeccable in our cabin and on our balcony.
DAY 1: Departure from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Reaching Port Everglades, we go to a huge hangar next to the MSC POESIA that can accommodate over 3200 passengers and more than 1900 crewmembers. The crowd around us is varied to the point of being somewhat disconcerting: couples of all ages, tiny, overweight, perfumed ladies, small and big bellies, a few children and an impressive number of tattooed men accompanied by sexy girls with generously silicone breasts: surprise! The boat was hosting a rock fest, fans, bands, groupies and all.
Line-up… check-in: we trade our credit card number for the infamous “cruise-card”. No more handbags, wallets, cell phones: freedom!
Our cabin number is 9084. Brian is walking so fast, one step for him equals three steps for me. I lose him in the crowd, great! … I forgot the cabin number. After a few unsuccessful attempts: 9024, 9124, 9014, I go back to the reception desk in order to get the number. Another line-up, it took 35 minutes to get the cabin number and fifteen other minutes to find the cabin. Brian greets me with a sardonic smile; everything is impeccable in our cabin and on our balcony.
Dinner time already… we are eight at the table… the rockers are charming and polite... but Dear God! … motorbikes, races and tattoos are not our favourite subjects of conversation. After the meal, the maître-D’ found us a table for two for the rest of the voyage. Our waiter Wirawan Ida Bagu (Bagus), cheerful and nice, spoils us during the rest of the cruise.DAY 2: the excursion to Coco Cay is cancelled: the sea is too rough for the tenders to take passengers ashore. So the day begins at the gym. Back to cabin 9084, I start to write this chronicle. Brian is reading on the balcony. I will join him shortly: «The Rose Labyrinth» by Titania Hardie recommended by my lovely Christine Raymond is waiting for me. Brian is reading The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe by Stephen Hawking … I sometimes wonder if he is brilliant or just to dumb to choose a good book. We had a peaceful and delicious dinner for two.
DAY 3: Nassau on New Providence Island, Bahamas
We went for a stroll in a town filled with tourist-trap shops: « for you my friend special price »… half as good for twice the price … the merchants of the island would sell their souls … if they got the right price. Tonight’s gala-dinner marks the finale of the cruise for the rockers. At the theatre, arias of Verdi and Puccini conclude our day.
This morning, outside there is a cargo ship docked near us. Its name: MADELEINE… surely my mother must be thinking about us. The sea cruise for the rockers ends here. They leave the boat and are replaced by “normal” vacationers.
DAY 5-6: at seaBrian is beaming: he has found bridge partners. That evening after the captain’s ballthe evening ends in the Zebra Bar… champagne, music, dance … make my head spin.
In the morning, at the gym, 20 minutes on the treadmill with an endless ocean view ahead and 30 minutes of aerobic with a view of a very cute trainer who pushes me without mercy «faster Mrs Jenner» … he is not aware that I have to deal with the champagne I drank yesterday!
The temperature on the balcony, at 11h30 AM, is 92º F. I finish my book. I start to read another - «Berlin Trilogy» by Philip Kerr. Brian is playing bridge. From 3 to 4 PM, we sit in the Zebra Lounge listening to a pianist (novocento) and a drummer play ragtime music, from Scot Joplin and Gershwin. We have trouble finding cabin 9084. Can you imagine… my once upon a time bush pilot husband is still disoriented by the 13 decks and 400 feet of the POESIA… after six days!
DAY 7: St. Thomas Island in the Virgin Islands, Caribbean Sea.
It is 10 o’clock in the morning in Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the Island, 97ºF in the shade. We go for a walk for a little sight-seeing - touring of the town, the heat is unbearable. We are back on the boat at 3 pm, and we choose deck 12 for today’s reading session.
DAY 8: St. Martin Island in the Virgin Islands, Caribbean Sea.
This morning we wake up in Philipsburg, capital of the Dutch part of this island. We visit Marigot, the French capital. St. Martin is the smallest island in the world to be administrated by two different governments: French (St. Martin) and Dutch (St. Maarten). The temperature at noontime is 104ºF. The departure for Nassau is at 1h30 pm. At 4 pm in the theatre they presented the most beautiful arias from La Bohemia, Madame Butterfly and Turandot … Puccini as an appetizer… hard to beat!
DAY 9: At seaThere is always plentiful and succulent food everywhere. Tonight on the menu: smoked salmon as an entrée, seafood bisque, and lobster served on rice with asparagus, cheese tray, petits fours and for the grand finale, baked Alaska. The horrible consequences of these daily feasts are reflecting in the mirror of our room… I feel like a bread roll… or a brioche! On top of it, the ship photographers decide to take pictures of us… after the meal!
DAY 10: Nassau, Bahamas and departure for Fort Lauderdale
We arrive at Nassau at 1:30 pm and we will leave at 6 pm. It is time to pack the suitcases. We are on our way home with a few extra pounds…
DAY 11: Arrival at Fort Lauderdale and back to Naples.
The MSC POESIA docks at 7 am in Fort Lauderdale. We really adored our cruise. But that kind of travelling excludes the unusual and the unexpected, the islands are mostly the same given the short time available to visit. The cruise itself is the essence of the trip. However, if you wish to eliminate stress, be pampered, relax, eat great food, unwind, lose track of time, relax some more, eat too much, unwind again, a cruise will fulfil your expectations.
We will be cruising again at the end of January, for 14 days on the Grand Princess: Aruba, Curacao, Granada, Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Kitts, St. Thomas and Dominican Republic. As Jean Cocteau once said: «In life we only regret what we did not do».
I recommend the book written by Alessandro Baricco «Novecento: pianist» and view the wonderful movie from Giuseppe Tornatore «The legend of 1900» based on the book. (I don’t recommend Stephen Hawkings to anyone except astrophysicists and other lost souls like Brian.)
GUARANTEED SATISFACTION OR YOUR MONEY BACK
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