The weather is near perfect in Labadee. The temperatures are in the upper 70's and there is a light wind. Unlike Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean's other private island, most of the walkways on Labadee are paved. With the weather so perfect I get off the ship and wander around the island. Royal has lots of very profitable things for guests to do here from riding a long zip-line to renting cabanas on the beach. The beach, swimming, and walking are free. Beverages may be purchased with your sea pass card, but cash is required for purchases in the small local market.
Food is brought from the ship to prepare a BBQ for lunch. I should more accurately say the food is prepared on the ship and brought to various locations on the island to be served.
About 4:00 pm we leave Labadee to head to our next port, San Juan. The weather remains very enjoyable. The winds are strong at times, but the 6 to 8 foot seas barely make the ship pitch or roll.
I have dinner in the Windjammer, and attend the Ice Show. Studio B is nearly identical to the ice rink on the Oasis, but this show has been playing for many years and not all the passengers bother to attend. There are probably 200 empty seats. I always enjoy the skills of skaters even though I have seen them before.
I briefly cross paths with most of the others in our group. The various injuries are confirmed to be minor and everyone is recovering. The swimming and snorkeling was good at Labadee, and there were some fish to be seen.
As we continue on our course to San Juan, the skies remain sunny with a brisk breeze. The pool deck is fairly busy, but not over crowded.
Our arrival in San Juan is scheduled for about 1:30 and it usually takes 30 minutes or so for local officials to clear the ship.
There is a very definite channel that must be followed to get into the harbor. From the decks of the ship there is an excellent view of the Fort as we pass by.
Again with the weather so nice and it not being too hot I get off the ship and walk around part of Old San Juan where our ship docks. On the way back to the ship I am stopped by a government employee randomly surveying passengers visiting San Juan. I oblige and answer her questions. They are surveying visitors to determine the financial impact of tourists on the local economy. My impact doesn't extend beyond the port fees paid by the cruise line to stop here. A good thing for the local economy that I am not "average".
The usual evening routine. Dinner in the Windjammer, the nightly show in the theater, and about an hour at the piano bar.
The pianist is good, but not as good as Kelly.
Tonight we are headed for St Maarten.
No comments:
Post a Comment