Feb 5, St Croix

We arrive and are docked long before I arise. The skies remain mostly clear with a few passing clouds. The humidity is high and the temperature expected to rise in to the low 80's.

There are always new things to see around the ship. This morning about a dozen crew members were in the pool practicing the rescue of persons floating in the water with life jackets. One crew member, playing the role of the person needing to be rescued, was clearly panicked by the notion of floating on her back and having another person swim her around the pool. If not panicked, she was a good actor.

I have seen this twice now. When the breakfast foods are cleaned up in the lounge the crewmember first makes up about 3 plates. A couple of toasted bagels, fruit and whatever else is left over.  It leaves with him on the cart. Somewhere there is a crew member that prefers this to the crew dining room.

I am staying on the ship again today, have been here before and will be back in a couple of weeks. 

Ok I lied, I get off for a few hours and contribute to the local economy by buying a diet Coke. The pier is longer than most, a half mile or more from the gangway to shore. 

Tours leave from the pier right at the gangway, and a taxi driver with a van offers transportation along the pier for tips.

The shore area is clean, and the area where I wandered devoid of the megamerchants like Effy's and Diamonds International.

The Concierge Lounge is exceptionally roudy tonight but not over crowded. I suspect many other guests were driven to other venues by the loud noise as was this passenger.

A long time favorite dish of my daughters was three cheese tortolini. I give the four cheese ravoli a try, probably a replacement for the three cheese dish. It is good, but I think the 3 cheese was better. Tortolini or ravioli really only differs by shape and filling.

The seas remain calm as we leave port right on schedule. I head back to the lounge after dinner only to find it louder than before. Instead I head to the Schooner bar for quiet  piano music.

With calm seas there is zero perceptable motion to the ship. Tomorrow is another port day, Antigua.