March 11, 2023

Day 8, Coco Cay

During the night the seas calm as the captain had predicted. When we dock at Coco Cay, the seas are flat, the skies sunny, and the air temperature a cool 70 degrees. A Norwegian ship can be seen at their private island a mile or so distant, tendering passengers to shore much as Royal did years ago before making a very large investment in building up Coco Cay to what it is today. Bars, cabanas, fresh water pools, restaurants, a water park, a tethered ballon ride and dozens of water activities to spend your money on.

I learn that Pann and Terry spent four and a half hours in the medical center after they abruptly left during the show.  Some of the classic signs of a heart attack, but the medical staff assured Pann it was not a cardiac event but just rib cage inflamation. Certainly relieved, and knowing they made the right decsion last night, she will follow up with her own doctors when she returns to Ohio.

We are the only ship here with about 2500 passengers. The last time I visited Coco Cay I think there were two ships with a combined ten or twelve thousand passengers. We wait until most passengers have gone ashore, exit the gangway and board a shuttle tram within seconds. The driver asks where we would like to go. Oh just to the tram terminal and we will take a tour around the island. Well the important part of that registered. He drops his other passengers and then proceeded to give us a narrated tour of the entire island. A frw tidbits. 500 local residents live and work on the island. Their contracts are usually 3 months and then a months vacation. All he does is drive a tram, every day. Shared housing is provided, much as berths on a ship are for the workers. He has been doing this for 4 years, Nassau is his home.

He takes us back to the ship and drops us off at the gangway. One of my more enjoyable visits to Coco Cay. Paved walkways are limited, and I find it very difficult to walk in the sand. From the ship we watch the balloon make one ascent. Not many paying passengers today.

I decide to splurge on a tenderloin steak for dinner in the dining room. The upcharge is probably only about a third of the cost for the same steak in Chops.  Honestly, not worth it. Most butchers would have used that piece of the tenderloin for hamburger meat not a steak.

No show tonight, just packing. Our expected arrival back in Port Canaveral is about 4:00 AM.

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