Sea days are sea days. Usually quiet times on the ship. Trivia, crossword puzzles, music, belly flop contests, and many other activities to choose from. The war in Gaza has a few passengers concerned about future travel plans. It is learned that one of Royal's ships, the Rhapsody of The Seas, is being used to evacuate civilians from Israel. A friend has cancelled a long planned trip to Egypt after strong warnings from the state departement. Our world is in sereious turmoil.
A decision is made to cruise on The Wonder of The Seas in October of 2024 to celebrate a multitude of family events. I see a batch of printed tee shirts in the works. Probably a dozen or more travellers.
The seas remain under 5 feet for our entire passage to Nassau. There are some periods of light rain to interupt the sun bathers. I think we only pass one small freighter the entire trip. Our scheduled arrival is 11 AM.
As we approach the island, at least 3 ships can be seen tied to the docks. Quick research reveals there will be 4 in port today. Probably 16,000 pasengers crowding the docks.
We enter the harbor, make a 180 turn on a dime, and glide into the pier behind The Oasis of The Seas. Two carnival ships are tied to other piers.
The weather is perfect, high 70's or low 80's with sunny skies and a nice breeze off the ocean. We are docked the furtherest from the terminal. A brand new terminal I should add.
The entire port area has recently been renovated at a cost estimated to be $300 million, a cost that will be quickly recouped by the $75.00 per passenger port fee from each of passenger. The new dock can accomodate 6 ships simultaneously, 3 of which can be Oasis class ships carrying over 6,000 passengers each.
The 22 x 45 foot 3D digital display on the side of the terminal plays some amazing short clips of sharks, turtles, and a giant octopus. This alone makes the long walk from the ship worth it. I find a bench just past the security checkpoint while Lynn checks out the newly built shops.
Our stay here is short. We leave port at 5:15, a few minutes late. It really doesn't matter as we only have about 75 miles to our next destination of Coco Cay, Royal's private island.
Again the seas remain slight. We move into international waters and cruise at a speed about equal to a brisk walk. We will be at Coco Cay before 7:00 AM
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