Count Down

I am now counting down the days until Spring Break starts. We have our first group on Sunday and we are more than ready for them. We have been working really hard on an activity program that will keep everyone entertained morning noon and night. Student City will be sending us large groups of spring breakers and they have some great party packages for them do take part in while they are on Grand Bahama. A lot of the party packages have been pre sold but for the students that didn’t get around to purchasing their party packages they will be able to make last minute reservations onboard at the Shore Excursion Desk. Looking forward to a fun, busy and safe season.

Cruising

Once the ISO audit was over and I had worked on the new activity program yesterday, it was time to relax. My husband and I went for lunch at a local restaurant and had some delicious baby back ribs of which I ate way too much. The weather this morning was a little overcast and cool but at around 1:30pm the sun came out and it was beautiful. Since it was such a nice day and my husband and I were both done working for the day, we decided to go out on our boat for the afternoon. Fort Lauderdale has over 165 miles of navigable waterways and canals. It’s home to more than 40,000 boats. Cruising through these waterways allows you to see all sorts of interesting things in a relatively short distance. As you sail along you can see extravagant mansions, the largest of the large mega-yachts, huge cargo ships, cruise ships, charming canals and downtown skyscrapers. Port Everglades hosts an interesting mix of large cruise ships and cargo carriers. Downtown Fort Lauderdale can be toured from the New River, as can many of the city’s neighborhoods. It’s a sightseeing trip that is well worth it!

ISO

It is my day off today, but I am at the ship for an ISO internal audit as we have an external audit coming up in March. ISO is the world largest standards developing organization. Between 1947 and the present day, ISO has published more than 17500 International Standards, ranging from standards for activities such as agriculture and construction, through mechanical engineering, to medical devices, to the newest information technology developments. ISO addresses quality management, which means we have to fulfill the customer's quality requirements, and applicable regulatory requirements, while aiming to enhance customer satisfaction, and achieve continual improvement in pursuit of these objectives. Once the audit is over I will be working on a new activity schedule to add to our activity program. Spring break is coming fast and we have some really busy days ahead of us. The days will be long but the kids are always good for a laugh, so I am sure we will have some fun days too.

Tuesday Again....

Well it is Tuesday again, our favorite day of the week as we are off tomorrow. It has been quite busy today and we have had a fun group of passengers that have been really easy to entertain. I went into Port Lucaya again for a little while today, just to pick up some perfume because it is quite a bit cheaper in the Bahamas. Some of the staff went over to the beach to go parasailing, however it was too windy so the boats were not going out. Since parasailing was out we tried our luck in the casino. I only play the slot machines and lost, but I only put $10 in. Some of the other staff played blackjack and one of them came out $200 ahead, so we celebrated with a cocktail on Lucaya Beach.

Shenanigans

Today I went for lunch at Shenanigans Irish Pun & European Eatery, located in Port Lucaya. The staff is very warm and welcoming and the food is great. I am from England and one of my favorite things to eat is Bangers & Mash, which is sausages and mash potatoes, but they are special sausages served with onion gravy that is delicious. Another great thing on the menu is the Guinness and Steak Pie and if you don’t mind fried food you must try the Irish mixed grill. The mixed grill is Bangers (sausages), Fried Egg, Tomato, Rashers, Bacon, Beans, Mushrooms, Black Pudding (blood sausage) & Chips. If I was staying a few days on the island I could eat there every day. Although quiet in the daytime, in the evenings Shenanigans is very lively and great place to hang out.

Why Grand Bahama?

Where Nassau is a blend of the old and new, Freeport/Lucaya (Grand Bahama) is a modernistic planned city. Grand Bahama Island is the second most popular tourist destination. On Grand Bahama you will find long stretches of deserted clean-white beaches, inviting hotels, one major casino, nighttime entertainment and world-class scuba diving facilities as well as land and sea sports. Freeport is the resort center of the Island where much action can be found. On the eastern and western ends of the Island are serene and quaint settings and finding hide-away spots is not uncommon. Shopping is also a feature and in Port Lucaya you will discover duty-free treasures from around the world. Unlike Nassau, the less populated outskirts of Grand Bahama supply more serene and tranquil surroundings (like deserted beaches) popular amongst those who desire private hideaway spots reminiscent of the Family Islands. Whether you’re looking for modern luxury or want to get away from civilization, Grand Bahama offers the best of both worlds.

Gold Rock Beach

Today I headed out to the Lucaya National Park & Gold Rock Beach. Gold Rock Beach is part of Grand Bahamas National Park and is protected by the National Trust. This beach is located east of the Island (about 25 miles from Freeport) and is secluded and spectacular at low tide. Gold Rock Beach is a very popular stop on tours of the national park and Island tours. BBQ pits, picnic tables and benches are available, but there are no other amenities, so most people only stay an hour or two. North of the beach, across the road are the Lucayan Caverns, the world's longest underground surveyed cave system. I was with a couple of cruise staff members that wanted to have a look around the national park and visit one of the caves. Since I have been many times before, I just waited for them on the beach. We were lucky enough to be there at low tide, which as I mentioned is when the beach is most spectacular. Many of the pictures you will see of a beach on Grand Bahama will be of Gold Rock Beach also know as the ‘Welcome Mat’ of the island.

McLean's Town

It was a really late night last night and I have been dragging all day today. The ship has been busy both ways and it is going to be another late night tonight. A few of the staff headed out on the island this afternoon, but I stayed behind because it was so busy. They all headed out west to McLean’s Town. While they were out there they got chatting to one of the locals that was very proud share a little bit of history. Apparently McLean’s Town gets its name from a first grade school teacher. When he asked the children where they were from each replied with a different answer - McLean's Town, Carrion Crow Harbour, Self Town, Carey Cut, Pinder Town, Rocky Creek, Thomas Town, Crabbing Bay. They'd call it whatever they had a mind to call it. So the teacher, William Bethel, just put down McLean's Town for all of them and the whole area got to be known as McLean's Town. There are lots of great areas to visit on Grand Bahama away from the main tourist areas that usually only the curious ever get to savor and appreciate. I am so happy that the staff takes the time to go out and see the different areas of the island and don’t just stick to the main tourist areas.

Busy days ahead

The first thing I did this morning was claim the laptop computer that I won in the valentines raffle. I have crew begging to buy it from me, but I am keeping it and will be giving it to my husband, since he has wanted a laptop for quite a while now. We have had a really busy day today, which was a surprise as most Thursdays are fairly quiet. I was happy to see my friend the doctor return from vacation today, he was gone for a couple of months and I missed him. I had a good day off yesterday, I was supposed to be going on a nice date with my husband, but he was called into work for an important meeting and didn’t get home until late. Fingers crossed we will make it next week. I wasn’t really in the mood for going out in the Bahamas today, so I just stayed onboard, caught up with some paperwork and then relaxed for a little while. We have a busy weekend ahead and spring break is just around the corner, so the days of relaxing in the afternoons are coming to an end. I don’t really like spring break and wish that I could fast-forward the month of March. Phew, I am tired just thinking about it.

And the winner is......

Woo Hoo! I won, I won, I won, I won the laptop computer in the valentines raffle last night. I have to admit I thought it was a joke. One of my staff called me at around 1:00am this morning to let me know that I had won. Since I never win, I didn’t believe him, but then one of my other staff called me to say the same thing, and then I knew it was true. I am so happy; I have NEVER won anything in my life. I was jumping for joy last night and was so excited I couldn’t sleep. I felt like a kid at Christmas. I’m actually looking forward to going to work on Thursday now just to get my prize.

The Big Night

It’s Tuesday again, we are ready for our weekend (day off tomorrow). I went for a four mile run in Grand Bahama today, I was feeling a bit tired so it was a tough one, but I made it. My reward was an hour relaxing at Paradise Cove beach. I did want some of the staff to come with me, but they had other plans so I just headed out there alone. Tonight is a big night for the crew onboard as the Valentines raffle drawing will take place at the crew party tonight. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the first prize is a laptop computer and that is the prize everyone wants. Even though I never win anything I did buy a couple of tickets for myself. My hopes are not that high, but you never know. I am really just looking forward to going home tonight and sleeping late tomorrow.

Presidents Day

With this past weekend being valentines weekend and Presidents day today, we have been super busy. Yesterday we had a large group that had their own DJ playing in the Tropical Lounge all day. They played some really good music and the lounge had a great atmosphere all day. Since we have a long night ahead of us, I didn’t go off the ship this afternoon. Last night I finished work just past midnight and it will most likely be the same again this evening. It will be a little quieter tomorrow so I will most likely go running when we get to Grand Bahama and then maybe head out to the beach at Paradise Cove. I may try to arrange for a group of us to go out there and maybe use the jet skis. Well, it is almost show time, so I had better go and check everything is ready….

Sumo Suits

I had a fantastic day today, the ship has been really busy both ways, but I still managed to get off the ship for a few hours this afternoon. We arrived in Grand Bahama early so I had more time than I had anticipated. I joined the Beach and Shopping Tour and spent my afternoon at Taino Beach. I didn’t join the tour for the shopping portion, as I just wanted to relax at the resort. I got my cocktail from the cave bar and headed to one of the hammocks by the pool. There are always a variety of pool and beach games taking place in the afternoons at the resort and today they had sumo wrestling. What a blast! Adults and kids dress up in these huge padded sumo suits, get onto a padded mat and start wrestling. I have never laughed so hard; it was the funniest thing to watch. All they can do is bump into one another and try to knock the other contestant down, and once they go over it is damn near impossible to stand back up again without any help. There they lay on the mat rocking back and forth trying to get back up…. Maybe you have to see it to really appreciate exactly how funny it is. The best was seeing the kids knock down their parents and jump up and down with excitement when they couldn’t get back up again and they won the game. After watching the games for a while I went for a walk along Taino beach before heading for the water taxi to Port Lucaya so that I could meet up with the tour bus in Port Lucaya in time to get back to the ship.

Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day. We have lots of loving couples onboard today and one couple that got married right before we sailed this morning. Since I have to work my husband and I will have our own celebration on Wednesday when I have the day off. My trip to the casino in Port Lucaya yesterday was successful; I came out about $150 ahead, which made me love Friday the 13th. I treated myself to lunch at Zorbas, my favorite Greek restaurant in Port Lucaya and a cocktail on the beach. I had planned to go out this afternoon too, but it was just too late once we were done with debarkation, so I had a little nap. It is going to be really busy again tomorrow and Monday, with lots of special groups onboard. We have a guest DJ playing in the Tropical Lounge all day tomorrow, which will be a nice addition to our entertainment program. Well, the day is almost over so now I am just looking forward to getting home to my valentine.

Friday the 13th

Since it is Friday the 13th here is a little trivial information for you. The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobi. According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States are affected by a fear of this day. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed. "It's been estimated that $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day” Well it doesn’t look like it has stopped people from cruising as we have over 1,000 passengers onboard today. The weather is beautiful and the seas are calm. We have had a couple of crew incidents that have been blamed on the date. One crew member fell down the stairs and another sat in gum and ruined his work pants, both are very superstitios. Although I have to admit that in general I am superstitios too, I don’t really worry about Friday the 13th. I am going to spend my afternoon in Port Lucaya and will even try my luck in the Isle of Capri Casino.

Old Bahama Bay

I had a great day off yesterday and feel really refreshed today. A friend of mine sailed this morning and will be staying at Old Bahama Bay for five days. I have to admit I am very jealous. Old Bahama Bay is located in the West End of Grand Bahama Island and is just 55 nautical miles due east of Palm Beach, Florida. If you want to be away from the hustle and bustle of the tourists and just relax and do nothing, this is the perfect place to stay. Old Bahama Bay is a luxurious resort with one of the most beautiful secluded beaches I have ever seen and is perfect for a romantic getaway.

Lazy Day

I have had a nice lazy day off. I slept late and just lazed around the house until around 1:00pm. My husband and I went for lunch at a really nice Mexican restaurant in Fort Lauderdale before he had to head to work. I did a little housework and some grocery shopping, but other than that I was really lazy, I didn’t even cook dinner. Now I am going to watch a little television before hitting my bed nice and early, ready for another six days of work. We have got a really busy weekend coming, so I better rest while I can.

Xanadu Beach

It was a beautiful day today, nice and warm and perfect for the beach. We sent a bus full of passengers on the beach and shopping tour and I almost joined them. Just as I was about to get on the bus I saw one of my Bahamian friends that used to work on the ship. She was heading to Xanadu Beach for lunch and asked if I would like to join her. Xanadu beach is located on the southwest coast of Grand Bahama Island; it has a full service Marina and a wide range of water sports. I used to spend a lot of time at Xanadu Beach, as it is the closest beach to the ship. I have lost count how many times I went parasailing there. Today was just a day for catching up on gossip, and pigging out on cracked conch, a local delicacy. The crew is happy tonight as it is what we call our weekend; we have the day off tomorrow. There will be a crew party once all the passengers have disembarked, but I will be racing home to be with my husband.

Valentines Raffle

This has been a pretty uneventful day really. Although the passengers have been great sports taking part in all of the activities, there have been no real characters today. The weather is almost at a temperature that I like, it was about 73 degrees in Grand Bahama today and it is supposed to reach the 80’s tomorrow and that is the temperature I love. The 70’s are great for my running as it isn’t too hot, but the 80’s are perfect for the beach, which I have missed going to the past couple of weeks. Valentines weekend is approaching fast and we are fully booked the whole weekend. We have a special crew valentines raffle the Tuesday after Valentines Day and there are some great prizes. The first prize that everyone wants is a laptop computer and the tickets are only $1 each, so the crew is going crazy buying them. We have almost run out of tickets and may have to buy some more. The money generated from the sales covers the cost of the prizes and the remainder goes into the crew welfare fund for future events. I am never very lucky when it comes to these things, but I have purchased a ticket for each one of my staff, hoping that they will have more luck than I do, I would just love to see one of them win.

Sunday

We have had a really busy day today, with 800 plus passengers to and from Grand Bahama. All of our outdoor activities went really well today, as it is a lot warmer than it has been the past few days. There were some real characters that took part in the real man contest that gave us all a really good laugh. The Hotel Manager’s Birthday dinner was a lot of fun last night and she really enjoyed herself. I didn’t get to visit the new gym close to the port today because it was closed, as most things are on Sunday’s, so I will try again tomorrow. Two more day’s until our day off and though I shouldn’t speak too soon, so far I don’t have to come to the ship for anything. It will be nice to have the whole day to run my errands and spend some time with my husband.

Birthday Dinner

It is the Hotel Managers birthday today, so all of the department heads are meeting for a special Birthday dinner this evening. It has been a long time since we all got together socially, so it is going to be really nice. The weather is a little better today and by Tuesday it is supposed to be back into the 80’s and I can’t wait. I am tired of rough seas and sweaters. There is a new gym opening close to where the ship docks in Grand Bahama and I hope to go and have a look at it on Sunday. If it is nice, I will start going there rather than waking up early in the mornings to go in Fort Lauderdale. It is very hard to wake up at 4:30am in the morning, especially when I don’t get to bed before midnight most nights. So, fingers crossed it will work out for me going in the afternoons. We have two buses for the Beach and Shopping tour again today, that is a sign that the weather has brightened up and people want to go to the beach again. Taino beach is really beautiful on a nice sunny day and very relaxing since it is so nice and quiet there. If the temperatures reach the 80’s by Tuesday, I will join the tour and spend some time at the beach and top up my fading tan.

Game Fishing

The tropical waters surrounding Grand Bahama are home to some of the best game fish on Earth. Some of the fish you will find lurking offshore are white and blue marlin, yellow-fin and blue-fin tuna, barracuda, king fish, Wahoo, bonito, and dolphin (also known as Mahi Mahi… not Flipper). I learned today that one of the world’s best game fish – the bonefish– not only likes the waters of Grand Bahama Island, but is more at home there than anywhere else in the world. The flats off Deep Water Cay, in the East and The Old Bahama Flats off West End are known for great catches. Fly-fishing, particularly for bonefish, is quickly gaining popularity on Grand Bahama Island and throughout The Islands of The Bahamas. Next to golf, it is the fastest growing sport. The best time to go fishing is between April and September.

Brrrr

Brrrr….It’s cold today, the temperature dropped to below freezing this morning which is really unusual for South Florida. I expected really rough seas, but it actually wasn’t as bad and I thought it would be. We didn’t have many passengers onboard today, but we did sell quite a lot of tickets for the Bahamian Getaway Island Tour. This is a great tour to do in any kind of weather and takes you to the main points of interest on the Island, including the Garden of the Groves. The gardens are very beautiful and the guides give a very informative tour though the trails of tropical plants and waterfalls. A lot of people also signed up for the Bonfire Beach Party this evening. I bet it will be nice huddling around a big bonfire tonight since it will still be quite cool. The cool weather is supposed to be with us for a few days. I can’t wait for the summer; like most people, I really don’t care for the cold. I spent my afternoon onboard today, but will go running tomorrow afternoon. If it warms up a little I may even venture into town.

Boat Drill :-(

We have yet another cold front heading our way and the temperatures are supposed to reach freezing in the morning. I will have to wrap up like an Eskimo on my moped on my way to work. Even though it is my day off today, I had to wake up early as we had a boat drill. It was really cold when I came to the ship, so instead of riding my moped I borrowed my husbands Jeep, since he didn’t need it until 9:30am. The drill was over by 8:15am so I went home and went back to bed for a couple of hours. My husband managed to leave work early, so we got to spend half of the day together. Since I was feeling lazy we went out for dinner and spent the rest of the evening relaxing cuddled up on the couch watching TV….What a perfect end to the day.

Casino

What a fun group of people we had onboard this morning. They took part in all of the games at the deck party and the winner of Miss Discovery was a real character, she was in her 70’s and won the hearts of everyone, when she sang and danced in the talent portion of the contest. She then went on to win the hoola hoop contest, but opted not to join in with the Beer Drinking, she said she didn’t want to win everything….HA! HA!…. It is a little bit cloudy today, perfect for running. So I am going to attempt my five miles this afternoon when we get to Grand Bahama. I think I will get one of my friends to drop me off five miles from the ship, so that I have to do the full distance to get back, fingers crossed I will make it. A few of the staff are heading to Port Lucaya to try their luck in the Isle of Capri Casino. The Isle of Capri is the only casino on the island. It is approximately 19,000 square-feet, offers 400 slot machines and 21 table games. I love the slot machines and always enjoy a visit to the casino, of course it’s always nice to win, but I still have fun even if I don’t. I am still recovering from a two-month vacation, so a trip to the casino is off limits for me for a while, but I wish them all luck for this afternoon and I am sure there will be a few winners amongst them.

Super Bowl Sunday

Today is Super Bowl Sunday, so a lot of passengers want to watch the game, which we will be showing in Club Illusions. This evenings drink special is ‘Touch Down’ a delicious mix of Bahamian rums and pineapple juice; the non-alcoholic special is ‘Time Out’ which is a tropical fruit punch. I am not really into football myself, but I do love the excitement of the Super Bowl and would love to see it live. I met with a really nice guy today that is traveling to Grand Bahama to organize scuba diving vacations for dive groups. He will be meeting with UNEXSO, which is one of the most reputable dive companies on the island. One of the highlights of arranging dive vacations in Grand Bahama is that the non diving spouses will find an array of activities to suit them while their significant others are off diving. I am yet to find the time to take the Discover Diving course offered by UNEXSO. The ocean is a little cool right now anyway, so I may just wait until the summer when the water temperature is in the eighties.

Cold Front

My cold is much worse today, although I did get some medication from the ships doctor and hope that it won’t last long. The weather isn’t so good today. We have another cold front heading to South Florida and it is supposed to be in the 30’s this evening. Rough seas are forecast for later in the day, so it won’t be much fun sailing back from Grand Bahama this evening. We only have a few people going on the beach and shopping tour today, since the weather isn’t so good, many people have opted not to go to the beach. I will be resting again today once we get to Grand Bahama, the running will just have to wait until this I feel better. Fingers crossed the seas will be kind to us tonight and that the new entertainer doesn’t get sea sick…..Ewe…

Customer Service Seminar

Mamma Mia was fantastic and I had a great night, although I was a little tired after the Customer Service Seminar earlier in the day. The seminar was also very good. I was a little skeptical at first and wondered if I would really benefit from something like that. I was pleasantly surprised and came away with some new useful skills that I look forward to putting into practice. I feel a little tired today and I think a have a bit of a cold coming. I guess I will need to pay a visit to the ships doctor. I should be going for a run this afternoon once we get to Grand Bahama, but I think I am going to give it a miss today. I am however up to 4 miles now and am looking forward to mile number 5. Hopefully I will feel better on Friday and can try for the fifth mile then.