Another Day Off

It’s Wednesday again, our day off. However this week some of the crew, myself included, has to attend a Customer Service Seminar. The seminar is from 8:30am till 3:30pm, with one hour for lunch. It is going to be a busy day for me as I also have a new entertainer [MSOffice1] [MSOffice2] onboard, that needs me to help him with his sound test and another staff member will be joining later in the day. Since crewmembers have to go through lengthy immigration inspections when entering the country, there is no way of knowing exactly when he will arrive. So, there will be a lot of waiting around. I have got tickets to see Mamma Mia this evening at a local theatre, fingers crossed I will be able to leave the ship in time for the show. I am already looking forward to next Wednesday, when hopefully I wont have anything to do onboard.

[MSOffice1]

[MSOffice2]

Golfing

Golfing is very popular on Grand Bahama. I am not a golfer, but my husband is a golf fanatic. Here is a little information about the Reef Course located in Port Lycaya. Many consider the Reef Course one of the toughest plays in all of the Bahamas. While playing to nearly 7,000 yards from the back tees, the Reef Course is not a course you can overpower, and ranks more as a shot-makers course where accuracy is rewarded. With water present on 13 of the 18 holes on this links-styled course, it's easy to get into trouble, but with epic views and masterful conditioning, the Reef Course, which opened in 2000, has quickly moved to the top of the wish list for golfers looking for the best of the Bahamas. The course is open year round and has a driving range and a putting green. It is recommended that you make your tee time about two weeks in advance. Rental clubs are available for about $45 and the rates vary from $75 - $130 depending on the time of year.

Horseback Riding

Something that a lot of people ask about doing while on Grand Bahama is Horseback Riding along the beach. There are a couple of places that you can go to do this, but the company I have used is Pine Tree Stables. They are located midway between the International Bazaar and Port Lucaya, which is about a 10 minute cab ride from most hotels. They offer two departures daily and you must make a reservation. You will be taken on a 2 hour guided ride from the Stables along a trail that winds its way through the endangered Pine Forest, past a Castle and through the Hardwood Coppice, along the Swash, over the Dunes, west on the Beach and into the ocean. Of course the ride along the beach and into the ocean is the highlight of this tour. The horses only walk and jog, so no experience is necessary. I recommend that you wear long comfortable pants and shoes that you don’t mind getting wet when you ride into the ocean. This really is a great experience and worth the $85 fee.

Smiths Point

Today I rented a moped and headed out to Smiths Point. Smith's Point is named after the Scotsman, Michael Smith, who served in the early 1800s as Commissioner of the island. It is the venue for what has become a Wednesday night tradition on the island -- the Fish Fry. The Fish Fry is an excellent opportunity to get better acquainted with both the native fish and local residents. The "Fish Fry" was started a number of years ago by the residents of Smiths Point, just outside of Lucaya, to help raise funds for their church. The fish is cooked WHOLE using local recipes. You will also find fresh conch prepared many different ways such as, salads, burgers and fritters. Smiths Point is quiet on Sunday’s so I just sat and had a soda on the beach before heading back to the ship. Since Discovery Sun doesn’t sail on Wednesday’s this is an event that I haven’t had the opportunity to experience. However, many of our passengers have and they always say they wished it were held more often.

Paradise Cove

We had almost 400 same day return passengers onboard today, all heading to Port Lucaya, the same beach I had planned to go to today. Since I was looking forward to a relaxing afternoon, I decided to head to another beach area called Paradise Cove. Paradise Cove has a secluded beach where you can relax without the crowds you find in Port Lucaya. Snorkeling is also available at the beach, with Dead Mans Reef right off shore. You can swim out to the reef and snorkel for as long as you want. If you don’t have snorkel equipment they rent it right there at the beach. The Red Bar, right on the beach offers refreshments and snacks that they cook up on the beach grill. So if you are looking to escape the regular tourist spots, head out to Paradise Cove where you truly can get away from it all.

Marriage Proposal

Well the weather has warmed up a little bit, but it was still quite cold early this morning. Just after the morning travel talk one of our passengers approached me and said he wanted to propose to his girlfriend at one of the activities. To my surprise, with the help of the ships security he had managed to get a balloon bouquet onboard without her seeing it. Now I have seen many marriage proposals onboard, but this one was quite something and one that I will never forget. The helium filled balloon bouquet had been filled with rose petals and the ring was placed in one of them. At the end of the Trivia game in the Tropical Lounge in front of around 100 passengers, he proposed. He presented her with the balloon bouquet and proceeded to pop them one at time, showering her with rose petals. The final pop showered her with the rose petals and as she held out her hands to catch them a beautiful diamond ring fell into her hands. At that point her boyfriend got down on one knee and popped the question. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room, everyone was clapping and cheering and the answer was YES! YES! YES!…..

Cold Front

Brrrr…. What a cold start to the day. It was 35 degrees when I left home this morning and since I drive a moped, it was not a fun ride to work. I felt more like I was in England than South Florida. Fortunately when I got to the ship all of the AC had been turned off, but the areas with doors leading to the outer deck are still cold. Despite the cold weather, the passengers braved the outer decks and participated in the various deck games. One passenger was even brave enough to take off his shirt and show off his muscles in the Real Man contest. His bravery paid off as he won the contest and a future cruise onboard Discovery Sun. When we arrived in Grand Bahama it was still a little cool, but the sun was shining and passengers started to peel off some of the many layers of clothes they had on from this morning. About 30 of our same day return passengers went on the Beach and Shopping Tour and they too were happy to see the sun shining when we arrived. It will be a pleasant afternoon at the beach after all.