DAY 5---GUADELOUPE

 BACKGROUND INFO:

        Guadeloupe, like St Barts, is an overseas department and region of France.  It consists of six inhabited islands and many uninhabited islands.  The two main islands are Basse-Terre and Grand-Terre, which form a butterfly shape as viewed from above.  They are separated by a river.  The capital city is Basse-Terre located on the larger island of Basse-Terre.  This island is mostly mountainous from volcanos thousands of years ago.  However, we are docking at Pointe-a-Pitre which is on the island of Grand-Terre.  This island is mostly flat with a hilly center and is where most of the main tourist resorts are.

        Guadeloupe is 630 square miles in size and has a population of 380,000.  The economy depends on tourism, agriculture, light industry, and services.  It relies on France for large subsidies and imports.  Tourism is one of the most prominent sources of income with most visitors coming from France and the US.  An increasingly large number of cruise ships visit Pointe-a-Pitre.  The traditional sugar cane crop is being slowly replaced bananas (50% of their export) and other vegetables.  Light industries consist of sugar and rum production, solar energy, cement, furniture, and clothing.  Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported.

 

LAST EVENING

           Cocktail hour at 6pm again in Stars Lounge with Marcia.  At 7:00 we headed up to Sette Mari for dinner.  They turn La Veranda into the Italian restaurant, Sette Mari, at night.  Harry, the maitre'd, had arranged this table for five.  Joining us was Marcia, Pippa (Cruise Consultant), and Luke (the internet manager).  Pippa and Luke are both from the UK.  Great evening with them.  Problem is Sette Mari is very noisy with everyone talking.

        I had requested the chef to prepare veal parmesan for Marcia and I.  Mine was huge and I could only eat about half of it.  Rebecca and I started with the very tasty minestrone soup.  Rebecca had penne pasta bolognese.

                                                               Sette Mari's Chef Robert 

        After dinner we headed to the theater for the production cast's show, "Tuxedo".  Below are some photos of the show.

TODAY

        Room service showed up 10 minutes early for a change this morning.  I then went up to deck 11 to take some photos of the port.  When I first got up there it was raining but stopped in a few minutes so I could go out on deck.

        We have this view from our balcony as ship is tied up to dock on the other side.  Across the way is the commercial area.

        Pointe-a-Pitre, where we are docked today, is the second largest city on Guadeloupe but it's the most populous.  Love it when the ship is docked at downtown.

        Gangway is just below where I took this photo so it is a short walk to the cruise terminal where you have to pass through when going on tours or to walk in town.

        Costa cruise line's, Fortuna, is also calling here today.  Costa is an Italian cruise line.  We have cruised on Costa three times, 1987, 1988, and 1981.  All 3 were 7 night cruise in the Caribbean out of Miami.  The Fortuna has 1358 cabins so holds 2702 passengers with two in a cabin.  Crew of 1090.  She was built in 2003 so is not one of the new "mega" cruise ships.

                                          Looking forward there is a nice yacht tied up.

On deck 11 forward outside of the fitness center is a baggo game, shuffle board, and putt putt course.

                                        While Rebecca was on the treadmill I went ashore.

        In front of the other cruise terminal where the Costa ship is docked are some local shops.  Probably all made in China!  Certainly nothing I needed.

                                  Many building in poor repair and "art" painted on the sides.

                I walked down this street just outside the port gate looking for a pharmacy.

        Found one!  I asked for Somit (Ambien) but they did not have it.  So I will check in other ports.  Pretty sure they will have it in the western Caribbean.  From here I walked back to the ship.  Just off for little over half hour.  

        I was wearing this T-shirt when I went ashore.  When I was passing through the local security in the terminal, one of the guards asked if he could buy it.

        The ship held a general crew drill this morning starting at 10:15.  They do some sort of a drill every week.  I arrived back at the ship after it had started.  

    Right after I boarded the entire crew was ordered off the ship and to line up on the dock.

        It took quite a while for 345 crewmembers to get all lined up.  I have never seen the crew having to form up off the ship during a drill.  Purpose was for them to watch how a lifeboat was prepared to be lowered if an evacuation is ordered by the Captain.  They do this drill every 3 months.  They also form up on dock every 3 months to practice a bomb threat where the bomb is not found.

                               Even Nicki, the GM, took part.  She is in center of this photo.

        At noon we went up for some lunch in La Veranda, the buffet.  I had some Danish blue cheese, anchovies, fried rice, sweet & sour chicken, and a couple Chinese-style BBQ pork ribs.

                                                                          Salads

                                                                     Small sandwiches

                                                                              Ribs

                                                                          Appetizers

                                                                           Desserts

        This afternoon we went up to one of the self serve, free launderettes to wash a pair of my slacks.  Did not want the ship's laundry to do it.  We will also watch a couple of the soaps that Rebecca likes on Paramount Plus app.

This the channel guide.  There are 4 movie channels so I may watch another movie this afternoon.

        We will be sailing again at 5pm.  There is a pre-dinner show at 6:00 featuring a second show with Linda Gentille so we will grab a cocktail and head for the theater.  Planning dinner with Jane this evening in Compass Rose.  At 9:30 Solomon Jaye will be performing his second show in the theater.  We will definitely be there for it.  Linda and Jaye will be leaving the ship tomorrow in Grenada.  New entertainers will come on board.

        Tomorrow we will be docked on the island of Grenada by 10am.

DAY 4---ST BARTS

 BACKGROUND INFO:

        St Barthelemy is a French speaking Caribbean island commonly known as St Barts.  It is known for its white sandy beaches and designer shops.  It is an overseas collectivity of France.  There are three other islands that make up the French West Indies:  St Martin, Guadeloupe, and Martinique.

        A volcanic island fully encircled by shallow reefs, St Barts has an area of only about 10 square miles and a population of about 10,000.

        Its capital is Gustavia, which contains the main harbor and is where we are anchored today.  Gustavia is on the west side of the island.

        The economy of the island is based on tourism and duty-free retail.  The euro is the official currency.  International investment and the wealth generated by tourism explain the high standard of living here.  Most of the food is imported from the US or France.  Tourism attracts about 200,000 visitors every year.  St Barts has about 25 hotels, most with 15 rooms or fewer.  Most places of accommodation are in the form of private villas.  There are some 400 available for rent on the island.

LAST EVENING

        As I described yesterday, at 6:00 the bell was rung over the PA and the shipwide block party started.  We met many of our neighbors, all of which were very nice folks.

        Above are photos of Captain Loris, Ray, and Nicki as they passed through all the hallways toasting all the guests.

                        At 6:30 we adjourned to the Stars lounge for a pre-dinner with Marcia.

        We went down to Compass Rose about 7:15 for dinner with Jane joining us.  We asked for the same waiter, Nino, as we had the night before.

                  We ran into Herman, whom we have known for years.  He is a head waiter.

        Trisha is also a head waiter and arranges for Rebecca's cheese plate every day.  Rebecca has an Atkins bar for lunch every day but likes some cheese to snack on in the afternoon.

        We all enjoyed this creamy corn & pablano chili soup to start with.  It is one of our favorite soups.  Of course I also had some escargot.

  I ordered this chicken Kiev but it was very dry so I had it changed to what Rebecca had ordered.

This is Rebecca's Szechuan beef stir fry with broccoli, red peppers, basil, and oyster sauce over rice.

                                After dinner we went to the theater for Linda Gentille's show.

                                         Linda is an amazing pianist and also quite funny.

                                                   We chatted with Linda after her show.

TODAY

        We arrived at our anchorage and dropped anchor shortly after 9am.  Ray just made a PA announcement at 9:50 saying the ship had been cleared by the local authorities so the tendering operation is beginning for those on early tours.

                                                          Setting up the tender gangway.

        I can't believe they are going to tender today.  Tender is bobbing around like a cork during process of getting people on it.  Does not appear to be to be a safe operation.  Besides those boarding first will be sea sick before the tender is full.  Definitely not going ashore today!!

                                                                Found an island to buy!

                                  This is as close to Gustavia as I am going to get today.

                       Below are two photos of Galileo's Lounge which is up on deck 11, aft.  

        Lunch today was again up in La Veranda.  There is a pasta station so I had some linguini bolognese made and added some pepper flakes to it.

    

        I was still hungry so back to the buffet as they were carving roasted turkey today.  On past cruises the turkey gravy has been a dark brown color.  I have brought some Heinz turkey gravy from home with me on a past cruise to show the chefs what gravy looks like.  Today, it was the perfect color!

        This afternoon I am sitting with an ice pack on my lower back.  I have been dealing with back pain for over a year.  Multiple steroid injections, PRP injection, and ablation when living in Durango.  Pain management doctor in Dallas did a dye/steroid injection to identify problem area then referred me to a back surgeon.  We are to get off this ship on April 4th and I am scheduled for back surgery on April 11th.  The pain is worse since heading out on this cruise.  I hope I can make it to April 4th.  Now when I stand after sitting it feels like someone is sticking a knife in my back and I yell.

        I sent some laundry out last night and it was just delivered back.  Fast service.  I also had Menino shine my black dress shoes.

        This evening's plan of attack is to meet Marcia at 6pm in Stars Lounge for my "medicine".  Makers Mark bourbon does help with my pain!  Then I have arranged for dinner up in Sette Mari at 7pm.  Marcia had invited Pippi, the Cruise Consultant (books cruises onboard for guests), and Luke, the IT guy, so there will be 5 of us at dinner.

        The ship's production company (4 singers/dancers and 6 dancers) will be doing their first show tonight at 9:30.  It is titled "Tuxedo" and features music from the Rat Pack.  We have seen this show a number of times on other Regent ships.  Anxious to see this cast perform it.

        We sail again at 7pm so as to be docked at Pointe-a-Pitre on the island of Guadeloupe by 7am tomorrow morning.  Distance to sail is 260 miles.