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We
left a day early on January 1st, 2006 and stayed at the Courtyard by
Marriott in Ft. Lauderdale, |
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We
had dinner here, |
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Drinks during dinner, |
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Our
stateroom on the Holland America Volendam, |
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Port
Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale. We are about to leave for Aruba, |
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The
ship docked behind the Volendam in Port Everglades, |
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The
'behind the scenes' tour of the kitchens on the Volendam, |
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Cooks
on board! |
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A
cooking demonstration in the Culinary Arts Center on board, |
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We
discovered after boarding that this cruise had a jazz theme. Every
night two or three different bands were playing throughout the ship.
They even played sometimes during the midnight buffets in the Lido lounge, |
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Late
night tea in the Lido lounge, |
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Early
morning arrival at our first port of call Oranjestad,
Aruba, |
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We
took a tour of Aruba, |
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The
tour stopped at an aloe factory, |
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Demonstrating how the aloe is removed from the plant, |
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We
also stopped at an interesting rock formation with great views from the top, |
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On
the way up, |
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Our
guide is directing traffic through the rocks! |
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The view from the
top. You can see the Volendam in the distance, |
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The
Natural Bridge formation, which was a famous tourist attraction on Aruba,
had collapsed six months before our arrival! |
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Fortunately there was another, although a little smaller, natural bridge, |
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Looking around
Oranjestad, |
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The
Volendam docked in
Oranjestad, |
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It
was a Dutch themed night on board the Volendam, |
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The
dining room entrance, |
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Our
second port of call was Willemstad, Curaçao, |
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We
took a tour on Curaçao. We are visiting a
curaçao (it is a famous liquor) factory. They were giving free
samples! |
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A
museum on Curaçao, |
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Part
of the tour was a local dancing demonstration in here, |
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The
dancers, and Yo, |
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On
the way to visit Willemstad for some shopping, |
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More
of Willemstad. It was very much like being in Europe (except for the
weather), |
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On
the way back to the Volendam, |
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We
departed Curaçao at midnight after they put on some fireworks especially for
us, |
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Our
third port of call was Roseau, Dominica, |
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We
took a tour on Dominica. These are the Trafalgar Falls, |
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The
Emerald Pool, |
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A
picture of Roseau from the Volendam, |
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Our
fourth port of call was Charlotte Amalie, US Virgin Islands, |
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A view of
Charlotte Amalie from the Volendam, |
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We
took a tour on the US Virgin Islands. This is our guide, |
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In
the distance you can see the Volendam, |
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Megan's Bay, |
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The
crew on the Volendam is saying goodbye (even though we have two days left!), |
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The
Lido restaurant where we would have our breakfast & lunch, |
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Our
dining room waiter Arief, |
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They
always have the Parade of the Baked Alaskas on the last night in the main
dining room, |
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Our
last port of call was Half Moon Cay. Holland America owns this island, |
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Taking it easy on the beach on Half Moon Cay. Yo is doing her
knitting! |
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More
of the beach. Tomorrow we will be back in Ft. Lauderdale, then home... |
