Nassau, Bahamas

Sunday, December 26, 2021 Nassau, Bahamas

            We were up early this morning. At 5:30 A.M., we could just see the sky coloring, with the rose of predawn. We were on the wrong side of the ship to see the sun rise. The ship was just entering the narrow channel of Nassau harbor. Harbor tugs were leading us in. A carnival ship was already moored in the dock. We had coffee on the balcony, as the Royal Caribbean “Independence of the Seas” floated in to the dock next to us. This would make a sizeable influx of tourists into the small city today. We watched some CNN news and prepped for the day. 

           We had been here a few years back and didn’t expect to find much. Senor Frogs was a popular gin mill near a straw hut building that sold native arts and crafts. The fabled resort and Casino of Atlantis sat on  small Paradise islet, just across the harbor. Standing 15 stories tall, it is an imposing resort hotel glistening in coral pink. One of the top floor suites charges $25,000 per night, with a four-night minimum.

           We had visited the Atlantis resort when last we were here. Besides an elaborate Casino, and elegant hotel complex, the entire first floor of the building is lined with a glass-walled aquarium. As pilgrims, we had walked through the luxurious casino amazed at the opulence. Mary saw a sigh for 25 and popped a quarter in the machine for luck. Like we do in Las Vegas. After the coin slid through a few times, we realized that the “25” meant dollars not cents. “Oh” was all we could say, as we beat a hasty retreat. You live and learn.

          The gym was full as usual at 8 A.M. We hit it hard for an hour and then sat in the deck 10 Oceanview café, with great coffee, some pretty decent omelets and fruit. It was a nice way to start the morning. The 10 A.M. Trivia challenge was on. We sat through another round of questions and asked the same question. How do these folks ever know or remember all of this stuff? Afterwards, we repaired to our cabin to chill out and make ready for the 12:45 P.M. harbor tour.

         Passengers were already disembarking at Noon, as we assembled on the dock, next to the ship. It was hot, sunny and in the 80’s already. An energetic Bahamian woman herded a score of us into line and then led us past two tug boats, along the pier to a small flat-bottomed boat. Fortunately, it had a large, metal, green roof for us to seek shade in.

          The crew pushed off and we made our way into the larger Nassau harbor. Off in the distance, the impressive bulk of the Atlantis resort dominated the skyline. A new Sydney Poitier Bridge now linked Nassau with Paradise Island. The cruise narrator was a local Bahamian comic who did his best to amuse the assembled passengers. Several new resort hotels had risen along the edge of the harbor. The venerable Straw Mart was now a substantial two-story, pastel edifice that featured the arts and crafts of the region.

             The Jimmy Buffet Hotel is a new and shining resort. It is a local attraction, along with the stately home of Oprah Winfrey. We had hoped to see Tiger Wood’s place, but the guide said, soto voce, that Tiger had lost his Nassau home in the divorce. He now had a place on the very exclusive Albany Island, some miles away. The Ocean View Golf Course stood out like patches of emerald green, amidst the opulence of some very pricey homes. Nassau had gotten very prosperous since last we had been here.

           The water was clear as glass. The guide pointed out some big fish as we looked along the bank for turtles. The ship stopped in a section of the harbor, in about ten feet of water. Several of the younger passengers jumped in and swam the length of the boat, before being helped back aboard. The tour wasn’t much, but it was “something to do” on a hot afternoon.

        Later, we sat in the delicious cool of an air-conditioned cabin and watched the Buffalo Bills beat up the New England Patriots 33 to 21. Five P.M found us topside, on deck 11, with a glass of cabernet, enjoying “sail away” music from a small band. The Millennium revved her diesels and headed stern-first, through the narrow harbor, and into the Caribbean. It had been a brief visit to a beautiful island in the tropics

        We cleaned up some and met Rick and Linda Monzon, in the Rendevous Lounge on deck four, for a drink and story swapping about the day’s adventures. We were dining tonight in the Deck 4 “Tuscan Lounge.” It is a specialty restaurant, that charges $45 a head extra to dine in peace and elegance. On Christmas Day, they had charged $95 per person. The Monzons were treating.

        Unfortunately, a table for ten was nearby. The diners were both loud, raucous and “shit faced” as the saying goes. We ignored them and enjoyed a glass of Pinot Noir as we studied the extensive menu. Calamari, Minestrone soup, Lobster penne, Red Snapper and Tiramisu with great coffee rounded out a sumptuous repast. Our conversation was light, as we exchanged family stories and past adventures. It had been a fun four days and we had enjoyed our companions along the way. It was time to go home. We filed up to our cabins and read for a time before again surrendering to Morpheus, as the great ship sailed westward, towards Fort Lauderdale and home.

Monday, December 27, 2021 Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

      The ship was just gliding into her berth at 5:30 A.M. this morning. We were packing up our gear and getting ready to disembark. The breakfast scene would probably be like a scene from the hunger games, so we passed and watched the news. We didn’t have to wait for our bags, so we met the Monzons and got to disembark the ship at 7:30 A.M. A perfunctory pass through customs, showing passport and vaccination cards got us off into the port area. A series of small shuttles were lined up. We had berthed at a site removed from our embarkation point, so the entire ship’s compliments had to be bussed back there or sent off to the airport. We were glad that we had started so early. These things can take on the mien of the Kabul evacuation, if you wait and get stuck back in the line.

          At the garage, we paid the parking fee, a reasonable $20 per day and rescued the car, from its darkened space. We loaded up our gear and set off north along Rte. # 595. The traffic here is usually a nightmare, Today, it was relatively calm. Exiting onto Alligator Alley, we sped across the Everglades, again enjoying the “sea of grass” and all of the bird and animal life held within. It was a short run into Estero. We dropped the Monzons off at their place and then finally pulled into our own.

        When you get through all of the hustle and bustle of these trips, they almost seem to evaporate like some fast-moving phantasmagoric event after you have returned home. The quiet and sameness of our next few days was comfortable and appealing.

                                                 -30-

                                      (1,1246 words)

                                 Joseph Xavier Martin