Day 65 - Willemstad, Curacao, Dutch Antilles

Saturday 14th Mar 2020

Step off at Willemstad and enjoy your visit to the capital of former Dutch colony Curacao. The four quarters of the celebrated city are separated by St. Anna Bay, the biggest harbour in the Caribbean.

Visit Punda, the largest and oldest quarter, for its beautiful 17th and 18th century Dutch-style architecture, and for the ‘floating’ market, where vendors arrive each morning by boat from Venezuela.

Today back on track berthed on the island of Curacao.

Another fantastic Caribbean island, beautiful blue seas, sunshine and palm trees.  Our berth is just close to the centre of town with it’s pastel-multi-coloured buildings and the floating bridge.

Our choice is for an easy day so no rush to go ashore.  This morning a full crew safety drill holding everything up for an hour or so, we were entertained by the crew practising the crocodile line walk, presumably for when visibility is reduced, just looks amusing.

After a bit of an unexpected shower it’s just a leisurely stroll into town for a look around.

Quite a few lizards wandering about the town along with the tourists and one spectacular Iguana hanging around outside the casino.

Back on board the scuttlebutt continues rife, of course it’s all about the covid-19 virus and what’s going to happen in Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale.  There hasn’t been much else for the attention of the shipboard gossipmongers, and you don’t even have to go to the centre of news on board, the launderette. This of course hasn’t stopped the ongoing enjoyment of the cruisers who party on  eating and drinking, the real world seems almost other worldly in our little virus free cocoon of Queen Victoria.

The semi-official latest from the Captain is for us to proceed to Port Everglades to discharge passengers whose end port is there but no new passengers or crew will be allowed to board.  Somewhat irrelevant to most from Europe who cant fly into the USA anyway.  Many questions left unanswered mainly due to the rapidly changing situation.

The worldwide situation on cruising seems to be that pretty much all cruise lines are cancelling all their cruises for an unknown period, cruise ships seem to be a natural breeding ground for viruses in a normal situation and with coronavirus being so infectious it seems to make sense.

Soon after 5.50pm we sailed for Port Everglades, a distance of 1156 nautical miles.

Day 64 - Oranjestad, Aruba, Dutch Antilles

Friday 13th Mar 2020

Aruba, just 18 miles from Venezuela has a constant temperature of around 28 centigrade with beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters on it’s leeward side.

Oranjestad is the capital and largest city of Aruba, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.  Located on the southern coast of Aruba the mix of old and new buildings in a rainbow of colours gives Oranjestad a unique charm.  Here there are many luxury retailers, historic buildings and museums.  All around are ever more hotels and condominiums to accommodate the tourists.

Looking like another lovely day to spend here in Aruba, and it’s a lovely place to spend any day, definitely a favourite.

A nice steady start to the day and then it’s ashore to buy our bus tickets ($5.00 return) and board the local bus number 10.  Heading up the coast we decided to try Eagle Beach today.  Paid the man for the use of a couple of sun beds under a nice thatched roof for some shade (two chairs + shade, other facilities available, not used, for and exorbitant $25.00), back to Palm beach next time! An idilic beautiful soft white sand beach with blue and turquoise sea in front and wind sculptured divi-divi trees behind.

Plenty of time for a swim in the sea and catch some sun before time to return to the bus and then back to the ship via the souvenir shops.

Leaving the berth at about 6.20pm we sailed for Curacao, a distance of 141 nautical miles.

Day 63 at Sea

Thursday 12th Mar 2020

It should have been Cartagena, Colombia today but cancelling the call means we are still at sea.  So it’s a run eastwards some way off the coast.  Luckily it’s a lovely hot sunny day, just a bit windy which is causing some disturbance of the sea, still it’s nice to feel you are at sea, most of the time you feel as if it could just as easily be any hotel on land and not a ship at sea.

The Captain and Cunard have been trying to find us an alternative call for tomorrow, a result, it’s to be Aruba, excellent choice.

Day 62 - Transit Panama Canal

Wednesday 11th Mar 2020

The Panama Canal is an artificial 82 km waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit for maritime trade.

At a ridiculously early time we were rudely awoken by the Panama Canal transit commentary getting going on the open decks, must be the atmospherics making it extra loud today, or are we just too near the speaker on the deck below?

Very soon into the first lock to start our transit.

The three locks at each end of the canal lift ships up about 85 feet above sea level.  The three locks use about 28 million gallons of water up and the same down at the other end.  The canal authorities are restricting the number of ships to 35 per day to save water, as recent droughts are causing a shortage.  The fees for the transit, plus charges for extras, vary depending on the vessel, our ship’s transit  apparently costs about $300.00, the largest cruise ship passing through so far, The Norwegian Bliss, paid about $900,000.  Fees payable before passage, don’t turn up unless you have the money!  The canal’s revenue is currently around 18 billion dollars.

The transit taking about 8 hours, we spent a very pleasant sunny day watching the jungle go by, with lots of birds, a very few crocodiles and just one prison.

Plenty of colourful trees in amongst the green of the jungle.  Onward to step down again to sea level.  Very tight fit for our ship in the locks, the ship designed as what’s called panamax, there’s certainly not much space left over.

And so it’s out into the Caribbean sea, getting a bit too near home now we are back to the east of the Americas.

Tonight the first real consequence of the coronavirus which directly affects our cruise, we have been in this protective bubble, a strange limbo hearing the news of the pandemic without it feeling real somehow. Tomorrows call at  Cartagena, Colombia cancelled as they have decided not to allow any cruise ships to dock.  So many cruise ships have been hotspots we are not surprised, the latest news being Princess Cruises taking their whole fleet out of action for 60 days, an example of just how serious they are taking the situation, time to think. 

Day 61 - Panama City, Panama from Fuerte Amador

Tuesday 10th Mar 2020

Fuerte Amador is situated at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, it is on a man-made one-mile causeway, created by connecting four small islands with rocks excavated from the Panama Canal, extending out into the Pacific Ocean.  The causeway also affords a panoramic view of Panama City's impressive skyline and serves as the home for the Smithsonian Institute of Tropical Research.

Panama City, the capital of Panama, is a modern city framed by the Pacific Ocean and man-made Panama Canal. Casco Viejo, its cobblestoned historic centre, is famed for colonial-era landmarks like the neoclassical Palacio Presidencial and bougainvillea-filled plazas lined with cafes and bars.

Today a tender port, we arrived about 7am and anchored for the day.  The first ship’s excursions were due to start at about 8am.  But local checks and procedures meant that the ship was not cleared to start tender operations until well after 10.30am.  This virus stuff is starting to have greater and greater effects on our progress even though no cases on board and hopefully no cases coming onboard from our ports of call, better safe than sorry!

The tender trip taking around 40 minutes plus time after each trip to sanitise the tenders.  Open tendering, without a queue or a ticket not until after 2pm.  We decided the hassle just not worth it so stayed on board and just enjoyed the views.

A very pleasant day on a quiet ship, always so nice when only a few people about, rather hot though, a sunny 27 degrees at 10am, about 32 in the early afternoon.

The last tender back from the shore at just about dusk, the ship staying at anchor overnight ready for a very short, 2nm,  sail round to take up our place in the queue for the Panama Canal.  Taking advantage of the overnight stay we are being treated this evening to a barbecue on the open deck.  Very good with all sorts of food, very crowded, seems like just about everyone is there, it must be very quiet in the dining room.

Day 60 - at Sea

Monday 9th March 2020

Back in the northern hemisphere.  Back to our seaday routine.  Back to not much going on.  Back to another delightful day.

Day 59 - Manta, Ecuador

Sunday 8th Mar 2020

Manta is a port city on Ecuador's central coast. It's known for its tuna-fishing industry. The popular Murciélago Beach is on the city's northwestern tip. Bars and restaurants are clustered along the Malecón Escénico promenade and nearby streets. The low-key Tarqui Beach has a waterside fish market. Nearby, the Central Bank Museum contains pre-Columbian relics from indigenous tribes.

Yet another fairly early start, not yet quite arrived at our berth for today just close to several tuna fishing boats.  Very fancy boats, sleek and very well equipped, though no sign of any concessions to sustainable fishing methods.

Looking out over the dock it was very noticeable that all the staff, coach divers and tour guides were masked and gloved, a sign of the times in these days of coronavirus covid-19.

Joined our tour group for a very slow exit down the gangway, delays caused by the local authorities checking everyones temperature before they landed, eventually everyone made it to the coach.  Leaving the pier we were taken along the seafront to see the beaches, the fish market, the boat yards and the fish processing factories.

All along the shore there were examples of the local building construction, bamboo poles and palm frond thatch and of local boats being built, these to a traditional timber design and construction though now covered with fibreglass finish.

Everywhere looking quite pleasant if not prosperous.  There didn’t actually seem to be much to look at, no real centre nor notable features in the city.

Along the way among the usual history lessons our guide showed us a miniature of the chair used in ancient times, the chair featured a typical face    of the people hereabouts including a very prominent nose, he was proud to show us his own prominent nose which is still typical of the local population.    

During the day it was clear who was local and who was not.  He also told us all about the different quality of Panama hats available and how to tell them apart by checking the fineness of the weave, points per inch, using his own range of hats as examples.

A quick stop to view some typical Ecuadorian trees with a Plantain plantation behind.

Continuing out of town we headed to Montecristi.  A short detour to double circle a roundabout which contained a huge statue of the traditional weaving of Panama Hats.  

The first stop in the town square to watch a demonstration of weaving of what we know as Panama hats, our guide insisting they should actually be Montecristi hats or Ecuador hats, just like the statue, nothing much changes, also available here are plenty of hats for sale.

Back on the coach, after squeezing around the narrow streets of the town we climbed the hill to enjoy the viewpoint and more shopping opportunities.    

Here is the statue and mausoleum of former president Eloy Alfaro, he brought the railway to Ecuador and there is an example engine on the site. 

Then it’s just the return journey and a return to the ship through the cruise terminal souvenir shops.

A quiet afternoon back on board Victoria enjoying the sun and watching the  fish, the turtles and a ray in the harbour just alongside the pier.

We left later than planned, off soon after 7.30pm due to 4 crew members being late back to the ship, our next port Fuerte Amador, Panama a distance of 586 nautical miles.