Pat and Larry's 25th Anniversary Cruise to the Western Caribbean,

November 14-21 2004 on the Holland American Oosterdam.

We sailed out of Fort Lauderdale on fairly rough seas.  Fortunately, we had no problem with seasickness, but there were a lot of people swaying to and fro.

Because of the rough seas, this is as close as we got to our first Port of Call, Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas.  There were 16 foot swells that prevented us from tendering in to the port.  That left us with 2 days at sea to relax and enjoy the amenities of the Oosterdam.   We had a great stateroom with an outside verandah.  It was great listening to the sound of the sea as we slept and sailed toward Jamaica.  We pampered ourselves in the spa, getting messages and manicures. 

For some reason, I got the hankering to get up on stage and sing Karaoke.  Now I know I can't sing a lick, but I had lots of fun and got a lot of positive comments from cruisers that enjoyed my foolishness.

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

We Landed in Jamaica on Wednesday.  We went to Dolphin Cove and Dunn's River Falls on a shore excursion.  Jamaica is a beautiful spot, but the poverty has driven many locals to sell very aggressively in the markets.  Of course I must have "here comes a sucker, Mon" written all over me and wound up buying a couple of overpriced wooden trinkets.  It was at that point that I gave up my shopping rights.

A couple of shots from Dolphin cove.

We then immersed ourselves in the falls, climbing up the falls on a guided tour.  Our guide graciously took pictures at the best spots.

Yes, it was cold, but refreshing.

We did go downtown to do a bit of shopping (I didn't carry any money) and got some nice Blue Mountain coffee and Rum.

More Karaoke and a dessert buffet

We sailed to Georgetown, Grand Cayman during the night.  The port had just reopened that week.  Hurricane Ivan did a number on the island and we were lucky to be able to land.  We took a trip to stingray city and did some snorkling with the stingrays.

Friendly critters albeit frightful looking.  They will eat squid out of your hand.  Of course, they will suck your fingers into their mouth if you aren't careful. I wasn't.

Cozumel and Playa del Carmen.

We landed on the Island of Cozumel off the coast of Mexico on Friday and took a trip to the Mayan Ruins at Tulum.  The town of Playa del Carmen was a nice seaside resort on the Caribbean Sea.  Tulum was the only Mayan city built on the Ocean.  The view is fantastic.

It was so nice there Iquana go back!                             

We sailed back to Fort Lauderdale where we were met by our Friend Mary.  We had time on our hands so we took the Water Bus along the intercoastal and saw the sights.  One of the best sunsets was that evening.

It was a great, relaxing trip.  Bon Voyage.