Tinbergs on Tour: December 11, 2025 – Willemstad, Curacao, NA – Party Cloudy

December 11, 2025 – Willemstad, Curacao, NA – Party Cloudy – 87F

We are once again in Willemstad. We are birthed today at Mathey Wharf, which is right next to the Otrobanda ("other side") Neighborhood. I am pretty sure, we have never docked here in the past but we usually come here in much larger ships (or all the other berths in town are taken).

Also here today is the HAL Rotterdam, Carnival Horizon (following us), and Oceania Insiginia, docked in front of us at another wharf.

Up early but got back to sleep and didn’t get up until 6:30 AM – another wonderful shower and off to breakfast.

Breakfasts in the Marketplace continue to be sparsely attended at the opening. I was able to get my usual table and while I was getting my cereal and raisins, coffee in a to-go cup appeared at my table. I am continuing my two pancakes, cottage cheese, and strawberry and orange marmalade preserves plus a tablespoon of scrambled eggs with American cheese. Just enough protein and calories for breakfast.

This is the view at breakfast.

While I was finishing up, the local authorities,

those folks who clear the ship, came in for breakfast. These guys (and one woman) looked like the real thing including packing heat.

I went with Ellen to breakfast in the Waterside Restaurant – she had he usual French Toast and two egg over. I had a bagel and some more coffee.

We spoke to the Guest Relations desk about a tour of the island and the agent told us that taxis would be outside the gate.

We did find the taxis and they were taking several people at once – a private cab would run over a $100 so we passed. Besides, we checked out the map and the main destinations were beaches and we were not looking to do that.

Instead, we went down the hill from the wharf

toward the downtown area. Along the way we saw the Punda Floating Market

(across from the market are a whole lot of phone stores - I was close to buying a cellphone here a few years ago). We also got good views of the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge.

Looking across St Anna's Bay, we saw Punda ("point"), the other half of Willemstad.

At the bottom of the hill, we turned right at the Brionplein,

the large square already being decorated with holiday stuff and then onto the main drag, Breedestraat. We hugged the buildings as we walked – it was hot and no shade – passing clothing shop after clothing shop. After about four blocks or so, we decided that going on would not be wise, we crossed the street because we saw an interesting work of art on a storefront wall. It was a rooster and it was composed of whatever the artist found around the house - buttons, paperclips, etc. It was quite interesting.

Ellen went in that art store and I found a seat while she looked around. Based on the heat and how far we had walked, we thought we should head back to the ship – before we left the store, I asked the owner about spas in the area. Her first answer was go to the hotel near the big ships and they will have a spa there (I know and it’s pricey).

We were about to leave when she said she just remembered that there was a spa in the alleyway - less than 100m - in a white building. We found the building and the spa - Annanails Salonyspa. The charge would be 100 ANG ($57) per person; the massage lady was Tibisey (phone number 6656326). Ellen was extremely happy with her massage and went back to the ship while I was having my session. While it was a good massage, mine came up a few minutes short for some reason. Nevertheless, a place we would come back to.

I walked back to the ship, and got the only shot of Serenity docked,

and met Ellen in the Marketplace Restaurant. I had some tuna on a roll along with gazpacho and a salad (the same meal as yesterday but not as good this time around). I had an Asahi Dry beer (I thought it was Japanese but it was Italian) which was good.

After lunch we spent a few minutes in Palm Court but left when the afternoon tea service started. I need to get the massage oil off (the woman used a lot of oil).

Before dinner, we spent some time in Crystal Cove and I had a Blue Curacao Sour with some spicy nuts. I also captured another iconic shot on the Promenade Deck.

We had dinner in the Waterside Restaurant – off the menu tonight. I had the Angel Hair Pasta Aglio a Olio a Pepperoncini preceded by Cream of Cauliflower Soup (really good).

I also had a side of sauteed spinach. I ate all of the pasta – it was great. Ellen had the Dover Sole Meuniere along with a baked potato. I had the Bailey’s Trifle and Ellen had the Pecan Pie a la mode for dessert. We had time so we had coffee and tea as well. We checked tomorrow’s menu and with nothing for us, we ordered special meals.

We went to the Stardust Lounge and caught Steven Scott’s second show “Catskill Humor”. He’s a little quick and slurs his way through some jokes but he was funnier tonight.

We are not going to the Production Show “Club Nights” – just too loud and too late.

We heard some drums outside the ship. We went out on the Marketplace back deck and found that Willemstad had quiet the night life and that there was a festival/celebration underway. All of the buildings along the waterway on both Punda and Otrobanda were decorated with lights - the two ships, which were also lit for the night, just became part of the overall decorated landscape. There was traffic as cars tried to maneuver to the restaurants and bars for the evening. To top it all off, a marching band (the drums) crossed the Queen Emma Bridge into Punda. It was like Mardi Gras but with a ton of lights. You couldn't tell what was going on during the day. It was something. I captured what I could considering the lighting conditions.