February 24, 2023 – Belize City, Belize – Mostly Cloudy – 84F

Up early, as always, so I was able to get porthole shots of the pre-dawn sky and sea.

We are on tour today- “The Best of Belize City” and even though the meeting time is 9:00 AM, we opted for Room Service (the usual – pancakes or French Toast and two eggs over medium – I also had a bowl of Special K.  The food was good and came right on time.

We are anchored not far from Mein Schiff, another large TUI cruiser.  I don't know which one this is - they number their ships, but I can't make out any numbers.  As you can see, the waters near Belize City are a blue-green color today.

At 9:00 AM, we gathered in the Cabaret Lounge to start the tendering process.  Belize is providing the tenders and they are huge – I think most of the ship could fit in one of their tenders.  We waited a while for the tender to return and then tendered for about 20 minutes to the port.  The ride was fast and smooth, and the seats were as uncomfortable as possible.  Getting on and off the tender was easier than I thought it was going to be. 

I took some pictures from the tender:  Departing for Belize City.

Mein Schiff and Azamara Onward

Tender approaching Azamara Onward

Belize City 

Some of the Belizean Local Tenders are pretty sharp.

Belize City Tender Port Shops

We found our Group (#9) at the bus pickup area, 

as well as our guide, Dillon. We boarded our bus which seemed quite hot.  When we asked for the AC to be turned on, Dillon told us that the AC was not working, and he had already called for a backup bus.  Amazingly, the backup bus, which did have excellent AC showed up within 5 minutes and we were off.  Dillon is a very funny guide and often throws out questions for the passengers.  His act does work.

Our first stop was the lighthouse and tomb of a fellow named Baron Bliss, who donated $4 million dollars to Belize for its development.  The tomb is being tended to as it looked in good shape. We did not get out of the bus so no pictures.  

Our next stop was St. Johns Anglican Cathedral (the country was British before it gained independence in 1981 so the religion was Anglican – now freedom of worship has been established in Belize).  

The group went inside, and I was able to get some pictures. We didn't stay in there too long because it was hot.

Directly across the street from the Cathedral was the original Governor’s Mansion, 

the only piece of property the Royal Family would not relinquish when granting independence.  Dillon told us that Belize has plans for that building.  

Just down the street from the Church was the Police Station.

We drove through a number of diverse neighborhoods, and nothing seemed crowded – Belize has a total population of just over 400,000 people – and wound up at the Belize Sign Monument or as we call it the "country sign".  It sits overlooking the Caribbean and is a favorite tourist destination.  Besides the sign, the big attraction is a pair of "lucky turtles" - you are supposed to rub the heads of these metal turtles for good luck.

The other guide with our group (I suspect that he was Security) took pictures of people with the sign.  It took two attempts to get a decent picture of us in front of that sign and even then, the whole sign did not get in the picture.  We're not going back anytime soon so that will have to do.

We were also told not to get too close to the water as there are crocs in there.

Our final stop is the Old Belize Marina.  It’s really a shopping and eating stop with a restaurant, bar, and gift shop.  There is also a water park on the premises.  

We first took a tiny train through the Museum which displayed scenes from Belize’s history.  

I was unaware that Belize was exporting sap to be used to make Wrigley’s Chewing Gum and that Chiclets were at one time a major export.  There was a figure tapping a tree for sap (I first thought he was real and not a model).

While wandering the grounds, we ran into Andrew Merry (yes that Andrew Merry) and Astrid, who were enjoying a meal and drink.  We said hello and chatted briefly.  

The passengers on our bus did not want to stay the full time at the park and so that was shortened to just under an hour.  The ride back to the pier took 30 minutes and the tender, which was just loading, took 20 minutes.  The tender was full, but we waited until everyone else got off and then we helped a very nice woman, who was anxious about the little hop onto the pontoon, disembark the tender.  That comes from our escort training.

We had a late lunch in the Windows Café – I ordered the seared tuna wrap well done and it came raw, so I didn’t eat it.  I settled for a Cesar Salad and a little tuna salad.

We showered off the grime from the excursion and went for a late dinner in the Windows Café.  “The Taste of Japan” offered up only stir fry and other noodles for me, which was OK, and nothing for Ellen so she had Salmon and sides delivered to the Café from the Patio by Sarah. It was good but it was Salmon.  

I got nighttime pictures of both Belize City and Mein Schiff.

 

We headed to the theater to hear Dave Konig to his second show. The show was a bit disjointed and some of his material was borderline offensive and got some groans.  I had high expectations and was somewhat disappointed in the effort.  It’s clear he can be funny and maybe we will run into him again.

To the room – I had twisted my knee yesterday and although I was able to complete the excursion today, it is still smarting. 

Clocks go FORWARD tonight putting up on Eastern Daylight Time.

February 23, 2023 – Roatan, Honduras – Sunny, Warm – 81F

We are back in Roatan and after a long absence.  I think the last time we were here was on a family cruise.

I was up early enough to beat the sunrise.  The sea was a little choppy as Onward approached Roatan.

Anticipating a crowd, I was up in the Windows Café at 7:00 AM – there were a lot of people there, but I did get a seat.  

The entire Veranda area is in the sun, but I don’t really mind.  I had my pancake combo (ricotta cheese again but my waiter did get me some sour cream) but this time instead of scrambled eggs I had a scrambled omelet with cheddar cheese (he must have used four eggs because the omelet was too much for me). While I was having breakfast, the Oceania Riviera came on in and docked at the pier.  

I guess Onward just didn’t have priority.  Also, we got an announcement from Captain Carl that the Breakaway requested that we depart early so they can get out of the harbor easier and so we are leaving an hour (5 PM instead of 6 PM) early from Roatan.  We really do not have priority.

We are also tendering today but our anchorage looks pretty close to the island so that should not be a problem.  Also, here today and dwarfing the Onward is the massive NCL Breakaway.  

Here's our position - There are two ships on the map but I doubt that the satellite just took that shot. Still - kind of cool.

Folks not on excursions cannot go ashore until after 11:00 AM so that shortens the time here considerably.  We decided not to get off the ship as we have been here several times and from where we were, it did not look that interesting on the shore.  The last time we were here there was a very nice Cruise Terminal and shops - they may still be there and hidden by the ships but the end of the pier looks deserted. Take a look.

A pretty straightforward reading day – still working on “Lullaby Town”. 

Lunch was a tuna sandwich and some salad up in Windows.  We found a shady spot.

Ellen did get a picture of me on the Veranda.

I also caught a plane coming into Roatan airport.

The sail away is special today as Martin and Roy are going to do a show on Deck 9.  

We got good seats and listened while they did songs like “The Dentist” from “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Empty Chairs and Empty Tables” from “Les Mis”.  Sabrina, one of the dancers, did a dance number.

It wasn’t a long show, but it was an entertaining show.

“The Taste of France” did not have anything we could eat so we had the usual Salmon and fixings out on the Patio.  The salmon is good and fresh and it’s nice out there, but we have had to resort to the default conditions several times during these cruises. 

The show tonight is Andew Merry’s Second Show.  This one was his “Scottish Show” complete with his kilt outfit and bagpipe backup.  

The songs were nice – he did two poems by Robert Burns set to music and a song from the TV show “Outlander”.  He finished up with “500 Miles”.  It was a pleasant show and better than his first effort and it was the best attended show of the two cruises.  I was also impressed by the fact that the bagpipers were able to bring those instruments on this trip.  I wonder how heavy they are or how easily they're packed.

Back to the room.

February 22, 2023 – At Sea – Partly Cloudy – 81F

The swells continued all night rocking the ship in all directions (even though the stabilizers were engaged).  I could see what was going on through the porthole cam - also watched a very nice sunrise.

I can usually sleep through most of it, but sleep has been a challenge on Onward (not the ship’s fault).  The Sunset Veranda was beautiful this morning for breakfast – shade and not too warm.  I had waffles and the usual this morning – however, the cottage cheese is now ricotta, I believe.  Still, it was good – the scrambled eggs have trended to the thin side in recent days, so I only tried a taste.  Still the air was clear and clean, and the hot coffee kept on coming.  Best of all, Ellen and I both went back up to the Veranda, and she had a very nice fresh breakfast, and I had more coffee and a chocolate donut (only the second time this cruise).

I had my computer with me, so I had a chance to go through my talk for today.  

A little tropical rain shower did not force us off the Veranda.

However, when it got too warm, we went to the Living Room, where it was still a bit shaky.

My talk today, “Forensic Detectives: The Search for Jack the Ripper”, is scheduled for 1 PM (the new headliner will come in after me for a rehearsal).  This talk was given on the first cruise, so I am only expecting second cruise folks and a smaller crowd.  I grabbed an iced Mocha Decaf and headed to the theater.  Bingo with Roy was in progress, and they were playing for a free cruise.  No one won the cruise, but someone did come away with $200 and two Azamara T shirts.  Bingo ran late and I only had about five minutes to set up and go.  The theater was very warm today and so the sleeves were rolled up and I looked like a college prof.  The audience was much bigger that I had anticipated with over 170 in attendance.  

The talk went well – the audience participated again – and ran for 50 minutes.  As we were leaving, we saw the guitarist come in to start his rehearsal.

I changed clothes and we went to the Windows Café for lunch.  I couldn’t resist another freshly made pasta with veggies and Marinara Sauce.  It was great.  Ellen, most likely, had some tuna salad.

The rest of the afternoon was spent moving around the Living Room to find the coolest location. I am about 30 percent through my novel, so I renewed it as it only had two more days to go. 

We stayed for trivia – “Literature” – and I got more than half of them (that's good for me).  We also stayed for Music Trivia, and I only got maybe three or four of the songs.  Never heard of most of them even after getting the answers. 

We stayed for East Pearl’s afternoon set and I got another Amaretto Disaronno Sour, but it was different this time around and I only finished a little bit of it – different bartenders make different drinks. 

Tonight is “Taste of South America” and while a lot of the items on the buffet were from Mexico, there really wasn’t much for us. We went to our default condition and had the salmon and fixings on the Patio.  Good as always but becoming a bit too routine.

We are passing on Nestor Santurio, the guitarist, and instead went back to Sunset Veranda, where it was now smooth sailing and nice and cool. 

We went to the room earlier than usual.

Seas are now smooth.

February 21, 2023 – Puerto Limon, Costa Rica - Partly Cloudy - 85F

Checking out the porthole cam, I can see that the sea contains a lot of chop.  The pre-dawn sky was very nice this morning.

Getting room service today because we are on a tour, “Veragua Rainforest Experience”, which meets at 8:15 AM.  When the breakfast didn’t arrive at 7 AM, I checked the local time in Puerto Limon and it was an hour earlier (CST).  We missed the time change in the Insider – just didn’t read it carefully enough.  So the breakfast would be arriving about 30 – 45 minutes later.  That will be OK but I have been up for a very long time and I will not be running on all cylinders today.

I had oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins, pancakes with two eggs over medium.  The food came “on time” but the items had cooled down a bit.  Still good though (I couldn’t finish it all).

Our Group 1 departed the Cabaret Lounge a little after 8:15 AM and headed to the busses which were parked right next to the ship – we are here today with the Aida Luna but Onward has the berth closest to the pier entrance.  We were first on the bus and got the bulkhead seats which had good enough leg room and pretty comfortable seats.  Our guide is Vinicio (sounds Italian) and his English is pretty good. 

The bus ride took us through Limon, which is a more like a large village (population approximately 62,000) but spread out.  Downtown Limon, next to the pier, still looks a little scary.  We left Limon and stayed along the coast passing the other Atlantic Port, Puerto Moin.  There was traffic but not bad at all – the road transitioned from a nice highway to a gravel road complete with potholes and bumps – it was a semi-uncomfortable.  After we entered the Viragua Facility, there was a considerable ride to the actual entrance.  The whole journey took over an hour.

We split into two groups – one would go with Vinicio and do the easy and flat walk through the rainforest – the other group, and some would regret their choice, would take the 300 steps (real steps) to the waterfall. 

Our first stop was the Snake Exhibit, where all sorts of snakes – big, small, harmless, venomous – were housed.  Here are pictures of some of the snakes.   

Boa Constrictor

Bushmaster

Fer-de-Lance

Northern Birdsnake

We went next to the frog house, where the small tree frogs of Costa Rica are displayed.  We also saw a pond which advertised frogs but we did not spot any,

Our final stop was the butterfly tent, where the insects fly around.  

I don’t usually like butterfly enclosures, as they make me itch.  Not so bad this time.  It was quite hot in the indoor locations so the two of us tried to get outside as quickly as possible.

The tour ended with a gondola ride from the canopy to the floor of the rainforest.  Vinicio took our picture before the ride, but I wasn't quite ready.

 

The ride was short (five minutes or so) but scenic.  

We then did our little walk through the floor of the forest on a wooden platform.  

Vinicio realized that it was getting late, so we did not complete our walk and headed back to the gondola station.  We got on – went to the top – and then were served a snack of fruit (watermelon, mango, and pineapple), a sandwich (ham and cheese for everyone and cheese for us) and a drink (iced tea or fruit punch).  I just took a few bites of my cheese sandwich (icky).  We chatted with the fellow who graduated high school three years ahead of us and then hopped on the bus for the hour ride back.  On the way back, we got our best look at a sloth yet – he was hanging on a branch in full view (could not get a good shot).

On our walk from the bus to the ship, I got pictures of a couple of signs.  I should also mention that there was a musical group near these signs who kept singing "Thank you for coming to Puerto Limon" to a very catch tune. 

After cleaning up, we went to the Living Room and met up with David and his wife.  I ordered an Amaretto Disaronno Sour, and it was delicious.  Captain Carl warned us that we would run into swells once we cleared the breakwater, and he was more than correct. That was confirmed by the not-so-subtle reminder found all around the ship.

People were teetering all over the place.  We decided to go to a smoother place and while we liked the set that East Pearl was playing, we went to the other end of the ship.

It was pretty bumpy on the Sunset Veranda, but the fresh air helped with the queasiness.  It was a "Taste of Greece" in Windows Cafe tonight and there was nothing for us as a main dish.  Ellen chatted with the Suit in charge of the Café and asked whether the Sole served in Discoveries could be grilled up here – he said OK and he also said he would bring my Salmon and fixing from the Patio out to the Veranda. I also got some Greek Salad and grilled veggies to go with my meal and Ellen’s Sole was perfect.  So, an all-around Dinner Winner.

We watched the sail away from the Veranda and also got another glimpse of Jupiter and Venus in a beautiful sky.

We had heard because we didn’t go to the show last night that the Production Show – Club Groove – would not be on tonight but that a comedian had been located and he would be performing.  His name was Dave Konig and I am pretty sure I have seen him on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”.  He was really good – he interacted with the audience and recounted his experience getting to the ship.  He was a classy, professional, comedian.

The ship is really bouncing so we headed to the room to avoid the worst bumps.

A scenic day in Puerto Limon.