OLA: Cruising to the Bahamas, Part 2

the Welcome Desk at the Port of Nassau in the Bahamas

Flamingoes, trained to turn to the left,
then turn to the right in a march
at Ardastra Gardens in Nassau

But what blew me away were the wonderful birds, including about some 30 pinkish orange flamingos of the Ardastra Gardens (there are about 30,000 in the Bahamas) who were trained to march by turning left and then right in unison.  Nearby is Arawak Cay where many fish fry stops serve the famous conch salad or conch chowder of the Bahamas. We also got an awesome view of Nassau’s harbor, burgeoning with huge cruise ships, from this Cay. Thus we were reminded to be on board by 4:30 pm; alas 4 hours at Nassau isn’t enough! Not finding a bus, we walked all the way back!

The Port of Nassau, full of cruise ships, from Arawak Cay

the sexiest man alive!

Back at Majesty, we had a quick snack of Sorrento pizzas and then we went to watch the World’s Sexiest Men Competition at poolside. I should have known it wasn’t a serious search! A middle-aged, middle-bulged North Carolinian, who made everyone laugh, won. Bill went to the Heisman Chat where three Huskers who won the coveted college football trophy, the Heisman, held a discussion. Then we met at the Great Watch Sale where designer watches worth $90 were on sale at $20!  Of course Bill got one!

pandemonium at the Great WAtch Sale!

Boogie Wonderland

At the Chorus Line Theatre, we felt like dancing with The Boogie Wonderland, an extravaganza of 70s music. Then we savored our last formal dinner at the Starlight Dining Room . Finally we capped the night with a peek at the Battle of the Sexes and a Late Night Comedy with the very funny Steve Bruner. At 11:45 pm we decided to run back to the room and missed the supposed highlight of the cruise (for adults only), the Quest Game Show! We had to pack.

Battle of the Sexes, another fun activity at the Majesty

Day 4, Feb. 27, Return to Miami

Windjammer, 4 buffets everyday

We finally came to the end of the cruise! Majesty docked at 8 am at the Port of Miami while we were having our final cruise breakfast buffet at Windjammer. We opted to carry our own bags so we could participate in the Express Check-out, otherwise we would be caught in the web of disembarking 2,000 people and maybe 4,000 pieces of luggage! We were at our motel by 9 am. Fortunately they had a room ready for us at 10! We were able to rest before picking up our friends Jure and Katarina from Slovenia at the Miami International airport (their visit will be the subject of my next post).

Texas Hold'Em at the Casino....

I have come to the conclusion that cruising by ship is definitely not a cruising lifestyle. It is the ship itself that cruises at tops 12 knots for an unnoticeable glide in the waters. But it is really a large floating hotel with thousands of people in a temporarily very driven lifestyle. In just three days we sailed to 3 ports, had 12 big sit-down meals and snacks, participated and watched 14 events but missed countless others: Explorer Academy and other seminars, Rock Climbing Wall, Poolside and other Sports Courts, Fitness and Spa Centers, Art Auction, Library, Internet Café, Adventure Room, Bingo Nights, the Casino, and other Games, Dances and Karaoke and other Music Events, and other Sale Events.

entrance to the fitness center and spa...

There was something to do every hour at Majesty’s 14 outlets, something to eat 24x7 in 9 eateries, something to buy any time at 6 stores plus the centerwalk of sales aside from the port of call. It is a dizzying lifestyle but, being seniors, we kept ourselves to the sedentary affairs! But we believe will still sail with other cruises because there are some parts of the world that are better reached through a cruise (Caribbean, Meditteranean, Baltic, and the Alaska Inland Passage. And partying hard and pigging out are good for anyone, once in a while!

Note about the Bahamas._______________________________________

Port of Nassau, from the Majesty

 The Bahamas is a group of more than 3,000 islands with  a population of more than 350,000 (about 250,000 live in Nassau) . The islands were the site of Columbus' first landfall in the New World in 1492. Mostly deserted from the 1500s, English colonists from Bermuda settled on the island of Eleuthera in the 1600s. It became a Crown Colony in 1718 when the British clamped down on piracy. By the late 1700s, many British loyalists and their slaves moved to the islands when they lost in the American War of Independence. When the British abolished slave trade, many of those liberated were settled in the Bahamas during the 19th century. Their descendants form the majority of the Bahamas's population today. In terms of GDP per capita, the Bahamas is one of the richest countries in the Americas (following Bermuda, the United States, Cayman Islands, Canada, and the British Virgin Islands) with tourism and financial services as major industries.