Economic Stimulus 4-Day Cruise

I wasn't really planning to take a cruise in September but with the economy now the cruise companies seem to be trying to fill cabins and the price was just too good to pass up. So, call this the Economic Stimulus 4-Day Cruise to Nassau and Key West.

As usual, living in Miami Beach, my only connection to make was a Metro Bus and a hot muggy walk on September 7, 2009.

Shale Walking into Port of Miami (My Ship in Background)


Shale on Deck of Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas in the Port of Miami


After an overnight trip we entered Nassau. This is my first time visiting Nassau (except for a flight change back in the '70s).

Nassau from Ship


I learned something this trip. While walking around Nassau I saw a black/blue/gold flag everywhere. That is the actual Bahamas flag. The one I had been seeing for years of travel has been the large, mostly red flag with a white cross. The actual Bahamas flag is in the upper left quadrant of that flag. (Almost every ship is registered in Nassau because of economic benefits - and I noted two Carnival cruise ships in port with Bahamian flags and thought "The Ships Come Home to Roost")

Bahamian Flag on Ship

 

As usual I like to just walk around. Been doing that in most cities of the world that I have visited. So it was a trek up a very steep hill to see the old fort that protected this port in the 18th Century.

Fort Fincastle, Nassau - Built 1794


You can see the advantage of its position on the hill. Our ship would have been in range of this cannon.

Fort Fincastle Cannon Overlooking Nassau


And of course I had to get a tourist pic to show that I was there.

Shale with Cannon


Back down in the city I came across the Health Ministry Bldg and being into AIDS education had to take a pic of this local take on the subject.

Health Ministry Sign - Nassau

 

Sometimes in my travels I have a shopping mission. On my 2008 cruise it was trying to buy a new Bikini (Couldn't find one in all the Caribbean ports). This time it was to replace my cloth wallet that I had bought on my 2007 cruise to Cayman Islands and which was getting threadbare. Luckily I found the same wallet that I had become used to with the only difference being the name.

Shale's New Wallet

I like being at sea. As we left the Bahamas the water was calm but the sky to the horizon on all sides had patches of blue sky with dark clouds, some dropping water. I was concerned before taking this cruise that we would be in terrible tropical weather the whole time (This is hurricane/rainy season). A week before I was watching Tropical Storm Erika until it finally fell apart but on Saturday in Miami we were rained in with thunderstorms the whole day. But, as you can see I got to walk into port on a sunny, muggy day and that has been the weather on this trip - sunny with occasional rain.

Weather Vista at Sea


While at sea I did my usual - hang out at the hot tub and pool, eat off-diet, fattening foods, then try to burn it up on the ships running track or Health Center.

Shale on Exercycle at Sea

 

When we got to Key West we tied up at the commercial dock right in Old Town and Mallory Square. On my previous two cruises to Key West we tied up at the Navy Station and had to take a long circuitous tram ride to Old Town. This was so much better, to be able to just walk in or out.

Key West from Ship Sept. 10, 2009

Here is my tourist shot of the ship.

Majesty of the Seas at Key West - Sept. 10, 2009

The most prominent building is the Old Custom House made of tons of red brick. My mission today was to find out how all those bricks got here in the 19th Century. They had a half price admission to the Key West Art & Historical Society which now occupies that building so I spent some time there. The person at the desk said the bricks came all the way from Boston. I had thought Georgia would have been the closest source. Imagine all those tons of bricks on sailing ships or side paddle steamers being brought down here.

While at the museum there were sculptures by J.Seward Johnson of classic moments in history as seen in paintings and fotos. I couldn't resist getting into the American Gothics packing it in at the foreclosed farm.

Shale with J.Seward Johnson's whimsical take on American Gothic


Then my usual trek down Duval Street to the marker at the Southernmost Point for my tourist foto.

Shale at Southernmost Point, Key West - Sept. 10, 2009

 

Most memorable part of this cruise was my finally riding a Jet Ski.

They are all over South Florida and I had been meaning to rent one there, but when coming back to the ship I saw a concession right in the marina. So, for half an hour I went from timidly following the kid who gave me instructions out of the marina to doing figure-8 turns and jumping waves with salt spray smashing into my face on splash down. (As with any new conveyance - I once rode a motorcycle cross country - you go from hesitancy to dangerous familiarity all too quickly.)

Shale getting Jet Ski Instructions - Key West Sept. 10, 2009


Shale on Jet Ski in Water


Shale on Jet Ski in Marina

Shale Riding Jet Ski

I will likely be renting a Jet Ski again in SoBe or Haulover Beach, so watch out Biscayne Bay. My next bucket list challenge will probably be parasailing.

Thus concludes my 4-day cruise which saw unexpectedly beautiful weather and a new experience THAT WAS ABSOLUTE FUN!