Nancy's Notes From Florida

Wonder of the Seas 2024 – Day 4
November 24, 2024

We arrived at the port on St. Maarten on Day 4 of our cruise on RCCL’s Wonder of the Seas. Ann and I had been here before, so we chose to take the water taxi into Philipsburg to shop around and have lunch. After another spectacular sunrise, we ate breakfast in the Windjammer Café. Then we went to our cabin to gear up for our shoreside adventure.

 

The water taxi cost $7.00 round trip. We bought tickets ashore at the shops directly by the port and were given a plastic wrist bracelet to wear for the return.

 

The taxi surprisingly dropped us at a pier I hadn’t seen before at the far end from the center of town. We trekked a short distance to the next pier over that’s been our normal stop. Facing the courthouse, we turned right on Front Street. Shopper’s Haven is a store I’ve frequented before, so we had to stop in there. Ditto for Mr. Tablecloth and other favorites. Unfortunately, the Guavaberry Emporium that is mentioned in my cruise mystery, Killer Knots, was closed today. We aimed for the Amsterdam Cheese Store at the end of the block. Their almond cookies were recommended by our cruise director, so I bought a pack of these and some individually wrapped gouda and edam cheeses. I can verify that these are tasty items and merit a return visit.

 

We lunched on mahi mahi sandwiches with fries at the relaxing open-air Ocean Lounge Restaurant in the Holland House Beach Hotel off Front Street. We sat in the shade and admired the ocean views as we ate facing Great Bay Beach.

 

After lunch, we headed back to the closest dock for the water taxi. We saw evidence of hurricane damage to structures along the way. We still had time to shop around by the port before heading back to the ship.

 

At 4:30, we went for cocktails and appetizers in the Crown & Anchor member lounge. As a Diamond member, I got four drink vouchers per day. Ann exceeded me by one more. Then we went to dinner in the Main Dining Room where I had shrimp cocktail, chicken and broccoli, and coconut cake. We’ve been disappointed that they eliminated the alternate choices that used to be offered every night on the menu. It’s clearly a cost-saving measure but not one that benefits guests. The ice-skating show came next and was as amazing as on other ships. I liked the theme of changing seasons. It was a pleasant end to a long and exciting day.

  

 

 

Coming Next – Day 5 in St. Thomas

 


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Wonder of the Seas 2024 – Day 3
November 22, 2024

Day 3 on RCCL’s Wonder of the Seas was another sea day. The sunrises are glorious across the ocean.

We ate breakfast in the Main Dining Room. Later we attended a Top Tier event for Crown & Anchor loyalty members in the Aquatheater. We sipped champagne while listening to the Captain talk about his experiences and upcoming new ships.

 

For lunch, I ate a cheeseburger in the Windjammer Café. And who could resist a dessert or two? They serve free ice cream here, too, vanilla, chocolate or strawberry.

 

 

We wandered through the shops, pool area, and Solarium and hunted for rubber ducks. A pirate parade took place on the Promenade Deck that afternoon. It was fun to watch the costumed characters marching about accompanied by loud music.

 

 

Tonight was formal night. For dinner in the MDR, I had butternut squash soup with pumpkin seeds, beef tenderloin with horseradish sauce, mashed potatoes & asparagus, and apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream.

 

 

 

We briefly sat in on the jazz musicians at Central Park, but their quiet music made me sleepy. In contrast, the headliner show that night was “Voices” which showcased the different sounds humans can perform. The ship’s six singers exercised their vocal chords, but it sounded chaotic and noisy to us. We did not like this show and felt it wasn’t the best use of the singers’ talents.

  


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Wonder of the Seas 2024 – Day 2
November 21, 2024

We spent Day 2 of our voyage on RCCL’s Wonder of the Sea sailing on the ocean. Since I’m an early riser, I got my first cup of coffee in the Promenade Café on Deck 5 along with a Dulce de Leche croissant. After watching the sunrise, Ann and I proceeded to the Windjammer Café on Deck 15. Here the Washy Washy crew member sings to passengers to wash their hands at the stations lining the entrance. What a fun job that would be! After complying, we helped ourselves to breakfast at the bountiful buffet. I always use hand sanitizer right before eating since we share serving utensils with other guests.

 

We relaxed after breakfast on a lounge chair in the Solarium, an adults-only retreat at the forward bow on Deck 15, at the opposite end from the Windjammer. In the middle are several pools, a kiddie splash area, water slides, and more pool fun. The Solarium is a quiet location that has its own Bistro and a gorilla sculpture. It can get hot there in the afternoon. The planters are good places to search for hidden ducks, a popular pastime on cruises. The seas were a bit rocky today. Later the captain told us the swells were 17 footers. I liked the rolling motion and found it soothing.

   

 

      

When we got restless, we headed to the Schooner Bar and picked up Suduko sheets that they had available for a competition. Then we attended the Port Talk. Unfortunately, it was more about the shops on the ship than the ones in port, but we did get maps of each port stop and a tip to buy the almond cookies at Amsterdam Cheese Shop in St. Maarten.

We ate lunch in the Park Café. Central Park is a lovely location on Deck 8. It’s a winding outdoor trail amidst shrubbery and plants with birds twittering in the background. It’s also another good location to hunt for ducks. The lunch fare is mostly panini sandwiches, wraps, and salads.

  

After a stroll around including peeking in the shops, we joined the Women of Wine Tasking at 2:30. These were wines from women-owned wineries and we tasted seven in all. A cheese plate helped clear our palates between samples.

 

 

Number One was a Chandon Brut Sparkling Wine from California. I liked this one. We learned that white wines gain color as they age and red wines lose color as they age. Next was Villa Maria, a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. I’m not fond of this varietal but if you’re a fan, you’d enjoy it. Number three was Lucien Albrecht, a Riesling from France. This was horrible. A deep golden color, this wine smelled like gasoline. It improved with soft goat cheese but I pushed it aside. Not to my taste.

I liked number four a lot better. It was a La Crema Chardonnay, one of my favorite brands back home. Next up was Zolo, a Malbec from Argentina. This was very good. So was Castellum Cite De Carcassonne, a red blend from France, although I liked the Malbec better. Last was a Decoy Cabernet from California, another favorite label of mine from home. All in all, it was a fun and enlightening experience. We all felt jolly by the end, which was a good thing because that night’s Aquatheater show on our schedule was cancelled due to inclement weather. My dinner choice in the Main Dining Room was fillet of sole with rice and broccoli. Tonight, we changed our clocks one hour ahead.

My dessert at dinner

Cocktails after dinner in the Schooner Bar


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Wonder of the Seas 2024 – Day 1
November 19, 2024

Day One of our cruise on board RCCL’s Wonder of the Seas started with an exciting view of the ship as we neared Port Canaveral. I was off on another adventure this time with my dear friend, Ann Meier. We swept through the boarding process with ease and made our way across the Promenade Deck to get lunch. The layout of this ship is very similar to the one on Utopia of the Seas, which I’d been on not that long ago. You can read about that voyage here.

   

First, we stopped at a desk to make our specialty dining reservations. A quick stop at our muster station to check in followed, then lunch in the Windjammer Café. At the buffet on Deck 15 for lunch you’ll find an array of international hot foods, burgers and hot dogs, salads, cold cuts, and much more. Not to mention the desserts and ice cream! I ate a chicken leg, spicy rice dish, beef and salad.

Our rooms were ready at 1:00 pm so we headed downstairs. We had balcony cabin 11290 located mid-ship on deck 11. The location was aft near the elevators. Our suitcases were already waiting for us so we took some time to unpack.

 

Then we headed back up to Deck 15 to watch the sailaway. This is always my favorite part of the cruise. You leave land behind along with your worries and cruise out to sea.

 

 

 

We’d made dinner reservations this evening at 150 Central Park for our first specialty dining. This is on Deck 8 amid the greenery of the tranquil park setting. Here I chose a beet salad with fried goat cheese, Lobster Thermidor for my entrée and a chocolate peanut butter tart for dessert. And I got a birthday surprise with my finale.

 

 

   

 

 

Happily fed, we headed to the Aquatheater to see the outdoor show, but it was cancelled due to the ship’s motion. It was a bit rocky this evening and very windy outside. They scheduled a makeup show so we could see it another night. Then off we went to retire for the evening. It had been a long day.

 

Coming Next: Day Two At Sea

 


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Book Reviews – Historical Mysteries
September 15, 2024

Recently, I’ve read several historical mysteries that I’ve enjoyed. I like this genre because these stories immerse you in another era. The police are limited to solving a case with the means available to them at the time. Meanwhile, the heroine utilizes her intuition and deductive skills to root out the killer while struggling to maintain her place in society. It’s a learning experience as well to read these books that may mention historical figures and issues of the times. So grab yourself a copy and settle in to travel to another place where you can relish the blend of history and mystery.

 

Murder at Vinland by Alyssa Maxwell
The Gilded Newport Mysteries, Book Twelve

A series of mysterious poisonings afflicts society women in Newport during the Gilded Age. Reporter Emma Cross Andrews, a distant relation of the Vanderbilts, is dismayed by the case, especially when one woman she knows is arrested and might be innocent. Vinland is the seaside home of Emma’s relative, Florence Vanderbilt Twombly. It’s after a charity luncheon there benefiting the Audubon Society that the first guest falls ill. Others soon follow, and Emma gets on the case before more ladies are targeted. Murder at Vinland is an easy read that will keep you guessing. I had no idea whodunit and was surprised by the finale. The setting details will have you feeling you’re in Newport among the elite, although Emma is just as friendly with her staff as with the upper crust Four Hundred. This historical mystery offers another winner by the talented Alyssa Maxwell.
(Book One is Murder at the Breakers, also a Hallmark TV Movie Mystery)

 

Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen
A Royal Spyness Mystery, Book Sixteen

Lady Georgiana Rannoch, related to the King of England, is invited to Paris to stay with her friend, Belinda. Her husband Darcy accompanies her but takes up residence at a hotel so he can conduct his clandestine business. Belinda is working for Coco Chanel prior to the debut show of her fall collection. When Darcy asks Georgie to retrieve an item from one of the patrons, she’s happy to comply until things go terribly wrong and a woman is murdered. With a child on the way, Georgie can’t afford to spend time in prison which is where the French inspector would like to put her. She must muster her sleuthing skills to unmask the culprit before she becomes the next victim. A clever plot, a charming heroine, and a romantic setting conspire to turn this story into a twisty tale of lies and spies.
(Book One is Her Royal Spyness)

 

Uneasy Spirits by M. Louisa Locke
A Victorian San Francisco Mystery, Book Two

Boarding house owner and widow Annie Fuller disguises herself as a clairvoyant to offer financial advice to her clients. She’d like to explore her budding relationship with lawyer Nate Dawson, but a plea from a boarder gets in the way. The woman’s sister has been suckered in by a trickster who holds seances and preys on grieving customers. But is he a fraud? He and his colleagues seem to know too much about a secret from Annie’s past. As she attempts to discern the truth from lies, someone means to stop her from digging further unless it’s her own grave. With a cast of intriguing characters, detailed settings, and a likeable heroine, this suspenseful story is a page-turner!
(Book One is Maids of Misfortune)

 

The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur

June Hur’s books that take place during the Joseon dynasty are on my must-read list. Since I’m a fan of Korean period dramas, I’ve enjoyed her standalone mysteries that immerse you in this era.  When Hwani’s detective father goes missing, she runs away from her aunt’s home to search for him. It’s the Joseon Dynasty in Korea, where women are expected to be obedient. But Hwani is determined to find out what happened to him. She remembers the skills her father taught her and starts on his trail. He’d been investigating a town where a number of girls have disappeared and one might have been murdered. As she gets to know the villagers, several suspects emerge. So does her estranged sister, Maewol, who lives there with the town shaman. Can Hwani protect her sibling while finding out who had stolen the missing girls and why? And how did it relate to her own past, when she and Maewol were found lost in the forest years ago? This gripping story immerses you in a frightening world with a heroine who is persistent and clever.

 

Killing Time in Georgia by Susan Kiernan-Lewis
Savannah Time Travel Mysteries, Book One

Police dispatcher Georgia Belle travels back in time from 2023 to 1923 in Savannah, when racial bigotry was rampant along with a lack of women’s rights. Confused about how she got there, Georgia is taken in by the kindly Mary, a single woman living independently. Those were dangerous times considering a serial killer was on the loose, and current crime fighting methods didn’t exist. When an innocent man ends up in jail, Georgia vows to clear his name. But first she must put herself in danger to find the real killer. Detailed descriptions lend an aura of authenticity to this time travel tale that quickly becomes a page turner as Georgia narrows the suspects. Can she solve the crime before she returns back to the future? Mystery, history and romance mingle in this delightful series debut. I’ll definitely be looking for the sequel.

 

Murder on the Flying Scotsman by Jessica Baker
Lady Thea Mysteries, Book One

Lady Thea is on a train to Scotland to visit her cousins when she finds a dead body in her compartment. The man turns out to be the secret husband of her maid, Molly. When Molly is arrested for the murder, Lady Thea determines to find the real killer. She meets a quirky assortment of fellow passengers as well as a handsome inspector from Scotland Yard and a mysterious reporter. The suspects keep you guessing until the culprit is revealed in the final, suspense-filled scene. Even without the murder, the setting and sleuth are fun to follow. I’ll look forward to reading more in this delightful series.


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