Salt Lake City, Days 41, 42, 43

Saturday disembarkation at 10:00 am…….airport by 11:00……..plane to Salt Lake City at 4:40pm….checked into hotel by 8:00pm…….. to bed early.

Sunday the Family History Library is closed so we are resting, preparing and tuning our research plan.

Days at Sea, Sailing towards, Tampa, Day 39

Last day aboard……spent some time at the pool…..ate some the last great meals…..took in the last production show….but then we had to pack.

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, Day 38

Holland America Line's pristine private island offers everything you need for a day of play in paradise: a two-mile crescent of perfect beach; an interior lagoon; private beachside cabanas with butler service, showers and misters; and all manner of water sports and activities, including a children's aqua park and a buoyed personal watercraft course.
It was hot and sunny. We got there early claimed our Clamshell (cabana, No cabana boy however!) and jumped into the ocean. The water is so clear we could see all the beautiful fish the come to see what was going on (no need to snorkel). The water temperature was over 32C. We walked the beach…. saw some Sting Rays… and had a big BBQ

Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, Day 37

Named for the fez-like scarlet blossoms of the cactus that grows here, Grand Turk is a pristine place of simple pleasures. Float dreamily over vibrant coral reefs, dine on conch fritters, and set your watch to "island time”
The last hurricane did a lot of damage here on this island which is only 7 miles long and 1.5 miles wide. As we approached this morning the whether turned bad 35 mile an hour wind and 6 ft seas. The captain turned the ship around and left for our next port.

Days at Sea, Sailing towards Grand Turk, Turks, Day 35, 36

Today we were invited to the Captain’s lunch were we were awarded the 50 day (of cruising) pins….. Most of the people on this cruise are frequent cruisers where 50 days of cruising is way below average.

Black and white Ball today with the officers in attendance

Sea days means cruise ship competitions. Our trivia team is still in the lead after 11 rounds. One rounds to go…today…….

Bridgetown, Barbados, Day 34

Some say this island is more British than Britain. Here cricket is the national sport, afternoon tea goes without saying and motorists hug left. The friendly island spirit, local rum and fried flying fish are strictly Bajan!
This port is simple….pick a free diamond shop shuttle……look at diamonds…drink complimentary rum…… walk around downtown …back to the por…..shop in the port shops for gifts … …perfect dinner and a show on the ship.

Days at Sea, Sailing towards Barbados, Day 31, 32, 33

We are moving down the Amazon, crossing the equator and the Amazon bar. This time we had 20’ of clearance as the tide was unusually large. We are now directly south of Greenland…….way south…….we are using the eastern time zone giving us a sunset at about 5:11 and a sunrise at 5:20 am.

Quiet sea days….we are resting up from the hectic activities, heat and humidity in the Amazonian ports. We are spending more time at the pool. The water temperature is running around 32C ….only slightly refreshing (lower) than air temperature.

We have our own version of Starbucks in the library complete with all the coffees and goodies.