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In 2020, January I booked a back to back, to back cruise in the Caribbean. It was with Holland/America Cruise lines. I cannot recommend them more. The cruise was excellent, and the people aboard the ship are just so nice and accommodating! We left Port Lauderdale in January and returned at the end of the extended cruise in March. When we left Florida in January the pandemic was just a rumor. When people would get together in the buffet room or the dining halls, the topic was the not yet pandemic. Everyone just assumed it was another flu, that would run it's course and be gone in a couple of weeks. Little did we know!
Something everyone commented about was we lost track of what day it was. The only way we knew what day it was, when we got on one of the elevators, the day was in the carpeting on the floor of the elevator. The ships are magnificent! The meals were incredible! The buffet area of the ship was huge, and there was food of every type and flavor you can imagine. The stewards for my room were so friendly and very accommodating!
Pretty much every day, we would make a new Port of Call. Some were great and some not so much. I did not like Ocho Rios, Jamaica. When I disembarked from the ship to go into town, every 10 ft, someone would be there with an open hand asking for money. I loved Amber Cove and Key West. I have been to Key West many times in the past and I never tire of it. The shopping is great!
At the end of the cruise in March the pandemic was in full charge. When we arrived at Port Lauderdale, Florida, we started to disembark from the ship. Abruptly the disembarkation was stopped. After a short time, the Captain came on the PA system and informed us that the governor of Florida had put a stop to the disembarkation, because someone had died on the ship, and he was waiting to find out why she had died. The Captain informed us that we would be there for some time, and that we could go back to our rooms or do what every we liked, free of charge. After about 8 or 9 hours the Captain came back on the PA and informed us that the woman had not died of Covid and that we could disembark. Everyone just made a mad rush to get off the ship. About 2 weeks after I had gotten home, I received an email from Holland/America telling me that there was indeed a few cases of Covid reported on the ship, and I was to self isolate myself. The CDC was informed of this development, too.
All in all it was a pretty enjoyable cruise and I did meet some very nice people. I attended a couple of shows, comic magicians, and left the casino a few dollars up. I would love to do another cruise with Dorothy after all this pandemic is under control.