Day 7 of the cruise was a cold one! I couldn’t believe the wind as I opened up the door on my cabin deck to take a peek.
My group ate a quick breakfast and headed out to catch the slip to Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s private island.
The wind was cold as we made out way through the water. I saw people riding horses at the water’s edge…
We could see people already frolicking in the water…
Sure, there were people in the water, but the sky looked ominous…
The sun refused to peek through the clouds…
The flags bore witness to the wind’s speed…
We got to the beach and found front-row lounges, where I took the opportunity to photograph Bex in front of the clear, turquoise water…
It was a little strange to see the ship sitting a couple hundred yards off shore…
The neat thing about this island…besides the water…was the soft, creamy sand. I’ve visited many beaches over the years. Beaches on the eastern coast of Florida have a lot of debris on it. The Gulf Coast’s beaches consist of white sand with very little “trash” in it. So, the sand on Half Moon Cay reminded me a bit of home…
We braved the cold, wrapped in towels. I dug my toes into the sand…determined to wait for the sun to make an appearance…
It was comforting to see a lifeguard on duty…
The kids eventually got in the water. They said it was warm once you got in, but they were quick to wrap up in towels when they came out. The sand caked on the bottom of Chicky’s feet while she tried to warm up…
Super D, my brother-in-law, is very artistic, so when he saw the sand, he quickly realized he had a huge canvas to work on. This was his work of art…
Auburn almost delivered in THE BIG GAME...but not quite...
And still we waited for the sun…which finally made a brief appearance…
The towels came off as we took the opportunity to tan our legs…
From left to right...Grand Pooba, Coupon Queen, and the Mr.
The island had a few amenities for its guests. One was a tiki hut. This sign was posted above it…
On a warmer day, this sentiment would have been especially true
By 11:00, we were starving and more than ready for the barbecue lunch the ship’s crew had prepared for us. There was a band playing “island music,” which added to the Caribbean feel.
Later, I saw people walking around with some kind of koozies, and I just had to have one. I was already seeing myself taking one to work…filled with ice water, of course.
The koozies were being sold in the tiki hut I’d spied above, so I did what any vacationer would do and got myself one…
By this time, Chicky and I were ready to head back to the ship. We had never completely warmed up and were eager for hot showers, so we caught a slip back “home.” I saw the sun make an appearance…great…perfect timing, as usual…
Once aboard, I walked around the ship, taking photos of the island…
From this view, you can sort-of see how the island gets its name...from its half-moon shape...
The sun invited me to come back out to play, but I resisted…
Bex insisted on another photo...
While the others were still playing on the beach, Chicky and I began the dreary process of packing…
Later in the afternoon, after everyone had returned to the ship, the kids and I attended the Debarking Session. Passengers were lured there by the promise of free champagne…
Dinner that night was melancholy as we had to say goodbye to our table attendants…
Trisna was a very humble, quiet man who unobtrusively filled our water and iced tea glasses.
We were treated to a parade of the Baked Alaska, which had been specially prepared by the chefs. It was a wonderful way to end the trip.
As I lay my head on my pillow that night, I thought about all of the sights I had seen and the nice people I had met. Although I was sad the trip was coming to an end, I was starting to get excited about seeing my furry babies.
But still, I had the morning of Day 8 to look forward to…
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