Sometimes It’s Wonderful to Have a Cruise Ship to Yourself

Day 10, 2024 Holiday Tropical Caribbean

Monday, Dec. 30, 2024; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos.

You know that feeling when your family or friends have just left after a visit (perhaps staying a day or two too long) and you have the house to yourself? You miss them, but really you relish in the peace and quiet.

That’s how I felt this morning after we arrived in Grand Turk. It’s a short walk down the pier to a modern shopping, dining and drinking development. The beach stretches out for blocks, with lounges and clam shells enticing guests from the Zuiderdam and the Carnival Sunrise (sharing the pier) to spend the day relaxing ashore.

Those who don’t want to shop or sun can visit an exhibit commemorating Astronaut John Glenn’s 1962 splashdown just a few miles from Grand Turk, complete with replicas of his Friendship 7 capsule.

Others left the ship for excursions on dune buggies, golf carts, catamarans, horses and even a submarine.

My friend Vic and I were almost alone this morning in the Crow’s Nest, which just yesterday was packed with noisy families enjoying a sea day by playing board games, chatting and watching the ocean pass by. There wasn’t an empty lounger or table to be found by the pools on the Lido deck. The ship is packed with 2,200 passengers and the only place to be alone was in my cabin.

Today, I feel like I have my ship back to myself, as the Crow’s Nest is almost deserted.

It’s been fun to be on a full ship. Passengers – especially first-time cruisers – come aboard enthused and excited about their week-long holiday vacation. The days are packed with activities that are spread out on a longer cruise, such as dressy nights, Orange night, the fun fair and the On Deck for a Cause charity walk to name a few. Add in Christmas and New Years and we are constantly in party mode.

Speaking of Christmas, we were here in Grand Turk last week on Christmas Day, so it was a bit different on board than last year when it fell on a sea day. Many families went ashore, but there were dozens of children in the World Stage for Santa’s visit, and they received small stuffed animals. The night before the Filipino, Indonesian and International choirs performed just before midnight.

I joined my good friends Sharon and Alan for Christmas dinner in the Pinnacle, and it was a good thing I had made the reservations earlier this fall. Another friend Jeannette joined me for dinner last Friday in Canaletto, the Italian specialty restaurant. Not surprisingly, it takes a while at nightly dinners to find a sharing table, as most of the guests are families dining together, but I haven’t had to eat alone yet.

Sadly, last week as we were heading back to Holland America’s private island in the Bahamas, the Zuiderdam was called to help search for someone who had gone overboard from the Norwegian Epic. As we sailed a search pattern near the Epic, passengers kept a look out from the Crow´s Nest. After a few hours of searching unsuccessfully, the Bahamas authorities released us as darkness fell. In more than 1,200 days of cruising, this was a sobering first for me.

We returned to Fort Lauderdale last Saturday to end the Christmas 7-day cruise. About 300 of us stayed on board for this seven-day New Years cruise. I left the ship early to head for the mall. My four-plus-year-old laptop has been a bit wonky and I decided to treat myself to a new one for Christmas. Dan at the Apple Store’s Genius Bar helped me migrate everything over. I just didn’t want to risk a total failure while sailing around the world. I could sail without a lot of things, but a laptop isn´t one of them.

This week we have just as many passengers and children as last. It seems the average overall age has gone down, but there are many more teens and young adults and fewer small children and strollers. The Crow’s Nest has become the evening teen zone – it’s a good place for them to congregate.

I intend to enjoy this week by painting with the goal of finishing the dozen watercolors from my recent Mediterranean cruise. Saturday will bring the start of my next 125-day adventure, the 2025 Grand World Voyage.