Bring me back to the Boatyard

It’s nice to be back to the familiar ports of the Caribbean. It’s nice to be in places you don’t have to rush out and see because you’ve been there before, it’s also nice to be in Dominica and Barbados, because they’re two of my favorite Caribbean ports. Dominica for the lush, tropical jungles, rainforest and Trafalgar Falls and the Sulphur Pools are lovely. (I didn’t even go into port this time). Barbados is one of my favorites for the beaches. The crew always heads to the Boatyard which is a fun spot to relax, have a few drinks and unwind. There is a giant iceberg to climb, water trampolines, and a rope swing off the dock. This time, I went jet-skiing in the gradually choppier and choppier waves, but I didn’t die so it must have been a good day. I was pleasantly surprised in the morning when I found out we were in port with the Windsurf, one of the WindStar ships. A quick crash course in company structure: Carnival Corporation owns Holland America Line (HAL), WindStar Cruises, Cunard Lines, Costa Cruises, Seabourn Yachts and Princess. A good friend of mine from my first contract on the Statendam works a 2nd officer on the Windsurf, so when I called to tell his best friend (who was just transferred from the Veendam to here) about Rogier being in port, Anton and Rogier appeared at my door. I haven’t worked in ships for very long, but being in such a close environment, it’s nice to run into friends along the way. We got a tour of the WindSurf which is a much smaller sailing ship, but very nice indeed. Also, being St. Patricks day it was a nice day to be on the beach celebrating in the way the Irish would be proud: by drinking. The St. Patrick’s day bash in the Ocean Bar was a hit with the guests and crew, but after such a long day, I retired early.