Caribbean

10 or so days ago we left Fort Lauderdale on the Royal Princess. 3 days at sea later we stopped in Antigua. After that it was stops in St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Thomas, Princess Cays, and then back to Fort Lauderdale.

Ships At Rest

 

 Most of our fellow passengers including pals from Alaska, and California, had to go home. They left the ship in Fort Lauderdale, leaving us and aboot 600 others who are staying on for the second half of this voyage.

Prior to boarding we had spent several days in Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. Most of that time was either stopped in traffic, or trying to find a street that wasn’t stopped with traffic. We decided to stay on board the ship, and not go into the city.

Lighthouse Beach And Plastic Rope

The night before reaching port the ship delivered customs forms to our door. It seemed odd to have to fill out a custom form especially since I was not getting off the ship, but I filled it out anyway, answering no to questions like if I am importing any farm animals or soil from another country.

While everyone that was going home went ashore, the ships company went aboot the task of unloading baggage, then loading baggage for the new passengers, restocking the pantry, and filling up the tanks with bunker fuel.

The 600 or so of us that stayed on board assembled in the theater with our passports, and customs forms, and waited for everyone to get ashore, and for two customs agents who collected our forms and glanced at our passports as we filed past them.

Where The Tour Won't Take You And The Local Cops Run You Out Of

This was a way more intense inspection than the last time I came ashore in Port Lauderdale, where the customs agents were talking  to each other aboot some sport event and we merely filed past them, without so much as a look from them.

Here’s hoping that when I return from this leg of the voyage, and actually reenter the country, I can slip back into amerika undetected   with several barnyard animals.

They Say There Are No Chickens On Board But We Eat Eggs?