Some credit card companies recommend that you notify them of any impending trip abroad so that they do not become suspicious when the card is used numerous times in a foreign destination and block your charges. Even if you do not call your credit card company in advance, you can always call the card’s toll-free emergency number if a charge is refused – a good reason to carry the phone number with you. But perhaps the most important lesson here is to carry more than one card with you on your trip; a card might not work for any number of reasons, so having a backup is the smart way to go.
It is probably a good idea to change your PIN to a four-digit PIN. While many ATMs in Belize will accept five- and six-digit PINs, some will accept only four-digit PINs.
Well, the changes in the Caribbean portion of our trip have turned it into a sterile tourist desert. We started with following Cozumel, a tourist trap masquerading as a Mexican city, followed by Harvest Caye, Belize and Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic. All of these have a lot in common - nice beaches and a variety of ways to separate cruise ship passengers from their money
Well, at least this route is constantly changing. A north Atlantic storm has brewed up. Bermuda (where we had arranged to visit the aquarium) has been canceled and “Great Stirrup Cay” – another one of cruise line owned islands – this one owned by Norwegian Cruise Line (and, as a sister company, welcoming our Oceania Cruise Line ship).
Great Stirrup Cay is adjacent to Little Stirrup Cay, Royal Caribbean Cruises’ private island. When we pulled up during our 2022 wandering trip (substituted for Bermuda – lousy trade), our ship with less than 300 passengers occupied the larger island while the passengers of two 6,000+ monster sized Royal Caribbean ships crowded onto their petit rock. In our case, it seemed like there were more lifeguards and toilets than visiting passengers. Again, a very attractive beach with a zip-line, but zero cultural benefit
Additionally, it was announced that Funchal, Madera has been substituted for the Azores. And, of course Gibraltar has replaced Tangiers, Morocco – so the entire crossing has been changed – and since Madera is further than Bermuda, we now have a stretch of eight sea-days in a row. Ah well, more playing bridge and learning how to smear paint onto paper. Also more speculation about how much of pour Baltic itinerary will be scrapped because of the current Russia/Ukraine war. My guess is that we will turn back at Jutland and not enter the Baltic at all – we’ll see.
Jeff
Harvest Caye, Belize
“You can observe a lot just by watching.” ? Yogi Berra
Harvest Caye was built by Norwegian Cruise Lines to separate any money that was left after selling excursions to their passengers. This is a “formula” which the cruise lines have perfected in the Eastern Caribbean and are now building throughout the Western Caribbean. Lines form for rental lounge chairs, dozens of bars, water etc. In fact everything the passengers of three or four multi-thousand passenger cruise ships would gobble up, but our 600 passenger ship’s passengers sort of evaporated into the landscape.
While marketed as a hub of ecotourism, a manatee mating habitat dredged to build this terminal and scarlet macaws as well as keel-billed toucans are caged as an attraction for arriving guests
There is an expansive pool area with swim-up pool bar, cascading waterfall and private beachside canopy cabanas which are available for rent.
There is a pretty benign zip-line and a salt water lagoon for watersports such as kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and electric float boats.
While you can use a “ship’s card” or credit card to pay, just for those interested, the Belize dollar is pegged at two to the US buck, so be careful to ascertain that is being used for the price quoted. The US dollar is widely accepted, but change may be in Belize dollars, so bring small bills.
At the silver shop, with “easy” bargaining, a 50% discount is likely, but we found pushing aggressively further will result in an additional 20% discount (or a final 60% off the sticker price).
Currently, in Belize, you will find internationally accessible ATMs in major cities or towns and tourist destinations. It is best to assume you will have to use cash, but then charge when possible, which will be the case at most tourist-oriented businesses.
Some credit card companies recommend that you notify them of any impending trip abroad so that they do not become suspicious when the card is used numerous times in a foreign destination and block your charges. Even if you do not call your credit card company in advance, you can always call the card’s toll-free emergency number if a charge is refused – a good reason to carry the phone number with you. But perhaps the most important lesson here is to carry more than one card with you on your trip; a card might not work for any number of reasons, so having a backup is the smart way to go.
It is probably a good idea to change your PIN to a four-digit PIN. While many ATMs in Belize will accept five- and six-digit PINs, some will accept only four-digit PINs.
Costa Maya, Mexico
“We are lost, but we are making good time.” ? Yogi Berra
The “Disneyesqe” cruise terminal is a fancy tourist trap covering a large area. It includes a dolphin encounter, restaurants and all sorts of (overpriced) shops. A shortcut to the taxis is to cut through the ice cream shop and make a right turn. The taxis at the cruise terminal are controlled and charge a fixed price of $4 a person for the 3 ½ km ride to the nearest town - Mahahual. While the small cars used as taxis theoretically carry four passengers, for a longer ride, keep it to three passengers maximum for the sake of comfort.
If you are staying near here, it is hard to imagine traveling around the Riviera Maya without a rental car. So many wonderful places to explore are right beside the highway and along side-roads leading to the beach and jungle. First-class gas station plazas with minimarts and fast-food spots are becoming a common sight. Attendants pump the gas (be sure they do not overfill the tank) and will check your oil. Make sure you receive the right change, and tip attendants if they provide extra services. As long as you study your maps in advance, have a decent GPS and keep your wits about you, driving allows freedom for discoveries.
Always carry plenty of drinking water when driving along the coast. Having at least one half-gallon bottle in the car and a reusable water bottle cuts down on expense and waste.
Driving along this coast isn’t difficult, but it takes attention, especially for first-timers. With only one highway, you cannot get too lost unless you miss the signs, but turnoffs can be from either the right or left lane; if you miss the one you want, go a bit farther and circle back. You’re not allowed to stop on the highway to make a left turn, but there are short left-turn lanes at many points across the road from major resorts.
A single highway connects many of the coast’s major off-the-beach sites. Visitors interested in Maya archaeology should head to Kohunlich (about a 2 hour drive) or, Dzibanche, (or potentially further, by air. to Tulum or Cobá) for stunning ancient structures. Closer to the port is the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins – smaller than the others, but only about an hour away. A round-trip to Chacchoben along with a beach stop in Mahahual would cost $100 for a cab with either three or four passengers. The entry to Chacchoben is an additional 110 Pesos (including a service tax) or $6USD. The Krazy Lobster is a good place to grab a beer and a meal at the beach. That said, we were there during the autumnal equinox three day holiday and the beach looked more crowded than the Coney Island of my youth ?.
This can be a dangerous highway during high season when you’ve got locals speeding to work, tour buses clogging the lanes, truck and bus drivers barreling along, and confused or distracted tourists changing lanes on whim. Speed limits are clearly posted and change constantly. Keep an eye out for speed signs, especially around towns and resorts. The police have become ever more sophisticated at ticketing speeders and are especially vigilant around stoplights and one-way streets. Roadwork is constant on this highway and can almost double your expected drive time.
The Yucatán’s Caribbean coast reaches 380km (236 miles) from Cancún to Chetumal, at the Belize border. The northern coast, from Cancún to Tulum and down the Punta Allen peninsula, has been dubbed the Riviera Maya; the southern half, the Costa Maya. In between is the vast Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. And most of that is beach.
The region’s greatest geological asset is the Great Mesoamerican Reef, which extends south to Honduras and protects most of the Caribbean coast from harsh currents and waves. Playa del Carmen’s beaches are among the area’s most beautiful, with soft sand and minimal surf.
Another option is to go caving in Akumal’s Aktun Chen, with a forest of stalactites and stalagmites leading to a deep pool.
Playa del Carmen’s Quinta Avenida is famous forfor the best shopping, from Brazilian bikinis to traditional embroidered dresses.
Superb scuba diving and snorkeling sites are easy to find, especially along the reefs just off the shores of Puerto Morelos and at Akumal’s Laguna Yal-Ku. The region’s cenotes (water-filled sinkholes) connect to form the world’s largest underground river system, with crystal-clear water for snorkelers and swimmers to enjoy.
Cozumel, Mexico
Cozumel is 45km (28 miles) long and 18km (11 miles) wide, and lies just 19km (12 miles) from the mainland. Most of the terrain is flat and covered with tropical forest. The rougher, wild eastern shore remains more lightly traveled for those preferring to wander off the beaten path. Chankanaab National Park, along the southwestern shore of the island, offers beautiful sightseeing and sunning spots.
If staying in Cozumel, the main town of San Miguel is fun and convenient, putting you in the center of everyday life. Alternatively, hotels and resorts line the western coast north and south of town.
Our small ship has docked in town across from San Miguel’s massively touristic Plaza Punta Langosta. This is a far superior pier to the location of the other three (massive) ships which are in port a couple of kilometers down the coast.
Cozumel is surrounded by clear, warm water and scuba diving here is among the finest in the Western Hemisphere, with a tremendous diversity of coral reefs, caves, and canyons teeming with fish. Tall coral reefs line the southwest coast, creating towering underwater walls. The water on the protected side, the western shore, stays calm unless a front is blowing through. If scuba diving is not your thing, put on a snorkel and mask to peek underwater near the lighthouse.
There are also some import/export stores in the Punta Langosta Shopping Center in the southern part of town in front of the cruise-ship pier. To shorten your trip through the mall, take the elevator to the 1st floor (the ground floor is called “0” here), cross the bridge over the highway and then take the nearest elevator down to ground level.
Note on shopping for Mexican silver:
The most elaborate Mexican silver jewelry designs are made in towns like Taxco and San Miguel Allende. That said, many of the shops display mass-manufactured items which look alike. When buying items like chains, weight is the most important attribute. In the mix are silver items made in Asia (touted as “designer” with names like Fendi and Hardy being tossed around) and allegedly in Italy. Idle minds wonder why someone would expect an Italian silver necklace to be a good buy in Mexico.
While “pure” silver is sold is rarely used for jewelry because it is too soft, “Sterling” silver, of a purity of 92.5% (usually marker “925”) is common. The “filler” 7.5% of the alloy is usually copper (which can discolor skin) or nickel (which can cause allergic reactions for some), so better pieces are frequently plated with rhodium to prevent these issues. Unmarked silver, especially “folk” pieces, are frequently made from melted coinage (called “coin silver) and is usually 90% pure. In any case, to find the intrinsic value of a piece of silver jewelry, like with gold, multiply its weight times its purity and then multiply that by the “spot price” for the day.
You can find the “spot” price of gold or silver (in grams, ounces or “whatever”) by using Google or your favorite internet search engine.
Why bother with the math? Easy – this lets you accurately calculate the “value” of the item. Any price above this number is to pay for workmanship and profit. As the price of gold (or silver) is a “hard stop”, your bargaining technique should be to discuss, and try to reduce, the workmanship/profit number. The salesman pretty much has to agree to your determination of the “value” of the material used to make the piece and, when that is subtracted from the price, has a difficult time explaining his apparent 400% markup (and allows you to bargain up from his cost, rather than be impressed by his willingness to discount)…
Looking at jewelry from this perspective helps avoid becoming “emotionally involved” and paying too much – always be willing to walk away from the shop if you cannot reach a mutually agreeable price (you might be surprised when the salesman calls you back and agrees to your price ?).
Of course, the above method becomes more complex when an item includes stuff like pretty rocks/stones/coral as it becomes difficult to ascertain the weight of the metal.
The Rafael Melgar waterfront road has been taken over by jewelry and souvenir shops catering to the thousands of cruise ship passengers descending on the town almost daily. Along this road, you’ll find one store after another selling jewelry, Mexican handicrafts, and other souvenirs and duty-free merchandise. A good choice for better than average souvenirs is “Mi Casa” at No. 261. The most impressive of these is Los Cinco Soles (tel. 987/872-0132; www.loscincosoles.com), on the waterfront at 8 Norte, adjacent to Pancho’s Backyard restaurant. Prices for serapes, T-shirts, and the like are lower on the side streets off Avenida Melgar.
Off the Plaza del Sol you’ll find the flea market (as well as the Chabad Synagogue) and while there are massive quantities of goods, finding differentiated good quality ones requires perseverance. That said, if you wander a few streets inland and you’re in the heart of a Mexican community.
Caribbean-caught seafood fills restaurant menus (with lobster in abundance), while traditional Yucatán influences bring zest to chicken by infusing it with mole, achiote, and garlic. Pancho’s Backyard restaurant on Rafael Melgar is a great choice for lunch and drinks…
If you have time, you can explore the crocodile-filled Faro Celerain ecological reserve and drive through the inland jungle on the way to the Maya ruins at San Gervasio.
The two nearby Mayan archeological sites are Tulum and Chichén Itzá.
The ruins of Tulum, overlooking the Caribbean, and Cobá, in a dense jungle setting, are close and not costly to visit and can include the nearby nature park of Xel-Ha.
Because we have previously visited Tulum, we have decided to take the longer trip to the ruins of Chichén Itzá. While this site is inland and doesn’t offer the seaside views of Tulum, it does have a massive Mayan pyramid and ball court. Because of the length and complexity of our route, we have elected (rare for us) to book a ship sponsored excursion. It takes about 45 minutes by boat to travel from Cozumel Pier to Playa del Carmen Pier and then a 15 minute walk to the bus that will take us to the site. The trip to the ruins was an additional 2 hours and 40 minutes. We had about an hour and 15 minutes to wander the site (you are no longer allowed to climb the pyramid). Then the reverse of the route is followed back and the entire trip took about 9 hours. But then, the advent of the vernal equinox holiday caused the cruise line to cancel the excursion – rats!
You can also head to the nearby seaside town of Playa del Carmen and the Xcaret nature park is as easy as a quick ferry ride from Cozumel.
Miami (Hollywood), Florida USA
“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey.” – Fitzhugh Mullan
The first time we cruised out of Miami, we stayed at the Westin Diplomat Hotel. This is a very nice place, but because It has been around forever, it is had had more facelifts than Joan Rivers and while not particularly centrally located (It is between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale), it is a decent place to stay directly on the beach. My only gripe is that parking is $25 a day, but I guess that’s life. Last time we were here I rented a car from Hertz. They took so long to process the people waiting (it took me over two hours to finally get my car- easily proved as they picked me up from a ship on appointment and then gave me a time stamp when they finally gave me the car) that I wrote them a nasty letter which earned me a handful of coupons (which I’m using to rent a car in France for a day). Anyway, this time I used Avis and was in/out in less than a minute (I still cannot figure out how they did it). I am agnostic when it comes to car rental companies and will be using three different ones on this trip (as rates can be very different depending on the city).
On our second stay for a cruise here, we stayed at the Hollywood Suites by Hilton, Miami Airport West. This is part of their Homewood Suites label and offers an economical all-suite, free breakfast, free airport shuttle, and free evening reception, experience. The evening reception served well as a dinner and, while it will never be considered for a Michelin star, it was varied and filling. It gets confusing to try to differentiate between essentially identical Hilton products when looking at, say, Embassy Suites.
Across the very wide street, route 948, is a small strip mall with a Wendy’s and other fast food restaurants. Either take the airport shuttle to drop off at the mall or call Uber for the short hop, as the nearest traffic light is about half a mile away). There is also a great Peruvian seafood restaurant named El Pollo Inka Miami (7285 NW 36th St, Tel: +1 305-599-8585) and an inexpensive typical (but very good) Cuban restaurant named El Rinconcito Latino (7387 NW 36th St, Telephone: +1 305-499-9494).
Well, Hollywood Suites served its purpose well and was a s15 minute Uber ride (about $18) to the cruise port.
We spent our time here sightseeing. We made sure to include the Versailles Restaurant for outstanding Cuban food and coffee in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami (centered on 8th Street).
The outstanding Vizcaya Mansion and Gardens (admission $25, free for veterans) in the south of the city is the former villa and estate of businessman James Deering, of the Deering McCormick-International Harvester fortune, on Biscayne Bay in the present day Coconut Grove neighborhood. This incredible house competes on the scale of Newport’s grand houses.
Of course, South Beach was on the agenda. South Beach is known for its beaches its nightspots and celebrity-chef restaurants. Fashion shops line pedestrian shopping strip Lincoln Road Mall. Well-preserved art deco architecture lines Ocean Drive. Museums include the Wolfsonian-FIU, which has a collection of modern art and objects.
We drove through a number of the small towns on the way to Palm Beach (Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and so on) to pay a visit to friends of ours and wandered around that town as well. Its ritzy downtown reminds one of the backdrop of a 1930’s movie.
And, of course, we also took it a bit easy for a change.
Our visage of Miami’s massive cruise port was of being encircled by huge battlewagons bearing the logos of Carnival, Royal Caribbean, NCL and so on next to our petite ship. Things were slowed a bit in the morning, waiting for Homeland Security to clear our ship.
As we left the ship I bid a final adieu to the chirping of the stowaway African cricket.
The nice Customs man let me slide on my declaration of an extra liter of wine, but questioned my wife’s (nine year old) ring. I did have the good sense to declare the “duty free” watch we exchanged most of our promotional on-board credit for. Some people still believe that the “Duty Free” signs on shops aboard ships and in Caribbean ports means that they do not have to declare or pay duty on the item (all it means is that the shop did not pay duty on the item, but you still have to if you’ve exceeded your exemption limit).
In the old days, we took the local taxi to Miami airport at the flat rate of $27. Firstly, the driver put on his meter and I fully expected to have a “discussion” at the end of the ride if the tab exceeded that number, but before we got to that flash point, he was pulled over for speeding (70mph in a 35mph zone, but only written up as 65mph) by a cop in the airport. The cop ordered him to turn his meter off while the citation was being drawn up and the argument was avoided. The airport X-Ray machine hiccupped on the ebony heads (as lumps of undifferentiated organic matter) in my hand luggage and one of my bags had to be disassembled by TSA and then repacked. That was a change because usually it is the bundle of electronics, cables, batteries and luggage scales that piques their interest. Nowadays it is about $18 by Uber.
For the first time in a while, our Amex Platinum card got us into a business class lounge despite not having a business class ticket – as Miami is one of the few airports in which Amex has their own dedicated Centurion lounge for their cardholders. While there were spa services “available”, they had been booked to capacity before our arrival (thanks cab driver). I have since given up the Amex Platinum card as the ever higher annual fee makes it a poor investment on our part, at least.
We were greeted at NYC’s JFK airport with below freezing temperatures which quickly sank to 11F/-12C degrees and were thankful for having both our light down jackets and the Marmot Gortex shells which fit over them. I learned something new (by observation): To avoid the long taxi lines in sub-freezing weather, simply hire a “Skycap” porter for a few dollars tip to carry your bags. They will bring you to the front of the line and (presumably in some sort of tip-sharing consortium) the taxi dispatcher will put you into a cab immediately.
Well, another trip has come to an end and it is time to start nailing down the dates of the next one (not to mention buying some food to re-stock the emptied refrigerator).
Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas
Great Stirrup Cay, a 268-acre (108 ha) is the northernmost island in a chain of islands known as the Berry Islands, and is situated in an area along the Northwest Providence Channel. Norwegian Cruise Line purchased the island in 1977 and developed it into a private island for their cruise ship passengers. The northern part of the island has a sandy beach surrounded by rocks with snorkeling areas. The cruise line offers a few excursions such as “swimming with pigs”, “swimming with rays”, renting of snorkels, shelters and so on. It is an example of the standard cruise-owned island in the same category as Harvest Caye Belize and Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic.
Great Stirrup Cay is adjacent to Little Stirrup Cay, Royal Caribbean Cruises’ private island. When we pulled up during our 2022 wandering trip (substituted for Bermuda – lousy trade), our ship with less than 300 passengers occupied the larger island while the passengers of two 6,000+ monster sized Royal Caribbean ships crowded onto their petit rock. In our case, it seemed like there were more lifeguards and toilets than visiting passengers.
Great Stirrup was a pirate hideout while the British settled in Nassau and the larger islands until 1815. The white house on the top of the hill served as a custom house for the westbound slave trade and later as a primitive plantation house. After the abolition of slavery, the British began to slowly withdraw from the out island colonies, and the plantation at Great Stirrup was abandoned.
In 1863, the Imperial Lighthouse Service erected the lighthouse on Great Stirrup Cay. The lighthouse site was manned for many years, but it is now fully automated and solar powered, making it self-sufficient. The structure stands nearly 80 feet, and its light is visible for over 20 miles.
