Posted by Nancy D. Brown

Roatan, Honduras Garifuna Dancers

My first visit to Roatan, Honduras and it was during November’s rainy season. I was cruising on the Crown Princess as a guest of Princess Cruises. My dolphin encounter shore excursion was cancelled due to rough waters on the seas. As an alternative, I selected “The Best of Roatan” tour and discovered the Garifuna Dancers.

Go With the Flow When Cruising

As a person new to cruising, I have learned that you need to be flexible when it comes to ports of call and shore excursions. On this particular Western Caribbean sailing, Hurricane Ida had Commodore Giuseppe Romano changing our itinerary to avoid rough seas. With my Holland America experience, our ship wasn’t able to tender at Sitka, Alaska due to hurricane force winds. Instead Captain Henk Keijer selected the protected and scenic Tracy Arm and it was fabulous! I have learned to adapt the “go with the flow” mentality when it comes to cruising.

Garifuna Culture

As I watched the traditional dances performed by descendents of African slaves, I learned that the men disguised themselves as women to avoid being killed during war time. The males dance the Jur Ca Nu and the women dance the Punta. Watch the feet of the women in the video and enjoy the traditional dances that have been handed down from generations since they settled in Roatan in 1797.

Local Food

Roatan, Honduras Yuka Bread Baker

I was fortunate to taste the Yuka bread after watching a local Roatan women prepare the casava bread on a mud stove. From there we journeyed to a local village to watch as the planteen was mashed to make the native Machuca. A typical dish, Machuca is made of boiled planteen that is mashed, a local white fish and coconut milk. Tasty!

What are your favorite things to see and do in Roatan, Honduras?

All photos and YouTube video courtesy of Travel Writer  Nancy D. Brown

Roatan

Posted by Nancy D. Brown

Princess Cruises Crown Princess for a Day - Desiree

Did you ever play dress up as a child or trick-or-treat dressed as a Princess?  Ever fantasized about your ultimate wedding?

After a day at sea as a guest of Princess Cruises Crown Princess, I’ve experienced the pampering of the Lotus Spa, wandered into the adult-only Sanctuary and gazed upon a bride-to-be as she transformed from a fiancee to a newlywed, to half of a honeymooning couple on her wedding day. All of this took place during a day at sea.

SPA TIPS

As a newbie to cruising, I’ve learned that it’s best to book your spa treatment in advance if you’d like your appointment to be during a day at sea. Often times, spa treatments can be less expensive if you schedule them during a day in port. My masseuse on the Crown Princess noted that prices may drop toward the end of a 15 day cruise.

Crown Princess Thermal Suite

Have you tried the Aroma Stone Therapy massage? For cruisers allocating dollars to pampering, the cost is $195. As a guest of Princess Cruises I was fortunate to enjoy 75 minutes of bliss at the Lotus Spa. They were running a little behind on my visit, so I was escorted into the Thermal Suite and promptly settled into a heated ceramic lounge chair.

Recycling Program On Board Crown Princess

After pouring myself a cup of lemon water, I was pleased to see that Crown Princess had a container for recycling the paper cups alonside the water pitcher. For a ship of this size, carrying 3,000 passengers, it is reassuring to know that Princess Cruises cares about their environmental impact.

While cruising Alaska recently, on Holland America Lines Westerdam, I enjoyed hanging out in their Thermal Suite while I watched the ship sail scenic Tracy Arm. If your ship has a thermal suite looking out over the water, the minimal cost of a half day pass might land you the best seat in the house!

Escape to The Sanctuary

Adult-Only Sanctuary on Crown Princess

For those of us hoping to escape loud children or loud adults, for that matter, The Sanctuary is an adults-only retreat located on deck 17. Guests may purchase a half day pass for $10 or full day pass for $20. Additional amenities such as MP3 players with Bose headphones or an Evian Face Mist, at $3.50 a pop, will further isolate the noises of the outside world and leave you feeling moisturized and toned (according to the brochure.)

Personally, if I had a budget for pampering, I would try the cabana massage for $119, accompanied with a little cabana cuisine. Afterall, I’d be on vacation.

What are your recommendations for a day at Sea?

You can follow along on my discoveries via the #FollowMeAtSea hashtag I’m using on Twitter.

All photos courtesy of Nancy D. Brown

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Environmental Impact of Cruise Ships

Princess Cruise To Western Caribbean

Posted by Nancy D. Brown

Next time you admire that glossy brochure touting a cruise to Alaska’s pristine Inside Passage or are considering a Disney Cruise with Grandma, Grandpa and the entire family, look beyond the gourmet dining and children’s program. Ask yourself how these cruise lines impact our environment?

While some cruise lines take great care to tread lightly on their surroundings, other companies are failing miserably. Have you asked yourself if cruising is any greener than flying?

Marcie Keever, Clean Vessels Campaign Director for Friends of the Earth notes, “it only costs about 1-3% of the value of a single cruise ship to install advanced sewage treatment technology on a cruise ship.”

2009 Cruise Ship Environmental Report Card 

According to a report issued September 16, 2009 by Friends of the Earth, cruise ships are like floating cities that release substantial amounts of pollution into the air and water.

I recently spoke with Friends of the Earth Clean Vessels Campaign Director Marcie Keever to ask her what cruise ship passengers could do to be proactive in selecting their next cruise.

“Passengers have a choice in where they want to go and what they want to eat; even what shore excursions they select,” said Keever. “For the first time, passengers have a choice in what environmental impact their cruise ship will have.”

In September of 2009, I sailed aboard Holland America Line’s Westerdam and took a behind the scenes look at their waste recycling center. While I don’t think many people would be interested in watching a video of their food waste management system, Holland America takes great pride in its environmental record.

The company was one of the first cruise ships to sail in Alaska and they have no intention of fouling their own backyard. Like Princess Cruises, HAL has installed shore powered technology where available. However, utilizing shore powered technology requires joint cooperation between the port and the ship. Many port infrastructures don’t yet have the ability to support these power grids.

I look forward to learning more about Princess Cruises environmental programs when I sail as a guest of the Crown Princess from Miami, Florida on a 7-day Western Caribbean cruise.

Here’s what Julie Benson, Public Relations Director, had to say about Princess Cruises environmental policies. “We care deeply for the environment. We make our living on the ocean. We’re a highly regulated business. In terms of our commitment and our doing things the right way, we meet or exceed all environmental requirements.”

You can follow along on my discoveries via the #FollowMeAtSea hashtag I’ll use on Twitter.

What can you do as a consumer to support a clean marine eco-system? Roaming Tales blogger Caitlin urges you to sign the Clean Cruise Act petition. What’s your take on cruising and the environment? Leave a comment below.