We could have predicted how today would go, with St. Thomas being the first US stop on our itinerary. Yeah, it was all that, not that we were one bit bothered by it, but it was a pretty difficult morning for many passengers, US and non-US citizens alike.
Which leads me to today’s lesson (and look at my St. Thomas post from last fall too, to see the same message): if you’re on a transatlantic crossing and St. Thomas is your first US port, AND there is something you have your heart set on doing, book a Princess tour. If you read about our experience last year, you’ll see that we escaped the chaos by being escorted through immigration in order to make our ferry’s departure time for a Princess trip to the island of St. John. Many passengers today waited in lines of over two to three hours which stretched from the Vista Lounge to the forward elevator lobby and back around to midship.
Book a Princess excursion. Or do what we did, which was hang out on the Terrace Deck until they made a last and final call. It was a walk through then (about noon), though the line for non-US even at that time still stretched around the Vista-less Lounge and back to the Wheelhouse. Frankly, I don’t know if the CBP agents are even being paid right now, and when I thanked the agent who checked us into the country for being there, she actually hugged me, so I think it’s not been easy for them.
Once we received that valuable ‘get out of jail free’ card, we simply walked off the ship into the shops area of Havensight. We hadn’t planned to do that (walk off the ship without so much as a credit card on us), so when the newly opened Hampton Inn right on the pier was giving away water bottles, I did take one. Actually, I first thought the lady said that they were THREE (as in $3) and didn’t have even that much in my pocket, but then she said again that they were FREE and I picked one up since I am never usually without one when leaving the ship. Which prompted G to joke (as one antagonist accuses), “Those Yellows are always trying to get something for free”. And then we laughed and laughed, as we always do when we make that joke.
There’s only so much shopping you can do when 1) you’re not a shopper and 2) you have neither cash nor credit card on hand. We did walk around until we got too warm, took note of the current taxi fares and Paradise Point gondola price ($30pp) and were back on the ship by 2:30pm.
We grabbed a Horizon Court Buffet lunch (again with the fajita salad for me) and stayed on the Horizon Terrace while first the Carnival Vista and then the Zuiderdam sailed, and finally the Regal Princess followed at 6pm.
CD Aaron made an announcement at that moment reminding us that tonight’s Princess Theater performances were going to take place at 6:30pm and 8:30pm to accommodate the 80s deck party at 9:30pm, and also that the show was an Elton John tribute act. I hadn’t realized that, and though we thought we’d skip tonight’s show…Elton John!! G stayed on deck, but, dressed as I was, still wearing the shorts and T-shirt I’d worn off the ship, I raced to the Princess Theater and got one remaining seat, front row, stage right.
Sure I had heavy coughs on either side of me, and felt like I was sealing my own fate…but Elton John! “The” Jason O had a heckuva show, so very good that after the show, I decamped to Club 6 hoping to catch a little Thursday Night Football on one of the screens (none!), and then returned to the Princess Theater to await the 8:30pm performance. Yeah, I do love Elton’s music, especially my all time favorite song, “I guess that’s why they call it the blues” (which I’ve always considered to be the military spouse’s anthem). But I also appreciate really good piano entertainment, and enjoyed the horn section getting downright jiggy during “Crocodile rock”. Again with the coughs; we’re at the two week mark now and they have exploded on the ship in the past couple of days. Will I escape unscathed? Stay tuned.
That got me to 9:30pm and the start of the 80s deck party so I swung across the Lido Deck on my way back to the cabin. It was fun, but G was already asleep and I didn’t stay out too late.
On an unrelated subject, we met blog reader Jim from Canada today, who thought he recognized first one of us and then, when he saw us together was certain. It was wonderful to meet him and he’s cruising in Australia soon, which is a destination close to my heart. It brought back another Caribbean memory, with us returning to the ship after a full day on shore, salty, sweaty and sandy, and definitely tipsy when someone riding the elevator with us asked, “Are you G?” yet having no idea that this mess standing next to him was me. Fortunately, I was a little more put together today to meet Jim.
Next up: two more sea days. Can’t get enough of them! We’re loving this so much!
