Bahamas Cruise Review

A four day cruise from a backpackers perspective

Recently, Double Trouble Travel decided to splash out on a four day cruise to the Bahamas, from our nearest port - port canaveral. We found a sweet deal ($200 each - tax and all, food and soft drinks included) on www.lastminutecruises.com) with the enforced 'gratuities' that is so inherent in the USA, it came to around $250 each at the end of the trip (I managed to quell little Js gratuities on account of her being seven, bringing the total to $450 for us both for the four days).
We took the 'Carnival Sensation' - this review is simply of that ship and company, on a four day Bahamas trip.

Below I outline and review the trip - from a budget perspective.

Ching ching ;)

Firstly information was somewhat lacking. It would have been nice to have a good sized welcome pack - but we seemed to get things in dribs and drabs. Prices were also quite concealed. I witnessed a fair few people go for the 'welcome' cocktails on embarking, then look quite surprised at being billed almost $10 each for them.

The first positive was that as soon as we boarded the ship, there was a delicious and varied buffet waiting for us; with salad and fruit options, and an appetising desert cart. Although we had to wait a little for rooms to be ready, the pool, canteen and bars were up and running immediately.

Buffet food on 'Caribbean day'

There was a long and seemingly pointless safety briefing; taking a good hour to tell people that when the alarm goes we must go to our 'muster station' and from there, where the boats were, but I guess thats the law, so....

I didn't realise that we would also have the option of dining (instead of the canteen buffet). Dining was amazing the service was great; a 3 course meal with a different menu each day- again lack of information regarding drinks being offered as if free then charged for (don't accept the bottle of m ineral water they offer you - wait and they will pour some standard water for free, and any alcohol will be around $10 each).

 Brunch, in the dining room on 'Sea day'

The rooms were small, but good - turned out twice daily - but again, don't touch any bottled water in your room - it's around $5 a bottle! and laundry is expensive too - so pack what you need for the whole trip. I am still unsure about the room service and breakfast in bed options. I assume that as there were no prices on the menu that a gratuity is added to your bill, but as I found with the water bottles in our room  - no price tag does not mean no cost.

One of room services finishing touches

There was a children's club which had the children up to 3pm, then 6pm until 10pm for free. Depending on age, 'Camp Carnival' will have children up to 3am, for around $7 an hour, plus gratuity. I would say keep reminding staff if your child has allergies / dietary requirements - J doesn't eat meat or drink coke, and despite this being on her name badge, she was given both on the first day. Also, as with any childcare; exercise caution if your child cannot communicate anything which has happened to them during the day.

Our first stop was Freeport, Nassau  - I thought that it was good that activities were offered for people staying on the ship and that kids club would take the kids while you were off (we didn't do this ourselves, but a few parents did). The excursions which were offered by the ship were extremely high - for example, you could pay $60 (adult) or $50 (child) to go to a beach resort then the market and have a non-alcoholic drink... or you could get off the ship, walk a few feet and get a taxi for $5 each way and do it yourself. We took a taxi (shared mini van, not USA cab style) to Taino beach because it was known as the quietest tourist beach for $7 each way, each - just under $30 in total for me and J. The taxis are great at getting you there and back in time for your ship, and even called us off the beach because they were worried we would be late! The market here is Lucaya but according to other cruisers, the things sold in the market could be bought right at the port for the same prices. I really wish we had taken a boat trip (glass bottom boat), .or done some snorkelling, as I think Freeport is better than Nassau for this (around $40 when bought on the ship - around 2.5hrs)

Part of Taino beach

Back on the ship, you can indulge in plenty of free entertainment - unfortunately there seemed little explanation for a lot of the entertainment, which left a lot of people I spoke with wondering what was actually available. The entertainment was good however; with dance shows, comedians, live music,  karaoke, a singles meet and a GLBT gathering.  

 

Our second and final destination was Nassau. A short walk brings you (through a crowd of tour operators jostling for your business; some with very good tours at ok prices) to the town; where you can buy a wealth of things tax free, and where the jewellery shops may sweeten you with a shot (or two) of rum. We were not in purchase / shopping mode, so we walked past Junkanoo beach (signposted), to the next beach - which we had all to ourselves, on account of there being no hotels or bars there. After this we walked back to Junkanoo beach and sat at the bar with matching cocktails (a non-alcoholic version for J of course). I plugged my phone into the bars sound system and we all rocked along to my soca carnival mix - after I introduced the bar man to the sounds of German reggae artist Patrice.

Beach on Nassau

The last day we spent the whole day at sea; there was so much to do that I frantically tried to get it all in - after a delicious brunch in the dining room,  J went to 'Camp Carnival', I hopped into the steam and sauna, spent time relaxing in the over 21 area, had some buffet food, spend time with J by the pool and had dinner with two lovely ladies I had met, before hitting a comedy show and falling into bed.

The pool at night

So guys, don't feel you couldn't go it alone on a cruise - you meet so many weird and wonderful people from different backgrounds, its amazing. I was a little uncomfortable with the wining and dining as I'm not used to it and kept wanted to help, but for a lot of people this makes the cruise. Bring your own beach towels, as if you lose the ones provided the charge is around $20. Bring some smart clothes for dinner - some people go all out, some people go 'smart-casual', and on the 'elegant evening' you can fully go all out. I loved admiring the beautiful gowns (plus every evening there are photographers swarming the decks to take glamorous pictures). Personally, I would saqy bring your own music and headphones - the poolside music is not for everyone! You are allowed to bring a bottle of champagne or wine on board, plus any waters, soda but NO liquor and no beers - they want you to pay $10 a drink!

Our last view of the Bahamas

If you have any questions or comments, or want further advice, please comment below.

Musings over our recent Road trip..... More to come .....

Double Trouble Travel have just completed an exciting road trip across France and touching Spain in our much loved soft top.... Fun and adventurous but not without its stresses and dilemmas...

 

Off we go!

 

Travelling with a seven year old did not worry me at all... But after being in each others faces for a whole month; sleeping in the same bed; spending our days together; travelling side by side with no other company (apart from 2 hitchhikers we picked up on our way from France to Spain), I realise I was slightly optimistic.

Not impressed with her first bee sting....

 

We love each other and enjoy each other s company but I can honestly say we have never argued so much. The difference with backpacking and road trip is that you obviously get to spend much less attention on the child, and all of your attention divided between the road, the map/GPS and the (in this case foreign) road signs. This also means that when they do throw an attention seeking wobbly, it can feel very dangerous, and you can become very frustrated.

Logically; (frustrated parent without peace + frustrated child without attention) + heat = arguments galore!  

 

Pleased to be out of the car! Freeeeedom!! 

 

Having said that, we had a great time, and visited:

Le Havre

 

 Pauillac

 

 Toulouse

 

 Bize-Minervois

 

 

Narbonne

 

 Aspiran

 

 

Burriana

 

Benacassim (Rototom Sunsplash )

 

Paris

 

 and various villages in between; including two fantastic reggae festivals (reggae sun ska in France and Rototom sunsplash in Spain) and a wedding!  

 

I noticed so many things on our trip - the difference between French and Spanish cultures for example; or at least on their beaches. On the beaches we happened to visit in France, the visitors seemed to all come to the beach fully clothes, undress subtly and enjoy the sun, whereas the beaches in Spain; the beaches I am more used to, had people coming in beach clothes, getting topless, and leaving in bikinis. This may not be correct for the whole of France and Spain; I was not there long enough to say; but this was definitely a trend I noticed in the few beaches I visited, which left me a bit unsure of beach etiquette. We also experienced the beauty of couchsurfing with someone who we had hosted a couple of years ago (definitely a positive experience), and realised that some people feel very strongly about a single mother travelling with her child (a negative but enlightening experience), and can be very forceful in expressing this.

One day we spent the day wondering round quaint French villages

There was also (to me at least) a noticeable difference in cultures when I attended the two reggae festivals, compared also with Summerjam in Germany. We were blessed enough to both see Paris for a full day and all the main sites for less than 100Euros.... definitely worthwhile but I would love to go back without a seven year old in tow; to see Paris by night, to browse its expensive stores at leisure (without echoes of 'Muuuuum, they are all just cloooooothes!'), and to actually go up the Eiffel tower or take a tour bus without multiple toilet stops.

 

a lot of these things are talked about further in following posts.... so keep posted ;p

Travelling versus Holidaying

'Travelling' as opposed to 'holidaying' certainly has plenty of ups and downs; especially with a seven year old, and especially on a budget....
Today we packed up the car in France, put on pretty dresses and nail-varnish and thought we could arrive at our hotel for around 2pm in order to casually stroll the streets of Barcelona looking and feeling great!
 We drove four hours to Barcelona, and tried to find the 'hotel' which we booked on 'booking.com'...... after a couple of hours of not finding it, we parked up and tried looking on foot. Too many people told us it was an apartment, to be careful, that it would be hard to find... and sure enough, we did not find it. We gave up and spent another hour or so driving around asking hotels and hostels if they had 'una habitation libre?' Finally at 10pm (we set out at 10am) we found a hostel where we could share a single bed for 30Euro..... Parking is dodgy and I have to move the car before 8am or from what I can make out, it will be towed.... But at least we have a bed. Parking is so difficult in Barcelona, and we had such a rough day that I think we are both eager to get out of the city and head for Valencia area first thing in the morning. I tried to play it by ear last week in Bize, France, where even the camping was fully booked, and hotels were hard to find and had early check in limits... so we tried to book ahead..... This hasn't worked either; so maybe a combination of the two; so tomorrow we drive until we find somewhere nice, and find a hotel; but we start the search early so as to enjoy the day. We are determined not to repeat todays wild goose chase.

One final thought; travelling with a seven year old may seem difficult to some, but today when we were both a little stressed but extremely supportive of each other, I tried to picture various friends and ex partners in the passenger seat. Although another adult may have been practically helpful, I could not think of anyone I wouldn't have fallen out with in that situation. She really is my true travelling buddy :)

My first time driving abroad! ROAD TRIP!! A few tips.....

Having only been driving a couple of years (3 I believe), and having never driven anywhere other than England and Wales, I was slightly apprehensive about driving to Cologne, in Germany; roughly a 7 hr drive from the Calais ferry port and of course on the 'wrong' side of the road!

 

But I need not have worried; the other side of the road was fine, the roundabouts were easy to get to grips with; and even the drivers temperament's were tolerable. I think with the right passengers (My hitch-hiker come navigator, Harley was helpful and amazing, and my long time friend Dominique was cool, unflappable and thoroughly positive).

 

My three little tips from experience would be:

 

1. Don't bother to scrub the car as it will get filthy; give it a quick wash, making sure windows and number plates are clear, and make sure you have a spray cleaner & window cleaner with cloths, because these areas obviously need to be clean

 

2. Check legalities for road tripping abroad; countries do vary, and you will need extra insurance and breakdown cover, and of course travel insurance and passports (sounds silly but all 3 of us almost forgot our passports simply because we weren't flying) - make sure you have documents for each.

 

3. Although a clean car is not essential, it's a great idea to have a clear car before you pack it. Try and keep all bags etc in the boot; in the front you will need legal essentials such as fire extinguisher and hi-vis vests, and you may want things like water, wet wipes, snacks, blankets, paracetamol and a map (even if you have a satnav). My personal musts are gaviscon as I get a bad stomach; cranberry tablets to prevent bladder infection if I have to hold my pee in for too long; acidophilus (probiotics) to help my stomach cope with change in water and/or food, and lots of good reggae cds :)

 

Enjoy your Road trips! My next one will be right across France and Northen Spain :)

Feel free to ask any questions xx

 

Summer Solstice 2013 at Stonehenge

Once upon a time, an eager baby came out six weeks early. Some say she came out early because she knew her mother was visiting her birthplace, and she would only have a small window to have the privilege of being born in her mothers homeland of Wales; home to many wonderful myths and legends.... She also came early because she could sense that a special day was upon us; the Summer Solstice. On that night, a shooting star was spotted as if to highlight the importance of this event.  Seven years later, her mother decided it was about time she brought her little star to Stonehenge; to show her how important this date really is.

And so, she, I mean, I, booked us into a nice looking campsite, packed a tent (later to discover it was without pegs), bedding, clothing and pringles, and off we went. Before we even arrived at the campsite we were feeling positive; I had called  a lady called Elaine up, and she was ever so friendly, giving me a heap of information about the stones, and advice on bringing my daughter.

For full information on the campsite visit www.stonehengecampsite.co.uk

Berwick Rd  Salisbury, Wiltshire SP3 4TQ,  07786 734732-

we definitely recommend it! Camping with a real festival atmosphere at solstice, and no doubt brilliant at all other times too! Extremely satisfied customers.

We arrived, set up our tent, and began waiting for the first bus to Stonehenge; ready to see in the summer solstice.... We missed the 9pm one, and a few after that.... due to essential activities such as face-painting and cake eating! But we were up to the 11pm bus.... just about!

The delicious strawberry one-love cake that caused us to miss that first bus!

The bus is a great service; free for those staying on site, it runs up and down to the stones from about 9pm to 1am, then starts again at 5am; theoretically it has a cut off point but will run until the long queue has been transported section by section back to the campsite.  

The bus drops you at the bottom of a field-come-carpark, and there is quite a walk. We took a friend of mine who has fibromyalgia so it was quite a slog for her; but I'm sure if you speak to the campsite staff they would be more than happy to help, or at least advise somebody with any mobility issues; they are really approachable and no matter how busy they are, will always give you some time.

Happy Campers :)

 

The stones were no-where near as big as I expected, but I think that comes from having visited places such as the astounding Tikal in Guatemala; which is ridiculous in size!  Nevertheless, they were truly mystifying, and we felt honoured to be able to lean up against one and cwtch in for the night (cwtch = a common and much loved Welsh word, like cuddle, hug or snuggle).

Stonehenge

The fact that we were there with Jahzara meant that we stayed in one spot and were sober for the night - an amazing tool for people watching! My friend Natasha and I were very surprised (and disappointed) that there were't more hippies there, but we did meet people from all walks of life and many nationalities, and we were pleased to see a good number of people in wheelchairs, 'older' people and people with children.

If nothing else, security got in the way of a lot of photos that night....

There was of course, tight security, and plenty of police, although they weren't too invasive and did not trouble us (they did, however, escort a lovely lady we had been chatting to us out of Stonehenge, for removing all of her clothing and dancing round the stones; by all accounts, she never recovered her knickers!)

We ended up staying up until the sunlight; and witnesses something rather bizarre; although the sun had clearly risen, but was covered by cloud, there were still people waiting for it to rise..... because their smartphone was still telling them 4, 7 , 9 etc, minutes to sunrise! This was such a strange over reliance/ confidence in technology, that the builders of Stonehenge probably turned in their sacred burial grounds!

Wake me up when my Birthday is here! J with her awesome gift, signed by many at the solstice :)

One last bizarre occurrence was the queue for the bus back to the campsite. It never really bothers me when friends join other friends ahead in the queue; be in for a gig, or boarding a plane and so on.... but people in our bus queue for becoming increasingly irate each time they thought someone was jumping the queue. When the bus stop actually moved closer to the road, and the queue became a little shuffled, normal people became what I can only liken to football hooligans, shouting things like "you ain't getting on that bus, we ain't letting ya". My seven year old knows that is not how you behave, and a few people in the queue wondered out loud where all the peace and love had gone.... The whole affair became a sordid shouting match, and I just hope that those involved were a little embarrassed when they looked back on themselves  the next day.

Our campsite was so nice, we had to stay there twice! Yes, although we initially planned for one night, we decided we couldn't leave, and stayed another night. However, as our pringles supply was dwindling, we had to head out for food. The campsite staff again, were patient and very helpful; there was a burger van and a pizza stall at the campsite, but it was a bit pricey for us, and there was not much available for vegetarians so we were given the rundown of a few places; again by Elaine. We chose the Swan, which turned out to be a spectacular pub by the river, which served us an amazing meal, and a refreshing bottle of wine. We were taken care of by the lovely James, and really could not have asked more of him, or the pub. Their beer garden is across a busy road, so be careful if you visit, but its well worth it as the little river/stream really is a sight for sore eyes... and children currently eat free on a Sunday.... apparently (we visited on Friday, but were well taken care of anyway).

Search for the Swan@Solford, Warminster Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP2 0PR or call 01722 790236  http://www.theswanatstoford.co.uk/

 

 

 

The Swan Inn  and its Delightful Riverside Garden

 

Our last night was simple, yet magical. the sun went down, people got cold. Caveman instinct kicked in and a fire was made.... then songs were sung and instruments were played, and a good night was had by all.

 

 

The end.

DamLife :) Amsterdam for a Weekend.....

DamLife

 

Crazy, Sexy, Cool; even with a six year old!!

Yes, we did it; managed to have a weekend in Amsterdam, soaking up the atmosphere, listening to reggae and almost being knocked over by a number of cyclists!

Cyclists on one of the many bridges in the city

 

We went to visit two friends (Eva and Marilyn) we had met at a festival in Spain last year; and to meet Evas two daughters; age 6 and 4. We were accompanied by our good (virtually family member) friend, and Jahzaras unofficial Godmother, Kemara. We met Kemara there as we flew from different cities.

For me, it was strange travelling/exploring in a group. There were four adults and three children; all girls which meant some epic ques for the bathroom and the mirror each morning! I'm so used to jumping up and heading out the door, thinking as I walk, that it felt strange waiting for others to wake up, or get ready, or even just discussing what we would/could do. It was an amazing experience and a great learning curve which left me feeling quite reflective.

One of our lovely hosts; Marilyn, attempting to get ready while being bombarded by very energetic Dutch and Welsh Pixies!

 

I would love to say we whizzed round the city as we usually do, and that we saw all the sites. However, this was not the case; we were totally caught up in the laid back Amsterdam way of life, and spent the weekend trying to imitate the Dutch words we heard, listening to a mix of Dutch and Suriname reggae (our hosts have Suriname roots), jumping on and off trams, and avoiding bicycles.

A delicious and healthy Suriname dish cooked by Marilyn

 

We did indulge in a lovely canal boat ride, which happened to be on the most beautiful sunny day we had there (coincidentally mine and Jahzaras last day); truly a must when in Amsterdam; with or without commentary.

 

 

Canal ride in the sunshine

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also popped out at about 3am (our sweet host Marilyn watched the three terrors for a couple of hours) to indulge in the hazy nightlife of the city; as a true lover of all things Reggae, I had a blast!

 

Partying in the city to  good Reggae vibes  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  All in all the big thing for me really was that the whole city has a very 'summer festival' feel, with people from all over the World eating all sorts of goodies, the sweet smell of Marijuana gently teasing your senses wherever you go, and generally losing that sense of time....

  so much so in fact that Jahzara and I almost missed our flight; arriving at check in after boarding, and Kemara sadly missing hers the following day; one of those things we may look back on fondly in the future and laugh about but that at the time was not impressive.

 

I guess we will just have to return sometime soon to see the full array of museums and art galleries Amsterdam has on offer; not least the house of Anne Frank and the recently renovated Van Gough display.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Eva and Marilyn for your wonderful hospitality, and for taking the time out to show us the city xxxx

 

 

Dutch, Welsh and English..... Good friendships, Good times

 OneLove

Double Trouble Descends upon Ireland

Our excitement for Dublin was largely based around the fact that we would be staying with another single parent unit through 'couchsurfing'.

For those of you who don't know, this is an amazing worldwide community where you can host and/or surf with people from various backgrounds from all over the World (it is the way to travel, dahlings) see more at www.couchsurfing.org We discovered it just in time for our Latin American backpacking adventure, and have not looked back!

 Our hosts were lovely. I did not have any expectations about the Irish manner, but I think if I did, Deidre would have exceeded them. Deidre was an absolute Gem; her soft Irish accent made us feel all cosy inside, and when she smiled she reminded me of Anna Friel. On arrival she made us feel at home straight away and packed J off to bed with thick toast and hot chocolate.

Howth

 The next day myself and J, having made no particular plans, headed off to Howth, a small fishing village, with Deirde and her delightful four year old daughter Laine. Howth is a pretty little place, which has its very own natural attraction; a seal couple who can be spotted at the harbour, if you look closely. There are plenty of little coffee and ice cream shops, and of course, plenty of fresh seafood (I sampled the Calamari, but there was fresh fish and chips, and  a good few fishmongers too).

 

To get around Dublin, your options are really the tram, a bus, or the DART. Children over 5 have to pay.

 

 

That evening we had a fun Barbeque and the girls enjoyed each others company. We were the first couchsurfing family to stay with Deirdre, which felt quite special, and I could hear J imitating the Irish accent, which I found adorable!

 

On the Sunday, I took J into Dublin city to have a look around. In truth, there is not much specifically for children that we could not have done elsewhere (think zoos and parks), but we did walk around Temple street, and had a nice enough meal in a commercialised Irish pub (I proudly ordered my first ever Guinness).

 

 

A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although Dublin city is largely for shopping and drinking, it was fun to walk along the river, crossing the many bridges, and to see the castle. The castle has a fun modern twist, and may be really interesting to explore, but after our hours of traipsing around the city, we simply went there to sit on the grass and relax in the sun.

 

 

On our last day we were genuinely sad to be leaving Deidre and Laine; they had made us feel so at home, and Deidres Irish hospitality had not ceased; she made us a beautiful packed lunch to take away.

The night before, I had looked at options for our last day; we desperately wanted to see the irish countryside, but the buses did not fit in with our flights, and I realised I should have gone to do that the day before, and that perhaps in the future, as I have said many times before, I ought to plan these trips a little more! So, we decided to take the DART down to Greystones, where there was reportedly a nice beach. It was a lovely beach but it was painfully windy that day.

To our good fortune, we stumbled upon a local fete, and spoke with a few lovely locals.

Then we went to Bray, a couple of stops down, to look at another beach, and get some greasy salt and vinegary chips in paper. We stumbled across a quirky market there and I entertained the thought of getting off at each stop to see what else we could come across.

The journey from Dublin to Greystones on the DART really displays the beautiful coastline, and was particularly pretty as it was a gloriously sunshiny (but windy) day. I caught older local passengers reminiscences of when they used to visit the seaside as children, and the inevitable comments of how times have changed, and I reflected upon how often you get a real glimpse of history not from a museum, book or documentary, but from the people who lived that history. It is there that you see and feel the emotion of the time and the land, and you really know a place.

In short.... we loved Ireland and need a much longer visit soon to see the beautiful countryside!!