21st December 2024 Disembarkation day began early, in the dark, at 5:30 am. Although we had set the alarm for later, we were both awake and unable to get back to sleep. A shower and breakfast on Deck 9 seemed the best course of action. It was a leisurely meal; there was no rush, and… Continue Reading

19th December 2024 We were disturbed several times around 3 am by Sue’s phone chiming to indicate a ‘push notice’, and then again at various times throughout the morning. While I had no difficulty falling back to sleep on each occasion, Sue did not. She eventually chose to quietly leave the cabin around 7 am… Continue Reading

18th December 2024 The Nieuw Statendam glided into her berth at Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, one of the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea and a constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands, an unincorporated territory of the United States. By the time we had breakfast, we could see a light rain shower through… Continue Reading

17th December 2024 It was a partial sea day when we docked around 1 pm at San Juan port. The morning began leisurely for most passengers, with plenty of seating available in the buffet for breakfast, likely since the clocks had been put forward by one hour the previous night. After breakfast, we attempted to… Continue Reading

16th December 2024 During the second week of our cruise, we are revisiting several ports from last week, and today sees us return to Turks and Caicos. Having already explored much of the island by golf cart during our previous visit, we decided this time to follow a coastal walk from the port that we… Continue Reading

14th December 2024 For many passengers aboard the Nieuw Statendam, it was disembarkation day, a bleary-eyed farewell to floating luxury and an unreasonably early start. We, however, had grander plans. With a tour booked, we joined the weary masses at the breakfast buffet at the eye-wateringly early hour of 6:15 am. The day ahead promised… Continue Reading

12th December 2024 Sea days are the epitome of laziness, and this one was no exception. The ship offered a packed schedule of activities, but the most demanding task we undertook was a leisurely stroll around the upper deck after breakfast to gauge the day’s temperature. Sue, ever the intellectual, attended a couple of talks… Continue Reading

11th December 2024 The Nieuw Statendam was due to berth at Amber Cove at 8 a.m., but by the time we’d finished breakfast on Deck 9, she was already securely moored at the pier, and passengers were being informed that they could disembark. We had made no plans for the day, but I downloaded Google… Continue Reading

10th December 20124 Early this morning, we docked at Grand Turk, a small island in the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British Overseas Territory whose capital is Cockburn Town. The view from our breakfast room window promised a glorious day ahead: white-sand beaches framed by a lush green interior, all bathed in bright sunshine. Although… Continue Reading

8th December 2024 We were awake by 6 am and enjoying breakfast just half an hour later, following a brief visit to Guest Services to query a deduction on our account. At such an early hour, the restaurant was almost deserted, allowing us to choose our food quickly and without queuing. As we ate, we… Continue Reading