Port Day #4

Day 7, Tuesday, January 9, 2024, Belize City, Belize, Central America

When passengers got back to their cabins after dinner last night, they learned that the schedule for Tuesday had changed. There would be four ships in port on Tuesday. The sea off of Belize is very shallow for a mile or more from shore. Ships cannot get any closer than a certain depth for risk of damaging equipment and machinery under the ship. All the passengers who were going ashore had to board tenders (smaller boats that will take them from the large cruise ships to the pier) to get to their excursions. The tenders can carry a hundred or more passengers, and it takes time to load the passengers into those boats when the boats are bobbing on the waves and the gangway is moving up and down while the passengers are trying to step onto the gangway and into the boat without falling. It's a very time-intensive task.

Photos: I was in the Lido Market at 6:15 for cereal and fruit and a great view of the action below. 1) Celebrity Apex pulling into position for the day. 2) The tenders, milling around, waiting for their charges to emerge. 3) The pilot boat retrieving the harbor pilot, who had guided us across the Belize Barrier Reef and watched the depth finder to determine how close we could safely get to the shore. The Belize Barrier Reef is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is continuous from Cancún on the north-eastern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula through the Riviera Maya and down to Honduras, making it the second largest coral reef system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef System off the coast of Queensland, Australia, in the Coral Sea. 4) The sun rose around 6:30. 5) Apex is pretty stunning to see, wherever she is! We first saw her a year ago as we left Port Everglades to visit the Eastern Caribbean. She's one of the three newest ships in Celebrity's fleet, having been launched in June of 2021, when the cruise industry was gingerly trying to get back on its feet after the Covid shutdown.

Photo: The tender boats milling around, waiting for passengers.

Once we got onto the tender and into our seats, the gangplanks had to be removed before the tender could leave. And then it takes about half an hour to get from the ship to the pier. So, from the time your excursion number is called, it's probably an hour before you're stepping out onto the dock at the port. And there are only X tenders available and four large cruise ships to service.There were 14 excursions going out today from Eurodam—we were on number 7. There were about 45 people in our group. Several groups would travel together to shore on the tender.

Our ship, the Eurodam, carries about 2,000 passengers when full. I don't know how many passengers were on this cruise, and not all of them go ashore at every port of call. But still ..., let's call it 1,500 passengers going ashore. Celebrity Apex, who was moored on our starboard side, carries about 3,000 passengers. Celebrity Constellation, moored on our port side, carries 2,100 passengers. And Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas, on the other side of the Constellation, carries 2,400 passengers. You do the math. That's a whole bunch of people who have to get to shore.

The first few groups gathered in the World Stage at 7:30 and loaded as soon as everyone had arrived and the first tender was in place and the system ready. Each passenger who exits the ship has to have the bar code on his room key scanned, wait 8:00. We were told to arrive at 7:45 and that we would leave at 8:00. It was probably 8:30 or later when we were onboard the tender and finally headed to the pier. And then after 9:00 when we arrived, milled around, were led to our meeting point, were checked off the participant list, and had a wristband put in place. We didn't get back to the ship for lunch until after 2:00. That's how a "four hour tour" (with a wink and a nod to "Gilligan's Island") turns into six hours.

But the goal was to see and learn about the area we were visiting on our Highlights of Belize bus tour. We left the port, drove through a residential area with many colonial era homes, most in various states of disrepair. I was struck by what appeared to me, by our standards in the U.S., as extreme poverty. But, according to the guide, Anthony, this was just their way of life. They make do and live their lives. Anthony said several times throughout the tour how every dollar the tourists spend in Belize flows down the chain and makes a huge difference in the lives of Belizeans.

Our first stop was St. John's Cathedral, the first church built in Belize. It was built in 1812 and was the headquarters of the Church of England in Central America. This is the church our guide attends. He showed us the baptismal font where he was baptized when he was three months old. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were also baptized there.

As we drove through the area, Tony talked extensively about the importance of education in Belize. All children are required to attend school from age 5 through age 14. Many continue on through high school. And, hand-in-hand with the importance of education is the importance of religion to most citizens. Most schools are church-run. Education is not free, and yet, these families ensure their children are in school. We passed Catholic churches, Methodist churches, Seventh-day Adventist churches, and so on. And as he pointed out each church, he turned and pointed out the school next door or across the street. [He quoted a very high literacy rate for Belize to us, over 90%, but when I google, I see numbers in the mid-70s. Regardless, the education matters in this country.] The church was simple but beautiful, with mahogany rafters and pews, and an organ in the balcony. If you go to their Facebook page, you can stream their Sunday services.

Tony mentioned auto body shops several times. We passed used car lots and he said many wrecked vehicles are transported from the U.S. and Canada and are rebuilt in Belize and sold as "new used" cars. He pointed out the stop signs and said no one stops at them. He said seatbelt use is mandated, but not observed. We laughed when he said the policeman who gives you a ticket for not wearing your seatbelt is, himself, not wearing a seatbelt.

In one area we passed some large office buildings. He said this was where he worked when he lost his tour guide job because of the pandemic. His command of the English language enabled him to be able to work at a call center. Several call centers opened up in Belize and the work was outsourced from the U.S. It saved their lives when their income disappeared.

We were now north of the city. We stopped for a photo-op at a Belize sign along the waterfront. In this area we passed more commercial and industrial buildings, and then drove through an area with enormous newer homes along the shore. One was the residence of the ambassador or similar official of India. It was astonishing to see the homes in the city and compare them to these homes. I think you have to see it to believe it!

Finally we stopped for about half an hour at Old Belize, where we were given a train ride (think "It's A Small World" at Walt Disney World, but on a much smaller scale) depicting much of the history of Belize. Here we could get a bathroom break and food and drinks.

I was able to get a photo out onto the Caribbean where the four ships sat, waiting. Eurodam is in the middle of the picture.

And so we headed back to the pier, passing again through areas we had seen at the beginning of the tour. As we rode, Tony talked about the number of U.S. and Canadian expats who reside in Belize. He mentioned three or four cities that are primary destinations for retirees wanting to decrease their cost of living. Placencia was the first he mentioned. Surprisingly, the day we were visiting Belize, a theatre friend of mine and his extended family were vacationing at a condo development on the east coast of Placencia.

As we neared the port, someone asked Tony about the number of tourists that visit Belize annually. He said during the pandemic, as travel was returning, there were about a million visitors. Once things picked up, the numbers returned to the prepandemic number of two million. But, he said, happily, this year there are expected to be three million visitors. And every dollar spent there trickles down to affect every Belizean. He expressed deep gratitude for our support.

Please keep in mind that what I've written today is just my memory of what a tour guide said. I didn't take notes, nor did Anthony speak from a prepared script. He appeared to be in his 50s and has lived in Belize all his life, so was speaking of what he knew and believed. You can, of course, run all the internet searches you want and develop your own thoughts of this country.

Back at the port, there were tenders leaving each half hour to take passengers back to their respective ships. We must have just missed the previous one, as we sat for close to half an hour before taking off. Once we were back and dropped hats and backpack in the room, it was off to the Dive In for burgers and frieszzzz. 😊

After lunch, we started to watch a movie, "Rum Runner," but I quickly tired of it and came back to my laptop to work on blog posts. I'm pretty proud of myself for being able to stay current on these posts. I've limited the number of photos I'm posting, and pulling them straight from my phone into Blogger without doing any editing. I'm very curious about what readers think of this format versus my previous multipage posts at jancrews.com/travel.

Being creatures of habit, Mike and Marilyn, and Jas and I met for cocktails in the Pinnacle Bar and then dinner in the MDR with the triple threat, Hendra, A.A., and Dwinda.

Photos: Once again, when my precious (meaning little and cute) appetizer, Grilled Asparagus and Artichoke with hazelnut-yogurt, arrived, I couldn't wait to dig right into it. Sorry, no pics! And Jas had the black bean soup, which was delicious!!

<Sidenote on:>I only drink chardonnay or pinot grigio, as too many other whites bother me, and reds are an absolute no-no on my migraine triggers list. I ordered the Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay, which I've had a glass of most nights of the cruise. After three or four sips, I suddenly realized it felt "bubbly" in my mouth, and the color wasn't the lovely golden hue I was used to. I rarely can tell the difference in wines. I am simply not a connoisseur. After Marilyn and I talked about her wine (pinot grigio tonight, although frequently she prefers sauvignon blanc) and mine, and my sense that this was a sauvignon blanc, which I don't drink, versus the chard that I usually do drink, I asked A.A. to bring me a taste of the Chateau Ste. Michelle chard. Sure enough. No bubbles, lovely golden color. I felt quite proud of myself that I could tell the difference and insist on having what I knew wouldn't hurt my head. 👍 <Sidenote off>

Now to the photos: 1) I had thought about having a bowl of French Onion Soup for my entrée, as we hadn't eaten our burgers until about 2:30. But when I saw the Parmesan-Coated Veal Loin with artichoke mushroom ragoût, mascarpone polenta, and French green beans, I knew I had to have the polenta. Y'know polenta is almost grits, and "grits" stands for Girls Raised in the South. 😊 2) Jas practically licked the plate after his serving of Fetuccine with Beef Short Rib Bolognese, oregano, and parmesan. 3) Coconut Bread Pudding with warm vanilla sauce. 4) Dulce De Leche Cheesecake with coconut meringue, ordered by both Jas and Mike. 5) Marilyn's Chocolate Delight, with chocolate cake, dark chocolate ganache, white chocolate mousse, and chocolate shavings. And the menu didn't mention the lovely little biscuit the whole chocolate delight was served on. 6) As A.A. was gathering our desserts to bring to the table, he asked if I would like to try the date pudding. I wondered to myself if there was only one left in the kitchen from earlier in the day and he was just trying to get rid of it. Then he brought me both the bread pudding and the date pudding. OMG! That date pudding was moist and fabulous. I could easily eat that for dessert every evening.

<Sidenote On:>Let me tell you something I absolutely love about the food on Holland America: The portions are reasonable! You know how you go out to dinner with your friends and you cannot possibly eat the full entrée and you have to ask for a to-go container so it can become two more meals at home? That doesn't happen here. The appetizer is, truly, a little something lovely to whet your appetite. The entrée is truly a single portion. And the desserts are designed for one person to comfortably leave the table with a little taste of something sweet. The only exceptions to that practice, as I can recall, are dishes that are baked in the serving dish. The bread pudding is baked in that lovely little ceramic skillet and the mac and cheese is baked in the little cast iron skillet. Those are hard for one person to eat as a side dish or a little something sweet. But, please note, if you have your single serving entrée or appetizer and want more, you just order a second portion. There's no extra charge. The ship is truly an all-inclusive resort.<Sidenote Off>

If you have read several of my accounts of this cruise, you know by now that we absolutely love our maître d' and server and assistant server. As we were finishing our dessert and preparing to go "home" for the night, the lovely young Dwinda came to our table. [We learned last night that she is 23, and didn't know English when she came to work on Holland America ships several years ago. She learned English on the job. And she has a fabulous grasp of the language. I am so impressed by this young woman.] I could see she was clasping something in her right hand. Dwinda lives in Java and is Hindu. What she gave us were little statues of her temple at home, encased in plastic. Then she took a few minutes to tell us more about this temple and other temples and highlights of her home town in Special Region of Yogyakarta. This action on her part meant so much to us. What a special young woman she is. When we arrive in Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday morning, Dwinda is leaving the ship. Her contract is over and she goes home for two months or more. During that time she will apply to HAL again and another contract. Jas and I will be back on this ship on June 6, 2025, and I'm hoping against hope that these three people who have given us so many hours of happiness on this cruise will again be here so I can introduce them to my sons and family.

Read more about the Prambanan Temple Compounds.

Tomorrow: Cozumel