St. Maarten

Late yesterday afternoon we attended the Top Tier event as we usually do, and before it started we enjoyed chatting with a couple from New Hampshire who will stay on this ship for seven weeks—same itinerary —to avoid winter weather back home.  The wife said they thought about spending the time in Florida, but then she’d be cooking and cleaning! We heard from the ship captain Igor and a few other staff members, and here’s the traditional tally by loyalty level:

The number one cruiser has spent the equivalent of 11 years onboard!

Dinner was at Izumi, which we almost couldn’t find.  It’s hidden on deck 12 at one end of the ship, but you have to go through the gym, then out onto the deck and around to find it! Better signage would help. But dinner did not disappoint.  After the miso soup (tasty but not photogenic), we both had the tempura shrimp and vegetables, and we shared some dumplings. 


Then we shared our favorite champagne lobster roll, as well as the crispy shrimp roll. We skipped dessert.

This morning (Monday) we met our tour guide on the dock and joined 15 others for a food tour.


It was the exact same tour we did in 2024, and we enjoyed it just as much this time. We started at the Amsterdam cheese shop on the Dutch side of the island. The shop staff gave a good presentation about the different kinds of Gouda, and we got to try several kinds, along with some sangria. We bought some to take home.

Then we drove to The Captain’s Rib Shack for an open-air barbecue lunch of ribs, chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, and johnnycake (which was similar to a sopapilla.) 

Next up was a boulangerie on the French side of the island. There we were seated in a shady courtyard to enjoy a variety of French pastries. We were too full to manage the croissant, but they were tasty!


As we returned to the van, we spotted this guy sunbathing.

Our final stop was at a rum distillery on the French side.  We listened to the owner’s daughter describe the history and process used, and we got to smell a barrel that she opened for us. Then we sat outside to sample several rums and a cocktail.





Tonight’s dinner will be at Chops Grille, and tomorrow we have a walking tour on St. Croix. But now we are tired (and full!). Time for a nap.

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