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It was up again early for our port at St Thomas. Again to the Garden cafe for breakfast. This time, however, instead of heading down to the docks first, we queued up in the Stardust Theater. Excursions were “timed” and the time to meet was on the ticket we were given. As always, I got there early (better to be early than late to any excursion).
Saint Thomas (Danish: Sankt Thomas) is one of the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea which, together with Saint John, Water Island, Hassel Island, and Saint Croix, form a county-equivalent and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincorporated territory of the United States. The territorial capital and port of Charlotte Amalie is located on the island. As of the 2020 census, the population of Saint Thomas was 42,261, about 48.5% of the total population of the United States Virgin Islands. The island has a land area of 32 square miles (83 km2).
Today, I was doing a water excursion, something called B.O.S.S. (Breathing Observation Submersible Scooter). Now, Teresa and I are scuba certified, but have not dove in years. I am also not in the same shape that I was when I was first certified. I chose this because you did not have to be certified, just know how to swim.
My excursion group was called and we headed to the dock. And that is when I saw the huge yachts, and I mean HUGE, docked in the marina.
We walked to the Marina and boarded our boat that was taking us and the equipment out to a cove to “dive”. It was a large boat and we went over all the safety requirements.
I went to the top deck to catch some sun, the wind in my hair, and the view. The captain (Jim) said it would be a windy and rougher ride, but while others had to cancel due to rougher seas, he had already taken his boat out this morning to test the waters and at a 60 ft yacht, he was confident in his boat, his crew, and himself.
And he was not kidding, the waters between the islands were rough due to the winds. The swells were over three feet and caping, and a few times, the boat took a bit of air and then crashed into the next wave, sending water up and even reaching the stern’s upper deck.
The cove was situated so that it was protected from the wind and the waters in it were pretty smooth. Our group was split in two with one group doing the boss while the other snorkeled around, then after 20 minutes or so, we switched.
I was in the first group to snorkel. I got my fins and made sure they fit, cleaned and anti-fogged my mask, and got my vest. I jumped into the water and *OWW*.
Now, that was not WOW, it was OUCH. My arm was burning. I looked down into the water, it was beautiful, but this burning was not going away. I’ve been stung before by jelly fish, but this was not feeling like that. It was also getting more intense. I was hard to see my arm in the water and I made my way back to the boat. Taking off my fins and climbing back up, I see my arm (not clearly as I’ve not gotten my glasses back on yet). It is red and tender and swollen.
Could I have been stung? Could I have been finned by one of the fish? Possibly. But I think back to the day before, when we were riding those buggies. I had gotten bit or scraped and I saw this when I was cleaning up in my cabin. It did not look like THIS though. As I put the rest of the gear away, one of the other travelers notices and comes over. I expresses concern and wants to look at it. I was a bit hesitant, but his travel mate speaks up and says “It’s okay, he’s a physician”. So, I extended my arm and let him examine it. He rules out jelly or fish, but says it is definitely a puncture would and it is definitely infected. There also might be an allergic reaction going on. I told him of the buggy ride yesterday and how it looked fine this morning. He said the salt water could have aggravated it. He also said that I should be able to go into town when we get back and find a pharmacy to get an antibiotic, antihistamine, and maybe some cream for the itch. It should be all OTC.
I wished I had brought some waterproof bandages, I might have been willing to try it and the scooters sounded really cool. Well, no water sports for me today. Instead I chatted with the crew, the ones who decided to not snorkel, and enjoyed the sunshine and fresh air. As I dried off, the burning had stopped.
After the last group was onboard and the scooters secured, we headed back to the marina. I thanked captain Jim for a nice ride and headed into town to find a pharmacy. I found a map of the area, mainly used for shopping or finding restaurants and bars, it had three pharmacies listed.
I went to the first one to find a sign on it that said “Closed Friday, Jan 5th for Three Kings Day”. Okay, off to the next one and I found the same, as it was on the third. Well, I guess I have to visit the infirmary on the ship.
I get back on board and the med center is right there, but it too is closed. Not for “All Kings Day”, but they have limited hours unless it is an emergency. Well, my arm is not falling off or being eaten away, so I make note of the hours and head to my cabin to clean up. On the way, I run into my travel agent friend Stephanie of Dream Escape Travel and her husband Mike (whom I’ve known for over 30 years). They asked how my trip excursion was and I tell them, showing them my arm and laying out my plan to go see the ships doctor. Steph reminds me that she made sure I had insurance, so make sure to file a claim. I had not thought about that, but was glad it was there. They pay post trip, but they cover the doctor and treatments.
I thank her and continue up to my cabin.
I have another “specialty” reservation, this time at Los Lobos . I am seated “solo” and by a window and I cannot help but notice the sky as the sun sets and moon rises. The marina and town are stunning.
The waiter comes up and hands me a menu, asking if I was waiting on anyone else. I say no and he clears the setting across from me. The appetizers list has 3 way chips, with queso, bean dip, and fresh guac, but it also says it is sharable. I don’t mind sharing, but since it is just me, I ask the waiter if it could be made in a smaller portion. He says he would check. I gave him an alternative choice, just in case and ordered a Margarita as well.
The waiter comes back with a smaller plate AND the chef, who tells me he did indeed cut the portions, but if wanted more of any of the dips, he would be happy to make it for me. I thanked him and they left.
The food as well as the drink was fantastic, but looking around, I noticed a lot of empty tables. Shame really. I listened to others in the dining room saying how good this or that was and how “so and so” was missing out. If you get the chance, definitely go here.
Every ship has a medical center and ours was on Deck 4. They are equipped to have everything from a serious fall to a simple bug bite. And if they cannot handle it, they can stabilize the person until they can be evac’ed.
Now, they do cost extra and the costs is charged to your room, and you do sign forms saying as much before they will even give you a bandage or take your temperature. So, I fill out my forms and they took my vitals and told me to have a seat. Someone comes out and calls out for Sames (sounded like Samies). I am the only one in the room, but my name is not Sam. He takes the clipboard to the nurse and she points to me and the person comes out to verify. He points to my name and my J looks like an S. I joke that my hand writing is so bad, that I should be a doctor… and the doctor escorts me into his office.
He examines my arm, just as the physician on the boat had and comes to the same conclusion, bug bite reaction and an infection. He looks at my form and confirms I have no allergies to medicines, then tells me that I need the trio I looked for in town. I asked, begged, and pleaded for something smaller in the way of an antibiotic, but that was all they had. I have a gag reflex that makes it hard for me to take the smallest of pills, but that pink one on the right was huge. I took the meds and stopped by the bar to get a coke with a glass of ice. I took a picture, wanting to show my wife just how big the pills were in comparison to what I normally take.
It should be noted and the doctor did say I could cut or break the pill in two, and that helped. But he also said that if I did, I would need to take three a day instead of two. I poured my soda, took my meds, and ate a few cookies (just to have a little something on my stomach, even though I had eaten just an hour or so ago). Time to go take in a show!
Very simply put, Simon B. Cotter is hilarious. Audiences worldwide praise his comedic talents and constantly ask, “when can I see him again?” Cleverly crafted and delivered, Cotter’s jokes and stories send listeners into fits of hysteria. Whether you’re a freshman on campus, a professional in the marketplace, or retired and just looking to have a good laugh, Simon B. Cotter is guaranteed to deliver. Hailed as one of the funniest comics on the circuit today, Cotter delights audiences with his razor sharp wit and unique perception of life’s day to day events and many absurdities.
This was his second show of the night and I was confused. On Carnival, the comedians were usually on the bar stage, aft (like Bliss Ultra Lounge), never on the main stage. I love comedy and I figured if he is headlining, he must be good.
He was not good, he was excellent! His timing was perfect, he knew his audience and his material was appropriate. He made more fun of himself than those around him. He had the theater laughing so loud that he had to pause because their laughter was contagious and he even started laughing himself. It was great and I am so glad I went.
The Stardust has entrances on two decks, deck 7 where the shops are and deck 6 which exits through the casino. After the show, I was closer to the deck 6 exit and started to make my way through the casino. It was late and more people seemed to be in there (meaning it was smokier). Now I do not have issue with (most) cigarette smoke, though I tend to avoid it because Teresa gets physically ill around it… even it is “hanging” on my clothes.
But Teresa is not here this time, so I decide to hand around a bit. Again, I said earlier that slots machines are skinner boxes and having studied psychology, I understand the nuances and addiction of gambling, how games work and how they “hook” you. Still, it is fun to watch and I know my limits as well.
I was walking past a table for “Ultimate Texas Hold’em”. The minimum bet was $5, which I figured was good enough for me not to lose too fast IF I were to play. I stood and watched, there were only two players and they shared with each other what they were holding, which I found odd. As I watched though, I learned that at this table for this style of “hold’em”, the players were not betting against each other, they were playing against the dealer, so even if the dealer saw their pocket cards, if made no difference. It reminded me a little of my experience with “Pai Gow”.
I watched several more hands, learning about all the side bets like “ultimate pairs” and “trips”, when you can bet on your hand and the limits of those. I saw how to tip the dealer as well.
After maybe 20 minutes or so, I decided to sit down. I took out some money and bought in, explaining to the dealer I was new and asked him (and her, when the dealers switched) to forgive my mistakes. I played at that table for a few hours and left there only down $20. Not bad considering I saw another player continuing to by chips, several times while I was playing. If I had anything negative to say though about the casino, it was the bar service. The dealer would ring the bell maybe every 5-10 hands to get a server over and a few times, the pit boss had to step in and call the bar to get someone over. Some of us started ordering two drinks at a time. (Note: While it sounds like I drank a lot on this cruise, many times it was just Coke, but not always.)
As I said, after two hours or so, I was tired and felt it was time to turn in. I turned in my chips and made my way to my cabin.
I felt like crashing, but I also smelled like an ashtray and decided to take a quick shower before retiring for the night. I took my clothes, folded them, and put them into a ziplock bag with a dryer sheet. This was an old travel hack I learned. If you did not soil/spill anything and wanted to maybe wear those clothes again without doing laundry, place them in a ziplock bag with a scented dryer sheet. It works! It also works at the end of the trip to help keep clean cloths clean and not smelling like your dirty ones.