Cinema and Pool Tables: December, 2007

I forgot to mention another rather unique sports activity aboard Jewel of the Seas.

In the Game Reserves adjacent to the Safari Club, you'll find two self-leveling pool tables.

While playing pool isn't that unusual on land, remember that this is for use on the open sea, where the tables must correct for subtle undulations.

The specially designed tables are valued at $100,000 each.

The Safari Club looks like looks like a place a modern African king or an adventurer like Ernest Hemingway would enjoy, with the feel of an upscale gentleman's club in Africa, but it is used for diverse activities such as the Captain's Champagne Party, the Quest Game, and live jazz.

Next to Casino Royale and the Nascar-themed Pit Stop Sports Bar is a wonderful Cinema with stadium-style seating where I enjoyed a couple of great movies.

I had never seen the classic "It's A Wonderful Life" in its entirety, and watching it on the big screen proved to be a real treat, although it ran about ten minutes past its projected end time, landing me in a bit of hot water with Julie on the second formal night.

With a two minute change into my suit, we arrived at the dining room without missing a course.

Previously on the cruise, we had seen the contemporary romantic comedy "Music and Lyrics" in the Cinema.

There were different movies each day, but we simply did not have time to see them all.

While none of us cruise primarily watch movies, it's great that Royal Caribbean has such nice theaters available just for that purpose on some ships, and it's always great getting lost in a good story, especially if you never find the time to go to the movies back home.

Royal Caribbean Sports Deck: December, 2007

With the rocking music and action-oriented images of their advertising, it's not surprising that Royal Caribbean attracts adventure-minded, athletic passengers.

All of their ships feature the signature rock climbing wall perched about a dozen stories above the ocean as well as well-equipped work-out rooms and spas.

On Jewel of the Seas, there's a beautiful sports court where I shot a few hoops, and the court can also be used for a small field version of soccer, tennis or volleyball.

One of the more unique features of this particular ship is the mini-golf course.

We also had fun playing mini-golf on Splendour of the Seas this past summer, but the course on Jewel was much nicer.

Just go to the "Country Club" and grab a putter and bright-colored ball, and you're ready to play.

While putting a round one morning, a fellow guest asked if I had tried the claw grip.

He showed me a reverse grip on the bottom hand and said it was more accurate.

Right-handed, it didn't make much difference, but on one hole, the line was direct for a left-handed putt or a bank right-handed, so I tried the left-handed claw. Result: hole-in-one.

The next day, I tried it again on the same hole. Result: hole-in-one. Maybe I'm really a left-handed crab when it comes to golf.

On the bigger Voyager Class ships, there are ice skating rinks, if sliding around on a hard, icy surface in the middle of the Caribbean is your idea of fun.

They also put on ice shows, which I'm sure are very nice, but perhaps one of the reasons I like Radiance Class ships like Jewel of the Seas is that I don't have to worry about being a killjoy for not taking to the ice.

On the newest Freedom Class ships, the largest ships in the world, there is also a surf simulator and boxing ring.

Editor's note 5/29/17:  10 years later, there are even larger and more spectacular Royal Caribbean ships.

Royal Caribbean Solarium: December, 2007

Most of the time, I write about ports of call.

While on a cruise, however, we also find favorite destinations we visit repeatedly onboard the ship.

When on Royal Caribbean ships, I like to enjoy morning coffee in the beautiful solariums.

They're all uniquely decorated but include several standard features.

The central focus is the swimming pool filled by spouting water.




There is an adjacent hot tub.

Designation as adults only makes this area generally a quiet place to visit.

In the morning, it is even more so, and frequently I am the only one listening to the water cascade into the pool in this window lined room.

I settle down with my coffee, a good book and frequently a freshly baked bran muffin to start my day.

The glass roof can be opened to the elements, but most often this retractable ceiling is closed, keeping the space warm on sea days when the ship cutting through the sea air creates a cool breeze and cooler when it is an unusually hot day.

It's also a great place to hang out after a day in port.

I like to take a swim before dinner.

Well, actually, it's not so much of a swim as a series of dips.

I go between the cool pool, the overlap ledge of the pool that has a few inches of water, the hot tub and a lounge chair.

I chat with other guests about how the day ashore went.

Mid-day, this is a terrific place to hang out on sea days, and the pizza/snack bar on one side and bar on the other makes it an excellent spot to enjoy a light lunch at the tables and chairs.

Playa Del Carmen: December, 2007

On every tropical cruise, there's usually one day for simply enjoying the turquoise water from the comfort of a lounge chair in the sand. Playa Del Carmen is ideal for this purpose. After a short tender ride, we walked along the beach until we found the perfect place to spend the day, and then we walked on further just to be sure before returning. We settled into two padded lounge chairs on the beach just beyond the Hotel Mini Del Mar.

The lounge chairs are provided by restaurants and bars that either rent them or require a minimum purchase. We agreed to the terms, and our waiter Tonio set us up with a bucket of Coronas, a plate with rock salt surrounded by sliced limes, a series of Diet Cokes, chips and salsa.

As we watched other touristas wander past in search of the perfect spot, I began telling them to stop their search, because we had already found it, and mi amigo Tonio would take care of them.

I convinced a few.

Our day consisted of reading on the beach, cooling off in the sea, and later browsing the shops. Playa, however, is also a great entry port for reaching Tulum, Xel-Ha, Chichen Itza and Xcaret.

Belize: December, 2007

As everyone who knows my wife knows, Julie loves snorkeling and beaches, so it's no surprise that she selected the Tropical Reef Snorkel & Sun Beach Resort excursion in Belize.

My first two experiences reef snorkeling in the Caribbean proved to be disappointing, and I really would have preferred to visit the jungles and Mayan ruins of this country formerly known as British Honduras, but Julie was the one most in need of vacation therapy, and I generally have a good time wherever we go.

Despite my doubts, we boarded the speed boat with 28 other passengers and skimmed across the water for 20 minutes to the beach resort, where some of the group would spend the entire time.

We staked out a couple of lounge chairs in the shade of a palapa, and then pulled the lounge chairs in front of us to the side to give us an unobstructed lagoon view.

All too soon, it was time to get back on the boat and motor to the reef 15 minutes away.

The sea was relatively smoothe and the visibility very good, both firsts on a reef dive for me.

We broke into three groups, and we were fortunate to be paired with Ivar, an enthusiastic native of Belize who loves his country's natural beauty.

He would find a leopard stingray, live conch or trumpet fish and excitedly call us over to see it.

The photos I took don't do any of it justice, and the underwater camera ran out of film rather quickly, but the coral, fish and other sea life were beautiful and diverse.

After an hour of snorkeling, the boat sped the happy group back to the beach resort, which is a private island several miles off the shore of mainland Belize.

It's similar to the private islands reserved for cruise lines for the exclusive use of their guests, but there were only about 50 people there. Sun Beach has a few hundred yards of beach. The sand is hard packed, but the big palapa bar/restaurant and plentiful lounge chairs made it a pleasant place to while away the afternoon.

the way back to the ship, the owner of the excursion company happened to be onboard, and he said the cruise lines had delivered an ultimatum to Belize City to build a port on one of the outlying islands with a bridge to the mainland or cruise lines would stop visiting Belize City.

With a tender that is about 4 1/2 miles and a less than wonderful city at the end of the long ride, I can understand why cruise ships want an easier way to get passengers to excursions into the more interesting parts of the mainland.

If the ultimatum is true, I can't help but wonder if the cruise lines will build their own entry port similar to Costa Maya or Playa Del Carmen a few miles away from Belize City.

I doubt they will abandon the country of Belize, because Belize has many natural wonders to explore and an English-speaking populace that loves tourists. Plus, many Americans want to visit this exotic locale.

Cozumel: December, 2007

Certainly among the most visited ports in the Caribbean, Cozumel offers cruisers diverse experiences.

Our recent visit was dominated by our time at Dolphinaris, but we also managed to do a little shopping at the recently rebuilt open air mall by the pier.

Built on a different footprint than the complex had before a big storm knocked it down a few years ago, the new design no longer has the wide plaza in the middle and seems to have more stores now, although not all of the spaces have filled.

There's also 1/2 Senor Frog's for revelers within crawling distance of the ship.

A short walk outside the shopping area is El Cid, where for $35 per person cruisers can enjoy the beachfront hotel with swimming pool, including "all you can eat and drink" for the day in port. There's also the Park Royal just beyond El Cid offering a similar deal for $45 pp. Of course, food is free on the ship parked at the pier.

While I started this post with a photo of Cozumel from our balcony, where we had wine before dinner, I couldn't resist slipping in a couple of additional photos of Dolphinaris.

Go to Cozumel immediately and visit this attraction before it is discovered by the masses. Call 866-554-5553 to book your cruise now!

Dolphinaris: December, 2007

Dolphinaris opened in Cozumel two months ago, and in my book it is now the number one attraction in the area.

A short taxi ride from the cruise terminal you'll find an intimate environment where you can get up close and personal with dolphins.

The cove setting on the Caribbean Sea is gorgeous, and they intelligently built the park in harmony with nature.


There are modern bathrooms and lockers, but mostly there are palapas and sea water pools.

Just watching from the shade of the palapas is spectacular enough, and someone less inclined to get in the water can sip a Margarita and watch the dolphins frolic.

Taking nothing away from the much larger Sea World in San Diego, visitors to Dolphinaris will undoubtedly appreciate the uncrowded ambiance here.

Because it is still brand new, there are literally almost as many dolphin trainers as customers.

We didn't come to simply enjoy watching the dolphins from the sidelines, however.

We got in the water with the dolphins.


Each guest gets a very personal encounter, getting a "kiss" on the cheek, shaking hands and petting the dolphins.

The highlight is a belly ride, where the tourist strikes a pose not unlike a hula dancer while the dolphin approaches from the rear.



The well-trained dolphin brings his fins into position where the guest can gently take hold of one and then another fin.

Then the dolphin scoots across the surface for a short but exhilerating ride.

There's more to Dolphinaris than just the dolphin encounter, although that is certainly more than enough by itself.

A snorkel area has been fenced off from the ocean and is the best place I have snorkeled in Cozumel.

There are at least four stingrays that make this area a home along with a lot of other fish.

After snorkeling, we became more passive tourists in the uncrowded palapa bar overlooking the pools where dolphins continued to swim and leap.

There's also a large palapa restaurant with terrific views, so you can definitely make a day of it at Dolphinaris.

Key West: December, 2007

The plan was simple.

We would enjoy a leisurely breakfast on our balcony before taking a pre-booked snorkel excursion in Key West.

When I awoke at sunrise and went for coffee, however, I chanced a glance at the port.

Notwithstanding the fact that a Parrothead like myself who brought "Tales From Margaritaville" to read on this trip would want to spend as much time exploring Key West as possible, it turns out the dock area is quite enticing in its own right.

Jetskis for rent are lined up beside fishing boats and tour catamarans.

You can fall off the ship and find lots to do in Key West.



Julie was quite content to enjoy the tranquil view from our own balcony while awaiting room service, but I managed to convince her to come with me for a morning stroll through Jimmy Buffett's hometown.

We headed over to Duval Street, famous for lots of bars, shops with outrageous tee shirts, and restaurants, including Cheeseburger in Paradise and Margaritaville.

We found a mini-mart where we bought two disposable cameras with which the images in this blog were captured.

As we headed back to the ship, ominous-looking clouds delivered light sprinkles before heading north without further incident.

We met up with our Catamaran Sail and Snorkel group, which as usual with ship sponsored excursions resulted in a certain amount of waiting around.

After being outfitted with snorkel gear, we headed out on a one hour power catamaran ride to a dive spot by a lighthouse.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that our guides said we had picked a good day to snorkel due to only a one foot chop, the conditions were murky.

I decided to use the furnished snorkel equipment rather than bringing my own, and this proved to be a mistake.

When I got in the water, I found I had trouble breathing, and I also ended up swallowing quite a bit of sea water as it splashed into the unguarded snorkel tube.

I'm not sure what type of silicone material the snorkel and mask were made from, but I realized later when I saw a rash on my face that my problem had not been simply the design of the snorkel but also an allergic reaction to it during the designated hour of snorkeling.


On the ride back, I didn't want any of the free beer, although I did feel better when I purged some of the sea water (along with breakfast) out of my system.

I also slashed open my thumb on a bathroom lock, so all in all I would have preferred to have spent the day visiting the Hemmingway house and other points of interest in the southernmost town in the continental U.S.

After the one hour boat ride back to the ship, we enjoyed a terrific lunch aboard Jewel of the Seas, and then we headed toward Margaritaville for a drink.

On the way, we stopped at the Conch Republic Store, where we learned that Key West, upon having a roadblock set up on the road north to check for proof of citzenship 25 years ago by the federal government, had declared they would secede from the union.



"At noon, on the day of secession, at Mallory Square in Key West Florida, Mayor Wardlow read the proclamation of secession and proclaimed aloud that the Conch Republic was an independent nation separate from the U.S. and then symbolically began the Conch Republic's Civil Rebellion by breaking a loaf of stale Cuban bread over the head of a man dressed in a U.S. Navy uniform.

After one minute of rebellion, the now, Prime Minister Wardlow turned to the Admiral in charge of the Navy Base at Key West, and surrendered to the Union Forces, and demanded 1 Billion dollars in foreign aid and War Relief to rebuild our nation after the long Federal siege!"

I'm looking forward to returning to Key West at some point.

There are lots of ship wrecks along the reef if you know how to find them, although I think you really need to use scuba gear rather than snorkels to explore them with a knowledgeable guide.

Volcanoes National Park: November, 2006

"The U.S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself."

---Benjamin Franklin

At the risk of overkill, let me tell you about another adventure on Hawaii. Many cruise itineraries visit both Hilo and Kona, giving passengers the convenient opportunity to explore both distinctive sides of this beautiful island. The Hilo side of Hawaii is where most of the rain falls, creating lush jungles with dramatic waterfalls, whereas on the Kona side the beaches and undersea world along the shores provide an entirely different vacation experience.

While vacationing in Kona, we decided to visit Volcanoes National Park on the Hilo side of the island, and in doing so, we came to appreciate what a tremendous favor the cruises do for travelers. It's not so much that the winding drive between the two sides is terrible, but compared to either coast, the drive is somewhat bland. What's worse is the lack of restaurants, gas stations or any other facility to use a restroom or get a drink en route.

At Volcanoes National Park, we watched a movie about Hawaii and then walked through a lava tube. After driving on a meandering road through the rain forest, we came to the coast from which we could see steam rising from the volcano in the distance. There wasn't any molten lava spewing into the air. Even after a long, hot hike to a vantage point, we couldn't see a red river spilling into the ocean to cool and increase the size of the island. The mere fact that this was somewhat disappointing, in light of the fact that nature could have broken up the black lava rock below our feet and swallowed us up, tells us how invincible we must feel. All in all, this is a nice place to visit, but I enjoy seeing waterfalls and hiking through jungles on the Hilo side more than visiting Volcanoes National Park.

North of Kona, Backwards: November, 2006

Driving north from Kona gives many people the impression that the Big Island must be covered mostly in black lava rock, deterring road trips for tourists staying in the deluxe resorts in Mauna Kea, Mauna Lani and Waikoloa. Certainly, an extended stay enjoying the gorgeous beaches and scenic, challenging golf courses as well as the luxurious hotel grounds may be an ideal vacation for many people.

The palatial Hilton Waikoloa Village offers such a retreat. Sprawling over 62 oceanfront acres, the resort's transportation system includes both boats on canals and a monorail. We stopped at this resort for lunch, a gourmet hamburger enjoyed at the café alongside a private four-acre lagoon. When the waitress took our order, she asked if we would be charging it to our room, and we chuckled as we told her to "Put it on the Underhill's tab," although I think the reference to the old Chevy Chase movie "Fletch" might have been lost on the 21 year-old. At that point, I should have checked my wallet, but I didn't until we had finished lunch. You always know you're at a deluxe resort and not on a cruise ship when the bill comes, and I pulled out my wallet for a credit card, at which point I noticed I had none. I did, however, have enough cash to cover the tab including the tip, but that left $2 to pay for the $7 parking fee. Out to the car we trudged, hoping to scrounge up enough change from our backpack to pay our way out. Because I had on swim trunks most of the time in Hawaii, I had been throwing all my coins in the backpack when we went to the grocery store near our hotel for drinks, snacks and some really good deli sandwiches. When I added it all up, we had more than enough money…36 cents to spare!

Before lunch, we rode a Hilton boat, not dissimilar to Jungle Boats at Disneyland, sans hippos, to explore the resort's entire canal system.

Earlier in the day, we had traveled further north to visit Mauumae Beach, a crescent shaped, white sand beach located near the Mauna Kea Resort Hotel. With a private residence between the resort and this beach, there is no foot access, and only a limited number of parking passes are issued each day to non-resort guests. This makes Mauumae Beach almost empty, even on a bright sunny day as this was. I try to avoid carrying too much money or credit cards to the beach, especially one purported to be somewhat deserted, hence my lack of credit cards later in the day. Embarrassingly I must admit that I actually had my credit cards in our camera case inside the backpack, where apparently they had dropped when I put my wallet in there at one point, although I didn't discover this until returning to the room after lunch. Anyway, we arrived at Mauumae Beach early enough in the day to snag one of the 25 daily parking passes and proceeded to while away the morning on the gently sloping beach, reading and taking dips in the warm, turquoise ocean.

Puuhonua O Honaunau Bay: November, 2006

Legend has it that in the olden days of Hawaii, being found guilty of nearly all crimes resulted in the death penalty. A criminal found guilty did, however, have one out: if he could make it to Puuhonua O Honaunau Bay, the Place of Refuge, before being caught by his pursuers, then his sins were forgiven and he could return to his village as a free man. The national park at the site will be of interest to history buffs.

What makes Honaunau Bay really special, however, is the sea life. The beach by the snorkeling area isn’t covered with beautiful sand, and if you look away from the water, you might think you’re in some rundown hillbilly nightmare rather than one of the best beaches in Hawaii. The black lava rock that reaches to the ocean from the sparse beach becomes tide pools at high tide, with black crabs scurrying around. Without getting into the water, we could look down into the ocean and see turtles, bright yellow tangs and other sea life. On our recent return to Kona, we arrived early in the morning and spent some time observing the turtles. When we looked up, we noticed some activity about 75 yards off shore: a half dozen dolphins breached the surface in unison.

Putting on mask and snorkel in a hurry, I stroked my best freestyle to get out to the dolphins, and even at a relatively fast pace, I could see the beautiful coral and bright colored fish that make this such a terrific place for skin diving any time. I have to admit that as I swam, I flashed on that Vonage commercial where the girl mistakes shark fins for dolphin fins, but I shook it off and kept going. I made it out to the right general area and found eighteen dolphins frolicking.

About half the time I had my head out of the water, watching dolphins arc beyond the surface, and the other half I watched them swim beneath me. Baby dolphins leaped into the air doing triple axels like Michelle Kwan. Needless to say, it was quite a show. Eventually, they swam away, actually going closer to the shore.

I floated face down to rest. Beneath me, I could see nothing but clear blue water, until I saw what looked like a light shining up from the depths below. Suddenly, dolphins swam beneath me, and there were even more than before, more than I could count. They gracefully broke the plane of the water about eight feet away and played follow the leader in a circle around me. It was a religious experience.

Sheraton Keauhou Bay: November, 2006

Located about 7 miles south of downtown Kona, the Sheraton Keauhou Bay is positioned to offer travelers a wonderful vacation experience. Perched on craggy lava rock overlooking the ocean and bay, every room provides outstanding views. The sunsets are incredible.

At night, a bright light shines beneath the Sheraton's Crystal Blue lounge, attracting plankton, which happens to be the primary diet of manta rays. These graceful giants seem to fly through the water, putting on an amazing show nightly. The Crystal Blue also features some excellent musicians who perform gentle music.

Many families gravitate to Crystal Blue for dinner, enjoying a diverse menu at reasonable prices. Crystal Blue has an extended happy hour with $5 Martinis, including a delicious Kona Coffee Martini made with vodka, Kahlua, Bailey's Irish Cream and coffee. Like the lobby, the Crystal Blue has elegant furnishings inside open walls, which brings the outside in.

The recently remodeled pool area is another "wow" attraction at the resort. The multi-level pool meanders past a lava rock waterfall, under a bridge, past a cabana bar and out to panoramic ocean views. The 200 foot long waterslide and ample deck seating completes the experience.

Nearby Kahalu'u Beach Park is a quick destination for snorkeling, with a wide variety of colorful fish that are not only plentiful but unusually large. Several turtles also make this their home. Perhaps the best snorkeling spot we have ever been, however, is about 15 miles south of the Sheraton at Honaunau Bay's "Place of Refuge," which I will detail more in my next post.