Travel and Travail to see the Pontoon Bridge

Surf on the rocks and fort on the Outrabunda side

The Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 is a protectionist piece of United States legislation which came into force in 1886. Essentially, it says:

No foreign vessels shall transport passengers between ports or places in the United States, either directly or by way of a foreign port, under a penalty of $200 (now $300) for each passenger so transported and landed.

In order to embark in a U.S. port and disembark in a second U.S. port, the vessel must visit a distant foreign port outside of North America and that means that on the Atlantic coast, the ship must go to Aruba, Bonaire, or Curaçao if they want to do a repositioning cruise from one port to another. These cruises will start at a more northeastern port such as Baltimore or NY and end in Miami or Tampa for the winter cruise season.

This was our second visit to Curacao. When the boat docked in Curacao I was very disappointed. The Crown had gone up the river into town and turned around after they went under the big high bridge and docked just past the ferry dock. The Maasdam was way out on a pier outside of the river parked out opposite Fort Amsterdam on the Outrabunda side.

Fort on the other side of the river

Egret fishing from the rocks

I heard that the pontoon bridge was still not in operation, so I decided not to get off the ship at all- just to take photos from the deck

Information desk

Divers truck on the dock

We ate lunch in the Lido because the main dining room wasn't open. We saw a big swimming pool on our side of the harbor with swimmers doing laps. Later, I asked a taxi driver about it and he said all children were required to learn to swim.

Lunch buffet

At lunch

My meatloaf and lunch

Bob's lunch and dessert

I saw a big sailboat go into the river

Large sailboat coming into the harbor from Lido

and when I glanced over at the town again I saw that the pontoon bridge was there.

Bridge back in operaton

So naturally I had to go and take a picture of it. But Bob said he didn't want to go.

I don't know if he wanted me not to go or if he just wanted to be pleaded with to go or if he really wanted to stay on the boat. He said he'd take pictures of me on the bridge from the Crow's Nest. So I got myself together and walked out onto the pier. I wanted to take a taxi to the closer end to the bridge and then walk over it, do some shopping, and then take a taxi back to the boat over the fixed bridge.

Kiosks on the pier

LIke most Caribbean islands, the rates for taxis are not metered - they are a flat rate for a specific route. The minimum taxi fare is apparently $8.00 but if there are several people, they can split the fare. So I linked up with some other folks who were going over to town and the taxi driver agreed to drop me on the near side of the bridge for $4 which was the same price as the other people paid..

Bob's picture of the parking lot by our dock

Bob took pictures from the Crows Nest , but I wasn't on the bridge yet because the bridge had been pulled aside.

The taxi driver apparently changed his mind because he said it would be better for me to get a taxi back to the boat on the near side and he showed me where there was a taxi stand on that side. While he was doing that, I saw that there was a tanker being towed into the river and the bridge had been pulled out of the way, so I couldn't walk over it right then anyway.

Freedom monument

street from the front of a taxi

When we were driving down one of the narrow streets toward the bridge, we saw the boat go by at the end of the street.

After he let me off, I sat at the edge of the river and took pictures of the bridge being moved back into position. There were two Caterpillar engines - one on each side of the bridge (at the free end) and they were like an outboard engine to push and pull the bridge.

Pulling/pushing the bridge back across

Bridge coming back into position

Bridge almost back in place

Bridge coming into position

People crossing the bridge

I went into some of the shops and eventually bought a couple of items

storefront display

Canon on the side of the river

and then walked over the bridge taking pictures along the way.

Information sign

Restoration of the bridge that was out of service last year

Looking back at the side of the river

Looking over to the Maasdam

From the bridge

Bridge engine

I got to the taxi stand and the drivers were playing dominoes (quite aggressively), so I sat there a little while and watched.

Domino players

Finally another lady and I asked a one of them to take us back to the ship, which he did. As I got out and watched him drive away, I realized I didn't have my hat. I couldn't find it. One of the other drivers took me back to look in the other taxi, but I never did find it. I've had that hat for more than 10 years. But it was gone. I bought a similar white hat at the stall there by the ship for $5, but it is just a sun hat, and not a rain hat. There's no structure to it.

Where I bought the hats

Bob asked why I didn't use the HAL hats that we won at trivia, but I didn't think of it. I was so late getting back, that we missed going to trivia.

Bumpers

In Norfolk we had two old ladies, and Tom and Sue Strange with us at our table for six. Sue was a nurse But the old ladies wanted to be at a bigger table so in their place they assigned us Tom and Sheila. Sheila has a birth defect which has left her with no radius in either arm. But she is cheerful and competent. After Fort Lauderdale, we never saw Tom and Sue Strange again. The place at the table was always empty. I became worried that maybe something had happened to them so I asked the maitre d to check. He said he had seen them in the dining room at other meals. He came back with the message that since they had a balcony they were dining on their balcony each night. I suspect that didn't want to eat with us or with Tom and Sheila (or both). If we had known that they weren't coming back we could have sat across from each other or had someone else come to our table.

We didn't leave until later that night.

Sunset

We watched the sunset from our table in the dining room.

Seasonal Fruit Kabab

Grilled Chicken Sate - Singapore Style

Tempora

Macadamia crusted salmon filet

Sundae

Stingray towel animal

The cabin steward did a stingray towel animal and used the chocolates that he puts out every night as the eyes.

29 December 2006 - Sea Day

I apparently did not write up this day, but I see by the photos that I had the Stuffed Baked Potato for breakfast which was one of the specials.

Breakfast specials

Stuffed Bakd Potato

Pastry with chocolate filling

Looking up at the ceiling of he Centrum

Lunch

Fruit appetizer

Taco lunch

Caramelized pineapple with coconut ice cream

On the first cruise (11 days), we played trivia four or five times out of 9 times it was offered (they didn't do the first or last day). The other days we were off the ship in port when trivia was played. We didn't win any of them.

On the second cruise (13 days) they didn't have trivia the last day or on Jan 2nd. We did not play twice (Curacao and Barbados). Of the 9 remaining times we've won 6 times. We didn't win on Christmas. We have won:

Luggage tags
Mouse pads where you can put your own photo in there
Holland American hats
calculators which are also calendar/clocks and
mag light flashlights
folding umbrellas

It was formal night tonight.

Formal dinner

The menu was the same as last week so we got all different things.

Golden baked brie in phylo dough

Lobster bisque

Sauteed Shrimps "Provencales"

Whole Roasted Tenderloin of Beef

Tom across the table from Sheila

Sheila and Bob

Master Chef Rudi's "Hats Off" Dessert and Under the hat

Donkey towel animal holding a room service breakfast menu

Next: Barbados