Morning: I awoke early this morning as we slowly approached the Caribbean island of Grand Cayman. As we approached the island, our crew began to prepare the ship for tender operations. The tender lifeboats were lowered from their storage positions and lowered into the ocean. Soon, our tenders were circling the ship, prepared to bring us ashore to our next port of call. After a quick breakfast in the Lido Restaurant, we made our way to the gangway to board our tender towards Grand Cayman.
Afternoon: As soon as we arrived in Grand Cayman, we quickly found a shuttle to drive us to Seven Mile Beach, the largest beach on the island. After a short ride through downtown Georgetown, we arrived at the beach and began looking for a spot along the white sand to set up for the day. We soon came across a shady, but sunny area and dropped off our towels and beach bag. It was a perfect location, allowing us to relax on the beach and enjoy the cool Caribbean water for awhile. However, the call in paradise was interrupted only a few hours later. A storm began to roll in over the island and we quickly decided to make our way back to the tenders before the remainder of the ship did. We lucked out, finding a taxi ready to take us and we arrived at the tender terminal with no line to rejoin the ship. As soon as we boarded our tender, the rain began falling. Unfortunately, the rain continued throughout the afternoon, but it’s timing couldn’t have been better. We proceeded to watch the expedited tender operations throughout the rest of the afternoon as our fellow guests returned to the ship in not so ideal Caribbean weather.
Early evening: The evening began with dinner in the Le Cirque experience restaurant. Modeled after the world famous Le Cirque restaurant in New York City, tonight’s dinner would feature a similar menu and decor. My meal began with the always delicious and my personal favorite Caesar salad accompanied by a poached egg and toast. The salad features a special recipe for the Caesar dressing, making it a rare find. Next, the main course arrived. A medium cooked Chateuabriand accompanied by a savory, juicy side sauce. The Chateaubriand was cooked perfectly and still remains my favorite main course in the Le Cirque restaurant. Finally, the meal was concluded with another personal favorite, the assortment of sorbet. Mango, lemon, and strawberry sorbet served on a chilled dish – how could a dessert get better than this?
Evening: The evening’s show was a special, one night only show: Dancing with the Stars At Sea, featuring the dancers from the television show. Luckily, we were able to secure seats in the center of the theater, which gave us a perfect view of the dancing on stage. The show featured audience favorite dances and routines from the television show with Joey Fatone, Sabrina Bryan, Derek Hough, Shawna Burgess, and many more. The show was a fantastic time and enjoyed by every guest in the theater according to the standing ovation they received at the end of the show. For the remainder of the night, the ship was abuzz with dancing and the lounges were packed with guests wishing to reenact the show. The Nieuw Amsterdam slowly swayed into the night with her guests ready to dance with the night stars.
One reply on “CruiseJournal: Nieuw Amsterdam – Day 4 – Grand Cayman”
Sounds like a good day despite the rain. I’m like you, if I see rain coming and we have to deal with tenders, I’ll call it an early day.