Author Archives: Sparky
Carnival Conquest Day 11 – Aruba
It is always sunny in Aruba. Except on the day we were there. It was cloudy all day and even rained a bit. I felt sorry for those people who had booked one of those high-priced beach or snorkeling excursions. They couldn’t have been pleasant. As is our wont (or at least Marlene’s wont), we … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest Day 10 – Curacao
I like Curacao. It is beautiful and has interesting shops and restaurants. This is probably the port that I was most looking forward to seeing again. My last visit was about 10 years ago and a lot has changed. The port is more built up and there are more hotels, shops and casinos on the … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest Day 9 – At sea
A day at sea is usually a day to relax and recover and that is exactly what Day 9 was for us. Besides the casino the big event was the swimsuit stuffing competition, a silly contest in the pool in which people compete to see who can capture ping-pong balls and stuff them in their … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest Day 8 – Grenada
Grenada is “the spice island” – famous for the variety of spices grown there. I have visited the island before and have fond memories of it, particularly the harbor. But the island virtually shuts down on Sunday, so all the harbor was good for on this trip was a few photo opportunities. We got a … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest Day 7 – Barbados
Today’s port was Bridgetown Barbados. We had breakfast in the buffet, as usual, and left the ship a bit late because we had a lovely chat with a Marisa, a fellow passenger from NJ. The port is nearly two miles from the center to town. But Marlene and I like to walk, so we hoofed. … Continue reading
“Spencerville” by Nelson DeMille
Copyright 1994 by Nelson DeMille. Published by Warner Books, New York. This is a long book – 640 pages. And virtually nothing happens for the first 600. I guess if you were kind you would say that he carefully and painstakingly developed the plot and the characters. If you weren’t so kind you would say … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest Day 6 – Dominica
Our itinerary has 5 straight port days where we arrive at 8:30am and depart at 4:30pm. Today’s port was Roseau, Dominica. We had breakfast in the buffet and then disembarked to wander around the town. It is less “third-worldy” than Antigua, but more so than St Maarten. We bought two clothing items for Marlene and … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest Day 5 – Antigua
Another day, another port. Antigua this time. This is one of the two ports on this trip that will be first-time visits for me. Based on what I saw I won’t be eager to return. We had breakfast in the buffet and chatted with the people at the table next to us. It turns out … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest Day 4 – St Maarten
Our first (of 8) ports on this trip was St Maarten. an island with two halves – one a Dutch colony (which we visited) and one a French colony (which we did not visit). It is a highly developed Caribbean island with nice shops (including high-end ones) and some very nice hotels and restaurants. We … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest Days 2 & 3 – At sea
This cruise started with two days at sea. We didn’t do much these days except sleep (Marlene) read (me), spend time (and money) in the casino, eat and attend some shows. But Day 2 was a formal night and Day 3 was my 75th birthday, so we dined in the dining room both nights. Before … Continue reading