Trish Berry

Loft Below Knee Dress (medium)

Effy Jewelry is a luxury brand sold on various tropical islands and on cruise ships. Their flagship store is located in New York City.

I was on a Royal Caribbean Cruise ship and was asked to be the model at one of the events that Effy holds during a cruise.

Oh, yes, oh, yes.  It was super fun.

On my finger was put a gorgeous yellow diamond ring. The stone was approximately 10 carats. The stone was encircled by small diamonds.

It was beautiful. Very stunning.

I strolled around the room, my hand extended for the ladies to see. There were over 100 women at this particular showing event.

I enjoyed myself greatly and endured a lot of teasing by the women in attendance. We all smiled, laughed and enjoyed ourselves. Effy always holds a joyful event where there is much laughter.

Above is a photo of Zee, myself and my husband. I have the yellow diamond ring on my finger, but the photo was not taken close enough for you to see the beauty of the ring.

Above is me with Zee, an employee of Effy Jewelry. She is a sweetheart. She is very very efficient at her job.

Zee will show you any item you wish to see, put the ring on your finger or necklace around your neck. She laughs with you. She lifts up your self-esteem. In other words, Zee is a dream employee for Effy Jewelry.

Above is a photo of me with the manager of the store. He is a true gentleman. On my finger, which is not clear, is the famous dragon ring. We all need a dragon at times during our lives. It would be nice to have that dragon on your finger at all times.

Famous Effy Jewelry Dragon Ring.

That famous Effy Dragon Ring on my finger!!

Above is Zee with her panther pin on. This comes from the Panther Series of Effy Jewelry. Zee is always laughing, always gracious. But always very serious about the quality and beauty of Effy Jewelry.

Above is Zee’s name tag. I always take a photo of someone’s name tag so I can remember them for their outstanding service when I fill out my Royal Caribbean Cruise Line survey once I get home. You can really see her beautiful panther pin (diamonds and emeralds) on her lapel!

Above is a new panther pendant that I had never seen before. Effy is continually coming out with new intricate designs. This pendant is gold, clear diamonds, black diamonds with a large emerald at the bottom.

Above are some of the free bracelets that Effy Jewelry gives to cruisers. I don’t like things tied on my body so I tie these on the handle of my suitcase.

If you are visiting an island, Effy Jewelry stores can be found on just about each of them. If you enter the store, they will give you free Effy bracelets and necklaces, such as those above.

Above is another photo of the free Effy bracelets. If you are on a cruise ship for an entire week, you will collect at least seven bracelets.

Effy issues an Effy  Experience Tracker form for the ports of call. You can find the Effy stores using this tracker. It’s a piece of paper that you stick in your handbag or wallet. This tracker gives you the days and hours that Effy is open so you can collect your bracelet or necklace.

Below is a much sought after item. It is the official Effy Duck, the prize of all prizes to find on a Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship.

Ducks are hidden on the ship by cruisers, by the cruise line, and by different stores. You find them in artificial flower arrangements, sitting atop a picture frame, hiding in a corner.

You search high and low for the ducks. If you are lucky, you find an Effy Duck.

Effy Jewelry hides a green duck and a silver duck. Either duck is then returned to the Effy store, and you receive your gift.

You want these ducks. You search. You see a young child walking away with a duck you were searching for. Your heart breaks.

Duck hunting is fun. We all duck hunt or hide ducks for others to find.

But the big big big prize is the Effy Duck.

Bring beauty into your life either through a special piece of Effy Jewelry or through a milkshake. Life is beautiful. Like can only be enhanced. A trinket that you are fond of or a food you like or a smile from your special person.

All those are gifts that we might forget to appreciate in the moment. Those moments add up to make our lives beautiful.

When our lives are not so beautiful, have a dragon on your side, behind you, or in front of you. Or use the dragon that we all have inside. Use that dragon for kindness and caring.

Care for the little children, the elderly, and the animals.

Donate to your local SPCA. Dog food, cat food, old linens. Anything helps them care for the animals.

Safe travels!!!  Have fun!!  I hope you find a duck I left for you on your next cruise!! Or, if you are really lucky, you will find a prized Effy Quacking Duck!

 

Trish Berry

Chico White Shirt, The Drop Jeans, Argentina Leather Belt

Yes, you can wear jeans to Main Dining on casual nights.

Would I wear jeans to Main Dining? No.

Not because they can’t be beautiful and classy but because of the weight they would add to my suitcase. Denim is heavy.

And because I’m prissy and like to dress up.

The photo above shows an outfit that would work perfectly in Main Dining for casual night. You would think it was something someone would wear in Manhattan. But it would definitely work well for Main Dining.

Gap Long-Sleeved Tee Top, Tommy Hilfiger Janie Jeans, Nautica Sneakers

The look above, the white jeans and pretty colors, has a cruise vibe. It is a nice outfit for Main Dining casual night, but the shoes would create more weight in your suitcase.

Gap Top, My Old Ralph Lauren Polo Jeans, Roxy Flip Flops

This is an outfit I’ve had for many years and still wear. It would be fine in Main Dining on casual night. But, again, consider the weight of the denim in your suitcase.

Gap Striped Shirt, Ann Taylor Jeans, White Flip Flops

The above outfit is fine for Main Dining on casual night. These jeans are lightweight and would not affect the weight of my suitcase.

 Pre-Loved 89th & Madison Blouse, Tommy Hilfiger Janie Fit White Jeans, White Flip Flops

The above is another outfit that would work well for Main Dining on casual night. The jeans are lightweight.

Flip flops can be slid anywhere into your suitcase and don’t take up a lot of space.

I always pack a few pairs of flip flops and Jellypop Tennis Shoes.

Merona Shirt, Tommy Hilfiger Janie Fit White Jeans, White Flip Flops

Just above is another outfit that would work well in Main Dining on a casual night. Both the blouse/shirt and the jeans are lightweight.

 Attitudes by Renee Striped Shirt, Ralph Lauren Jeans, Birkenstock Arizona Slides

The above is one of my go-to outfits here at home. I can go to the market, go shopping.

My feet are comfortable in the Birkenstocks, and my favorite black Ralph Lauren Jeans still fit me well.

I talk about ‘weight of your suitcase’ in deciding what to pack.

One of the greatest inventions of my lifetime:  LUGGAGE WITH WHEELS.  Pull it, push it, stroll with it like a dog on a leash.

Skycaps, Redcaps are gone forever, and they are missed.

Here’s how it goes with luggage:

You lift the suitcases into your car. They are heavy.

You drive to the a cruise terminal (Royal Caribbean Cruise Line) and someone will help you take the luggage out of your car. That luggage will then be delivered to your stateroom by someone else hours later.

If flying on an airplane, you lug (old-time pun intended), push, pull, stroll it into the airport, and you deliver it to someone else. You do not see your luggage again until you reach your destination. If it’s heavy, it’s a big weight to push, pull out to a taxi or an uber once you arrive.

Intermittently, you will be responsible for lugging your own suitcase around no matter how your travel. No doubt about it.

If you choose to disembark from your cruise ship without help (referred to as ‘self assist’), you will be pushing and pulling your suitcase down a ramp of many levels to exit through security and Customs to get to where your car is located, or you get on a van to be taken to where your car is off-parked.

We use self-assist disembarking because we get off the cruise ship earlier and can head for home more quickly.

That’s a lot of pushing, pulling, strolling that suitcase around whether cruising or flying.

Many people can pack all their travel needs in a backpack. We can’t do that because we like to stay away for a longer period of time, which means we need more clothing. And, again, I’m prissy.

Pack how you like, wear what you like to Main Dining or at a luxury resort Main Dining Room in Portugal.

Always dress for yourself. What makes you feel good. Never dress for others.

I’m 76 years old. I have never cared what others thought of what I wear, and I still don’t. I wear what I want, when I want.

I’m 5’6″ tall, weigh between 125 and 130 pounds. I wear size 8 or 10 jeans (pants), small or medium top, and wear a size 9 shoe.

I’m lanky. I control my weight through diet and exercise. Not always easy when traveling, but I try.

Again, wear what makes you happy. Having fun in life, making memories is happiness.

Safe travels!!!  Be safe!! Pop some wheelies with your luggage!!!

Many smiles to you!!!!

 

Trish Berry

Amazon Palazzo Pants, Pre-Loved Robert Louis Blouse

A Bent Tree

A Bent Tree on a Tiny Island

Copyright 2025 by Patricia L. Berry. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce poem or excerpts.

 

The Bent Tree

 

A bird flew over.

A seed dropped.

Wind blew the dirt.

A shoot popped.

 

The baby tree peeked round.

It was alone

In a big sea.

It didn’t care.

It was alive.

 

Years passed.

Strong winds blew.

The tree bent.

It was content.

 

Big things passed by.

The bent tree

Felt the eyes.

 

The eyes

Were lonely.

The eyes

Shimmered with

Moisture.

 

 

The eyes saw

The bent tree and

Made the eyes think.

 

They did not

Have to be alone

Like the bent tree.

 

The eyes turned

From the bent tree.

The eyes dried.

They could be

Happy again.

Be like the bent tree.

They could survive.

 

The bent tree

Watched the big

Thing with the eyes

Pass him by.

 

A bird flew over.

A seed dropped.

The wind blew the dirt.

A shoot popped.

 

The bent tree watched.

The bent tree smiled.

The bent tree’s heart glowed.

 

A big thing with eyes passed by.

The bent tree did not see.

 

The bent tree

Just watched his baby tree.

 

Big smiles to everyone!!!! Be a bent tree in a big world. Sway with the wind. Plant your roots deep.

Yay, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line for letting me find this little dude out in the ocean!!!

 

Trish Berry

Saint (St.) Kitts is one of my favorite places to visit. When your Royal Caribbean Cruise ship docks, you look out at volcanic mountains that have clouds hanging below their tops. It reminds you of the Alps.

When you book a cruise to St. Kitts, it will come up as St. Kitts and Nevis.

Nevis is an island two miles away from St. Kitts. You take a ferry across a rough channel to get to Nevis.

St. Kitts is a 65-suare mile island in the West Indies, approximately 1300 miles from Florida and 500 miles from South America, in the Caribbean

St. Kitts is part of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles.

The primary language is English, with Spanish being the secondary.

St. Kitts is a lush, green island with plenty of activities:

• Scenic Train Ride (highly recommend)
• Hike Mount Liamuiga Volcano and see the Natural Farm
• Flyboarding (for the young athletic)
• ATV tours and dune buggy tours
• Catamaran, which includes snorkeling at different beaches
• Snorkeling Tour without the catamaran
• Rain Forest Tour

We took the Scenic Train Ride the first time we were here.

Scenic Train Ride Station

We were bussed from the dock to the train station.

This train is an open-air ride that bumps and rattles and chugs over bridges and up and down hills. It was great fun!

Entertainment on board!!

Entertainment on the Scenic Train Ride

It is hot in St. Kitts, as all island are in the Caribbean. Take your water with you.

When on the train, the wind blowing through the open windows, you see lush parts of the island. You see the sea all around you.

Arriving in St. Kitts

The hike up and around Liamuiga Volcano is a must-do hike. You see things that are unique, unusual, things you will not forget.

Mount Liamuiga, St. Kitts

Taking Care of St. Kitts

A Home of a Resident of St. Kitts

Residents’ homes are built around the outer edge of the volcanic rock island of St. Kitts, as the interior is too dense with trees and foliage and rocks for the construction of homes.

An Old Uninhabited Home on St. Kitts

Our Arrival at St. Kitts

St. Kitts is one of our favorite islands. It is to others, as well. It is a wedding destination spot for many. Each time we have been there, there has been a destination wedding.

We were on the scenic train ride. It was hot on the top side.

When I went below to the lady’s room, I found air conditioning. I sat at one of the tables and read the placemats.

The placemats told the history of St. Kitts. Its creation by a volcano many, many years ago. How it thrived by selling tobacco and then switching to sugarcane for survival.

Slavery is a deep part of St. Kitts’ history. The placemats gave a gruesome tale of the truth of slavery on the island. Independence Square is a central public park in downtown Basseterre where the slave market was located. Humans forcibly imported and then bought and sold to the highest bidder. It brought tears to my eyes.

Today, the island survives on tourism. This enables the island to provide for the young on their island.

There are excellent schools, and the island has a literacy rate of over 90 percent. That’s an impressive number.

The children are required to attend school through the 12th grade, and then college is an option for any student on the island.

Basseterre is the capital of both St. Kitts and Nevis, and still has many of the original buildings from the 1700s, which have been restored and are beautiful.

Basseterre has many interesting things to see:

• The Circus (a roundabout that contains the Berkely Memorial fountain)
• Basseterre Co-Cathedral of Immaculate Conception (beautiful)
• National Museum of Saint Kitts (see photos of the growth of the island)
• Romney Manor (a sugar plantation that now contains the Caribelle Batik, a place to see how batik is made and also see the flamboyant gardens

St. Kitts is a beautiful island. There is much to see and much to do. I hope you get there one day.

There are many souvenir shops, but head for the local artist. Buy from the local artist. You support the artist and help pay for their art supplies.

Safe travels!!  Have fun!! Drink your water!!

Many smiles to you!!!

 

Trish Berry

 

Amazon Midi Dress, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Scarf

The sun can be brutal. The sun in a climate your are unfamiliar with can get you in serious trouble medically.

Dehydration can set in if you do not drink water. Alcoholic beverages are a no-go to prevent heat-related problems. It makes the problem worse.

Dehydration is a lack of body water that disturbs the metabolic process of your body.

What causes dehydration:

• Water loss exceeds intake
• Excessive sweating
• Certain health conditions

You can avoid dehydration simply by drinking more water.

Dehydration is usually felt by everyone at some time or another during their life. They just drink water.

Extreme dehydration can irreparably damage your kidneys. Please be careful.

If you let dehydration get out of control, it can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke, both very serious conditions.

Heat exhaustion is when your body has lost too much water and salt.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion:

• Overall body weakness
• Pale, clammy or cool skin
• Fast or weak pulse
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Fainting
• Muscle cramps
• Vomiting

We were on Coco Cay, Bahamas, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines’ private island. I almost had heat exhaustion.

We rented this beach lounge at a cost of $200.00(2024) so I could have time to recover before we returned to the ship. When not lying on the lounge, I would sit in the cool water. I recovered without medical aid.

I recovered, yes, but did not like spending the $200.00 due to me not listening to my body.

Jantzen Swimsuit, Eric Javits Straw Sun Hat

I stayed on that lounge, in the shade, drank water, sat in the cool water off the beach, and slowly began to feel better. The most extreme symptoms I had were the body weakness and headache. My face was also very red, close to the tomato shade.

I just felt ill, but we worked on remedying the situation as quickly as possible. When I felt better, we returned to the ship. I rested the remainder of the day, and things were fine the next day.

We learned a lesson. Drink your water. Do not get dehydrated.

Extreme heat is dangerous. When feeling overheated, listen to your body, respond to your body, take care of yourself.

Having fun, you can forget those things. But as we age, we can’t be negligent.

If you don’t treat heat exhaustion and it goes into heat stroke, you need qualified medical help.

Symptoms of a heat stroke:

• Hot, red, damp, dry skin
• Rapid pulse
• Fainting
• Throbbing headache
• Confusion
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Loss of consciousness

If medically attended for a heat stroke, your temperature will be taken. Your body temperature can go above 103 degrees during heat stroke. They will begin treating you immediately with IV fluids.

If you are with someone suffering from heat exhaustion or heat stroke, get them to a cool place, use cool cloths or submerse in water.

Heat stroke is a very serious medical emergency. Do not give fluids when a person is so ill that their temperature is extremely high (feel their forehead until qualified personnel arrive), confusion, nausea and dizziness. Call for help.

Take care in the sun. Think of your skin, think of your internal body temperature.

Drink fluids to prevent dehydration.

Seek medical aid when it is necessary.

Safe travels!! Be careful of your body!! Hear what your body is trying to tell you!!

Have fun!!

Many smiles to you!!

(P.S. Never forget your pets. They, too, can suffer from dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. We all know not to leave our pets in our vehicles. We’ve all seen the horror videos. We’ve all seen the wonderful videos of those pets being rescued by a stranger by breaking a window that is not near the animal.

But your pets can be outside, another animal comes into the yard and chases your pet. Your pet will run and run until they collapse. Chase that violent, aggressive  animal away and use your water hose to wet your pet to lower their temperature and get them in air conditioning as soon as possible.

Your pet will be gasping and panting for breath. The water hose works. We had that happen to our Shelty, Spirit. She survived, but it was traumatic for all of us.

Donate food to your local SPCA. Cat or dog food. They have limited funds and need all the help they can get.)

Safe travels!!  Have fun!!! Listen to your body!! Hydrate your body with water!!

Many smiles to you!!!!!

 

Trish Berry

 

Protection for your suitcase.

Ralph Lauren Shirt, Amazon Linen Pants, Nautica Tennis Shoes

We use Gorilla Grip luggage straps (TSA approved) on our luggage.

These can be purchased on Amazon. The straps are listed as ‘luggage straps.’

Different companies sell the luggage straps. We just went with Gorilla Grip.

Gorilla Grip Strap

We purchased on Amazon our transparent luggage tag holders that have a wire that secures them to our luggage.

Transparent Cruise Tags Purchased on Amazon

You can have hard-sided luggage or soft-sided luggage. They all have zippers.

When traveling, via airplane or cruise ship, you don’t want your luggage to fly open because the zipper broke.

We know our luggage will be tossed around by staff or crew members. There is a chance that one day your piece of luggage will open and things will be exposed to the world. Horrors!

The Gorilla Straps are like a girdle around your luggage. Even if the zipper breaks, the luggage will be held together.

We also use the wired luggage tag holder to hold our luggage ticket. It is wired to the case, and the ticket is enclosed.

The plastic covering protects the ticket.

None of the items listed above and shown above are necessary. They just give us a since of security.

Customs and TSA can easily open our luggage, even though it is locked. They just pop the lock.

Customs and TSA can easily remove our Gorilla Grip and our luggage tags.

No need to purchase these items. I just wanted to show you the items we’ve found to help protect our luggage.

Thank you, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, for always taking good care of our luggage and getting it to us in a timely manner.

Thank you, Hawaiian Airlines and American Airlines, for taking great care of our luggage.

Safe travels!!  Have fun!!!

Big smiles to everyone!!

 

Trish Berry

 

Black Palazzo Pants, Vintage Christie & Jill Top, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Scarf

A safe island. All the people are very friendly and helpful.

Many activities available in Bimini, Bahamas:

• For scuba diving and snorkeling, you can’t find a better island
• Swim with the dolphins
• Go to Honeymoon Harbor on Gun Cay to interact with stingrays
• Bimini Biological Field Station (Sharklab). Learn about the sharks that swim in the waters off Bimini
• Visit the numerous beaches: Alice Town Beach, Blister Beach, Shell Beach, and Radio Beach
• Jet Skiing (be thoughtful and careful; a fast experience)
• Glass-bottom boat tours
• Fishing — any type fishing (The island is known as the Sport Fishing Capital of the World.)
• Visit the Dolphin House Museum
• Visit the Fountain of Youth. Unique experience. It’s a freshwater sulfur pool in a grove of mangroves. It’s known for its healing powers. Legend has it that is the mystical waters searched for by Ponce de Leon.  (I can assure that this pool does not remove wrinkles!)
• Bimini Museum – this place is fabulous
• Alice Town Walking Tour — We took this tour. We enjoyed it, but it was very hot.
• Visit the Ansil Saunders Boatyard. Saunders is a famous boatbuilder know for his famous ‘Bimini Bonefisher’
• Shopping for native-made art (always support artists)

There is a sunset watching tour, but our ship would have sailed away and left us if we had stayed for it.

Bimini is a small island, seven miles long and 700 feet wide. It’s only 50 miles off the coast of Florida, with a population of 2,417 (as of 2025).

We chose to rent a golf cart. It cost $100.00 for all the hours we were on the island.

My Husband, A Visitor to Bimini, in his Fast Wheels (LOL)

It was a bright, beautiful day when we were there. No rain.

When you walk from the ship to the island, you dead end and then can go right or left.

We rented our golf cart and went left, rich man’s land. Many mini mansions. Wealth. Luxurious homes with luxurious vehicles in the driveways.

We turned around and went to the other end of the island.

Once we got to the end of the row of mini mansions, which takes up about half the island, we ran into the real life of someone who lives on Bimini and has not been transported from a foreign land with a lot of money in their banking account.

We passed shacks. Some were made of tin. The sidewalks were broken up in big chunks. In some places there were no sidewalks.

We traveled to the very end of the right side of the island, which ended at a cemetery.

We stopped the cart and digested the division of wealth on the island. It was so unfair.

We talked about it and decided that some of the natives on that rich end had sold their property to survive, property that had been in their families for generations.

We thought the poorer end of the island held the residents who were still hanging on to their homesteads.

There was an expensive hotel on the other end of the island, but even that establishment could only offer so many jobs. Tourism can be seasonal.

As we sat there, we heard a deep growl come from far back in the cemetery. It was a large black dog. You could see his ribs.

Foreign country, foreign animals, we turned the golf cart around and headed back. We stopped at the first food store and purchased food and then zipped back to the cemetery.

We heard the growl, but the dog was still far away from us. We spread the food out on someone’s grave. We left. As we looked back, we saw the dog come to the food and begin eating.

Abandoned, no one to feed him and care for him. It was so sad.

But we all know to never approach an animal in need, an animal we don’t know. I can still see that dog in my mind.

There are beautiful beaches all along the edge of the island.

Bimini Beach, Bahamas

Bimini Beach, Bahamas

Midway down on the left side of the island is a rustic little shopping center. There is local art sold there. Art made by the citizens of Bimini, those who need the income.

If you buy anything in Bimini, buy from a local. You might be helping to save their home.

Bimini, Bahamas, Beach Tote

Bimini, Bahamas, As We Chugged Away

The dog, remember the dog with his ribs showing? Think of him when you’re in the supermarket and buy some canned dog food or cat food or a great big bag of dry food for dogs or cats and donate it to your local SPCA.

Old linens in the garage, old towels, old clothing that can be cut into wash cloths. Anything will help your local SPCA.

Don’t ever forget the dog. I won’t.

Give until your heart overflows.

Go to Bimini. See Bimini. Enjoy the beach. Buy the local art.

Do not pet stray animals.

Take care. Safe travels.

Huge smiles to you!!!!

 

Trish Berry

 

ROATAN, HONDURAS

Amazon Palazzo Pants, Robert Louise Blouse, Royal Caribbean Scarf

Gap Shorts and Top

So many interesting things to do in Roatan that you run out of time so you have to return again and again:

• Glass Bottom Boat Tours (see clearly beneath you into the waters below – fabulous)
• Salt Water Fishing
• Kayaking and Paddleboarding
• Snorkeling and Scuba Diving
• Visit West Bay Beach, the Blue Channel or Tabyana Beach (all beautiful beaches)
• Ziplining (through the forest – for the brave)
• Visit Daniel Johnson’s Monkey & Sloth Sanctuary (photos above and below)
• Visit Mayan Eden to see local wildlife (beautiful birds)
• Arch’s Iguana & Marine Park (many iguana – unbelievable)
• Carambola Botanical Gardens (beautiful gardens)
• Chocolate Factory (learn about how chocolate is made, make your own chocolate, eat your own chocolate (highly recommend))
• ATV Riding (they go fast so for the young)
• Horseback Riding either on the beach or in the jungle (for those skilled in horseback riding)
• Abstract Art Museum of Roatan (beautiful art)
• Bay Islands Underwater Museum (beautiful, beautiful!!!)
• Flamingo Cultural Center (learn the history of Roatan – fascinating!!)

We felt safe in Roatan as long as we were on an excursion provided by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.

The primary language in Roatan is English. The secondary is Spanish.

Roatan (row-uh-tan) is an island. It is about 40 miles from Honduras. It’s 37 miles long and 5 miles wide.

Roatan sits atop a coral reef out in the ocean.

The ships are able to dock at the pier and no tenders are necessary.

Roatan has a jungle that has an exhilarating zip line to whiz through. Most of the island is green, green, green. Heavily forested.

The people are friendly and helpful and the animals are sweet and lovable.

The monkeys like to debug you.

When going into an enclosure with a monkey, leave your handbag outside or it will be rifled through.

Monkeys like sparkly things so remove your jewelry or it might be taken off you by a monkey. Learned this the hard way.

 

The port is developed in Roatan, but it continues to expand.

There are many things to do in the port aside from shopping.

Roatan is a lovely place to visit. You will be busy, busy, busy.

Roatan does not have the extreme heat of the islands of the southern Eastern Caribbean, but still drink your water.

Visit the sloths, visit the monkeys, visit the parrots.

Safe travels!!  Have fun!!

Many smiles to you!

Trish Berry

 

 

 

Crown & Ivy Dress, Ann Taylor Sweater

A qualified captain steers the ship when out in the ocean.

While exiting a port or entering a port, a special person, a ‘maritime pilot’, is on board ‘temporarily’ to guide the boat out to clear waters. Or to guide the cruise ship back into port.

This special pilot can be called a port pilot, ship pilot, harbor pilot or just pilot.

This ‘special’ pilot knows the local waters.

This maritime pilot knows the reefs, depths, currents and any hazards that could affect the large ship’s movement and safety.

This pilot knows the tides, swells, and shoals that the captain of the cruise ship will not know.

We are in good hands when the maritime pilot and our captain are taking care of us.

I say the maritime pilot is on the ship ‘temporarily’ because he is. He gets the ship out to sea, away from the port, and then jumps off the large Royal Caribbean Cruise Line ship onto a small pilot boat.

When a cruise ship is coming into a port, the maritime pilot comes out to the cruise ship and jumps on to guide the large vessel in, or the maritime pilot is helicoptered to the cruise ship.

These are dangerous jumps from a ship to a small boat or from a small boat to a large ship. We have witnessed it many times.

Timing is crucial.

Below are photos of two pilot boats I was able to photograph.

 

Once the maritime pilot has made that leap from one ship/boat to another, the people on our large cruise ship cheer and yell.

We don’t know if he can hear us, but he always gives a wave of his hand.

His pilot boat is headed back to his port, so it immediately makes a turn back away from the cruise liner.

And it is his port, because he is qualified to know the underwater terrain and its dangers of his special (specific) port.

Requirements for a maritime pilot:

• A bachelor’s degree in marine transportation or maritime studies.
• Have at least three to five years of experience as a captain of a ship or as an officer.
• Required to go through pilotage apprenticeship or training program.
• Has to pass written exams.
• Has to obtain a maritime pilot license or certification.
• Has to undergo continued training and education.

 

Below is a photo showing my husband who was safely delivered to an island with the help of a maritime pilot and then the captain of a Royal Caribbean Cruise Line ship.

We place our safety in skilled hands. It takes coordination from land and from sea for a cruise to be safe.

Our many thanks to those who enable cruising.

I tip my hat at those ‘maritime pilots.’ They are brave, courageous men.

Safe travels!!  Have fun!!

Many smiles to everyone!!

 

 

Trish Berry

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is famous for many things, and one of those is the entertainment.

In the Royal Theater is held comedy acts, headliners from Las Vegas, experienced magicians, and various musical shows.

We once saw a group from Vegas who sang only Beatles’ songs. It was wonderful. The entire auditorium participated in singing.

The theater is so popular that you need to make your reservations on the Royal Caribbean app on your phone before boarding the ship.

The seating is limited, and you do not want to miss some of the greatest shows on earth while on a ship!

There is no cost to attend a show, but reservations are needed.

If you are not quick, you will not be able to attend the various shows. The reservations go fast.

Don’t miss out on any of the shows, shows that will always stay with you.

The larger the ship, the larger the theater.

Enjoy any show that is offered. They have all been screened by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line to make sure they are of the best quality.

Royal Caribbean does everything they can to ensure that their cruisers have a good time, even if cruisers might sing off-key.

Have fun!! Safe travels!! Make that reservation!! Go see that show!!