This was our third cruise with Holland America, and was on the biggest ship we have cruised on. It was to celebrate our 40th anniversary, and by and large was good. So, having never been to the Caribbean before (thus the title) we were looking forward to a number of things, and as a result had our first balcony on a cruise.

The comedian that also was a Sudoku Master was very good, but he described the "Basic HAL" part of this cruise to a "T." He spoke of going into port and walking down the long cement pier to go through a Jewelry Shop to enter a courtyard full of jewelry shops from around the world he had never seen. Luckily, at Amber Cover (Puerta Plata, Domincan Republic), there was something else beside the duty free, and jewelry shopping with Carnival Food. The best excursion we have seen in 8 cruises was the Dolphin Swim at Ocean World.

He could have said "rinse over night and repeat" but he went through the litany 3 times for our Ports of Call. Read more