Going On Pilgrimage

[Capn Bob]

On Oct 17...just a couple days from now...I'll be taking ship on a cruise to the Bahamas. Despite my Pyraticallness (now Officially a word), I've never been on the ocean before. (Been *over* it, flying to Germany and back). The thing that has me most worried isn't seasickness (I been on Lake Erie in a bit of a chop, and wasn't bothered at all), its getting thru customs. Fie on them lubbers!

Anyway, I'll be on the Carnival Pride, with an official shore excursion lined up for Epcot during the Port Canaveral port of call (so's I can go to the Food and Wine Festival), and Nassau I'm a-doin' on me own...hitting the Pirates museum, seeing the site of the 1695 Old Fort Nassau (they got a dirty big hotel there now), and just seeing what I can see. Hope to bring back lots of photos to share.

Trouble is, I'm torn as to which book to take with me. Should it be "The Pyrates", George MacDonald Fraser, or should it be "Republic of Pirates", Colin Woodard?

Edited October 16, 2010 by Capn Bob

[Silver]

did you get back or are you being held for ramson?

[Capn Bob]

Nay, I be back dirtside indeed, but what be me reward for bein' an honest passenger, instead of highjackin' a Bahamian patrol vessel (as I was tempted to do)? Why, the day after I get home, I come down all sick. So me traveller's lies...errr...tales...will have to wait til I'm a bit better...

did you get back or are you being held for ramson?

[Capn Bob]

I'm still working to get rid of me cold...which reminds me, where's me rum?...Ah...the best medicine!...anyway, I have a few remarks. I'm not going into great detail about the cruise itself, unless I'm asked to, but that said...

It is with great relief that I can say I did not get seasick at all. Seas were quite calm. Altho I did overhear that others were "throwing *everything* up..." Clearly such people had never been on the Autobahn...or on Lake Erie. Weather was excellent, except for Nassau, which had some occasional rain showers...but going into Nassau we were treated with a double rainbow.

Food? I was disappointed in the food. I was looking forward to living on hardtack and salt pork and bully beef, and what did we get? Virginia ham with raisin sauce, bbq Cornish hens, lobster as sweet as cotton candy.

One of my favorite shipboard activities? Just standing at the rails, watching for ships. It was while engaged in this very activity that it occurred to me I was on the very waters that Blackbeard and the boys sailed on, so long ago, also watching for ships. I was also wearing me Blackbeard t-shirt at the time, which helped. And did we encounter other ships? One or two, I'd say...came across a couple other cruise ships, some container ships...and oh yes, a battle group out of Norfolk, consisting of two missile frigates and a dirty big carrier, which buzzed us with a couple of choppers and a fighter.

I personally found the Pirates of Nassau Museum a treat. Its not big, nor is it glitzy, and the gift shop isn't much, but I really did enjoy the museum. It's well maintained and kept up, all the audio was working...but be aware, in order to replicate the belowdecks of a ship, it can be plenty dark. I think they did good work with the figures, as you can see from the newly uploaded photos, and I never spotted any errors on the placards. Yeah, I'd recommend the place, if you, dear reader, were to be going to Nassau. Just keep an eye out for the traffic. Its madness, I tell you, *madness*!

Rum? Well, I'll tell'ee, that's something I was disappointed about. Bay St, the main drag in Nassau, has a variety of duty free groggeries, but the selection was really nothing more than what I could find in me local grocery store. I got nothin' against the stuff, but I'd have expected to find some better labels that...Malibu...or Morgan, or Bacardi...well, you'd expect Bacardi in their outlets, to be sure, but still...

I think that covers it for now, unless there be any questions...

[capn'rob]

I'm still working to get rid of me cold...which reminds me, where's me rum?...Ah...the best medicine!...anyway, I have a few remarks. I'm not going into great detail about the cruise itself, unless I'm asked to, but that said...

It is with great relief that I can say I did not get seasick at all. Seas were quite calm. Altho I did overhear that others were "throwing *everything* up..." Clearly such people had never been on the Autobahn...or on Lake Erie. Weather was excellent, except for Nassau, which had some occasional rain showers...but going into Nassau we were treated with a double rainbow.

Food? I was disappointed in the food. I was looking forward to living on hardtack and salt pork and bully beef, and what did we get? Virginia ham with raisin sauce, bbq Cornish hens, lobster as sweet as cotton candy.

One of my favorite shipboard activities? Just standing at the rails, watching for ships. It was while engaged in this very activity that it occurred to me I was on the very waters that Blackbeard and the boys sailed on, so long ago, also watching for ships. I was also wearing me Blackbeard t-shirt at the time, which helped. And did we encounter other ships? One or two, I'd say...came across a couple other cruise ships, some container ships...and oh yes, a battle group out of Norfolk, consisting of two missile frigates and a dirty big carrier, which buzzed us with a couple of choppers and a fighter.

I personally found the Pirates of Nassau Museum a treat. Its not big, nor is it glitzy, and the gift shop isn't much, but I really did enjoy the museum. It's well maintained and kept up, all the audio was working...but be aware, in order to replicate the belowdecks of a ship, it can be plenty dark. I think they did good work with the figures, as you can see from the newly uploaded photos, and I never spotted any errors on the placards. Yeah, I'd recommend the place, if you, dear reader, were to be going to Nassau. Just keep an eye out for the traffic. Its madness, I tell you, *madness*!

Rum? Well, I'll tell'ee, that's something I was disappointed about. Bay St, the main drag in Nassau, has a variety of duty free groggeries, but the selection was really nothing more than what I could find in me local grocery store. I got nothin' against the stuff, but I'd have expected to find some better labels that...Malibu...or Morgan, or Bacardi...well, you'd expect Bacardi in their outlets, to be sure, but still...

I think that covers it for now, unless there be any questions...

Did you encounter any of the Local Beverages? "Kalik Beer", "Vat 69 Rum" (pronounced Wat) and the ever popular non-alcoholic "Irish Sea Moss"? I'm glad you got to the Bahamas. Anywhere in the Bahamas proves that "It's better in the Bahamas!" If you were to get to any of the Out Islands, those to the East and the Southern Bahamas, you would find a very different place. The problem is that unless you own or charter a boat, preferably no deeper than 4 ft. draft, the best parts are hard to get to. Of course private plane works for many places too though I've landed at some Islands I'd rather not be flown to again. It was just where the boat was that I was to bring back to the States. Thanks for sharing your Voyage and keep sailing!

[Silver]

i was there for a port visit in the mid 80's, took a run out to paradise island mostly casinos and hotels got back into town hooked up with a couple of shipmates who where from the islands and wandered around town sucking up the local atmoshpere, i remember drinking alot of beck beer, never liked that stuff. we went to the conch market under this large bridge because my buddies knew something about conch fishing. i don't think the pirate museum was around then.

[Silver]

great pic's, just finished looking at them.

[Capn Bob]

Well, thank'ee, Silver...I took gobs more photos, but I thought those would be of most interest to the company...

great pic's, just finished looking at them.

[Capn Bob]

Having now been on a cruise, I been payin' particular attention to the news about the engine fire on the Carnival Splendor. Seems them poor devils have had to subsist on Spam and poptarts...

And havin' grown up in the Army, I know about living on spam...and rice-a-roni. In those days, I was too young, and me folks wouldn't give me tarts to play with...

Ye can see how deprived I was...

[PLUNDERING PYLOS PARKER]

i take a cruise every year to the caribbean or mexico- with carnival or royal caribbean cruise lines- nvr had a problem -what did ya think about the cruise, in the 80's cruising was better than today, but still its the cheapest way to vacation and to see many ports within aweek , all food and entertainment included, makes ya feel how comfortable we have it in life, compared to our counterparts we try to all be and act like in todays society. imagine the life they had and the freakin humidity and lack of knowledge, sickness,diseases,medical care,diet, and just physical labor daily grind, we have it so easy sippin on margaritas lounging at sea. it's funny to see alot of re'enactors wearing big frock coats -captain coats at faires all dressed up- try wearin that in the caribbean ya think its humid in florida try roatan, belize, grand cayman, jamiaca, haiti, grand turks,barbados, maybe in england,spain,italy,scotland. but not there, we all need to experience the caribbean to imagine what it may have been like , i feel they wore little as possiable during the winter months, cant imagine what they wore during the summer months. keep the sails going

[PLUNDERING PYLOS PARKER]

regarding the alcohol - grand cayman (george town) the tortuga company has a variety of cakes but best of all is there rum, its smoothe -they only ditribute spiced rum to the states , but over there there they dont distribute there other flavors not sure why, vanilla and my favorite is the mango, it is the best rum you will ever have, and in mexico 1921 cream of tiquilla, wow that is very good stuff. 1921 sometimes you can find it in the states.

[Capn Bob]

I enjoyed the cruise so much that I'm likely to do it again. I see that the tour bus company I travel with is offering the same cruise, same ship, again this coming Oct, and I'm planning on being on it. *Might* even take some pirate togs with me this year. Aye, the living is easy on one o' them fancy cruises...I rememeber seeing some officers on their rounds and thinking, "Well, I suppose *someone* has to work today..." That were a Tuesday, it were, second day of the cruise.

As for the clothing of the time in tropical climes, well, that's what the Brits were doing in Jamaica...basically just a total transplanting of the culture to the island. So, the "better sort" at least, were wearing heavy clothes, eating heavy meals, and were generally being sick all the time. But you don't have to go back to 17th cent. Jamaica to see the results of that. Consider that at the Battle of Monmouth NJ during our Revolution, the temps soared to the 90's or 100 degrees, and most of the casualties were from the heat. Wearing wool broadcloth in conditions like that...sheesh.

i take a cruise every year to the caribbean or mexico- with carnival or royal caribbean cruise lines- nvr had a problem -what did ya think about the cruise, in the 80's cruising was better than today, but still its the cheapest way to vacation and to see many ports within aweek , all food and entertainment included, makes ya feel how comfortable we have it in life, compared to our counterparts we try to all be and act like in todays society. imagine the life they had and the freakin humidity and lack of knowledge, sickness,diseases,medical care,diet, and just physical labor daily grind, we have it so easy sippin on margaritas lounging at sea. it's funny to see alot of re'enactors wearing big frock coats -captain coats at faires all dressed up- try wearin that in the caribbean ya think its humid in florida try roatan, belize, grand cayman, jamiaca, haiti, grand turks,barbados, maybe in england,spain,italy,scotland. but not there, we all need to experience the caribbean to imagine what it may have been like , i feel they wore little as possiable during the winter months, cant imagine what they wore during the summer months. keep the sails going