Day 7 aboard the Holland America Line cruise ship ms Noordam and we found ourselves docked in Willemstad, Curacao, the place known for the blue liquor that we love to consume in a refreshing alcoholic beverage.
Curacao is the “C” in the Dutch “ABC Islands” with “A” for Aruba and “B” for Bonaire. It’s the largest, most populous island that is made up of former Lesser Antilles. Discovered in 1499, it’s named after the Portuguese word for “heart.”
Lining the waterfront are many buildings whose colors are based on history. It’s said that way back when Governor-General Albert Kikkert ordered structures within Willemstad be painted any color other than white. Apparently, he suffered from migraines that he blamed on the sun’s reflection from the town’s white buildings. So instead of white, you see a mix of blue, green, yellow, and red – colors that are now popular throughout the Caribbean.
There’s your history lesson for the day.
Our original arrival time in Curacao was scheduled for 7am, however, due to a medical emergency onboard, the Noordam docked at the Mega Cruise Terminal shortly before 1am. On previous visits, the ships I’ve been on docked at the pier located more central to downtown and within a short walking distance of the Queen Emma Bridge which spans St. Anna Bay.
Built in 1888, the pontoon bridge swings its way across the bay providing a link between one part of the city and the other. Unfortunately, the “Swinging Old Lady” was closed due to repair work being performed and in order to get to the main downtown shopping district we had to take a very short (less than five minutes) ferry boat ride over.
The ferry boats are old and chug their way across the bay on a continuous schedule. To get to this area from the Mega Cruise terminal, you need to walk through an area that’s home to a resort/casino and the historic Rif Fort, built in 1828, which has been turned into more of a cafe/bar/small shop area than a historical site. You can venture around the small fort and suck up some history and a few beers afterward.
From there you continue past the waterfront which is where you’ll find local street vendors selling homemade crafts, the occasional street musician, and a guy with a monkey who wants $1 to have your picture taken with the primate.
Once you cross over the bay either by ferry or by foot (if the bridge was open), you enter the main shopping district which is home to shop after shop after shop. You’ll find your Caribbean staples but once you’ve been at one Effy, Diamond’s International, Del Sol, or duty-free shop, you’ve seen them all. So take the time to walk into a few of the local shopkeeper’s stores to see what they’re like, but be forewarned…. they’re small, often times pushy to sell you merchandise and are located in very narrow streets that crisscross the town.
If shopping isn’t on your list, and it’s never on mine…. put on your sneakers and walk the town. It’s pretty safe during the day, or you wouldn’t find me walking around! The town is old and there are dirty parts to it, but most of it is kept up fairly well.
You’ll quickly see the influence we Americans have had on Curacao, as there’s a McDonald’s, Baskin Robbins, Subway, KFC, and other fast food chains scattered downtown. On the menu at the Golden Arches is the McKrioyo billed as something that will “fuel up your mornings” and is made with “100% Curacaoan Bread.
Over at the KFC, there’s free WiFi and you’ll see many of the ship’s crew hanging out and bringing back a bucket or two of chicken. One of the crew members asked me if I liked KFC and of course, who doesn’t? He said, he won’t eat KFC in America as it’s not “real chicken.”
When I asked him to explain what he meant, he told me that in his country, they are told that Americans eat animals that are genetically modified and the chickens that provide the meat for KFC in the States are grown without heads and feet.
Say it isn’t so!
For those who didn’t want to shop, there were several shore excursions they could opt for including a trip to the Ostrich Farm, the Tula Museum which is located in an old plantation home, and the Hato Caves home to centuries-old stalagmite formations, water pools, and a waterfall.
Things to see within walking distance from the ship included Fort Amsterdam which was built in 1634 and is home to the historic Fort Church which houses a museum. There’s also the Floating Market which is located right along the waterfront and is something everyone should walk by. It’s here where street vendors line up selling fruit, vegetables, and fresh fish that come in daily from boats from Venezuela. If you’re going to make this a spot to visit, note that the vendors can be pushy as they all want to undersell each other. Some offer free samples of their fruit and if you take a deep whiff, you’ll find your way to the fish.
After wandering around town for a while, stopping for a selfie in front of the big CURACAO and DUSHI sign, it was time to grab a ferry boat back across the bay. I stopped at an outdoor bar in the Rif Fort complex where they were having a 2-for $7 beer special. Who can pass up an offer like that?
Not this guy.
The same bar also had small cans (1.41oz) of Pringles for sale in a vending machine. The posted price was 5 Guilder. When I asked what that converted to in United States dollars, I was told $3. $3 for a small can of Pringles!
I stuck with the beer.
After spending a few hours ashore and dropping a couple hundred on a new watch, it was back to the ship. Once onboard preparation was underway for a Caribbean BBQ which was scheduled for 5:30pm – 8:00pm around the Lido Pool. Since we were in port until 11pm, the BBQ was scheduled as an alternative for those who spent the day ashore and wanted a casual option for dinner.
There were stations set up with a sucking pig, BBQ staples such as ribs, chicken beef, and pork as well as salads, bread, and a whole area dedicated to different desserts. All the food was being cooked fresh on the deck and people stood in line most of the evening to grab some of their favorites.
Dinner for me, however, was in the ship’s Italian restaurant, Canaletto. Named after the 18th-century Venetian artist, Giovanni Antonio Canaletto, the restaurant serves up small dishes of regional Italian classics meant to be shared.
The restaurant is carved out of a section of the Lido Restaurant (buffet) and food is cooked by Lido chefs. With the menu designed to be shared, it’s recommended that you choose two items from the “Small Plates” section, one item from the “Pasta” section, and one item from the “Main Plates” section for every two people at the table.
The meal started off with a bread basket and two pieces of bruschetta which were topped with an outstanding cold marinara sauce.
From the Small Plates selection, I chose the Salumi which was an assortment of prosciutto, coppa, grissini, shaved pecorino, and assorted olives. This was an excellent sampler!
Next was the Veal & Sage Polpettina (meatballs) served in a rustic tomato sauce with glazed cipollini onions. The meatballs were moist and flavorful and the sauce was incredible.
For the pasta course, I asked to sample two dishes. The first was the Rigatoni which was served with Italian sausage, Kalamata olives, and a spicy tomato sauce. The pasta was cooked a perfect al dente, the sauce was tasty and not as spicy as I was expecting.
The second pasta dish was the Potato Gnocchi served with a braised beef short rib with mascarpone, butter-roasted carrots, and celery. The gnocchi were small, firm, and unremarkable. The star of this dish however was the short rib. It was outstanding! This could have been a meal in itself. The beef was tender, contained little to no fat, and had excellent flavor.
For my main course, I chose the Veal Picatta which was a thin piece of veal, sauteed in a lemon caper sauce and served over linguini. By the time I finished the other parts of the meal, I could barely make enough room for the veal! It was very tender, the sauce was not overpowering, and made for a very light dish if you skip the linguini, which I did as there was no way I could eat more pasta.
While I didn’t have room for dessert, I did sample the Torta al Cacao which was a walnut praline served with two small scoops of ice cream. The two bites that I managed to squeeze in were very good although due to the richness of the dessert, there was no way I would be able to eat the whole thing!
The overall experience at Canaletto was fantastic. For a $10 surcharge per person, this is one of the best values you’re going to get from a specialty restaurant onboard a ship.
There was one drawback and it could have been because we were in port… the vibration in the restaurant was severe. Being midship, it was right above the engine room and the vibration was strong enough – and constant – to shake the flowers on the table and the water in the glasses. While it didn’t bother me, those who are a little sensitive to vibration may want to check it out beforehand. Again, I believe it was more pronounced because we were in port.
As a side note, there were a few times I started laughing to myself as I sat there vibrating away, thinking back to a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode where Larry David’s car had a seat that wasn’t secure and bounced passengers around in such a way that it gave them a bit of pleasure as he drove them around.
With us being in port until 11pm, there was no main show in the Vista Lounge, however, the B.B. King All-Star Band was in the Blues Club for three sets. There was also karaoke, an Elvis tribute in the Piano Bar and the disco was open late.
I’ve noted that in several ports of call, the casino has remained open for slot play (no smoking, however). Today in Curacao, the casino was closed.
We sailed away from Curacao shortly before 11pm and it was off to our final port-of-call, Oranjestad, Aruba where we are scheduled to arrive at 7am.
Some items to note:
- While the ship has one more Caribbean cruise before entering dry dock in Freeport, Bahamas for ten days, there doesn’t seem to be any areas on board in need of attention other than carpeting in some public areas. The nine-year-old ship is in very good condition with the crew out on a continual basis painting and varnishing.
- On Sunday, March 29th, guests are invited to participate in Holland America Line’s initiative to raise funds to help support cancer research through their “On Deck for a Cause” program. For a small donation, passengers can sign up for this non-competitive 5k walk around the ship’s deck to raise money for six international cancer organizations.
That’s all for today, next update from Aruba!
Personal Day-By-Day Noordam Cruise Review:
Photo Tour of the Noordam:
Join me as we embark on a photographic journey to see this incredible ship and all that it has to offer. This tour will take you on a visual journey through this magnificent cruise ship, showcasing its beauty and elegance through the lens of my camera. From the stunning public spaces to the comfortable and luxurious staterooms, this Noordam Photo Tour will give you a glimpse into the unforgettable experience that I had on board the Noordam.