Once again cruising the Caribbean on March 3.- 17. 2013. First week.

I left Helsinki on March 1. to stay two nights in Fort Lauderdale before starting the cruise with m/s Nieuw Amsterdam of Holland America-Lines. However due a delay in New York I missed my Miami flight that evening, got an airport hotel, and flew very early then directly to Fort Lauderdale. Practically I did not loose or miss anything, and didn't bother to make any claim afterwards. I still had two days down there which I mainly used for good wines and meals in different parts of the city. On Mach 3.at 4pm m/s Nieuw Amsterdam started it's first leg towards Grand Turk of Turks&Caicos Islands. After a day on the sea and another on the beach we arrived to San Juan in Puerto Rico. This island was discovered by Columbus on his second voyage to America in 1493. The Taino indios gave him a gold present in a welcome party, and due this he named the bay "Puerto Rico". I spent my day there strolling on the streets of the old part of the city, which I already somehow knew from my previous visits. Next morning we arrived to Dutch St. Maarten, also familiar to me, and so I and some other passengers continued to St.Martin, the French side of the island to the best beach, the topless or even nude beach, the only one of its kind in Americas. Next day we spent on the sea before sailing early in the morning to the shores of Half Moon Cay of the Bahamas. This island was rented to Holland America Line for 99 years, and only the guests and the crew of the company were allowed ashore. The beach was absolutely one of the best I've ever seen anywhere in the world. They also had very nice bars there and you could pay all your exotic drinks with your ship card. It was a sunny and happy day, a real Caribbean dream. Next morning we were back to Fort Lauderdale.