Start in La Romana

Our taxi transfer was booked for 12 o'clock noon from Santo Domingo to La Romana. Before departure, there was still time to follow the first half of the SC Freiburg match. Our taxi driver was very punctual and everything went smoothly. Shortly after 1 pm, we arrived at the terminal. We were allowed to board the Aida at 2 pm after confirming once again that we had not been in China in the last 14 days. Our cabin was ready for occupancy. This time we had booked a Vario cabin and we are still satisfied with our balcony cabin 5144 - despite the metal balcony. There are quite a few people from the new federal states on board. It must be school holidays right now. We spent the rest of the day very comfortably and prepared for our vacation. Sunday was a sea day. We went to the gym at 8 am to ride the exercise bike. After showering, we went to have a hearty breakfast. We spent the rest of the day reading, eating, and sleeping. After all, we had to get up early on Monday. On February 10th, we were in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. We met at the pier at 8:30 am for the Jeep safari. We set off with two jeeps. The first stop was a so-called shopping center. But before the shopping started, we had a fruit punch with rum. In the store, there was all sorts of trinkets to buy. And everything at half price. Our next stop was Murphy Hill. Some people in the car felt sick before we reached it. The journey there was not suitable for people with back problems. On the way, we passed through some villages. Former slaves live here in really poor conditions. After that, we went to a coffee plantation. Here we gained insight into the coffee bean production and processing. Thanks to our ship's 'translator', communication was not a problem. The group we were with was somewhat strange. After the coffee plantation, we went to the Dunn's River Falls. James Bond already bathed here in Dr. No. Some people in the group, including Matthias, climbed the waterfalls in the cool water. Then we went back to the ship. In the evening, we visited Peter de Ville's magic show before falling into bed completely exhausted. Today is another sea day. A few minutes ago, we found out that our next stop is Cozumel, not Costa Maya as planned. The weather is apparently too bad for Costa Maya. Greetings from Lisbon.