DAY 64---ROSEAU, DOMINICA

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Our position today is docked at Roseau on the island of Dominica.  

DOMINICA BACKGROUND INFO: 

        Dominica is an island country also in the West Indies also being just 112 miles from our last port of call, St Lucia.  The volcanic formed mountains here are covered by rainforests and the world’s second-largest hot spring is here.  The island is known as “The Nature Island of the Caribbean” because of its lush rainforests and varied flora and fauna.  The island’s population is just over 70,000 with about 15,000 of them living in Roseau, its capital and where we are docked today.  The island is especially vulnerable to hurricanes.

       Banana plantations once dominated Dominica’s economy with nearly 1/3 of the labor force worked in agriculture in the early 2000’s.  But Hurricane Dean in 2007 caused significant damage to the agriculture sector.  The government has since diversified the ag sector promoting coffee, aloe vera, cut flowers and fruits production.  Tourism is becoming increasingly important to its economy but since it is mostly volcanic there are few beaches.  As a result, the island had the fewest visitors (only 56,000 in 2008) of 22 Caribbean islands.  Surprisingly, its visitors are about half as many that visited Haiti.  Cruise ship stopovers are on the increase now that a modern dock and waterfront facilities have been constructed.  Dominica’s mountains, rainforests, lakes, hot springs, waterfalls, and diving spots do make it an attractive ecotourism destination.

LAST NIGHT:

I did not get many photos last night.  We dined in Compass Rose with Susanne.  All three of us enjoyed the chicken parmesan which was very good.

I wondered what the chocolate Napoleon was so ordered it in addition to the apple tart.  I had just a few bites of the Napoleon.  It was very good.  The tart was huge and very good.  I could only eat half of it however.

The show was at 9:30 in the Horizon Lounge and featured the comedian, Fred Bevill.  The smaller venue was perfect for a comedian so he could interact with his closer up audience.  Fred was the best comedian we have had on a cruise ship in many years.

TODAY:

        This has been a rainy day here.  Showers in the morning and steady light rain all afternoon.  Lazy day for sure.  That has kept the temperature down as is 77 degrees this afternoon.  No touring for me today.  I went up to deck 12 several times to get some photos but it was raining every time.  So I took the ones below from the covered deck 6.

                                                     These are the crew's life boats.

        Marcia has arranged dinner in Prime 7 this evening for her, us, and two doctors.  I believe their names are Richard & Harvey.  We'll find out more about them tonight.  Pre-dinner cocktails planned in the Mariner Lounge.

        The headliner show in the theater at 9:15 will feature David Meyer and his wife, Dawn.  His bio says he is an instrumentalist.

        We will be sailing again at 6pm for Philipsburg on the island of St Maarten where we should be docked by 9am tomorrow.