Traveling with the Jones

When we arrived at the Renaissance Cruise Port Hotel in Fort Lauderdale the night before our cruise departure, we were hungry for some good seafood.

Tried from traveling, we weren’t up for fine dining.  Plus, we wanted somewhere within walking distance.

As usual, we fired up Yelp on our smartphones, and the great reviews led us to the Southport Raw Bar.

This is the entrance to the Southport Raw Bar, which probably would not have drawn us in if we were just walking by without the insight from Yelp.

Upon entering these doors, you will find a large dining area with two bars, two kitchens and an outdoor dining area with a boat dock and a water-view looking over one ofFort Lauderdale’s canals.

Not sure where to go, we headed to two empty seats at the back bar — a good choice since it was happy hour. Suddenly, the place was full.

The beers were inexpensive and ice cold.

The fish tacos with blackened mahi-mahi were drowning in messy slaw, spicy sauce and slabs of avocado, but oh they were delicious.

Mr. Jones couldn’t decide between the combo seafood basket with scallops and shrimp, or his favorite fried clams. So he got both.  And ate them both, minus a few nibbles from me.

On our second visit a month later (yes, before another cruise) I thought I’d try the Caesar salad with grilled shrimp.

While the Caesar salad tasted better than it looks in this photo, I will lean towards the fish tacos on future visits.

The blue paper menus at the Southport Raw Bar provides very accurate descriptions:

The Guests – If you’re reading this while visiting the Raw Bar, take a look around.
This is Fort Lauderdale. You’ll see a guy who pumps gas at the Marina down the
street sitting next to the Mayor. You’ll see the billionaire who lives up the street.
The weathered charter captain. The even more weathered mate. A pair of cops. The
retired Hall of Fame Quarterback. A half dozen beautiful girls on their way back
from the beach, and several polite, but mildly lecherous, attorneys admiring them.
You’ll even see a few tourists. They’re the ones asking for the Bloody Mary or the
Margarita.  (NOTE: the Raw Bar serves only beer and wine.)

The Experience – It takes years and years to establish true character. This is true
for people, as well as places. The Raw Bar is not just a big room on the water
where people eat and drink. It’s a spirit. It’s a mood. It’s an ambiance. It’s old, but
not run down. It has a smell, but not an odor. It’s worn, but not dirty. It has a dull
roar that could at once be described as both boisterous and tranquil. It’s a place
where you come in, order a pint and a dozen (from the bartender who may, or may
not, know your name), enjoy the quintessential Fort Lauderdale view, and your
tab’s going to be about what your tip would be on a mediocre night out with the
wife.

If you are in Fort Lauderdale and are looking for good seafood in an easy-going local establishment, check out the Southport Raw Bar.

Happy hour runs 4-7 pm Monday to Friday and after 11 pm to close on Saturday to Thursday nights.

Do you have a favorite pre-cruise departure dining destination in Fort Lauderdale? Please, do share in comments below.

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When our 7-Day Holiday Cruise on Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam made a port call in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Christmas day, we spent a few hours exploring the walled historic city of Old San Juan.

We were warned that not many businesses would be open, despite three cruise ships in port, due to the holiday.

It was quite warm as we walked over the blue cobblestone streets.

Ready for a cold drink, we found ourselves by the historic El Convento Hotel, originally built more than 300 years ago as a Carmelite Convent.

Today it is a luxurious boutique hotel with an open courtyard inside with two restaurants.

We recognized the hotel from two prior visits with Paulina of Spoon Food Tours, and decided to head inside to the El Picoteo restaurant that features Spanish tapas and unbelievably delicious desserts.

Unfortunately, El Picoteo was closed, and our hopes of Tres Leches cake and an iced coffee con leche were dashed.

The open-air Patio del Nispero restaurant, however, was open.  We were drawn to the bar where the bartender was busy mixing drinks with plentiful amounts of fresh mint and citrus.

Mojitos, we learned, were the drink of choice. Generally, they can be too sweet for our taste, but since they were the popular, we decided to try one.

Traditionally, a mojito consists of five ingredients: rum, sugar or sugar cane juice, lime juice, sparkling water, and mint.

Bartender Luis Flores makes his mojitos slightly differently with fresh lemon and lime wedges muddled with multiple leaves of fresh mint. His “special” ingredient is brown sugar.

The result is light and refreshing.

For the second round, Luis demonstrated how he makes mojitos step by step.

Plus, he hand wrote the recipe and handed it to us with a “Merry Christmas!”

If you are in Old San Juan, stop in the El Covento and seek out Luis for one of his fantastic mojitos, and friendly service.

What’s your favorite place for mojitos? Please share in comments below. 

Check out these other posts from San Juan…..

• Outrageously Delicious Italian Food in San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Dinner at Jam in San Juan, Puerto Rico
• A Peek Inside the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino
• Eating and Drinking Our Way Through San Juan, Puerto Rico with Spoon Food Tours – Part 1
• Eating and Drinking Our Way Through San Juan, Puerto Rico with Spoon Food Tours – Part 2
• Eating and Drinking Our Way Through San Juan, Puerto Rico with Spoon Food Tours – Part 3

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For the holiday cruise on Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam, we booked a Category VF verandah guarantee.

We received a complimentary seven-category upgrade to Category VQ, in stateroom 10034, one of the spa verandah staterooms.

Just in case you are wondering what, exactly, does a spa stateroom or a spa suite get you on Holland America line?

Or, if this “upgrade” is a good thing?

Well, take a look inside and judge for yourself.

On the Nieuw Amsterdam, Holland America’s newest ship, Spa Verandah Stateroom # 10034 is located on Deck 10, the Panorama Deck.  

Like other spa staterooms and suites, cabin # 10034 is located in relatively close proximity to the spa, just one deck down, handy if you are going to spend much of your cruise in the spa and/or the gym.

Upon first glance, spa verandah stateroom #10034 appears exactly like every other category of verandah stateroom with a queen-sized bed that converts to two twins, and floor-to ceiling glass windows with a door to the verandah.

There are, however, a few enhancements that you won’t find in non-spa rooms.

This corner of spa accoutrements included a yoga DVD and a soothing water device that wasn’t working.  Rather than ask that it be fixed, we asked our room steward if it could be stored somewhere else during our cruise as we valued the shelf space. (He handled our request, no problem.)

Three complimentary bottles of vitamin water and two liters of bottled water come with the spa stateroom, as do two pedometers and an Bose docking station for a iPod.

In the other corner, you will find a yoga mat to go along with the robe and slippers.

The Spa verandahs on Deck 11 have tiny balconies but the ones on Deck 10 are normal-sized, with two chairs and a small table.

Our favorite thing about the verandah was the view — it’s a long way down to the water line.

The bathroom is exactly the same as other verandah staterooms.

The thing that we loved most about spa verandah stateroom # 10034 was in the ceiling.

It is, according to Mr. Jones, a wireless router.

Being that it was in our stateroom, right above our bed, is likely the reason that we enjoyed an excellent internet connection in our cabin throughout the cruise — whether we were logging in via computers, iPads or iPhones.

That is not the case in many rooms on many cruise ships, despite paying $0.40 -$0.90 cents per minute to use the service.

Great Wi-Fi when we needed it — now that helped us find our “Zen” on this cruise.

Our bottom line on the Holland America Line Spa Staterooms and Suites:

• They are convenient if you plan to use the spa, the thermal suite and/or the gym regularly during your cruise. (You do also get some discounts off of spa treatments.)
• The high location of the deck provided a good view; it was a short walk to the Exploration’s Cafe for a latte.
• We didn’t pay any extra for this verandah. If we had paid several hundred dollars more for this verandah compared to a Category VF, we would not have considered it to be a good value.

Have you sailed in a spa stateroom or suite on Holland America Line? If so, what did you think? Please share your thoughts in comments below.

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