Pat and Norm's World Cruises and other adventures

December 27, 2025

Grenada is the first in the chain known as the Windward Islands. It is a relatively small island and is very lush and green. It is well known for its spices. We have been here several times before, and although we love the island, we opted to stay on the ship. Some of my followers may know that I am scheduled for a hip replacement on January 15, so I am limiting my walking, stairs, etc due to the pain.

The delicious martinis and desserts are part of the experience here. Each bar has huge lists of drinks, many I have never heard of. In Horizons, there are drinks named for each of the Oceania ships.

Our port schedule today is 1 PM – 11 PM. Here are some pictures of our arrival. The weather has been great so far. It is somewhat cooler than other years but still Caribbean warm.

Fortunately, we were invited to a wine tasting today and we both also booked 100 minute massages, so it was an indulgence day!

The wine tasting was by invitation, and there was a misprint in the invitation, so I called to clarify. I assume that others did not, because the Red Ginger restaurant, where the tasting was held, was set up for many more people than the group of about 10 of us. It was a really nice tasting called “Pinot Noir – The Heartbreak Grape”. One of the sommeliers talked about the grape and described why it is called the heartbreak grape. It’s because it is notoriously difficult to grow and make well. That said, the results, when successful, can be extraordinary.

The conditions that make it difficult are:

1. Extremely finicky in the vineyard because of thin skins and tight clusters which make it vulnerable to rot and mildew, frost damage, sunburn and heat stress and disease in humid conditions. Even the smallest change in weather can ruin an entire harvest.
2. Very sensitive to terroir. It only thrives in very specific climates (cool to moderate) and slight soil or climate mismatches can lead to flat or unbalanced wine. Great sites are rare and expensive.
3. Low and unpredictable yields. Even in ideal conditions, Pinot Noir tends to produce fewer grapes which can lead to inconsistent quality and financial losses for growers.
4. Hard to make into wine. Pinot is delicate and demands precision at every step.
5. High expectations, frequent disappointment. Because legendary regions like Burgundy set such a high bar, most Pinot Noir is judged against an almost impossible standard- leading to heartbreak when it falls short.

The saying is that Pinot Noir breaks hearts because it promises beauty but punishes mistakes.

We tasted 5 wines and I will name them with the price charged on the ship. Even though Norm thought he didn’t like Pinot Noir, we both enjoyed each one.

1. Castello Di Spessa ‘Joy” Pinot Grigio from Collio Friuli-Vinezia Guilia, Italy. The only white we tasted. $65/ bottle
2. Louis Jadot Pommard from Cote de Beaune, France $165/bottle
3. Prince Hill Vineyards ‘Dundee Hills” Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon $155/bottle
4. Craggy Range Te Muna Road Vineyard Pinot Noir from Martinborough, New Zealand $110/bottle
5. Silver Trident Winery “Benevolent Dictator” Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley, California $140/bottle

We had a food pairing and here is Norm’s. Since I don’t eat meat, they brought me an alternate one.

After the wine tasting, we didn’t feel like eating any lunch, so next were the massages. All I can say is ahhhhh. We each booked another for later in the cruise.

We made it to trivia where we missed out on third place, but as always we learned something and had fun.

There is always a wooden puzzle being assembled by those who pass by outside the casino. Here is the current one.

Our entertainment tonight was a repeat performance by Panos Karan and he ended with the spectacular Rhapsody in Blue. What an amazing pianist.

Tomorrow we will be in Barbados.