Surviving Devils Island

We Made It To Devil’s Island

Stepping onto the tender was easy, but that was only the beginning of the journey. We arrived at Ile Royale, the reception center for the penal colony. It was hot but at least we felt a breeze making it bearable. Fortunately, when we decided to head back to the ship, our ID card was accepted allowing us to tender back to the safety and comfort of the Zuiderdam.

St. Joseph Island was the “punishment” island. Prisoners who committed offenses while incarcerated including trying to escape were sent there to be housed in silence and solitary confinement.

The penal colony was established in 1852. In 1854, France passed a law requiring the island prisoners to remain after they completed their sentence for a time equal to their sentence. If their sentence was greater than 8 yrs, they were required to stay for the remainder of their life. At one point, the French brought prostitutes to the island in the hopes that the prisoners who were released would marry and start families. The prostitutes traded favors for alcohol, and no families were ever started.

In 1938, France stopped sending prisoners to Devil’s Island. Finally, in 1953, the colony closed completely. The remaining prisoners were repatriated back to France with a few opting to resettle in French Guiana. 

The Persistent Prisoner

Rene Belbenoit was a young man who had served France during WWI, however, he fell on hard times, and in 1921 he was sentenced to Devil’s Island for a series of crimes, including theft, fraud and scams. He arrived in 1923 to begin his sentence. Finding the conditions unbearable, he tried several times to escape. He was always caught and brought back. Finally, after 14 attempts, he managed to escape to Los Angeles.  His memoir “Dry Guillotine” exposed the harsh and cruel conditions prisoners of Devil’s Island had to endure.

Devil’s Island Photos

• Taking advantage of the shade when could find it.
• French Navy ship off the coast
• Medical staff ready to treat visitors
• The next 3 photos are buildings on the island — the one with the open door was most likely used for food storage since solitary confinement cells were located on St. Joseph’s Island
• 2 current residents of the island were nice enough to pose for a photo
• Displays showing the restoration projects
• Boots drying on an old wooden structure.

World Cruise on the Zuiderdam

I’ve been asked several questions about taking a world cruise. When we booked this cruise over 2 years ago, we were told that people enjoy it so much they go on them year after year. In our naivete, we thought it was a sales pitch — wrong! We are meeting so many couples who have been on more than 5 world cruises. It’s been challenging to find couples who are new to the world cruise. We have also met several couples who are doing one or two segments of the cruise.

The cruise is divided into the following segments:

• Fort Lauderdale to Fort Lauderdale = 128 days
• Fort Lauderdale to Honolulu =36 days
• Honolulu to Tokyo = 19 days
• Tokyo to Singapore = 24 days
• Singapore to Dubai = 13 days
• Dubai to Fort Lauderdale = 36 days

A couple of days into the voyage, we returned to our cabin to find a bunch of gifts on our bed. We each received a tote bag, messenger bag, portable charger, hats and a credit card holder.   The phrase “Zuiderdam Grand World Voyage” is printed on everything including the daily bulletin of events. Steve bought a tee-shirt with the route and ports of call listed on the back.

Ports of Call: Magical Mystery Cruise

Our journey around the world includes the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Events occurring in the Middle East may necessitate a change to the original itinerary. Today, we all received a letter from the Captain letting us know Holland America is in touch with the US State Department and other government agencies. Additionally, the Deployment Department is exploring alternative destinations. Most everyone we’ve talked to has a “go with flow” attitude. Wherever we go, it’ll be an adventure, one we are looking forward to.

Ship Photos