Cruise 2011 - Day 15 Grenada

Today was a game changer! We did not rent a car on Grenada so I signed us up for a snorkeling excursion. After breakfast we met up at the foot of the pier and join a group of fellow shipmates for the morning snorkeling adventure. The catamaran was loaded up and we headed to a marine park at Flamingo Bay just around the corner about 15 minutes from the ship. The fish were amazing and one of the guides named Brian dove down and retrieved numerous items from the bottom for us to see. He returned them of course as taking anything from the park is strictly forbidden.



























Post dive rum punch!





















We spent 45 minutes or so at this spot then headed for the beautiful beach named Grand Anse. We were delivered to the beach and we enjoyed numerous rum punch drinks as we swam in the very warm clear waters. Another hour past and we reloaded the catamaran and headed back to the ship. We loved the beach and would definitely come back here!!


We changed clothes and headed into town for some local grub. We went to a small restaurant by the water called BB's and had a great lunch. This was one of the reccomended spots in Gthe town. We signed the wall before we headed up to the fort and our next objective.

The fort overlooked the harbor and gave us great views of the ship and the lagoon that was formed by an ancient volcano. This is yet another earth cache so we did the required items and enjoyed the views.


Back on board we headed up for a final sail away and readied ourselves for dinner. It's become routine!

Cruise 2011 Day 14 - St Lucia

(Ok I lost my hard drive on my laptop so I am writing this on the way home from DFW to SEA)


We awoke to the bustling harbor of  Castries on St Lucia. It was busy as there were no less than four ships moored in the small confined bay. After the usual breakfast meeting we headed out to find our car rental people. The town center was very busy as 2500 plus tourists flooded the small downtown core.


We had to wait a bit but were eventually picked up and driven to a remote rental location at Marigot Bay. Turns out this is one of the most photographed bays in the Caribbean and it was beautiful. Unfortunately my photos are unavailable so I hope Mark & Robyn can help me out. (And they did!!!)


Seeing as we were 30 minutes south of town we decided to continue in that direction and head down the coastline to the sulphur pools at the dormant volcano behind the Petit Peton. These huge land formations are a major attraction and jut high along the coastline. They are easily spotted as we traveled south.





Our travels took us along very windy and steep roads through several fishing villages and towns. First up was the town of L’Anse La Raye and then Cannaries before arriving into the main town of Soufriere. We bought some gas and headed towards the sulphur springs.and the inactive volcano core.



The road occasionally offered fantastic views of the towns (Soufriere here) and the Petit Peton.
































































The sulphur springs are part of an Earth Cache so we where going about completing the cache when we met some fellow cachers from our own ship. We had a short chat and then continued on our way. We then headed back home with several stops for pictures and some shopping.


We also stopped at a roadside stand and picked up some fresh bananas and coconut. It was very tasty and so different from what we get at home. We dropped off the rental and as the girl drove us back towards town,  she gave us a little tour and some local information. She dropped us off at the shopping center by the ship and after a bit of shopping we took a small ferry across the bay to our ship. 


As luck would have it Kelly’s fellow MOA at her work Maria knew our ship’s Captain’s wife and… well through some magic emails we were contacted and offered a spot on the bridge during sail away.  We surprised Mark and Robyn as we waited at the 10 floor elevators. The Captain’s wife Carroll soon arrived and we were escorted to the bridge. This was a real honour for us and we soon met Captain Michel. He made us feel welcome and then proceeded to ready the ship for departure. Carroll gave us the lay of the land and explained the duties of the different crew members and the positions they occupied. Captain Michel showed us the ships controls and how they operated the three bow thrusters and the two propeller Aziopods. These swivelled 360 degrees and provided very accurate control and positioning of the ship.





We stood back as the ship's crew gently backed out of the harbour. It must have looked funny to the ATR 72 crew landing on the local air as one big RCI ship headed out of the harbor and we backed out at the same speed . Then again maybe not as the plane approached between the ships! That would be cool to see from the aircraft flight deck!



We enjoyed the departure procedure and I noticed the crew coordination during the whole process. Several similarities with our aircraft procedures were evident. I took some pictures of what would normally be an approach from a plane… except it was from the bridge as we backed out. We took lots of pictures and spent almost 90 minutes enjoying the views as we went south past the Pitons towards Grenada.



After a short walk on deck (for a liquid refreshment of course ) we headed for the 7pm show  featuring the Mo-Town singing group "Spectrum". They were very good and received a well deserved standing ovation at the end of the show. 


Off to bed after another exhausting day!

Cruise 2011 Day 13 – Antigua

We awoke to our ship slowly making its way through the narrow channel that leads into St John’s harbor.  The island, although not as hilly as some, was lush and green in color. Numerous beaches were in sight as we approached the dock in the downtown core. We moored right at the front of the town site so access to all the amenities is very quick and easy. We grabbed a bite of breakfast and it was off to pick up the car rental. It took a few minutes but soon we were on the road in our Jeep Wrangler. The side windows were removed so the “air conditioning “ was on full blast LOL. It was my turn to drive so I obtained my Antiqua Drivers license and Mark did the map reading. Robyn steered us to the caches from the rear seat as we headed across the island to Nelson’s Dockyard. This famous location was the hub of the British Naval fleet and it’s well guarded harbor gave lots of protection from wind, waves and of course attack.

We headed for Shirley Heights that overlooked the entrance and provided complete views of the ocean and harbor entrance. It was spectacular!

 

Looking down on the harbor where the dockyard is.

Next we headed back to the dockyard were we made our way out to the point that housed the garrison and gunpowder storage. We took some photos and headed to a nearby cache after some easy computations using the cannon as information. Numbers on the cannon transformed into Lat & Long for the GPS.

We got the cache and then headed across to Half Moon Bay and Smiling Harry’s Bar. Both Mark and Robyn visited this island in 2008 and had fond memories of the bar. They have never told me what those memories are though. There was a cache there as well so the stop was a bonus!

 

Harry poses with Kelly and the cache.

Mark then guided us to a well known snorkeling beach at Long Bay. We grabbed some chairs and settled in for some serious R & R. The snorkeling was good and the variety of fish amazing.

 

Long Bay, Antigua

We headed back to the ship as we had to be boarded by 1630 today. The first glimpse of the ship is always comforting at this point in the day! A few stops at the kiosks along the waterfront of course. Yet another amazing, exhausting day for us! I had hoped to grab the laptop and upload pictures but just ran out of time.

A quick snack and we were out on deck for the sail away. The harbor is very narrow but the crew did a great job of maneuvering this huge vessel out as we backed away from the town. We watched numerous large fish jumping and the local sea birds dive into the waters chasing smaller fish.

 

Leaving port.

We went to the 7 PM show featuring a comedy magician and I have to say he was very entertaining. He had us in stitches and the illusions he created amazed everyone. He has been in Vegas for many years and was even on Oprah at one point. Mark remembered seeing him on the show and was impressed then.

After the show we headed downstairs to dinner then I watched Mark have a nice run at the roulette wheel in the Casino. It’s was nice to see someone win LOL

We wandered through the ship and ended up in the Safari Club where a audience participation game called Quest was just getting started. This game pitted teams against one another in a scavenger hunt kind of format. For example the host Mark the cruise entertainment director would ask for a man to be dressed in a bra, lipstick, purse and shoes. Points were awarded on which team could do it the fastest. It was hilarious to watch full grown men get dressed up in a matter of minutes and parade around the floor. Even funnier watching the women offer up the items! I am not talking about one or two men but twenty or so! We laughed a lot as the Quest demands became even funnier. If you’re on a cruise and they play this game just make sure you go and see it for yourself.

After the mayhem ended we headed for bed as we will be up early to plan the day in St. Lucia. This will be our second to last stop on our amazing vacation.  

Cruise 2011 Day 12 – St Croix

Cruise 2011 Day 12 – St Croix

I dragged my butt down to Latte-tudes Barista Bar and had a nice cup of coffee waiting for me. Kelly was already down there with Mark & Robyn when I showed up to publish the Day 11 blog report. They went off to breakfast while I uploaded the last day’s diary and a few pictures. 

We left the ship (at Frederiksted) and after a short walk came upon a Cruzan Rum Lady giving out free samples! As the rum factory was on our list of spots it was a natural to try it. The coconut rum was very nice and reminded me of the rums my dad Roy used to bring home from his trips south.

Next it was off to get the rental car (Jeep Wrangler) and the Avis lady on the island was most helpful. The documentation was completed on the steps of the local pharmacy and we were on our way. The map worked well and we were driving past the rum factory in no time. U-turn and we arrived just as a tour was heading out. Perfect timing!! The girl named Chris gave us a great tour and we got to see right into the huge vats that were fermenting inside an open building. I cannot describe the aroma in any fashion that would do it justice. Let’s just say it smelt wonderful.  We had a look inside a storage building and there was row upon row of 55 gallon rum barrels.  

 

Vats fermenting

We tried to smuggle one out under Mark’s shirt using me as a decoy but she said to put it back…darn! Obviously she has see other Canadians down here!

Pictures of the barrels with a Canadian.

  

Once the tour ended we were treated to a nice rum drink of our choice.  This was a very different tour from the Bacardi Factory but it well worth it. We headed off trying to get some caches and got all turned around in a hilly subdivision. We had planned to go to the east end of the island but made a command decision to head to Cane Bay Beach.

 We arrived to fined a nice stretch of beach with small bars and a restaurant right beside a geo-caches… how convenient!. We grabbed the cache and headed to the beach for some swimming and relaxing. We had a great lunch and then headed up through the rain forest area down to the eastern side of the island.

Lunch at Cane Bat Beach

 We grabbed another cache under a huge Banyan tree on our way back to the shopping area and ship.  

 

 We loitered around the shops and then it was off to the ship to get cleaned up for sail away. We met up at the bow of the ship and enjoyed backing out of the port and the great views.

View from the bow looking back at the rainbow farewell.

We headed to the special reception for return cruisers at 1945 and enjoyed free snacks and drinks. Dinner was in the dinning room at 20:30 on deck 4 this cruise as we were rotated to a different area of the ship. This was a nice change as we had different waiters/helpers and enjoy a much different view.


Happy 75th Birthday to my dad.....wish you were here... I'd buy you a nice drink!

Cruise 2011 Day 11 - St Thomas

We had our usual meeting in the Latitudes coffee shop to discuss our daily plans. Today was going to be a game changer as we decided to shop first then go to the beach! Yes we don’t like to have a set routine you know LOL

We grabbed the rental vehicle quickly as the car was located right beside the terminal. We drove through town and got the lay of the land sort o speak… terminal area, shopping area and on through to the airport. We watch a 757 take off over top of us as the view down the runway was pretty neat.

We headed back into town as the shops were starting to open up. The main shopping district is lined with every kind of jewelry store known to man! It was a shopper’s nirvana and Kelly was in full gear.

After a couple hours Kelly settled on a a particular jewel and bought herself a beautiful ring for her birthday. She was very happy and it was the highlight of the trip for her so far I am sure. Mark and Robyn also found some nice jewelry and I got a shirt.

We jumped into the jeep and headed across the island to Megan’s Bay for some R&R on the beach. The shopping had worn us out and we needed the rest LOL. The drive over was on a windey steep road but Mark handled the driving duties with great expertise! Left hand drive here but you drive on the left…. We will eventually figure out these islands as they are all different!

We stopped and got a couple caches and hit the beach. It was beautiful and probably one of the more crowded beaches we have been to but still plenty of room to relax and swim though.

Back to the ship and some shopping around the terminal to cap off our visit. We hit the top deck for sail away and enjoyed the spectacular view as we departed the harbor. I stopped an internet cafe/bar but sadly the connectivity was worse than the ship. I have hundreds of photos that I would love to share but sadly I will have to wait until I either find a better connection or get home.

Dinner followed at the Italian specialty restaurant Portofino and it was excellent. After we walked the ship to let dinner settle… anyone starting to see a trend here :-)

I even made money in the casino tonight! Whoot!

Cruise 2011 - Day 10 – San Juan

Today was a busy day on the ship as the vast majority of the passengers were disembarking and heading home. We are in the enviable position of getting to stay on the ship for another week and another 5 different island stops! We decided that a quick trip into Old San Juan was in order after the fare to the Bacardi Rum Factory was rather steep. We had a look through the various shops in the old part of town and managed to get a cache that had eluded us the first days in San Juan. After that we headed to a small ferry that took us across the harbor towards the rum factory. It cost 50 cents each and then we hopped on a taxi for a short drive to the factory. The grounds are immaculate and the tour was very informative. We learned all about the history of the company and the source of the bat logo. We even had a chance to sample the rum as everyone received two rum drinks of their choice.

There was a cache near the entrance that we just walked over to and found easily. We then headed back to the ship and hit the buffet. Our Sail Pass and “in transit” papers allowed a quick and easy return to the ship.

The buffet had a beautiful fruit animal themed carvings

Nap time! Yeah it’s been a tough day!

We then headed up for some games at the Schooner Bar as we awaited the safety briefing to begin. Once that was over it was off to Chops Grill as they offered a two for one dinner upgrade… which we could not refuse. The dinner was fantastic and the service unforgettable. We left completely satisfied and headed to the shops and casino area for some fun and to walk off the meal.

Tomorrow we go to St Thomas and Meagan’s Bay for snorkeling… should be fun!

Cruise 2011 - Day 9 Cruising

We got up and headed for coffee and our morning internet fix. I uploaded the last days blog for Barbados and Kelly checked out her Facebook page. She received a bunch of birthday wishes from her Facebook friends and enjoyed reading them all.

Next stop was the Galley Tour and lunch at Chops Grill. This is an add on to our trip and for $30 we received a 45 minute tour of the various areas that customers are not permitted. In fact I saw a sign that said any employee bringing guests in would be subject to termination by the Master! (We had permission of course)

Ice sculpture that greeted us at our brunch. The tour took us up and down several levels and we saw the desert prep areas, bakery, appetizers prep and main cooking areas. We even watched as someone’s special order was prepared. It was very interesting to see it all and it was spotless. Stainless steel everywhere and it sparkled. After the tour we were treated to a small personnel buffet in Chops Grille. This was not your ordinary buffet as it featured tenderloin steak, lamb chops, pork chops, steaks & eggs, proscuitto wrapped asparagus, seafood kabobs, baked salmon, cheese plates, cold meats… it was fantastic. Of course they included as much Mimosa drinks that you wanted. Definitely worth every penny!

Here is a picture of Kelly's plate.

After the galley tour & brunch we headed upstairs to the Vortex Night Club facility as they held a special meeting for us “Continuous Cruisers”. We felt special LOL. They provided information on how we go on and off the ship in Puerto Rico as well as ideas for excursions on the next week’s cruise.

It was then off to the pool area where the belly flop contest was held. The 400 lb American easily one with huge pool emptying flops… it was hilarious!

We found some chairs at the front of the ship and enjoyed some music that a group had brought along. The day slowly past by and we relaxed with numerous specialty drinks in order to maintain proper fluid levels in the warm sunshine.

We also found access to the front of the ship where Kelly did Lauren's pose.

Dinner was once again fantastic as both Kelly and I had the Lamb Shank. I believe it’s possible that I will commit lambicide on this trip LOL

We shopped a bit after dinner and then after a walk about retired for the evening after a stop at the main bar to enjoy some music and dancing.