We’re Still On Hiatus, But …

Monday, 20 February

… you can go on a virtual cruise if you please.

In December 2007, we decided to exchange the wintry conditions of the DC area for warm, tropical breezes and plenty of sunshine.  Our itinerary aboard the Coral Princess took us on a round-trip cruise out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Oranjestad, Aruba … Cartagena, Colombia … Panama Canal … Limon, Costa Rica … Ocho Rios, Jamaica — these were our ports of call.  We swam in Aruba and Jamaica; we explored the historic walled city of Cartagena; we communed with nature and wildlife in Costa Rica.  And, even though we’d traversed the length of the Canal on a previous voyage, we were up at daybreak to enjoy every minute of our partial transit on this cruise — from the ship, as well as from land.

The cruise pre-dates our blog, so there are no words to tell the story of our ‘fun in the sun’.  But you can see and experience what we saw through the videos Mui recently finished editing.

We’ve organized the clips into an album to make it easier to find them all in one place.  Click here to go to the Coral Princess 2007 album.  Once you get there, you can click on any thumbnail to view the video.  And when you’re finished with a clip, you can select another one by scrolling through the sidebar on the right side of the screen.

If you’d like to continue your virtual cruise with some still images as well, my online galleries are here.

Bon Voyage!

Video: PreCruise in Fort Lauderdale

4-5 December

Here's our pre-cruise stay in Fort Lauderdale from Mui's point of view (with a few still shots from my camera sprinkled throughout) ...

Next Up ... Embarking Grand Princess

Back Home from the Cruise

Saturday — December 12

The cruise is over and we’re home. We’ve been busy since pulling into the driveway — our bags are unpacked, things are put away. I’ve already started a load of laundry and there’s another pile to go. Mui's gone grocery shopping. In other words, the post-cruise routine is well underway.

It was still pitch dark when we woke up this morning. Very few people were out and about when we went down to the Palm Springs Café for breakfast. We watched the lights on shore go by as we ate our meal. Slowly, people started to stream in; everyone was dressed for the cold winter day. All too soon the Cruise Maryland terminal was in sight and it was time to vacate CC1200, our home away from home for the past 12 days.

When we returned to the cabin to collect our carry-on bags, we stepped out on the veranda to see just how much snow there was on the ground. None! Great; we wouldn’t have to dig the car out in order to drive home. On the dock, the pace was already picking up — the covered gangway was being swung in place; luggage was being off-loaded from the ship; pallet upon pallet of provisions were being placed at the ready for the next cruise.

Rank — in this case, being Captain’s Club Select members — has its privileges. One of those privileges is early debarkation. The letter we had received from Celebrity called for us to be in the Celebrity Theater at 7:45a. It turns out that there was quite a bit of delay and our group wasn’t called to the gangway until 8:30a. No biggie; I read my book while Mui chatted with some fellow passengers. The time certainly passed quickly.

Once the announcement was made that we could disembark, things moved quickly. We made our way through Immigration without too much delay; found our bags in the right pile in the claim area; handed our customs form to the agent near the exit; and hauled everything off to the car. By 9:00a, we were on the freeway; by 10:00a, we were home.

Celebrity Mercury is visible from the freeway in Baltimore.
(photo courtesy of CruiseCritic poster, Radio)

Winter cruising out of Baltimore is an incredible convenience for us, especially since we don’t mind if there’s some cold weather at the beginning and the end of the cruise. We had a very nice break from the winter blahs and we’re tempted to book the same cruise for next year. That said, we’ll have to wait and see if we can fit it into our 2010 vacation schedule.

From Hot to Cold — Three Days at Sea

Friday — December 11

Our bags are packed, tagged “Red 4,” and placed outside the cabin door. Today’s cold temps — it was 47F (8C) at noon — served as an incentive to get this end-of-the-cruise chore out of the way early in the day. Now, I have a bit of time before dinner to catch up on the blog.

Though the brisk wind made it way too cold to sit on the veranda today, that wasn’t the case the past two days. The weather was hot the first day out from Sint Maarten; balmy the second day. It wasn’t until late afternoon yesterday that the temperature started to dip and the ship’s motion became far more evident than it had been at any other time during the cruise.

Our first two days at sea after our last port call followed the same pattern as our last two days at sea before our first port call. We were up around 6:30a; did our laps on the jogging trail on the Sky Deck; ate a leisurely breakfast; spent pretty much the rest of the day on the veranda. Plenty of reading; some embroidery; some blogging; a few crossword puzzles — the days flew by.

First my feet, then me.

Mui takes advantage of the hot temps to take a dip in the pool.

We woke up to overcast skies this morning, but the clouds glowed as the sun rose to the aft of the ship. The pink glow didn’t last long. I didn’t need to step out on the veranda to gauge the temperature — the day just looked cold and dismal. And so it has been.

After breakfast, we bundled into our layers and went for a walk on the Promenade Deck. It wasn’t easy to do. Not only is the bow off-limits on this ship, but to go around the aft, you have to go up a set of stairs from deck 6 to deck 7 and then go back down again on the other side; a “u” instead of a full circle. To make things even more difficult, the staircase back down to deck 6 was cordoned off to swab one side of the Promenade Deck with soapy water. Oh well; we walked a bit and then found a couple of chairs from which to enjoy the seascape. We had the entire Promenade Deck to ourselves. I’m sure the few people who stepped out for a few seconds thought we were crazy. But sheltered from the wind, we were actually very comfortable.

After lunch, which was a cross between having our main course in the dining room and our dessert in the Palm Springs Café, we finished our packing before going to the cinema to catch the matinee show. Today’s feature film was Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise as Von Stauffenberg, the Wehrmacht colonel who was one of the key players in a plot to assassinate Hitler. Spending the afternoon at the movies was a perfect pastime on a cold winter day at sea — all we were missing was the popcorn!

More later …

... Later — 10:00p

When we left the islands behind, we also left our al fresco dinners on the veranda behind and went back to eating in the dining room. We even dressed up last night and went to the formal night dinner instead of taking advantage of the casual dining venue in the Palm Springs Café. Tonight we ate our last meal in the Manhattan Restaurant — at least for this cruise —and said our goodbyes to Cesar and Gunowry.

Menus for our last three dinners in the Manhattan Restaurant.

We brought our evening to a close with a walk around the ship. It was pretty quiet in the lounges and the shops. There were a lot of bags out in the hallways, waiting to be whisked away to the bowels of the ship. All signs of our impending debarkation tomorrow. I guess all good things must come to an end; a cruise is no exception. The weather forecasts these past few days have mentioned snow in the Mid-Atlantic region. Let’s hope we don’t have to dig our car out at the cruise terminal tomorrow.

Next Up: Back Home from the Cruise

Dock in Sint Maarten; Play in Saint Martin

Tuesday— December 8

I’ve been chased off the veranda by the crew that is power-washing the Sunrise Deck above us. With three days at sea ahead of us, I guess it’s time to get rid of all the sand that’s been tracked in off the islands. Since I can’t enjoy being outside, I might as well put this time to good use and write about our day visiting Sint Maarten / Saint Martin, the world’s smallest landmass owned by two countries.

Google Earth image of the island nation that lives peacefully under two flags.

We were already on the open deck above the bridge when Mercury came into Philipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side of the island — Sint Maarten. For once, we weren’t first in port; we docked behind “Mein Schiff” (my ship). The paint scheme screamed “party ship,” but there were enough clues to easily identify it as a former Celebrity ship — the Galaxy — sister ship to Mercury, which we sailed out of Baltimore in 2003 ... great memories.

P&O’s Artemis (left) and TUI's Mein Schiff in Sint Maarten.

We’re told that they are dredging the bay so that Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas can call on Sint Maarten.

Our first time in Sint Maarten was in 2003 when we visited the island at the end of a TransAtlantic cruise on Celebrity’s Millennium. Mom was with us on that trip. We wandered around downtown Philipsburg; went on a private tour that included the French side of the island; trekked up 90-steps to Fort Louis; and had lunch at Kakao Beach (Orient Bay). It was a very busy day.

A “mom and I visited Fort Louis” photo op.
(flashback to our 2003 port call on Celebrity’s Millennium)

We had different plans for today. They didn’t work out exactly as expected, but we had a great day nonetheless.

We’d reserved a rental car, but decided at the last moment that we weren’t in the mood to tackle either the island’s narrow, curvy roads or the work-day traffic. Instead, we walked into downtown Philipsburg to get the day rolling.

It was nice to see all the infrastructure improvements since 2003. Back then, we’d walked along a trash-strewn road leading out from the port and somehow found our way downtown via Great Bay Beach. If there was a boardwalk, we didn’t notice it. This time, we followed a sidewalk leading from the port towards downtown and cut through a quaint shopping village that brought us to the waterfront boardwalk next to the beach. Very nice indeed.

Scene from the Boardwalk in Philipsburg.

Great Bay Beach fronts the Boardwalk.

Once we reached downtown proper, we took a cab to Grand Case in Saint Martin, the French side of the island. Our plan was to spend the day at the beach and grab a bite to eat at a LoLo (locally owned/locally operated seafood shack). That plan failed miserably. The cabbie either played dumb — not sure what he got out of it, if that was the case — or was just plain clueless. The Grand Case beach he took us to was not a place where we would have wanted to spend the day. The entire town seemed deserted and left us feeling a bit uncomfortable, so we went to Plan B and asked the cabbie to drive us to Orient Bay — a safe bet for sure. Soon we were walking on a beautiful, white-sand beach with the surf washing our feet.

A beautiful day in Orient Bay.

We strolled first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, trying to pick a beach bar/restaurant for our day of fun in the sun and surf. In the end, we decided on Kakao Beach — yes, the same one we visited in 2003.

Welcome back to Kakao Beach.

As the hour was early we had no problems finding a pair of front row chaise lounges. Heeding the proprietor’s warning to leave the umbrella angled the way he had set it up so that it wouldn't blow away, we arranged our chairs and settled down to enjoy the beach. The surf was strong, the breeze constant, the scenery beautiful.

A picture perfect day at Orient Bay.

We relaxed; we laughed; we chatted. We watched people strolling up and down the length of the beach, some in bathing suits, others in their birthday suits!!! (We weren’t bothered by the topless women who strolled by occasionally, nor by the men who flaunted their cheeks and sometimes a bit more!!!) We watched the kite-surfers perform their acrobatics, amazed by their agility and daring. We played in the surf (can’t call it swimming) when the mood struck us. When the noon hour came around, we sated our growling tummies with grilled shrimp and a couple of paninis (turned out to be so big that we could have easily shared one!!!) served on the beach by our waiter from Australia; and we washed it all down with ice cold local brews. A perfect beach day, wouldn't you agree?

As usual, there were vendors hawking their wares. We said a polite no thank you whenever they approached us and they moved on quickly. If the hawking got out of hand — as it did in one instance when two vendors got into a catfight a few chairs down from where we were seated — the proprietor quickly took care of the problem.

Around 2:00p, we called it a day. As luck would have it, there was another couple going back to the ship, so we shared a taxi with them, paying only $7/person for the return fare. After a quick peek in the duty-free store and a few minutes watching a costumed group dancing in the courtyard, we embarked the ship. No need to tell you where we spent the afternoon! Some wine; some snacks — before we knew it our scheduled departure time was at hand.

We watch as fuel is bunkered for the return leg of our cruise.

Although Mercury was scheduled to depart first, we were nearly 30 minutes late in casting off our lines. In fact, we’ve been a bit late leaving each port; not that we're complaining. Yesterday, we were delayed because we were waiting on late-arriving passengers (maybe crew or entertainment staff). It turns out that today we were waiting on an ambulance to transport an ailing passenger. The patient was ambulatory; we hope it wasn’t a serious ailment.

Eventually, we left Sint Maarten behind and sailed into the sunset.

Another beautiful sunset sees us off from our last port call.

Today was our first completely rain free day in port since we left St Thomas five days ago. We have 1,496 nautical miles (~1,721 miles/2,771 km) and three blissful days at sea before we reach Baltimore. I wonder what kind of weather is ahead of us? Cold temps eventually, but hopefully we won’t have any wet stuff — rain or otherwise.

Next Up: From Hot to Cold — Three Days at Sea

Sint Maarten / Saint Martin

Philipsburg, St Maarten — from Celebrity Today

The island of Sint Maarten or Saint Martin – only 37 square miles [~96 sq km] in size – is the smallest land mass in the world to be shared by two different nations. It is owned by both France and the Netherlands Antilles, thanks to a treaty signed over 350 years ago.

With the Concordia Agreement (1648), the Dutch and the French agreed that residents of either side of the island can be commercially active on the other side without any red tape or border difficulties. This contract of peaceful coexistence turns out to be the oldest active, undisputed treaty on our planet. The friendly partition of Sint Maarten/St Martin remains to this day and the separate life-styles – charming vignettes of their respective homelands – coexist in complete contrast but perfect harmony.

The southern half (actually slightly less than half: 16 square miles [~41 sq km]) is Sint Maarten (sint mare-ten), ruled by the Dutch, and the northern 21-square mile [~54 sq km] area is Saint Martin (san mar-tan), the French side. The main towns are Philipsburg (Dutch side) and Marigot (French side). The island has a total resident population of approximately 85,000. The official population on the Dutch side is about 50,000 while on the French side it is roughly 35,000.

The French territory covers about two thirds of the island and is technically a part of Europe and the European Community. The Dutch side is a member island of the Netherlands Antilles and part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but not considered European territory. There is no real border, just modest monuments and signs.

Though Dutch is the official language of Sint Maarten, and French of St Martin, English is widely spoken throughout the island, but more prevalently on the Dutch side. The oft-heard Caribbean patois is Papiamento, a mixture of Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, English, and native Indian. It is spoken primarily on the south side.

Next Up: What We Did in Sint Maarten/Saint Martin

Great Bird Island — Eco-Tour and Snorkeling in Antigua

Monday — December 7

We had a very pleasant dinner on the veranda a bit earlier — I’m really going to miss dining al fresco when we begin return final leg of the cruise to Baltimore and the nights grow chilly once again.

The ship’s daily bulletin promised a “stunningly visual and intensely daring acrobatic performance” tonight, so Mui’s gone to check out “Duo Velikovi” in the Celebrity Theater. No need to ask my whereabouts, of course. I’m getting my nightly veranda fix as I write about our day in Antigua, one of the two islands that makes up the nation of Antigua and Barbuda.

As you can tell from the name of the island, we didn’t visit a “saint” today. No worries; we’re only about 91 nautical miles (~105 miles/169 km) from the one we’ll be visiting tomorrow.

This Google Earth map shows where we docked in St John’s and where we played at Great Bird Island.

Our day started with a beautiful sunrise that made the clouds look like they were on fire. We grabbed some food from the Palm Springs Café and settled on the veranda for breakfast. We were still enjoying our morning meal when the colorful houses that dot the Antiguan coastline came into view. A couple of raindrops fell while we were watching the passing scenery, but there wasn’t enough liquid sunshine to warrant going inside. An added bonus from the brief shower (if you can call it that) — a complete rainbow that spanned the entrance to the harbor. I’m afraid we didn’t find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but this time I had my camera handy!

From a beautiful sunrise to a colorful rainbow.

Our first visit to Antigua was on Celebrity’s Infinity in 2002. Back then, we wandered around St John’s and did an off-road jeep safari that concluded at one of the 365 beaches the island lays claim to. I suppose we could have just gone to another one of those beaches today, but instead we went on an eco-tour with snorkeling as a bonus.

We disembarked Mercury around 8:45a and used the spare hour before we had to meet our tour operator to photograph Mercury and our companion from yesterday — Ocean Village — which had docked right on our heels. By the time we found our way to a perfect vantage point, a third ship was pulling in — Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas.

Left to Right: Mercury, Explorer of the Seas, and Ocean Village.

The slight breeze that was keeping the waterfront temps comfortable was non-existent just a few steps inland. Giving up on the idea of wandering around downtown, we headed to the designated meeting spot on the Redcliffe Quay. As it turns out, that was a good thing. The Adventure Antigua crew arrived at the dock about 20 minutes early and we were able to get a head start on our water adventure.

Our catamaran transport is dwarfed by Mercury.

We were joined on the power-cat by just one other couple from our ship and soon we were off to pick up guests from nearby resorts. The couple at the first resort did not show; two couples and three young Jamaican women boarded at Sandals. With so few people aboard, we had ample space on the 52-foot (~16 m) power-cat — nice for us, but not so good for the tour operator. Four people opted for the front deck, leaving the rest of us to spread out around the covered portion of the boat where we had plenty of protection from the hot Caribbean sun. The extra space was especially handy when we encountered a few squalls along the way. Rather than try and outrun the brief showers, the skipper slowed down each time and let the squall pass us. None of us minded the occasional sprinkles as they had a nice cooling effect.

That’s a lot of boat for just 11 passengers.

The ride out was quite bumpy but thanks to the protection of the barrier reef, it didn’t get too rough. By the time we reached Long Island, where we stopped for a few minutes to check out the luxury houses lining the shoreline, we were in calm waters.

Long Island, Jumby Bay Resort — way too rich for our wallet!

En route to our destination, we made a couple of stops where the skipper and his mate explained a bit about the ecology of the area. The channel of red mangrove we sailed into was especially interesting. Here the mangroves had filtered the water to amazing clarity and it was possible to see the bottom without difficulty.

When we reached Great Bird Island, we collected our water shoes from the mate (no shoes allowed while on the boat) and used the steps at the bow to disembark into ankle-deep water. Following a narrow trail, we went on a nature walk that culminated on top of the island. I have to admit to a bit of disappointment here — there were no birds to see whatsoever; apparently we hit the island at the wrong time of the year. (Glad I didn’t tote my long lens on this adventure.) Mui did see the “Antiguan Racer,” a harmless snake that can only be seen in the wild on this island. Not sorry I missed that encounter — snakes give me the willies, harmless or otherwise

On the upside, we had beautiful views to enjoy from the summit.

The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful.

And we were able to catch a glimpse of what would be our second island stop of the day, Hell’s Gate.

This Google Earth image shows Hell’s Gate in relation to Great Bird Island.

After our short trek, we returned to the catamaran for a swim break, followed by lunch onboard — pasta salad, green salad, barbecue chicken, plantains, and banana bread (for dessert). All very fresh and yummy.

Mui never says no to a dip in the warm Caribbean waters.

Then we were was off to Hell’s Gate Island for snorkeling and a look-see at the portal carved out of the cliff. Had the skipper been able to pull closer to shore, I probably would have done the short trek on the island, but we were a bit too far offshore for my comfort. So, I stayed aboard, sitting on the aft ramp to dangle my feet in the water while I enjoyed the scenery. Mui swam over to take a peek at the rock portal and then went off to do some snorkeling.

Mui heads over to Hell’s Gate Island.

Mother Nature has the power to carve a portal out of solid rock.

After a while, we moved onto the second snorkel spot where the proximity to the barrier reef provided calmer conditions for the snorkelers. Unfortunately, as seems to be the case at a lot of snorkeling sites around the Caribbean, a great deal of the coral at both spots was dead, although Mui did see indications of a comeback and there were some colorful fish to enjoy. His rating (compared against Sapphire Beach on St Thomas) — “C” — on par with Buck Island in St Croix, but not as good as Trunk Bay in St John on this cruise.

The second snorkeling stop was cut short by a fast moving squall. By then, however, it was time to head back to St John’s anyway, so no one missed out on their time in the water by much. The skipper slowed down to let the squall pass us, and once we were in the clear, we enjoyed a nice cruise back to St John’s.

We were back aboard Mercury by 4:15p, well before the 5:00p sail away. As it turns out, it was rush hour for cruise ships — not that three ships cause too much of a traffic jam, but the narrow entrance to the bay did mean that we had to wait our turn to maneuver away from the dock.

The ships left in reverse order of this morning’s arrival, putting Mercury in last place. The passengers on Ocean Village were all out on the open decks again, waving British flags provided by the ship’s staff. With their sail away party in full swing, they gave Explorer of the Seas a royal send off. Then, as Ocean Village started to maneuver away, the passengers did the “wave” to wish us bon voyage. Quite a sight it was — a “wave” the length of the ship! I’m afraid the response from Mercury was pretty lackluster, but the few of us who were on the open deck above the bridge did our best to reciprocate by waving our goodbyes.

Then, it was our turn to leave Antigua behind. With three toots of the ship’s horn, Mercury maneuvered out of the harbor and turned towards our last port call.

Next Up: Sint Maarten / Saint Martin

Antigua

St John's, Antigua — from Celebrity Today

There’s a grace and elegance to the capital of Antigua that immediately makes visitors feel at home. Perhaps that’s because this city of 31,000 brings such a well rounded menu of things to see and do. Pulling into port, it’s hard to miss the welcoming spires of St John’s Cathedral, twice destroyed by earthquakes (in 1683 and 1745) but since then a rebuilt masterpiece and a testament to the fortitude of this island nation.

It’s a leisurely trip from Heritage and Redcliffe quays to the heart of the city, home to a series of shops, cafes, and bars. On the southern side of town there’s also a lively farmers’ market worth exploring for its crafts and local produce. St John's also comes with a considerable arts and culture, for which the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, located in the heart of town, provides a good jumping-off point with its combo of history, heritage and environmental awareness. And with delightful weather year-round, there’s no end to outdoor activities, from tennis and cycling to fishing, sailing and the occasional cricket match.

Brief History

Christopher Columbus “discovered” Antigua in 1493, but it took more than another century for the island to actually have a permanent colony. Sugar cane became the dominant force, with the first sugar plantation established in 1674. Even after emancipation in 1834, local residents had limited control over their economic freedom until 1939 and the advent of the island’s trade union movement. Today, St John's is the epitome of Caribbean cosmopolitan, a home to high fashion, fine dining and the good life.

Next Up: What We Did in Antigua

A Pig, a Monkey, and a Goat — All Part of Our St Kitts Beach Experience

Sunday — December 6

Dinner is over and Mui’s gone to check out tonight’s production show in the Celebrity Theater. That Mercury is going through occasional squalls isn’t stopping me from enjoying the veranda as I write today’s blog entry; the overhang is just wide enough to cover the length of the chaise lounge. We have 117 nautical miles (~135 miles/217 km) to travel before we reach our next port. Plenty of time to write about our day in St Kitts.

St Kitts is one of two islands that makes up the Federation of St Christopher and Nevis.

We were up at our usual early hour this morning. The veranda was again wet from overnight showers. I started to wipe down the furniture so we could eat on the veranda, but another passing shower had us seeking out our alternative spot on the open deck aft of the Palm Springs Pool instead. By the time we were finished with breakfast, Mercury was dockside in Basseterre, St Kitts.

The cruise ship terminal is conveniently located to downtown Basseterre.

At the industrial pier across the bay, Silversea’s Silver Cloud was gleaming white as a ray of sunshine found an opening in the clouds and spotlighted the ship for all to see. Later, when we went on deck to photograph the port, we found Ocean Village docked to our portside. This is the most number of ships with which we’ve shared a port thus far on this cruise.

Mercury shares the dock with Ocean Village.

This was our second visit to St Kitts; the first time was in 2004 (a cruise on Holland America’s Maasdam). Then, we visited Caribelle Batik, explored Brimstone Hill Fortress, and drove around the island in the company of a guide.

Brimstone Hill Fortress
(flashback to our St Kitts port call in 2004)

This time, we just wanted to have a beach day. We’d already researched beach options, but had no set plans when we disembarked the ship around 8:30a. Walking through the gate into the port facility, we checked out the dispatch map and settled on Reggae Beach at Cockleshell Bay, located at the tip of the Southeast Peninsula. Finding a cab to take us to the beach was not a problem and soon we were on the road with Austin at the wheel.

An impish green monkey running around, sipping from half empty plastic glasses — this was the scene that greeted us on arrival at the beach. “At least it’s not terrorizing the poor goat,” Austin said as he walked us to the strip of sand that stretched along the edge of the calm, aqua colored water. No sooner were the words out of his mouth that the monkey was running after the goat, pulling its tail, and jumping on its back to ride it like a demented cowboy. It was hilarious to watch. You want to see too? Click here to view a clip from the video Mui shot.

Then the monkey switched its attention to the few humans on the beach — that would be us!!! A monkey with a leg fetish? No other way to describe the animal. It didn’t matter if the legs were hairy or smooth, he was right there, trying to wrap himself around whichever leg happened to be within reach.

At this point, we started questioning our decision to come to this beach. After all, we didn’t want to spend our day shooing away a monkey that was probably a pickpocket as well. Luckily, we didn’t have to ask Austin to take us elsewhere — a staff member put both the goat and the monkey back in their pen and peace reigned once more. That Wilbur, the pig, was left out was a non-issue — he showed no inclination to move his considerable mass from the shade and snoozed in the parking lot the entire time we were there.

With the critters penned up, we turned our attention to finding the perfect spot to settle down for a day of fun in the sun and surf (pond-calm, really). In hindsight, had we arrived later, we would not have witnessed the chaos, so a word to the wise, come later in the morning if you don't want to have a monkey encounter!

Reggae Beach at Cockleshell Bay

As we were one of only two couples at the beach, we had our pick of chairs and umbrellas, and found a nice spot at the edge of the water — cost: $5/chair and $5 for an umbrella.

Plenty of chairs and umbrellas available at 9:30 in the morning.

We spent a very relaxing day. The water was calm and inviting; the scenery across the bay was pleasant; the constant light breeze kept the hot temperature tolerable. The beach is popular with cruise ship passengers, but the narrow strip of sand did not get too crowded today. Good for us; but not so good for the proprietor, of course. (Note of caution: there were a couple of women sunbathing and swimming topless, so if you are easily offended by nudity, this might not be the right beach for you.) Vendors hawking trinkets and massages (using aloe fresh from the thick, fleshy stalks they carried around with them) came by frequently, but once we said “no thank you,” they moved on to sell their services to others, leaving us to enjoy our beach experience in peace. Oh, and yes, there was a guy that came around offering photo ops with a "diapered monkey." Didn't take him up on the offer!

View of the boat pier from our spot on the beach.

Far side of Cockleshell Bay from the boat pier.

We were well attended to by Maria, a waitress from the Ukraine. She was friendly and efficient, and started a tab for us when we ordered our first round of beverages. When we ordered lunch, she brought it out to us where we were lounging on the beach. Mui had the grilled Mahi Mahi and I had the Tiger Shrimp Kabobs — both were good.

As arranged, Austin was back at 2:00p to return us to the ship. Along the way, he made a couple of stops at scenic overlooks, giving us an opportunity to take photos of the beautiful Caribbean scenery.

Scenery on the way back to Basseterre.

Friars Bay from the top of the Southeast Peninsula Road on Sir Timothy's Hill.
(Friars Bay Salt Ponds are on the right side of the photo)

Back in Basseterre, we asked Austin to drop us off at “The Circus” — not the three-ring kind with clowns, elephants, and tightrope walkers, but rather a roundabout modeled after London’s Piccadilly Circus.

The Circus is a nod to the island’s British heritage — complete with a red phone booth, no less.

It was too hot to wander around downtown, however, so after a quick photo op, we returned to the ship.

My selection of a starboard cabin has been very advantageous on this cruise. We’ve been getting the sun in the morning while we’re out and about. By the time we return to the ship, the veranda is in the shade — perfect for a veranda-bird like me. Speaking of birds, we had company this afternoon — magnificent frigatebirds and brown boobies flying overhead.

Left: Magnificent Frigatebird; Right: Brown Booby

We enjoyed the solitude of our veranda through the afternoon tea time. When Ocean Village tooted its horn in salute to St Kitts, we went up to the Sunrise Deck to see the ship off. From our vantage point, it looked like the entire passenger complement was lined up on the open decks (very few balconies on the ship). Enthusiastically waving goodbye to us, they seemed to be enjoying the Caribbean tunes “our” band was playing.

Ocean Village departs from St Kitts.

We stayed on deck long enough to watch St Kitts recede away as Mercury followed suit and sailed into the sunset.

Farewell St Kitts!

On that note, it’s time to quit blogging and go for a walk on the Promenade Deck. Tomorrow is another day; another port!

Next Up: Antigua

St Kitts

Basseterre, St Kitts — from Celebrity Today

With dormant volcanoes, pink beaches and gorgeous green hills, St Kitts is a beautiful backdrop to any Caribbean adventure. Founded in 1623 by both the French and the British, the island’s deep colonial history is reflected in the abandoned fortresses, as well as its landscaped gardens, city squares and architectural details.

Basseterre (not to be confused with Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe) is the capital of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies. Situated against the irresistible setting of St Kitts’ emerald green hills and punctuated by elegant Georgian architecture, Basseterre is one of the best of the Caribbean’s small capitals.

Brief History

Basseterre was founded by the French in 1627 and served as capital of the French colony of St Christophe, which consisted of the northern and southern extremities of the island of St Kitts (the center belonged to England). In 1639, the town turned into a large, successful port, commanding Eastern Caribbean trade and colonization. It was then that Basseterre became the capital of the entire French West Indies colony, which included the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.

The city was made capital of the entire island of St Kitts in 1727, following French expulsion from the island and full British control. St Kitts became a British colony shortly after America gained its independence from Great Britain, and it gained its own independence as the Federation of St Christopher and Nevis in 1983. It remains a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth and still holds on to its British roots.

Next Up: What We Did in St Kitts

Buck Island — Off-Boat Snorkeling in St Croix

Saturday — December 5

We’re back at sea again, with 147 nautical miles (~169 miles/272 km) to sail before we reach our next port of call.

At the moment, there’s a barbecue dinner being served on the Resort Deck — complete with lamb being grilled on the spit. The band is playing Caribbean tunes, but the music is not so loud as to be overwhelming. Celebrity has gone all out — they’ve even placed tables on the Sky Deck so that there’s plenty of seating for everyone interested in partaking of the BBQ. But I’m not out there; I’m on the veranda, enjoying the dinner party from afar and saving my energy for when things really start to “sizzle” later with a tropical deck party.

Mui wades into the crowd to get us our share of the barbecue dinner.

But all that’s the here and now. How about earlier?

We docked in Frederiksted; we took the boat to Buck Island in Christiansted.

The table and chairs on the veranda were wet from overnight showers when I stepped out around 6:30a. So, we dined on the open deck just off the Palm Springs Pool where the crew had already wiped off the furniture. Bonus — a nearly-complete rainbow. (Reminder to self: always take the camera with you when you leave the cabin!)

It didn’t take long for the skies to clear. By the time we were docked in Frederiksted around 8:00a, the sun was blazing. Despite a few showers throughout the morning that lasted less than 5 minutes each time, we had a sunny and hot day for our port visit. Thankfully there was a breeze to keep us from getting overheated.

Frederiksted, the site of the emancipation of slaves in the then-Danish West Indies, is nicknamed “Freedom City.”

Normally, we don’t book shore excursions through the ship. Since Mercury was scheduled to arrive in Frederiksted at 8:00a, and the Buck Island snorkeling excursions departed from Christiansted (a 40-minute drive), we made an exception this time. As it turns out, this was a good thing and a bad thing.

The good: we didn’t miss the boat to Buck Island — the private excursion we had initially looked into was scheduled to sail at 9:00a; we were still making our way into Christiansted at that hour.

The bad: (1) there were at least 30 (if not more) people on a 42-foot (~13 m) boat; there was no room to move around for the 35 minutes or so it took us to get to the snorkeling site. (2) Unlike the private tour we’d looked into, there was no landing on the island. That said, we didn’t let the cons ruin the outing for us.

Our transport to Buck Island.

The drive to Christiansted was on a paved highway and went smoothly. Along the way, we got to see a bit of the interior of the island. The captain and his crew greeted us warmly and escorted us to the “Betty Ann,” which was docked just a short distance away. Soon, we were making our way out of the harbor.

See you later Christiansted!

The water was very choppy (normal for this time of the year from what I understand). Quite a few people looked a little green around the gills, but everyone survived the ride. On the way there, the captain told us a bit about Buck Island, which was proclaimed a National Monument by President John F. Kennedy in 1962. It is one of three underwater trails in the US. Unfortunately, the reefs, which were formed within the past 7,000 years, have been hard hit in the past several decades. The good news is that the reef is making a comeback, but it is a very slow process.

Buck Island is 1½ miles offshore from Christiansted.

Once we arrived at our anchorage, the snorkelers put the discomfort of the choppy ride behind them and took the plunge. With crew members guiding them, they explored the underwater trail. Some returned rather quickly (at least one person got seasick while snorkeling — that gives you an idea of the conditions). Others stayed in as long as they could, striking out on their own to see more of the coral and the colorful fish.

Off to explore the reef.

I stayed on board to read while Mui snorkeled. I didn’t make much headway with my book, however. The boat was bobbing just a bit too much, so I thought it wise to keep my eye on the horizon instead.

After about an hour, the snorkelers were recalled and the crew broke out the rum punch. We stuck to sodas, so I can’t comment on the punch from firsthand experience, but I did hear a few people say that it left a lot to be desired.

Mui’s rating of the snorkeling at Buck Island — “C.” The score is driven by the choppy water and the condition of the coral. Also, the guides need to consider the direction of the light to improve visibility when they are taking people around the reef; Mui had a better experience when he struck out on his own and kept the sun behind him.

The trip back to Christiansted was more pleasant than the one to Buck Island. For one thing, I was in the shade. For another, the following seas made the ride smoother. I was able to really enjoy the cooling breezes and the beautiful aqua colors stretching out to the horizon.

The water is a gorgeous color.

Bonus — three dolphins that accompanied us part of the way. They swam underwater most of the time — no acrobatic moves — their bodies plainly visible thanks to the clarity of the water. Then, just as they veered off from our course, all three surfaced at the same time to give us a perfect send off. It would have been a great photo op, but I had the camera tucked away in a waterproof bag. We’ll have to be satisfied with the image recorded in our brain cells.

Scenery from the boat dock in Christiansted.

On shore, we had a 15-20 minute wait for the transport back to the ship. This gave us an opportunity to capture images of the fort and its attendant custom house and scale house, all of which are part of the Christiansted National Historic Site. The park was established to (1) preserve the historic structures and grounds; and (2) to interpret the Danish economy and way of life between 1733 and 1917. Of the buildings, Fort Christiansvaern, built in 1738, is the oldest. The Custom House was built more than 100 years later (in 1844) and the Scale House, which serves as the visitor center and bookstore now, was built in 1856. Next time we find ourselves in St Croix, I think I’ll leave Mui to go snorkeling and I’ll step back into history and explore the park instead.

Fort Christiansvaern

Danish Custom House

The return drive was uneventful. Back in Frederiksted, we asked the driver to let us out just outside the entrance to the port. It was hot, hot, hot by then. Seeking shade where we could find it, we walked along the waterfront promenade and took photos of Mercury that we knew would be reminiscent of those we took of Infinity in 2002 (our first-ever cruise to the Caribbean).

”Mercury” at the long dock in Frederiksted.

We then took a quick stroll through the small crafts market near the entrance to the port, but nothing struck our fancy. Just as we were about to turn into the secure port area, we spied a beach on the far side of Fort Frederiksted. In the afternoon heat, the water looked very inviting, so we joined the few people who were taking a dip in the pond-calm sea. Very nice indeed.

Fort Frederiksted Beach is named for …

... none other than the fort, which was built to protect the island from pirates.

We were back in our cabin around 3:00p — in time for a late lunch on the veranda. Then, we took care of the post-beach chores …

A veranda this size is good for more than just relaxing!

Mui wants to check out the deck party. I’m caught up with our day, so I’ll join him. More later …

…later

I am officially renaming the deck party “Fizzle" instead of Sizzle — perhaps it’s a sign of the demographics of this sailing (wink, wink). In any event, the crowds that had filled the tables were gone and the band was packing up. So, we visited the ice cream station at the Palm Springs Café and returned to our cabin. Time to do a bit of reading before turning in. Guess where I’ll be!

Next Up: St Kitts