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
