San Juan...St. Thomas...St. Maarten...Antigua...Dominica...Barbados...St. Lucia
The ship departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico, where we stayed one night prior to debarkation. Our travel agent booked our hotel and we didn't concern ourselves with it. It was gorgeous, and we enjoyed it the short while we were there. After returning home, we watched Rum Diaries and quickly realized that the beginning of it was filmed at our hotel. Small world.
We explored Old San Juan, which is so charming. We walked around the historical sites of Fort San Felipe del Morro and Fort San Cristobal.
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
We decided that we wanted to try stand-up paddle boarding. So we booked the excursion for SUP lessons on a private beach and ended up being the only ones. It was awesome! We got private lessons and our instructor was a really cool guy. Brent had some great wipeouts at the beginning, but did really well. The instructor said that girls pick it up easier than guys because of core stability. We LOVED it and definitely have a new hobby. If only we had the beautiful ocean nearby in Dallas; I'm afraid the lakes won't compare. After SUP, we explored the town a little until it was time to board.
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| This bar along the main drag had swings for seats around it. That's how you relax! |
Philipsburg, St. Maarten
Brent and I went on the Sea Trek excursion. We walked underwater through shipwrecks, historical cannons, and a sunken submarine. We saw many different types of fish as well as other sea life. Afterwards, we did a little shopping and went to the beach.
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The little dock/hut is where we suited up. From there we took a short boat ride to where we went snuba diving. |
St. John's, Antigua
Roseau, Dominica
We booked an excursion for Dominica. We were glad that we did as it was storming throughout the day. There was a beautiful rainbow when we disembarked from the ship. Some local women performed traditional dances for our group tour before went tubing. Jaco Falls was gorgeous, so green and lush.
Bridgetown, Barbados
Our last port was Castries, St. Lucia. We decided to go to Pigeon Island National Park. It was beautiful and not too crowded.
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| This guy drove his boat around selling drinks everyone in the different coves along the shoreline. |
Pictures around the ship
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| Ice Skating |
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| One of the formal nights. We ended up skipping the one on the last night, opting for relaxed attire. |
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| We skipped dinner in the formal dining area and instead had a very relaxed last dinner at Johnny Rockets. |
Brent and I decided to take this cruise over the Christmas break in order to avoid going during hurricane season. The ship was gorgeous, decorated elaborately with holiday decorations. Although we really enjoyed the trip, we be planning another that keeps us away on Christmas. It was really strange being away from family on Christmas.
