The ship was the Carnival Victory and, other than travelling back and forth to England on a ship as a child, I had never been on a cruise before. This was a very different experience.
The first thing learned was not to travel the same day that the ship leaves port. The airline we travelled on did not respect the connection times for the flight (on the same airline) to get us directly to San Juan, the port of departure, so we had to pick up the Victory in St. Thomas, the first port of call. So…give yourself extra time to get to the port of departure.
Fly to St. Thomas we did. Most of the airports in the Caribbean are small and the planes land and disembark on the runway. When the doors open, that first wave of heat is marvellous, especially for those travelling from our cold and windy north. Nor will I forget approaching St. Thomas by air and seeing the beautiful, green, rolling hills with houses snuggled into them. All beautiful warm colours against the stunning sheer blue water surrounding it.
Not to be missed in St. Thomas are its Eco Tours. This land is very conscious of the environment, and Virgin Island Eco Tours are award winners that combine kayaking, hiking and snorkeling into an unforgettably fun and educational experience. It emphasises the “leave no trace” style ecotourism that has become so important to many travellers. There are three unique locations: For nature buffs, St Thomas’ Mangrove Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary & Marine Reserve. For History buffs, Historic Hassel Island. Lastly, Tropical Paradise lovers will be loath to leave the Honeymoon Beach location at Caneel Bay, in the Virgin Islands National Park on St John! The St. John tour is much favoured and is usually full. So book early.
Back to the ship by 4:30. You need your ship pass and photo identification to embark. Every time. Not sure what would happen if you didn’t have either. I wasn’t about to find out!
That first night we dined in the Upper Pacific Dining Room, with our table up against a window, looking out onto the darkness of the Caribbean sea covered by a blanket of stars. The meals in the dining room were tops and delivered with great focus to detail by extremely attentive servers. They refer to you by name when you walk through the door. Imagine the surprise when, right in the midst of savouring chilled mango soup, the dining room staff lined up on the stairs, some on top of tables, and started dancing and serenading the room! This occurred every night. Chicken, seafood, beef, and pasta entrees are among the varying main menu selections. Ice cream, sherbet, cheeses, pies, and cakes are examples of dessert choices.
If less formal dining is desired, the Lido deck was also open until the early hours with different culinary offerings on different parts of the ship, fore, mid and aft! (See I learn as I go.) The Lido also served buffet breakfasts, the Atlantic Dining Room full-service breakfasts.
There were two seatings for dinner (Atlantic or Pacific dining) and two main stage shows every evening. These shows were equal in performance, style and professionalism to musicals I have seen on Broadway. They were outstanding! Hennie Van Heerden is the Cruise Director and is an example of the cultural diversity on staff. From South Africa, he speaks three languages and is working on a fourth. He organises all the entertainment on board and is responsible for the daily publishing of the ‘activities’ agenda. He works hard at his job and, nearly everywhere you go on the ship (I was still using a small map of the layout of the ship the day I disembarked), you’ll see or hear Hennie.
If stage productions are not your choice of entertainment, there is a casino, a disco, a piano lounge and an Irish pub. Or perhaps you would like to take a run around the track on one of the upper decks. There’s also a state of the art SPA and gym. (SPA is an extra cost.)
My stateroom was a wonderful shocker – Remember, I had only travelled to and from England as a child – I have memories of a set of bunk beds and a porthole, and a small W.C. Shower rooms were shared with other passengers. On the Carnival Victory, the rooms are spacious with an equally sized bathroom. There is plenty of drawer and closet space, a seating area and a large picture window. For those who know they will be more shipbound, a stateroom with balcony is a must. For those who want to enjoy each and every island stopped at, that extra money spent on a balcony could go into ship excursions.
I was eagerly looking forward to our next port of call – I had broadcast from Barbados a few years ago and fell in love with the island and its people. This time I visited Harrison’s Cave, and plunged into the darkness of a “crystallized limestone cavern”on a trolley, to marvel at the stalagmites and stalactites. Mentions of the cave go back to the 1700s. It was re-explored in 1976 and has since been opened to the public. It is not as claustrophobic an adventure as it would have been for earlier explorers. They had to crawl through what were then very narrow passages. Back out into the light of the Caribbean sun, we lunched at a wonderful little restaurant, The Wave Rider, in St. Peter’s, situated right on the edge of the beach overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The prices are really good here and the food excellent – the coconut shrimp and Bajan fish cakes are, reportedly, the best in Barbados.
The next day was spent entirely at sea, sunbathing on the Lido deck, shopping, taking a tour of the ships ‘off limits’ areas – at night, in the Adults Only area. Relaxing in a huge hammock after a soothing hot-tub sojourn, watching a movie on the large on-deck screen and…more food as we discovered an impromptu Mexican feast that carried on into the early hours!
Every night, you were left an itinerary for activities occurring the next day on ship (Fun Times) and another for shore excursions (Fun Ashore). The shore excursions are at extra cost, so make sure you add those into your budget. They cost anywhere from 50 to 125 dollars per person. (Take a look at the Fun Ashore booklet as soon as you board and book your excursions.) They are all hand picked by the cruise people and you are assured arrival back to the ship on time. And the ship will wait for you if there is a problem. This is not the case if you book an excursion elsewhere.
The Emerald gem of the trip was St. Lucia, an outstandingly beautiful island, with little winding streets through lush green hills and small villages, the roadside lined with small market stalls, locals selling their wares. You cannot go to St. Lucia without visiting three places; The Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens and the Drive-In Volcano in Soufrière and, finally, The Pitons, a World Heritage Site. Nestled between the these two volcanic plugs, with a view out onto the sparkling Caribbean, is a romantic resort so stunning, with a restaurant where the meals and scenery vie for attention, it’s difficult to choose over substance for the belly or sustenance for the soul. Ladera Resort is no less than a Paradise, an idyllic getaway for honeymooners, or those just wanting a romantic tryst.
Off to St. Kitts. Here I threw caution to the wind and…Zip Lined! Oh, joy! Not for those frightened of heights, but for those who dare-to-do, the adventurous. The ‘guys’ at Sky Safari Zip Lining hold a short safety session, including an actual run on the cable, prior to taking you up into the mountain for the real thing. (It’s just as much fun on the way up, riding on the sides of the open truck over the bumpy terrain, as it is ‘zipping’ down on the cables.)
Our final port of call, before returning to San Juan, was St. Maarten. If St. Lucia is an Emerald, St. Maarten is clearly a Topaz. Indeed, that is exactly what the water surrounding the island appeared to be – it glittered and sparkled luminescently under the sun, its colour a stunning azure blue. I wanted to spend the day on that water… and in it…. I chose The Golden Eagle Catamaran Sail and Snorkel excursion for another venture into the unknown for me…snorkeling! I cruised around St. Maarten under the sails of the Golden Eagle. Rum punch and sandwiches were served after the snorkeling, setting the pace beautifully. We also spent an hour on the beach basking in the sun. One of the crew members swam out from the catamaran pushing a float of beer in front of her. This cruise is not to be missed because it encompasses a sport, sightseeing, a relaxing stop…and food. It also has a crew that follows a strict safety code. Someone is always nearby by in the water if anyone requires help. Highly recommended. It’s an afternoon tour, so you can also take in St. Maarten, if you choose to do so earlier in the morning.
The Caribbean Islands offer tales rich in history, with historic sites, adventure, relaxation and super shopping in the small market stalls. They offer time away from the hustle and bustle of our lives and from the plethora of activities on the ship, which can get somewhat overwhelming at times.
The Carnival Victory and its crew are wonderful. It offers the best of many worlds: family fun, superb entertainment in the evening, and time to sit back, relax and be pampered. It offers you the opportunity to sample the best of the Caribbean and its people, enough for you to chose the islands to which you would like to return and spend more time enjoying.
And return you will –
Carnival Cruises – www.carnival.com
Virgin Island Eco-Tours – http://www.viecotours.com
The Ladera Resort St. Lucia – www.ladera.com
Sky Safari Zip Lining – www.skysafaristkitts.com
The Golden Eagle Snorkel and Sail – http://sailingsxm.com/html
Gucci Travel – gucciworldtravel@hotmail.com
Enjoyed reading all about your adventures. Looking forward to reading about your future travels.
Will try out some of your shore tours on next voyage, thanks much for sharing. Reading about cruising always brings a smile.
Elizabeth