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| The main pool deck | Edge of the Earth lounge | A blue wake - view from the stern deck |
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Cruising The Caribbean |
Just before the great December power outage of 2006 my wife and I were fortunate in that we were able to escape for a short cruise in the Caribbean aboard Celebrity Cruise lines. The port of departure was Fort Lauderdale and the islands visited included St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Kitts, and St. Thomas. It was an excellent time of the year to be in the Caribbean. The weather was perfect (after the first day and a half), the people were friendly, the service was excellent, and the cuisine was delicious. The photos on this page capture only a brief glimpse of the enjoyment.
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| The main pool deck | Edge of the Earth lounge | A blue wake - view from the stern deck |
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St. Maarten St. Maarten is the smallest island in the world to be divided between two sovereign powers. Ownership of this tiny, 37 square mile island (about half the size of Washington D.C.) is split between the French and the Dutch. Philipsburg, in the Dutch portion, was our port of call on this day. The growing of sugar cane sustained the island's economy from the 1600s until the 1930s, when tourism became big. |
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| Good scenery in the morning... | afternoon... | and evening |
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| Beautiful beaches and the warmth of the sun | Our ship awaits in the background |
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| Ours was one of five ships in port | A villa near the beach | Leaving port at end of the day |
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St. Lucia St. Lucia (pronounced loo-sha) is the second largest of the Lesser Antilles windward islands. It has spent most of the last 300 years bouncing back and forth between British and French control. In 1979 it became an independent nation within the British Commonwealth. Bananas account for about 70% of their agricultural exports. Our port of call on this day was Castries. We spent a leisurely day at the beach applying heavy layers of sunscreen and playing in the bay. |
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| Entering the port of Castries | Another sunny day | Looking north toward Pigeon Point |
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| The fruit peddler's boat | Looking south from Rodney Bay |
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Barbados Barbados was taken over by the Spanish in 1492. Slavery and the contagious European diseases ended the existence of the native people, the Caribs. Spain, however, passed Barbados over in favor of the larger Caribbean islands. This left the island open for the British to colonize it. The sugar trade, and subsequent slave trade, dominated the economy until 1834 when slavery was abolished. For our excursion we took a taxi from Bridgetown, the capital, and made our was up the coast towards Holetown. A nice beach provided relaxation and a chance to snorkel amongst the coral, tropical fish, and friendly sea turtles. |
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| Where the sea turtles play | Another average sunset | The sand and surf |
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| The water was warm and clean | Leaving Bridgetown, Barbados |
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St. Kitts Officially known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, St. Kitts became independent of British control in 1983. It was the first British settlement in the West Indies, established in 1623. The volcanic soil provides a fertile setting for sugar cultivation, something that sustained the economy for centuries. Tourism is now the primary industry. Our day ashore consisted of wandering and shopping in Basseterre, the capital city and largest town. |
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| School had just let out for the day | St. George's church | Looking at the town center |
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| Flowers in St. George's courtyard | Beauty within Basseterre's Independence Square |
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| A sunset before dinner | Another way to cruise | Leaving Basseterre |
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St. Thomas St. Thomas is part of the U.S. Virgin Island, which the United States purchased from Denmark in 1917. Once the home port for notorious pirates such as Captain Kidd and Bluebeard, St. Thomas has become the commercial trade capital of the Caribbean. The Virgin Islands have experienced 400 years of wars, lootings, pirates, slave trade, revolutions, and liberations. Our day ashore included shopping, a sky ride up to a scenic overlook - complete with exotic bird show, and touring the island by motor scooter. |
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| The port of Charlotte Amalie | Plenty of beautiful blue water |
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| Near the Virgin Islands National Park | Scooterin' | Magen's Bay |
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| Overlooking Charlotte Amalie | In the main harbor |
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| Sunset over the harbor in Charlotte Amalie | One smart bird |
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Life aboard a cruise ship During our cruise the ship spent several days at sea, never getting close to land. It was easy finding ways to enjoy and pass the time. It didn't take much to work up an appetite for the delicious meals served aboard ship. And anytime became snack time, with some dining venues being open around the clock. |
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| You meet the nicest people | Our spacious stateroom | Married for more than 61 years | A table of distinguished gents |
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| All pizza - all day | Our dinner guests | Dining at the stern | One last sunset |