onditions made it difficult to take photos. The travel partner really enjoyed the rays, although when I asked if he wanted to hold one he replied with the politically incorrect statement that when dealing with skates (our version of rays) that he usually had a gaff stuck in them – what can you expect from someone who kills fish for a living eh? The boat stopped to go snorkeling at the coral gardens and we had a great assortment and very large fish come visit us. We stopped for conch fritters at Paradise restaurant (they were as good on replay as well) and the beer tour continued with Caybrew shared with a British couple. We top off the day with supper at the steak house as we’re hesitant to battle the buffet with the norovirus red alert still in full force.March 30 – Our second sea day and it’s warm and breezy so we have to limit ourselves to an hour on deck and even that was pushing it. We do some research on snorkeling in Aruba/Bonaire and I have about 50 in attendance for my final presentation. The passengers are about 97% British and not too interactive so I have a sense of what bombing at Yuk Yuks might feel like but there are a few questions afterward and after all this is a pretty sweet deal for the two of us so I’m not going to feel guilty. The Captain’s reception in the evening brings the master of the Sea Princess over to talk to us and when I point at my travel partner and mention I’m traveling with a captain he says “aircraft or ship?” the thought of my life partner as an airline pilot causes me such mirth I’m only able to gasp “ship” in response, so he questions “which line?” At this point the man being referred to, recovers his tongue and says quickly “oh no, a fishing vessel” and this response thrills Capt. Jerman who says “oh a real boat” and they have an animated discussion about fishing off SW Nova Scotia and his younger days in between his sea time delivering ships from the UK saying that he once delivered a 100 ton fishing vessel to Burma ‘when it was Burma and we had relations with them’ and that he probably shouldn’t tell this but that he was deathly seasick the entire time. He reluctantly moved on to other guests who were clamoring for his attention and I remembered that I’d not brought my camera.
March 31 – We awake to find ourselves still a ways out and since coming in to Oranjestad; Aruba is a tricky channel we’re accompanied by a tug and pilot boats when we do dock. We wait for the gangplank as wi
nd during the night slowed our progress and we are about an hour later than scheduled so we chat with a young Australian diesel mechanic who is on his way to be a Chief he tells us. He advises us that he’s conducting lifeboat drill for the crew this afternoon and that we should head for # 11 if anything happens because that’s the one he’ll be in. We hop onto an island tour as it’s the same price as a taxi to get to the beach. Aruba is an interesting but Americanized (due to the petroleum industry history) and we get to see quite a bit of it. We get dropped off at a beach where we’re able to snorkel by just walking off and there’s a great variety and lots of fish, in fact it’s the spot where the catamarans come with snorkeling tours. The small lizards on the beach investigate our bags and love apple cores a US couple there tell us. What a spot. We catch the public bus to return to the pier and try to find a shirt for formal night. Apparently the white shirt the last minute packer put in his wardrobe case was his son’s as it had a size 14½ neck and he was forced to wear a colored shirt to the first fancy dress evening. We make three attempts and when we’re finally shown one he likes for $337 I call it quits and we head back on the ship.
nd during the night slowed our progress and we are about an hour later than scheduled so we chat with a young Australian diesel mechanic who is on his way to be a Chief he tells us. He advises us that he’s conducting lifeboat drill for the crew this afternoon and that we should head for # 11 if anything happens because that’s the one he’ll be in. We hop onto an island tour as it’s the same price as a taxi to get to the beach. Aruba is an interesting but Americanized (due to the petroleum industry history) and we get to see quite a bit of it. We get dropped off at a beach where we’re able to snorkel by just walking off and there’s a great variety and lots of fish, in fact it’s the spot where the catamarans come with snorkeling tours. The small lizards on the beach investigate our bags and love apple cores a US couple there tell us. What a spot. We catch the public bus to return to the pier and try to find a shirt for formal night. Apparently the white shirt the last minute packer put in his wardrobe case was his son’s as it had a size 14½ neck and he was forced to wear a colored shirt to the first fancy dress evening. We make three attempts and when we’re finally shown one he likes for $337 I call it quits and we head back on the ship. April 1 – We awake to find we’re making our way into Kralendijk, Bonaire and I’m pleased to discover that I haven’t missed the mark too widely with my information on Aruba/Bonaire in my presentation. Bonaire is being developed but is less commercialized than Aruba and we could definitely spend som
e time here. We head down to the water taxi and over to Klein Bonaire which is a small, flat island just a short trip away. The coral reef around this b
eautiful spot with an amazing no name beach is some of the best snorkeling in the Caribbean apparently, and it does not disappoint. The water taxi Capt. advises us to “walk up to the end of the beach and drift back down” and we do as we see the best marine display we have ever snorkeled by. When we come up to warm up a group of British passengers tell us they’ve brought bananas and offer us one as the fish are crazy for them. When we head back with me feeding and mister playing Jacques Cousteau we are almost mugged and a large black damsel fish actually takes the banana out of my hand! We find the man a shirt, the crafts are better quality, reasonably priced and locally made here, and when we stop at a local restaurant the waitress offers to take our photo. Very friendly and multicultural population here so a good day which even makes formal night bearable.
e time here. We head down to the water taxi and over to Klein Bonaire which is a small, flat island just a short trip away. The coral reef around this b
eautiful spot with an amazing no name beach is some of the best snorkeling in the Caribbean apparently, and it does not disappoint. The water taxi Capt. advises us to “walk up to the end of the beach and drift back down” and we do as we see the best marine display we have ever snorkeled by. When we come up to warm up a group of British passengers tell us they’ve brought bananas and offer us one as the fish are crazy for them. When we head back with me feeding and mister playing Jacques Cousteau we are almost mugged and a large black damsel fish actually takes the banana out of my hand! We find the man a shirt, the crafts are better quality, reasonably priced and locally made here, and when we stop at a local restaurant the waitress offers to take our photo. Very friendly and multicultural population here so a good day which even makes formal night bearable. April 2 – We find ourselves docking at Isla de Margarita, looking out at a beaut
iful white sand beach with brown pelicans diving into the waves and a large craft market just off the ship. We head out for a beach day and find ourselves snorkeling with pelicans at one point in the bath warm water. The beach is really warm and since I’m not traveling with a beach bunny he suffers but not silently for a few moments which he describes later as hours. I stop to negotiate a deal on pearls as a gift to myself and am now outfitted with a necklace, earrings and ring to match the bracelet I already possessed.
iful white sand beach with brown pelicans diving into the waves and a large craft market just off the ship. We head out for a beach day and find ourselves snorkeling with pelicans at one point in the bath warm water. The beach is really warm and since I’m not traveling with a beach bunny he suffers but not silently for a few moments which he describes later as hours. I stop to negotiate a deal on pearls as a gift to myself and am now outfitted with a necklace, earrings and ring to match the bracelet I already possessed.April 3 – We’re docked at St. George’s, Grenada by 8 a.m. and decide we’ll do a bit of a tour and we luck out as one
of the bartenders has arranged for Lester, his father, to take passengers on an island tour. Two hurricanes in the fall of 2004 and summer of 2005 have devastated the island and there isn’t a roof over 5 yrs old visible. This island is very Americanized and the vendors are extremely persistent (more so than Mexico if that’s possible) so not really where we’d like to spend a great deal of time. It is a beautiful spot though and we learn about its history, have jerk chicken for lunch from an outside BBQ, purchase some spices, see a beautiful botanical garden and check out the fish market in our travels. We spend some time on Anse Beach which is gorgeous before taking the water taxi back to the ship. A great way to spend our last port of call day.
of the bartenders has arranged for Lester, his father, to take passengers on an island tour. Two hurricanes in the fall of 2004 and summer of 2005 have devastated the island and there isn’t a roof over 5 yrs old visible. This island is very Americanized and the vendors are extremely persistent (more so than Mexico if that’s possible) so not really where we’d like to spend a great deal of time. It is a beautiful spot though and we learn about its history, have jerk chicken for lunch from an outside BBQ, purchase some spices, see a beautiful botanical garden and check out the fish market in our travels. We spend some time on Anse Beach which is gorgeous before taking the water taxi back to the ship. A great way to spend our last port of call day. April 4 to 6 – After finding ourselves docked back in Bridgetown, Barbados the early morning is spent disembarking and making our way over to Peach and Quiet while the other passengers and crews are heading to the airport – nice to h
ave a bit of breather before we have to do that. The hotel is a lovely spot and we just crashed the first afternoon in the gazebo, and then headed out on a local bus (now that is an experience) to Oistens Fish Market for supper at the fish fry and had a wonderful evening. We took in Harrison Caves (photo at left) and if you ever make it to Barbados this is NOT to be missed and remember the recommendation is coming from a usually claustrophobic critic. We stopped at the fish pier 
on the return where we saw green backed turtles (like this one on the right) and rays just off the dock. We joined the group heading to St Lawrence Gap for supper and had an amazing meal at Pisces which is a seafood restaurant over the water – even saw a shooting star – before heading home. Had to call our vacation in paradise to a close to catch the flight to Toronto then transfer in the snow and deice before heading home. And although it sounds selfish to say those two and a half weeks weren’t enough time on a southern vacation….one of these years it’ll be me saying that two and a half months isn’t enough!
