We left out of brisk Cape Liberty, NJ on November 20, 2011 - all 19 of us, bundled up in our layers of sweatshirts & coats, only to shed them quickly, as we neared the warmer temperatures off the coast of the Carolinas...
After a bit more than two days of smooth sailing, our first stop was Labadee, RCL's private island which is part of Haiti. This was a bustling island with all of the cruise ship passengers and the many Haitians who entertained us with their drumming and dancing. The locals also tried, quite aggressively, to make sales at their market, which I did not mind since I knew that my money was going to help Haiti. I chose this island to be where I purchased the most. We found a spot on Adrenaline Beach where we could watch the zip liners fly over the incredible ocean. It was a little crowded but the weather, the water, and the lush island itself made it a wonderful visit.
The next day, which was Thanksgiving, we arrived in San Juan. We had hoped to reach the beach through the El San Juan Resort & Casino and thought they would welcome us to use their beach since we had a large group who would undoubtedly be spending lots of cash at their bar, restaurant & casino. That was not the case, as we had found at other islands in the past (Cable Beach in Bahamas), so we basically walked down a few blocks to the public entry of the same exact beach. It reminded me of South Beach - a long & wide stretch of sand, with bigger waves & not quite as blue & clear as typical Caribbean waters. It was different than South Beach in that there were not tons of bars & shops nearby, but we found a cute little bar across the street with extremely inexpensive drinks - $1.65 for a beer, maybe about $3 for mixed drinks. Also, a great day & nice way to spend Thanksgiving. Our taxi driver, Christopher took us to and from the beach, and brought a taste of his family's turkey that my niece jokingly requested on the way there! He was wonderful & full of interesting information - and a very reliable ride, so be sure to find him if in need of transportation in San Juan (chrisvelezpr@gmail.com). We had a little time left to walk around Old San Juan which was very charming with cobblestone streets & alleys and beautiful architecture. Many shops were closed because of the holiday, but it was nice to walk in the early evening and take some pictures.
Okay, our next stop was our ABSOLUTE FAVORITE ISLAND (all 19 of us!). It is now not only the favorite of the ports on this cruise, but of all the islands we have ever been to (including Magen's Bay, St. Thomas, Grenada, Bahamas to name a few). My sister got a tip from a couple co-workers to check out Karakter Bar at Simpson Bay Beach in St. Martin. When we told our taxi driver, he said "Really? No one from the cruise ships EVER ask to go there..." We said, "Let's go!" The ride gave us a good glimpse of some of the poverty of the island, but after about a 15 minute drive we pulled down a little dirt road. The driver of our minibus asked us to get out and take a look before he left us, in case we changed our mind. We were a little nervous about his reaction, but when we took that look we all just about jumped for joy! The bar is made out of an old school bus because they are not allowed to have a permanent fixture there. The set up was PERFECT. There were several lounge chairs along the beach, placed in pairs with little wooden tables in between - some with umbrellas, some without. Up a few steps closer to the bus/bar there was a deck with bean bag lounges & umbrellas, then another big deck with tables/umbrellas for dining. Along the bus were bar stools & a bar, where we had our first taste of Guavaberry Rum - the rum of the island. The selection of music was perfect also - Jack Johnson, a bit of Coldplay & tons of wonderfully laid-back, jazzy tunes by many talented female & male artists that I need to learn more about. So, before I digress any further, let me tell you that after we told the driver that we DEFINITELY wanted to stay, we all ran to the soft white sand beach and claimed our spots, dropped our stuff, stripped to our bathing suits (though we could have stripped further I'm sure), and ran to the most beautiful ocean I have ever witnessed. The sun was HOT, the clear blue water felt like cool silk against our skin. We floated while daydreaming of living there, watching the many sail boats in the distance, letting all of our cares and worries sail away too. This place was PERFECTION, and it was like our own private spot, as there were hardly any tourists, if any at all, other than us. The Staff was so warm & friendly and the tapas were fresh & delicious, we found it incredible that the food was not made in a gourmet kitchen and that the prices were so reasonable. We were completely spoiled and it was so nice that we were not charged for chairs or umbrellas and were not constantly approached by locals selling stuff. It felt like a secret local hangout that we were lucky enough to find. Behind the bus was the airport, so we would run with excitement on the occasion of seeing the airplanes take off so closely over our heads. This was The Place. The Perfect Place. I actually sat for a moment and cried from the happiness I was feeling and the beauty I was surrounded by. (I actually also just cried again while reading this out loud). I don't think there was a second that I didn't see a smile on every face there. I cannot stop thinking of this Paradise, and I HAVE to go there again. I actually may have to LIVE there someday...
Now, after that experience I knew nothing could beat it, but I will tell you of a very close 2nd! We had been to Castaways at Jolly Beach in Antigua before and knew we couldn't go wrong with another visit. The powder blue water drew us in like magnets (which can cause an awful case of sunburn if you don't pay close attention!) Another day of absolute paradise, with everything we needed - beautiful sun, sand & swim - food & drinks (try the Old Fashioned Rum Punch for a happy kick to your day!) beach volleyball, water sports, ladies determined to sell jewelry, coconuts to drink from for a small fee. My husband & I took a stroll down toward a beautiful resort, which we cut through to the street which we crossed to find a local supermarket. We noticed some locals eating delicious looking sandwiches that we hoped to find. My husband took a quick trip to the store since we had walked barefoot and were not able to enter the store (and I had to cool my feet in the water) and he picked up some fried chicken, salad, fries, a chicken sandwich & chips for about $14. If I knew about the store & how close it is to the beach I would've asked our driver (very reliable carl@antiguapremiertours.com) to let us stop first to get food, beer & water to bring ourselves. The restaurant & bar at Castaways wasn't crazy expensive, but a little pricey (small cocktail was about $7). Unlike St. Martin, the locals often approached, trying to make a buck, but they were not super-extremely pushy, and the beauty of the beach made it all “no problem” at all.
Our last stop was St. Kitts. It was recommended to me that we go to Reggae Beach. The ride from the port was fabulous - have your camera ready to snap shots of the lush green hills & overlooks of the ocean, and the random monkeys crossing the streets! The beach was ok, but not what I would call “paradise.” It didn't have the beautiful clean white sand & Caribbean looking waters I was hoping for. What they did have though, was a 700 lb. pig named "Wilbert" and two monkeys that were quite entertaining. The food & drinks (the curry chicken "rolo"!) were really good but there seemed to be an abundance of flies, probably because it had rained earlier. The day was slightly overcast, but it was enjoyable to just relax & unwind and get an inexpensive aloe massage while listening to the lapping waves. I had said that I wished we checked out Banana Bay Beach that I had researched online before we left for the cruise, but everyone was content with our choice of Reggae Beach because it was different and we had the opportunity to meet the monkeys & pig. If ever I am in St. Kitts again I would like to see Banana Bay because the pictures reminded me of "The Blue Lagoon," a very remote beach with crystal clear blue water & long stretches of sand. I don't regret choosing Reggae Beach because we had a great day; I would just like to return someday to see Banana Bay. (Another great reliable ride here is "The Lion King" at www.sugarlandtours.com).
Overall, out of the now 6 cruises I've been on this was one of my top two as far as itineraries & ports of call. The other was our 12 day on Norwegian Spirit for Christmas & New Years (2006/2007). I loved the feel of Explorer of the Seas - it felt very much like home to me. The Royal Promenade was awesome, the ice shows fantastic, food was great, pools & bars were fun, and the majority of staff was friendly & accommodating. I do wish they had poolside music for longer stretches of time, and BBQ's by the pool which I never saw (like I did on Norwegian), but I can't complain because I had a Perfectly Perfect time. If I had to compare, I would say that there were a few instances that the service of Norwegian was a bit better than Royal Caribbean. I am not a complainer when it comes to vacation, though. To me, it is what you make it for the most part, and this one was highly anticipated and worth every minute of the wait!
