Cruisin' Again

Charles and Mary Anne's Norwegian Pearl Southern Caribbean Cruise, 11/30 - 12/9/2007 (the Pearl in Castries, St. Lucia)

We got an offer we couldn't refuse and booked this cruise while on our trip to Maine.

Day 1: Miami

On board the ship by 11:30 a.m. Time to eat, nap, work out in the gym, explore the ship, did I say eat? In addition to the ever present buffet, which we always frequented for breakfast and lunch, there were two main dining rooms:



There were also several specialty restaurants.

The ship had been in service for less than a year, so everything was in great shape. The decor was fanciful, especially the carpets. One I really liked, though, was the hallway carpet. You could always get your bearings because the fish swim toward the front of the ship.


The furniture was pretty wild, as well:




Day 2: Sea Day

The pool deck was a favorite--2 very warm fresh water pools, one with a slide and 4 hot tubs:



Day 3: Samana

This was pretty much a sea day, as there was not much to see or do at Samana. Apparently there is whale watching in February and March.



Day 4: Tortola

The ship docked a little late, so we barely made the 10:30 ferry to Virgin Gorda to see the Baths.




We snorkeled a bit near the entrance to the Baths, seeing some rays and an octopus:


then walked to Spring Bay where there was much more to see underwater.



Day 5: Antigua

We took a tour with a recommended guide and saw most of the island.

Devil's Bridge
Charles at Nelson's Dockyard
English Harbor and Nelson's Dockyard from Shirley Heights
Turner's Beach
Montserrat seen from Antigua

Day 6: Barbados

We hopped a bus to snorkel at Folkestone Park. On the way, we stopped at St. James Parish Church, built in 1628, the oldest church in Barbados.


Sadly, the sea was too rough for snorkeling at Forkestone:


So, we hopped another bus for the Amaryllis Beach resort.


Not much to see underwater, but the beach was gorgeous and the water amazingly warm.
We caught a minibus (75 cents USD) back to town, then did a walking tour on the way back to the ship.

Parliament Building
Independence Arch

Day 7: St. Lucia

We signed up with Cosol tours for a recommended island tour. Our guide was "Yellowbird," brother of Cosol, an enterprising St. Lucian who figured out that there was a market for non-ship sponsored tours on the island. The day was fantastic, with stops at Morne Fortune, a banana plantation, many scenic overlooks and small villages, Toraille waterfall and botanical gardens, the drive-in volcano, the beach at Jalousie Plantation, and Marigot Bay. We drove in and out of rain showers and stopped for fresh bread, fish cakes with banana ketchup, coconut cookies, and all manner of tropical fruits.


The Sulphur Springs or Drive-In Volcano
Soufriere and the Pitons
Soufriere

Jalousie Plantation beach and snorkeling area
Marigot Bay

Days 8 and 9: At Sea

After all those islands in a row, it was nice to have 2 more days to enjoy the ship before returning to the rat race. So, back to more working out at the fitness center, walking miles around the Promenade deck, hanging out on the pool deck, watching shows, winning at trivia, reading, taking naps, and endless meals.