Cruising The Carribean

I have been away from blogging for about 10 days and have missed reading and writing every day. Theresa and I have been thinking about a cruise with our 92 year old mother as she loves to cruise. We used a line which featured special attention for seniors and we fitted that requirement. It was only a three hour drive over to everglades port and our ship.

Nearly new and carrying 3200 passengers and 1600 crew, the Crown Princess was a great ship. Everything you could dream of was on board. Swimming, golf, exercise rooms and of course 24 hr. restaurant service. The weather was a break from the dreary weather we experienced in Florida for much of January and February. Our ship was smooth and you never realized you were sailing unless you were leaning over the rail looking at the waves going by.

Our first stop was at Grand Cayman where the warm sun made us feel at home. Excellent shopping and prices on this island because there were no taxes and no duty. We were interested in the town and did not shop but were tempted, however the history and sights were really interesting and we were happy with a walk about.

Four other ships were there as well putting the population at 10,000 more than before we landed. These cruise stopovers are very important to the people living on these islands.

The people were very friendly and everyone felt secure and happy to share the day with the local population. Many guided tours are available but we chose to go our own way. As we boarded our ship at 3.30 to move on to the next island we felt well served by the experience we had in the Grand Caymans. We were off to Roatan in Honduras. We sailed all night and arrived there next morning. This turned out to be my favourite place as it was pristine and offered us a glimpse of how the island looked years ago.

Here we walked to the little village and saw the shops with local art and crafts. Everything was well priced but there were few people buying. Most were taking in the tours and experiencing the water activities. Snorkeling, scuba diving and all sorts of other water fun. This day ended as the rest with us returning to the ship for a magnificent meal and dancing. A professional show was performed in the Princess Theatre twice every night. It held 1,000 people and was always filled to capacity.

Theresa and I loved the smaller clubs with different musicians encouraging us to dance. Every night we sat on our balcony as the ship plowed through the blue water and watched the moon. There is nothing better than to spend a late evening with a drink with your loved one and exciting conversation about the day and planning more of the same tomorrow.