Category Archives: Caribbean

Caribbean, Cruising

Cruising the Caribbean

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Well, a cruise of the Caribbean is a hell of a thing to contemplate. There are tons of companies going to any number of destinations. Some of these are countries, some are independent nations, some are foreign territories of other countries and some are private islands owned and operated by one or other of the cruise companies.

The sheer range of itineraries available is staggering.

Let’s start with what is meant by the Caribbean and what areas are included. The Caribbean is a catchall phrase that includes the more than 700 islands, islets, reefs, and cays within the Caribbean Sea. But it also includes some mainland countries that border the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean add to this the nearby coastal areas on the mainland (including the Gulf of Mexico, North American mainland, eastern parts of Central America, and the northern sections of South America).

In total there are 31 individual countries or territories that make up the Caribbean (excluding the mainland nations that border it). So far, we have had the opportunity to visit 17 of the 31 countries or territories, with plans already in place to get to Haiti.

Getting About

To start with, there is no real ferry system in operation to allow you to bounce from island to island and airfares between islands can be quite expensive. So if you want to see a fair bit of the area, a cruise ship is your only real option (unless you have an amazing budget).

Cruise ship itineraries go to most of the islands (although due to some suspect security situations, crime and variable political stabilities some of the islands get missed). Add to this that some of the islands do not have deep enough seas/ports to allow access for the big cruise ships. That said, the majority do and accept the passengers and you just need to hunt the websites for the itinerary and line that suits you.

The Beaches

Almost all of the Caribbean islands offer excellent beaches, some are close (within walking distance) to towns and cities while others involve a (relatively cheap) taxi ride. Some of them have been flogged by tourists and are basically just sand and water (still pretty nice) while with a (very little) bit of effort, you can find snorkelling and wildlife amongst the many shallow reefs.

Many of the beaches will be private. This will mean a resort fee to access that area of the beach. This will typically buy you a lounger and that’s about it. Umbrellas and cabanas will be there, but they will (typically) be extra. Drinks (watery cocktails) and food (junky burgers and chips) will be available at highly inflated prices. When I say the beach will be private, I mean privately owned. You will still share it with 2-500 of your favourite strangers.

But it is not all bad, the beaches are nice, the scenery stunning and the views and sunsets will be amazing. And if you are ok with a weak cocktail in the sun then a good time will be had.

The food

The Caribbean is an exotic holiday destination known for its beaches, nature and the friendliness of (most) of its people. It is not by any means a food lover’s destination, and is unlikely to be so anytime soon. Traditional Caribbean food emerged several hundred years ago and has influences from African, Indian, Asian, Cajun, and European cultures.

Jerk chicken is the staple. It’s is basically just chicken doused in spices and hot chillies, slow-cooked over pimento wood branches. But as you would expect, everyone has their own ‘unique’ recipe for the exact spice blend that goes into the mix.

It is nice enough, but good luck avoiding it if you felt like anything else.

If you get really lucky, you may find a pork chop (with the same sort of Jerk spice mix) but at least it’s something different. Unsurprisingly the burger patties come with BBQ Jerk sauce but every now and then if you are lucky, you may find one with a mango salsa.

Ackee and saltfish (salted cod) is Jamaica’s national dish and is eaten morning, noon, and night. Ackee is a fruit with a savory, almost nutty flavor.

The ubiquitous side is rice and beans although is referred to widely as ‘rice ‘n’ pigeon peas’.

It is made by simmering the rice and beans in a coconut broth seasoned with spice, garlic, onion, and sweet capsicum.

It is also ok. But it is on every plate.

Plantain (a really starchy banana) is the next thing that will be tough to avoid. It is prepared in a variety of ways and can be quite tasty.

Sweet and savoury options abound and it will almost always be one of your sides (along with the rice).

Being island nations, obviously seafood plays a fair role in Caribbean cooking. The first one that you will likely run across is the conch fritters. These are basically just deep fried critters from the conch shell. The next is peppered shrimp which is the spicy go to snack option for the masses. After this the usual mix of stews, soups and curries arrive.

It is not that any of this food in the Caribbean is bad, it is just the same everywhere, on every menu, with little else on offer. Every meal you order will be some variation on the things above. After a period of time, you will be craving something (anything) else.

Cruise Companies

There are currently 37 (of the 51 ocean going) cruise companies that operate in and around the Caribbean. They all offer similar types of cruises (and ports) but the price can vary greatly between them however, usually the higher the price the more inclusions there are (eg. drinks, better wines, wifi etc).

The normal type companies include Carnival, Royal Caribbean, NCL and MSC. Some catering to the premium services include Holland America, Celebrity and Princess. From here you get into the Ultra-Premium (Oceania, Azamara), Luxury (Cunard), Ultra-Luxury (Regent Seven Seas, Crystal, Silversea. And then there are the specialty type cruises (Disney, Windstar, Star Clippers and Virgin).

Some companies specifically target their cruises at families and children.

While others (like Viking and Virgin) do not accept people under 18 on board.

Cruise durations

The duration of your cruise (along with the company) is quite indicative of the type of cruise that you can expect. Cruises typically range from 2-15 nights taking in as many ports as is manageable within the allocated time frame. Cruises between 2 and 5 days tend to be booze cruises or full of little children with short attention spans. These usually never take in more than 2 ports.

Seven to 10 days is by far the most common cruise taken as it fits nicely with the usual US 2 week vacation period and allows for travel days for those outside a port town. This will typically take in 4-7 ports and will provide a nice mix of sailing days and port activities. The crowds tend to be a bit older than the party boat crowd and the ports tend to be a bit more interesting too.

Cruises over 10 days tend to cut out many of the kids and the younger adults that need to return to work (bearing in mind that US generally does not get the 4 weeks that we Aussies are used to). This means it is (generally) an older, more established cruise ship clientele.

The really long ones (trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific etc.) tend to be for the seasoned cruisers, typically retired and under no time pressures to return to something.

Eastern vs Western Caribbean

Northern vs Southern Caribbean

Because the Bahamas (along with the Turks & Caicos) are close to Florida they are particularly desirable northern route locations for the short (booze cruise style) cruises originating in Florida.

Some cruise lines have created a southern route, moving Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Curacao, Grenada, and Trinidad & Tobago into this category as most of the route lies outside of the usual hurricane belt.

Cruise Ships

Modern cruse ships have been (and continue) getting bigger and bigger with every iteration.

The image on the left is a comparison of the Titanic (front) as compared with a modern day cruise ship.

I will focus on Royal Caribbean here as it has just launched the World’s largest ship (the Icon of the Seas).

The oldest in the fleet is the Grandeur of the Seas it is a 279 meter long, 32 meter wide ship that was built to house around 2000 passengers and an additional 750 crew.

It has two floors of dining rooms, three specialty restaurants, a theatre delivering Broadway-style shows, a gym, a spa, sports court, multiple bars, a sprawling casino, rock climbing wall two pools and more hot-tubs.

And with all of this, is by far the runt of the fleet offering the least amount of options and activities of the entire company. We have sailed on it three times and it is lovely.

The largest is more than 4 times the size and holds nearly 10,000 people at 365 meters in length.

In 2009 when the Oasis of the Seas was introduced as the biggest ship in the world it had a capacity (at double occupancy) of 5,400 guests. The newest offering (the Icon of the Seas) was launched in January this year and is quite frankly ridiculous. The ship will feature 20 decks, 18 of which are for guest use. These decks have been split into “neighborhoods,” that include a Central Park packed with live plants.

Other features include:

  • the world’s largest water park at sea (six slides including an open free-fall slide, a 46-foot drop slide, family raft slides and a pair of mat-racing slides.
  • a three-deck cluster of pools,
  • a waterfall,
  • seven pools – including a swim-up bar, suspended infinity pool and the “largest pool at sea.”

Cruise ships have gone beyond the usual buffet, main dining room and pool bar dining options. The new ship offers more than 40 options including 15 bars and more than 20 dining options.

Lets be honest here, this is not for me in fact it seems (having not been on it) terrible.

It is too big, has too much going on and will permanently be filled with screaming kids and their entitled parents.

Typically it is more the parents that I have an issue with rather than the kids, that just wanna have some fun.

But that is the joy of cruising, the RC fleet offers me another 27 ships that will be less confrontational than its latest offerings.

Our Cruises

We have now done 14 cruises in multiple destinations (Australia, Asia, Alaska and Iceland). These 14 cruises have put us to a loyalty level (kinda like frequent fliers) that gives us enough perks (free coffee and drinks etc) to make it beneficial to stay with the same company. Not that we dislike any of the others or particularly recommend this one but our perk level has bred loyalty.

Within the Caribbean, we have done a few different itineraries throughout the region that have seen us going to many of the ports (some of them on multiple occasions). Most of the ports left positive (or at least neutral) impressions, with only really Colon in Panama and Falmouth in Jamaica leaving negative impressions.

Aruba and Curacao are on the top of the list of frequency of our visits (more due to the itineraries that a conscious choice).

They are both Dutch colonies and are lovely. The streets are clean and the building and housing is typically European and is brightly painted. The beaches are clean and swimming and snorkelling abounds.

Barbados, Bahamas, Jamaica and St Maarten are next on the list of our multiple visitations and these four could not be more different if they tried. Barbados is alive and thriving during the week with turtle sightings straight off the beach. But it is tumbleweeds in town on the weekends (Sunday especially).

Jamaica was one of my least favourite of everywhere we have visited so far. It gave a feeling that you were not safe, even in the touristy bits it saw me having cannabis, cocaine and sex offered within 10 minutes of landing. Beyond the offers, there was a very uneasy feeling that purveyed. The first three blocks from port was neat and calm, but if you kept walking there was an overwhelming sense that you were about to be mugged.

We came here the next time and skipped town and headed to a resort fee-paying beach, it felt better but was a full on party beach. We paid for the transport and a beach chair and settled in for some sun, food and drinks. The enclosed resort option is beautiful and feels much safer, so if you are happy holidaying in a compound then it can be lovely.

Bahamas is an absolute tourism machine that had built its entire economy around its pirating history and the modern cruise port. The main centre is Nassau where there are a few natural attractions (old fort and some historical aspects) but the place has developed to exploit and profit from the cruise ships.

Coco Cay is part of the Bahamas tourist machine but this part of it is owned (or at least leased) by the cruise company.

It is a destination of its own, upon arrival you immediately enter into a world of waterparks, theme parks, shopping and beach walks where the tourist is king.

Everything on the island has been put there to amuse, entertain or fleece the clientele from a cruise ship..

St Maarten is the dual island with a Dutch and French side. It is well placed to cater to the cruise ship crowds, but maybe a little more subtly than is the case in the Bahamas. We have been here twice now (one at each side of the island) and enjoyed both of them immensely.

The rest of the places we have been to have (so far) only been single stop-ins but they have all left an impression. So here is our summary of our visitations to date.

Bonaire (Kralendijk), was the pick of the stunning water so far. Great snorkelling coupled with a cute little town centre with all of the tourist appeal.

Cayman Islands (George Town) is a tax haven and tourist mecca for the European style tourists. Resorts aplenty, nice water and with a bit of effort some nice snorkelling and diving (once you get away from the resorts). The clarity of the water and the various shades of blue deliver exactly what I imagine when I get to a tropical island. And this place delivers that at almost every glance. 

Costa Rica (Puerto Limon) I did love but it was mainly because I got to see and play with sloths (and with more time would have played with turtles). The wildlife is the main attraction and we really enjoyed it.

But the town centre was pretty sketchy and all the razor wire did ring a few alarm bells in our heads.

Dominican Republic (Puerto Planta) was amazing. The initial bit was tourist heaven (or hell if you prefer) with all of the water parks, pool and bars as soon as you land. If you never went any further, you could have several great days just in the manufactured bit.

But if you keep walking, you get into an authentic town centre and with a little more you land on the historic fort. There is a thriving local street art scene and the people are amazingly friendly. Based on our dip of the toe into the water I have already decided that the Dominican Republic needs at least a fortnight (if not more) to explore and enjoy.

Grenada (St Georges), was nice but our arrival saw us in a town with super steep hills. The result was a nice waterfront promenade and burning calves for anything else.

Martinique (Fort De France) was nice without being amazing and nothing about it made me want to rush back.

The town centre was ok as was the fort. It was good to come and spend a day exploring but that was about it.

Puerto Rico (San Juan), was amazing and much like the Dominican Republic this place needs more time devoted to exploring. The Island has almost 300 miles of coastline and nearly the same number of beaches. A predominately walled city there is a huge level of fortification (especially to the sea) with all of the gates and things that you would expect from such a town.

Two huge 16th century Spanish forts and stunning views make it an incredible place to visit. The smiles and happiness that you are greeted with here is something to behold. I am very happy to come back here again and explore more of the island.

We popped into St Kitts & Nevis (Basseterre), and loved it. It was clean and easy to navigate with a really great feel to it.

The Beers

I really need to finish on the usual subject (for me anyway) the beers. Beer was introduced to the Caribbean by the British in 1880, and now each of the islands tend to brew their own with a few mass produced ones that service the region.

The first one you will likely find is the iconic Red Stripe from Jamaica. This will be closely followed by Carib which originated in Trinidad and Tobago and has since started brewing in St Kitts and Nevis and Grenada. Presidente (from the Dominican Republic) is sold widely through the region and Kalik (in multiple options) dominates the Bahamas.

For the most part, the beers are all pretty good. They are typically light lagers that lend themselves to sipping on a beach in the sun.

Caribbean

Grenada

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Grenada is an island country in the West Indies. It lies about 100 miles north of the coast of Venezuela.

It consists of the main island of Grenada and two smaller islands (Carriacou and Petite Martinique) along with several smaller islands which lie to the north and are a part of the Grenadines. 

Grenada is also known as the “Island of Spice” due to its production of nutmeg, allspice, clove and cinnamon and mace crops.

The first thing that strikes you is that it is built on the side of a mountain. From the port, everything that there is to see is basically vertically straight up. Jill being Jill meant that we (of course) had to walk everywhere. My calves were screaming at me for three days after walking up and down that damn mountain.

Grenada is one of the smallest independent countries in the western hemisphere and you can drive around the whole island in 5 hours. The blurb says that Grenada is an island where you can find spectacular waterfalls and beaches, lush botanical gardens, mystic rainforests, and friendly people at every turn.

It is described as the perfect mix. It is not off the beaten path but neither is it considered as a mainstream tourist haunt. The mountainous interior remains unspoilt and the white sandy beaches are still relatively uncrowded. But there is a good range of hotels on offer along with the usual mix of cafe’s, restaurants and nightlife on offer.

St Georges

The first thing that we did upon arrival was to cut through the Sendall Tunnel to head towards the Carenage. Using the tunnel cuts out at least one arduous hike up and over the damn mountain that splits the centre of town.

The Carenage is the lively waterfront promenade in St. George. It is more of an active and functioning fishing dock than it is a promenade but here you will find great views of the boats, shorefront, blokes preparing the boats to leave for other islands, or welcoming them in, cleaning fish and of course…tons of cats.

Sadly, there was only one way to go from the Carenage, and that was up. There was a hugely overpriced tourist train to take you up the hill but this was left to the fat or immobile oldies on the cruise and we did the hike. In reality, the distances were not that great but the steepness was brutal. The town was relatively compact so it was only about 350-500m between sights, but every move was either up one side or down the other of a damn mountain. And of course, the things to see while up there were churches.

Sadly we were unable to make it to Fort Matthew, an 18th century fort and the the largest of its kind on the island. It was named after the then governor. It offers amazing views of St. George and the Cruise Port.

While we did not make Fort Matthew, we did climb the hill to Fort George. Perched high above the town the fort is now the police headquarters. The only real remnants of the fort are the odd wall and a pair of cannons. Hardly worth the huge uphill trek to find.

fort Frederick was another that we missed. Quite a way out of town, and on a grey and murky day we had to settle for the images of others.

On arrival the weather was pretty crappy, but as the day progressed it did make an attempt to clear up. This meant that our photos were not as grey as the original ones from the port or the Carenage.

Concord Waterfall is made up of 3 different falls at various altitudes. The lowest one is relatively easy to get to but the other two call for a bit more walking and hiking (45 minutes or more).

Black Bay Beach is actually black due to the volcanic sand. It is considered one of the most stunning beaches in the Caribbean. There is a cave to explore but you have to do a 20-minute trek from Concord to get there.

The Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park was created in 2004 in the wake of Hurricane Ivan. It was the world’s first underwater gallery and is an attempt to attract divers away from fragile coral reefs. The statues are made with high-grade stainless steel and pH-neutral marine cement. they are designed to act as artificial coral reefs, with holes and shelters to attract marine life such as octopuses and lobsters, creating a rather spectacular looking habitat.

In 1651 the last of the native Carib Indians fiercely resisted French colonisation by committing a collective act of sacrifice: mass suicide. Together, they all jumped off the cliff and into the ocean. The area where they jumped to their deaths is now known as Carib’s Leap.

Grenada was ok, without being amazing. The prices asked for items were a bit over the top for what they were and the weather was not really our friend on the day we came. The people were friendly and the town was nice, but I think that hiking up and down that mountain all of the time would keep me away from spending too long here (maybe we should have paid for the damn train).

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Bonaire

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I made it. Bonaire is the 100th place on the official territory list that I have been to. I still have quite a way to go on the official country list, but in terms of nations, I have made the 100. I am about 2 ahead of Jill but she should tick up her 100 in the next week or two.

Kralendijk

Kralendijk is the capital of Bonaire, a Dutch island in the Caribbean Sea. The place is typical of most Dutch territories with colourful architecture dominating most of the buildings.

The main shopping area is Kaya Grandi and the Bonaire Museum has archaeological finds, shells and old photos.

Importantly off the coast is the Bonaire National Marine Park which is a protected area for coral reef and tropical fish.

This Marine park stretches west to Klein Bonaire Island, where the sandy beaches provide a nesting ground for sea turtles. Klein Bonaire was our first port of call as we hopped off the ship and onto a water taxi for a 4-hour snorkel and laze on the beach. Talking to the lounge dude on the boat he told me about the current.

So when you get dropped off on the beach you get set up on the shite fine sandy beach. Once established you walk to the left for about 10 minutes until you get to a yellow pole that says enter here. At this point there is a break in the coral and you can wade out to the other side of the reef. From here you keep the reef to your left and the current will let you float and just drift all the way back to the beach where you started.

The other thing that you notice is that the beach is full of lizards. Officially they are the Bonaire Whiptail but they are these electrically coloured lizards that dart around relentlessly. They were added to when we went across into town and saw a 2 foot long iguana just cruising the streets of town.

The water is crystal clear and warm, the reef is a bit trodden on but is still in pretty good condition. There is plenty of fish life to see and still lots of live coral. While it is no Great Barrier Reef, it is still a lovely spot to loll about on the beach and experience some nature. Sadly we didn’t see any of the turtles.

Once we got back from the swimming we had some lunch on the ship and changed before hitting Bonaire proper. We had landed in the capital Kralendijk. The main town centre was pretty small but was well appointed.

Added to town was a really nice and usable waterfront area with actual footpaths (often a rarity) and the usual mix of bars and restaurants.

Ad we even got to check out some pretty cool street art. There wasn’t tons, but for such a small place it all added up to create a really nice feel to the place.

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Curacao

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Curaçao is an island nation in the Caribbean (64km long and 16km wide) that is actually a territory of the Netherlands. Curaçao and the neighbouring islands are considered to constitute the southwestern arc of the Lesser Antilles.

The lesser Antilles are usually referred to as the ABC-islands (Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao) as they sit side-by-side (although not alphabetically). Curacao consists of two islands (Cuaracao and Klein Curacao) with the main island having the majority of its 160,000 population. The territory sits about 60 km north of Venezuela and the capital is Willemstad. Unlike Aruba the day before, Willemstad has retained much more of the Dutch characteristics.

The north coast of the island is characterised by a rough coastline with many limestone cliffs, while the southern coast is full of small bays, beaches and inlets. 

We landed in the capital, Willemstadt and fell back into our usual pattern of getting up early and hitting the tourist highlights.

The first thing that strikes you is the Dutchness of it all. From the clogs on the street to the narrow houses and colourful facades, the place just screams as to its roots.

The Queen Emma Bridge is a pontoon bridge across St. Anna Bay in Curaçao. The bridge sits on pontoons and is hinged at one end, opening regularly to allow vessels through. An operator controls two diesel engines that turn propellers that are mounted perpendicular to the length of the bridge and allow it to swing open.

The bridge was named after Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, who was queen consort of the Netherlands during its construction. Due to the importance of the function of the bridge, the people of Curacao have found a good way of overcoming the ubiquitous Love Locks issue.

Love Locks are a ridiculous phenomenon that has been making their way around the world for decades. This is where people put a padlock with both people’s names on it and attach it to a local bridge, fence, gate, or monument and throw the key into the water…to symbolise their love.

Originally thought to have begun on the Paris’ Pont des Arts it has now spread globally. The issue is that the combined weight of so many locks compromise the structural integrity of the bridge, which is a risk for the bridge and anyone who walks across it. The practice has been banned in many places for this reason. The people of Curacao have built love heart shaped frames on the banks of the river that keep the heavy locks off the functioning bridge.

The main thing that gets you about Curacao is the brightly coloured narrow houses lining the waterfront. True to their dutch roots it is very reminiscent of the Amsterdam canals. The main heart of town is relatively unremarkable with the usual tourist and jewellery shops dominating. That said, it feels safe, is clean and everybody is very friendly.

Curaçao is the home of the oldest continuously inhabited Jewish community originally formed in the 1500 by emigrants from Portugal. The Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue in Willemstad was completed in 1674.

The Chichi is a colourfully painted, vibrant female figure. She represents the eldest daughter of the family, who binds the family together in a loving and caring way. She is a much-appreciated female role model in the Caribbean community of today and a very live part of its colourful heritage.

If you are brave enough to venture beyond the usual tourist blocks you will find yourself in some of the back blocks where the local street art scene tends to kick in.

Curacao was nice. Our ship stayed here overnight which gave us two full days in port which, based on what we saw was probably a little long. But we did not venture out to find or explore some of the beaches. By all accounts the snorkelling and diving around Curacao is amazing and if that is the case then maybe the extra day should have been spent exploring those sort of options.

What was clear to us, was the water. On our second day we did some computer work on the 6th floor of the boat. From up here Jill was still able to get footage of this turtle swimming in the crystal clear waters 6+ floors below.

Curacao Mark II

The second time on Curacao we decided to bum around on the beach so for the post we decided to summarise some of the beaches that are around. The first thing that you must realise is that many of the beaches are private and therefore come at a cost. They have all of the cool things that you would expect if you were paying for the service. But my Australian sensibilities remain offended at the thought of private beaches.

Avila Beach is one of the closest to town but is privately owned. The palm trees offer plenty of shade and parasols and palapas are available (for a price).

Bluebay Beach is the other way from town and for another fee you can avail yourself of the palm trees, lounge chairs, umbrellas, bar, restaurant, water sports center (diving and sea kayaking!), playground, pool, and showers.

Caracasbaai Beach is not as nice as the first two but it is free. The beach is made of coarse sand and pebbles and is popular for snorkeling and diving because its part of the underwater park.

Daaibooi Beach is again close to town (with a fee), but this beach has good snorkeling along. Pergolas provide shade and there is a snack bar. To the west of the beach, a small trail leads into the countryside.

Klein Curacao is another island about 2 hrs away with white sandy beaches and diving. While it is free, you will have to pay for a boat to get there and back.

Mambo Beach is the most popular and most equipped beach on the island. While there are fees here they are reasonable with it only being around $4 for entry with chairs etc extra.

There are many more beaches on the Island but they involve going much further afield and would be best explored with your own vehicle as the public transportation is infrequent and unreliable.

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Bahamas

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The Bahamas are a chain of more than 3000 islands, cays and islets in the Atlantic Ocean. They are part of the West Indies and sit just north of Cuba.  

Nassau

Our first foray into the Bahamas was part of our 50th cruise with Jimmy and Claudia, where we set down in the capital Nassau on the island of New Providence. We were just one of several cruise ships to arrive on that day.

The islands of the Bahamas were mostly deserted between 1513 and 1648 after almost all on the native residents were forcibly removed and enslaved or died from diseases brought from Europe. In 1649, English colonists arrived establishing settlements.

We hit the streets, chased the tourist things, climbed the Queens Staircase up to the fort and then wandered along to the other fort. We even had time to stop and sample some of the local brews.

The Queen’s Staircase, commonly referred to as the 66 steps, is a major landmark that is located in the Fort Fincastle Historic Complex in Nassau.

It was carved out of solid limestone rock by slaves between 1793 and 1794

Fort Fincastle was built in around 1793 and was constructed of cut limestone.

It was placed on Bennet’s Hill to protect the Nassau town and its harbour from pirates.

Fort Charlotte is the largest battlement at 100 acres in size. It is so large that within the grounds are three different forts: Fort Charlotte in the east, Fort D’Arcy in the west, and Fort Stanley in the center. These massive stone structures feature cannons, moats, bridges, and other elements that make them fascinating to explore. 

Fort Charlotte, It sits on a hill overlooking the west end of the harbour a mile west of downtown Nassau. From the fort you get an impressive view of Paradise Island, Nassau, and the harbour.

Fort Charlotte was built in 1788 and was named after the wife of King George III, Queen Saharia Charlotte. The middle bastion, Ft. Stanley and the western portion, Fort D’Arcy were added later. The fort has a moat, dungeons, underground passageways, and 42 cannons, which have never been fired in an act of aggression.  

Coco Cay

This time around we found ourselves being delivered at a place called Coco Cay. It is an entirely manufactured island that is owned and operated by the Royal Caribbean company solely for the use of their ships. It is advertised as Perfect Day at Coco Cay, and surprise surprise, that is the first thing that you see.

Looking back from the pier we saw our ship next to one of the newest and biggest ships of the Royal Caribbean fleet. The difference was incredible, especially when you think that our (little) one is 13 floors high. But the new one is about twice the width too.

From here you enter into the world of waterparks, theme parks, shopping and beach walks where the tourist is king. Everything on the island has been put there to amuse, entertain or fleece the clientele from a cruise ship.

Being a company island, the food and drinks kick in on the company coin. So unless you are after something extra, everything else is free. There are some individual, over the water, cabanas for rent at a price of around $2000 USD per day. But a beach chair ranged from free to $20 depending on where it was. The trinket shops were extra but the food and drink went on your cruise card.

The calm side of the island had a kid’s paddle beach sheltered on all sides. In the centre lives the largest pool in the Caribbean. This has the obligatory swim up bar and places to sit. But the private DJ playing tunes was the bit that did us in. Our beach time is preferred quiet and not with somebody else’s choice of music doing our heads in.

Coco Cay was a nice touch. Not something that you would want every day, but as a change it was quite nice.

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Aruba

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Aruba is officially known as the Country of Aruba but is captured within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It sits in the south Caribbean about 29 km north of Venezuela and 80 km northwest of Curaçao.

The first people to settle on Aruba were the Arawak Caquetío, who arrived around 850 to 1000 AD. The Spanish arrived in the 16th century enslaving the Caquetío for use in their other colonies. But the Dutch seized Aruba during the Thirty Years War.

Unlike the Spanish the Dutch had a relatively hands-off approach to colonialism and used the island to raise livestock, a job they delegated to the Caquetío already living there. This allowed the native Arawak culture to survive through the colonial era and leading to a hybrid culture with Spanish, Dutch, and Arawak characteristics.

The first thing that really needs to be known is that there is no ‘bad’ time to visit Aruba as it sits outside of the hurricane belt and is protected from the major storms. The island itself is relatively flat with the highest point on the island being Jamanota Hill with a massive elevation of 189 meters. The Southside of the island is typically for swimming and the North side of the island is for scenic views.

Our entry was into the capital city of Oranjestad named after ‘Huis van Oranje’ (Orange House), the name of the Dutch Royal Family in 1824 during the Dutch colonisation.

The town features some Dutch Colonial architecture but has mostly been Americanised with the usual suspect chain junk food stores ubiquitous. Oranjestad is most famous for its historical landmarks, which have been carefully restored to give visitors a sense of what the city looked like during its colonial-era past. 

Our usual plan is to check out the town and get all of our tourist photos out of the way before hitting the other things (the problem of being a slave to this blog). But this time we did it a bit differently. Hooking up with Patrick and Anna (from dinner and Cartagena fame) we hopped in a cab and headed straight to the beach.

Now as Australians we usually are greatly disappointed by overseas beaches as they seldom even come close to what we are used to. But Aruba is an exception. These beaches have the fine white sand, long stretches and even have some of the beach umbrella amenities that we generally don’t have. Yes they are for hire or are part of a resort, but there is so much beach that it really doesn’t matter as there is plenty of room for everyone.

Along the beaches are a steady stream of resorts and hotels that (typically) offer all-inclusive drink packages. This meant for us blow-ins buying a beer in the heat was not as easy as you would have thought. But being the dedicated and persistent souls that we are, we were able to find a venue that could sate our needs.

Cold local beers and cocktails, in a nice venue, right on the sand were not entirely terrible. As the timing would have it, after our first round the 5pm bell rang for happy hour making every subsequent drink two-for-one. So our cocktails and beers continued as we watched a relatively impressive sunset over the Aruban sand and sea.

Fort Zoutman is the oldest building on the island, originally built in 1798 by African slaves. It is regarded by UNESCO as a ‘Place of Memory of the Slave Trade Route in the Latin Caribbean’. The Willem III Tower was added in 1868 and the whole place was restored and re-opened in 1983 as the Historical Museum of Aruba.

Having taxied to the beach we had wandered our way back to town and the ship (admittedly pausing briefly). At this point, we did the tourist shopping run and looked around the area. As we knew we would be coming back (in about 2 weeks) we didn’t exactly bust a boiler to see everything, leaving some things for our next visit.

Aruba Part II

Having only been in Aruba a few weeks ago this trip was just a pop-in for us. Last time we got off in Oranjestad and turned left to head up to Eagle Beach. So this time we decided to turn right. This saw us wandering along the shoreline, through the city centre and checking out the statues, shops and stores.

We walked for a fair way coming across very little of note but did find a city with a generally nice feel. There was no aggression or angst, just a really nice place to kick back and have a beachside holiday.

Clearly, going left and taking in the beaches is the option. But from everything that have experienced in Aruba it confirms that it is just a great spot to visit.

Caribbean

Sint Maarten – Saint Martin

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Saint Martin is an island in the Northeast Caribbean that is split approximately 60/40 between the French and the Dutch. The French side calls it Saint-Martin while the Dutch side is called Sint Maarten. The whole island is about 87 square kilometres. While the French side is bigger in size, the Dutch side is more populated. That said, the whole place only has about 75,000 people on it.

The oldest treaty in effect in the Caribbean is the Treaty of Concordia which was signed between the Dutch and French for the partition of St. Martin in 1648. The partition was based on the economic needs of each state and the proximity to nearby colonies. With this treaty, both parties agreed to share resources, and protect one another. It was violated over a dozen times before truly being enforced and respected. Nevertheless, today both sides enjoy the cultural and economic ties, strengthened over centuries. 

The Dutch side has the capital, Philipsburg, on it and is the main entry port for those arriving on cruise ships. The area is highly tourist friendly with shops, bars, cafes aplenty. On the day we arrived there was 5 very large cruise ships (around 15,000 people) that were all in town on the same day. The area has a cobblestone promenade with colorful, colonial-style buildings lining the main street and shopping area.

The French side has one of the most famous airports in the world for the Instagrammer crowds. With international and regional flights landing every 15 minutes, Maho Beach is the only place in the world where the planes quite literally land directly over the top of your head.

While having planes landing directly overhead is impressive enough, it has also prompted a phenomenon that has become known as “fence-surfing.” This is where visitors to the beach line up along the runway end’s fence, hold on and ride out the jet wash from the engines of departing aircraft. The pilots know this so ham it up, overly revving up the engines before taking off.

The surfers white-knuckle through a high-powered pelting of tiny rocks and sand for about one minute. But as you would expect, not all are able to hold on through experience and people have been killed as they are blown backwards. The most recent was a New Zealand woman who was blown backwards striking her head on the concrete blocks dividing the fence and the beach.

We came here the first time when we had the joint 50th birthday celebrations with Jeremy and Claudia. We hopped on a tour to the airport, had a few beers and lunch while we watched the planes landing before having a dip in the cool waters.

Not being idiots, we did not try fence surfing but did get a minor version of being sandblasted as the planes arrived and left. Our meal and drinks were at the Sunset Bar and Grill.Later examination determined that there was a sign that read that “topless women drink for free”. Research tells me that this is true and if the ladies are willing to whip them out, then the bar tab for each round is halved.

I’m not sure if Claudia or Jill saw the sign or not, but I can say that Jimmy and I paid full price for our rounds of drinks.

We enjoyed St Martin, both sides of the island. It had a really nice feel to it, the people were friendly, the streets were clean and safe. The shops, cafes, restaurants and bars were relaxed and there was no angst anywhere you went. And importantly, nothing was particularly overpriced, a fair price was being asked for goods and services without the usual (stupid) tourist markup.

It does have the pay for beach seating (that offends me as an Australian) thing but the prices are not ridiculous. $20 will get you two sun loungers, an umbrella and a few drinks each. This is basically the cost of the beers, so I can wear that cost.

I have found now that I have way more pictures than I do superlatives for how nice St Martin is. So here’s some random pics.

And of course, you are in the Caribbean, so there is the obligatory and ubiquitous rum distillery.

Here they will try and convince you why their particular brew is better than the ones you tried on any of the preceding islands.

St Maarten is pretty nice, on both sides of the island. We enjoyed our time here the first time and did again the second time around. It is well-priced, the people are friendly and for the most part, there is a good time to be had here.

Caribbean

Jamaica

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Jamaica is a Caribbean island country and is the third largest (after Cuba and Hispaniola) of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. It was originally inhabited by the indigenous Taíno people.

The island came under Spanish rule after the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1494 with many of the original inhabitants either killed or died of diseases. After this the Spanish brought large numbers of African slaves to Jamaica as labourers. In 1655 England conquered it and named it Jamaica where it became a leading sugar exporter.

In 1838 the British emancipated all slaves, many of whom chose to have subsistence farms rather than to work on plantations. The island achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1962.

Kingston is the capital of the island of Jamaica, lying on its southeast coast and is the home to many of the attractions that include the Bob Marley Museum which is housed in the reggae singer’s former home.

Devon House is a colonial-era mansion, the Hope Botanical Gardens & Zoo showcases native flora and fauna. Surrounding the town are the Blue Mountains, some of the most renowned coffee-growing areas that are full of trails and waterfalls.

But we didn’t go here…

Montego Bay is one of the worlds best protected marine parks with snorkelling and diving at coral reefs, numerous beach resorts and golf courses, an amusement park.

But we didn’t go here…

Our cruise ship dropped us at a place called Falmouth. The main thing to do for tourists in Falmouth, is to leave. Literally, there is nothing to do here. The main tourist things to do in Falmouth involve going to Montego Bay. I have absolutely no idea why we were dropped off here.

You come off the ship into a manufactured shopping mall that has massively overpriced trinkets and little else. As you walk out there is an interesting tourist walk that depicts a bunch of posters outlining the history of the country.

When you pop out from there you hit a pretty dingy slum, full of people so stoned that they can barely stay upright. The filth and stench reminded us of some of the worst places in India (still hands down the filthiest place we have ever been). The trinket shops had a ton of wooden gear (that you could never get into Australia).

Our market runs saw us being offered a singlet shirt for $44.90 USD, weed, and any other form of ridiculous things that you can imagine. The Rasta spirit is strong here, but if it was not for the odd ship that arrives, there really is very little reason for this town to exist.

The thing that amused Jill the most was this sign which was trying to urge people to stop dumping their trash everywhere.

The signs were an attempt, but they were failing dismally.

The smell emanating from the waterways was truly putrid.

I would love to come back to Jamaica, but head to one of the other centres to try and really get a sense of the place as this little foray was not it.

Caribbean

Cayman Islands

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The Cayman Islands are an independently governed British overseas territory in the Caribbean. It is made up of three Islands (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman), that are renowned for their beaches, reefs and trekking.

Grand Cayman is the largest of the Islands and is home to the capital, George Town. The city is a major cruise ship port and the site of the ruins of colonial-era Fort George.

The reality is that there are not really any fort remains and it is little more than a roped-off cannon. More like a children’s playground than a historical sight.

The Cayman Islands are a tax haven. This has spawned a thriving financial services industry, which is a major part of the local economy.  In fact, George Town is the world’s fifth-largest financial centre. There are about 250 banks registered in the Cayman Islands.

Grand Cayman’s main claim to fame is the undersea world that surrounds it.  The coral formations are almost everywhere and they are home to large populations of sea creatures.  There are also the numerous shipwrecks making both diving and snorkelling amazing. Add to this very clear water, with underwater visibility reaching up to 30 meters in the right conditions.

The USS Kittiwake was formerly a Navy Submarine Rescue Vessel. It was sunk on January 5th, 2011 in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands to create an artificial reef and shipwreck attraction for scuba divers and snorkelers.

The Crystal Caves offer guided walking tours of around 90 minutes through the tropical forest to see 3 caves and the associated stalagmites and stalactites.

Sting Ray City is an attraction where guests can snorkel and swim in shallow water in close contact with numerous sting rays. The blurb shows isolated images but the reality is more like this.

Grand Cayman to us was a very long strip of resorts. We came on a Sunday, which meant that most of the shops were shut. We did the long hike to 7-mile beach, expecting a long stretch of sand.

However, what we got was small 50-200 meter stretches as you hit private beach sections where the resort of the day had locked you out of their little section. This meant you had to wade through the water to the other side or go back to the road and walk around.

Beyonce bought a super mansion here and we walked past it. We were warned about it but I strolled by oblivious, Jill managed to get a photo of the gates. Needless to say the rest was hidden away.

Grand Cayman was nice. It felt safe and fun and the walk around was interesting enough. I am certain that on any day other than a Sunday there would have been more going on, and if you are looking for a resort style holiday, then this place would be tough to beat.

The clarity of the water and the various shades of blue are exactly what I imagine when I get to a tropical island. And this place delivers that at almost every glance. The snorkelling that we saw looked a bit “trampled on”, but we were in the main tourist area. I am sure with a bit of effort and more time you could find some untouched spots that would deliver the ideal snorkelling.

Caribbean

Barbados

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Barbados is an island country in the southeastern Caribbean. It is roughly triangular and measures 32 km from northwest to southeast and about 25 km from east to west at its widest point.

The island was a British possession from the 17th century to 1966 when it attained independence. It is the first Caribbean island that you hit when coming from Europe and Africa and has been a major link between Western Europe, the eastern Caribbean, and South America for hundreds of years.

The island is known for having some of the most diverse beaches in the Caribbean, where you can relax and lounge at your leisure, snorkel with turtles, or take in some water sports action. The beaches on the west and south coasts have calm conditions, while the ones on the east coast are for those keen to ride some waves. 

Barbados claims to be the original home of the grapefruit.

Chattel Houses are small, portable wooden houses, which were originally plantation houses that could be moved from one property to another.

Today they are still around and are brightly painted.

For us sadly, Barbados was a bit of a bust. A beautiful seaside bust, but a bust nonetheless. Our arrival was into Bridgetown, the capital, on a Sunday, which is church day. This meant that virtually everything was closed. We got to do a nice beachside walk, along a stunning shoreline for about 3 km to reach the main township. At this point, the fun stopped.

There were about three historic-style buildings on offer and everything else was a closed storefront.

To say that this place is humid is an understatement. Even Jill got hot and turned red wandering around the streets. This in itself was not an issue but having walked in the heat to find everything closed was a bit of a bummer. Especially when we had to walk the 3 km back to the ship, with nothing else to see.

I am certain that our experience would have been a little more positive if we had been here mid-week. Some of the other cruisers who had been here before boycotted town altogether and simply headed to a beach where they lazed about.

Barbados Part II

Well, I was right. Our second trip to Barbados saw us landing on a Wednesday and the place was pumping. The town was full of people all smiling and laughing and having a good time. All of the previously deserted streets were heaving with people and shops and stalls. The first exposure was absolutely an anomaly (that probably repeats every single Sunday).

So the second time around Jill organised a beach run. This involved paying for deck chairs on a private beach (something we usually try to avoid). But the price was reasonable and included a bus ride to take us through town to get to the beach and some drinks etc. I even got to swim with a turtle for around 20 mins.

The highlight for me though was to visit the Kensington Oval. This is the main cricket stadium of Barbados and probably the whole West Indies. Cricket at the oval began in 1882 with the first international match in 1895 and the first Test match in January 1930, when the West Indies and England played to a draw. Since then there have been 43 Test matches played on the Kensington Oval grounds, 21 of those matches won by the West Indian cricket team. The stands of the oval were extensively rebuilt for the 2007 Cricket World Cup (which Australia won).

The first thing you see when you walk through the gates are two statues of Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Wes Hall. The next is the Greenidge and Hayes Stand. As a lad who grew up watching the absolute dominance of the West Indies in the late 1970’s and 1980’s this was a huge thrill.

Apart from the two legends immortalised in statues at the front of the grounds some of the players who learned their craft here include: Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall.