Carnival's 7-Day Southern Caribbean Cruise--Alluring Islands With A Connection to Charleston's Past

Petit Piton

Cruising south from Castries City, for a glimpse of the island's major attraction, the rugged cliff-lined coast of St Lucia was dotted here and there by stretches of secluded beaches overshadowed by thick droves of palm trees and dripping wet rainforest-covered mountains. Glistening in the equatorial sun, well positioned luxury resorts clung to the lush, rocky landscape for optimum views. We exchanged cutesy group poses and soaked in the natural beauty as the boat cut through the warm Caribbean waters and balmy breezes. Despite the rolling surf, I strategically positioned my bobbing camera to record each passing panorama.

After many snapshots and a couple of complimentary rum concoctions, the islands oldest town, Soufriere, came into view and not far beyond, the two volcanic spires of the Pitons--our first stop. From peak to surf, the steeper Petit Piton sharply descended from a dizzying height of 2,469 feet before disappearing into the surrounding arsenic blue waters to a depth of 3000 feet. Separated by Sugar Beach, the taller Gros Piton descended from a height of 2619 feet. The captain slowed the boat to a crawl. We humbly gazed upon its majesty and fantasized about diving from its rocky ledges. With first leg of our excursion accomplished, it was time to move on to our next stop--a sandy beach and a relaxing swim.

The preceding commentary described one of the memorable highlights of my first trip to the turquoise-wrapped islands of the Caribbean. An extra special trip because I spent it with my oldest daughter and a group of some thirty other spirited vacationers brought together by our cruise organizer and friend, Tony Colon of Tony's Travel Service. Initial destination was Old San Juan in Puerto Rico. Moored in its port, Carnival's 2974 passenger ship Liberty awaited our presence. For 7 days, we cruised around the sundrenched, rum soaked islands of the Southern Caribbean to five different ports-of-call: St. Thomas/St. John, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, and St. Maarten, respectively. We were nurtured by an abundance of sunshine, caressed by warm tropical breezes, gently rocked by calm seas, soothed by the rhythmic sounds of the steel drum, and treated to an abundance of food, drink, and entertainment.

Tony

After a 20 minute drive from the airport through the busy, narrow streets of Old San Juan, we arrived at the terminal around 4:30 pm, Puerto Rico time. Docked nearby Carnival's drop-off point was a fully outfitted replica of a pirate ship--a tantalizing preview of what was yet to come. We checked in, received our sail and sign cards, and made the exhilarating walk to the gangway where we crossed over and through Liberty’s teak-trimmed entryway into its beautifully decorated Main Lobby. We located our cabin on Main Deck 2, went to Lido Deck for our first buffet dinner, returned to cabin to unpack our suitcases, hung out with fellow travelers, attended the safety meeting, back to Lido Deck and the RedFrog Rum Bar for a celebratory drink, and at 10 pm, stood on Panorama Deck to view the historic sights of Old San Juan as the ship gracefully exited the port and entered the open sea. Destination--the cosmopolitan island of St. Thomas/St John.

Day 2: St. Thomas/St. John. The Liberty eased into the port of Charlotte Amalie around 7 am. I was up early on Panorama Deck to watch the 110,000 ton steel behemoth gently make contact with the pier bumpers for a picture perfect docking. Our plan was to spend the day at Cinnamon Bay on John's Island. We didn't purchase the excursion on the ship, Tony nimbly negotiated transportation. We would take a tour bus to Redhoook Bay for $16 round trip, board a ferry to Cruz Bay on St. John for $12 round trip, and then take another tour bus to Cinnamon Bay for $8 round trip. The beach was picturesque, the water pure Caribbean, and offered terrific snorkeling for the hearty swimmers. We tossed the football and drank Carib beers (reminded me of a Corona).


Day 3: Fun Day At Sea. We hung out at the pool, watched drink mixing contests, played corn hole, sat in the hot tubs, and ate awesome burgers from Guys Burger Joint on Lido Deck--Liberty's onboard activities.

Day 4: Barbados. On this day, the group went two different directions. Some went to Harrison's Cave, but the majority of us purchased the 4 hour Jolly Roger Pirate Party Cruise and Snorkel for $69.99--this was the only excursion purchased on ship. It was a short transfer from the ship to 110 foot Jolly Roger pirate ship--not exactly a tall ship, no sails, but it did have a big ship's wheel. We snorkeled around a sunken ship and cruised the coast to a location to snorkel with sea turtles. Though I personally did not see a sea turtle, I did have a blast walking the plank for a twelve foot plunge into the warm Barbados waters. We partied like pirates, drank rum and Banks beer, danced on the upper deck, and made one water rescue--an over-enthusiastic partier did a face-plant overboard while dancing on the boat’s rail--courtesy a little shove.


Day 5: St Lucia. By far my favorite island, the scenery was dramatic and strikingly impressive. After fellow cruiser, Dane, skillfully haggled for a $25 boat excursion, we piled into the tour bus ($18 round trip) to the boat where we traveled the rugged coastline of St. Lucia to the island's number one attraction--The Pitons. After taking in the splendor and grandeur of the Pitons, we spent the rest of the excursion on one of the island's secluded beaches. Rum concoctions were served on board and I learned how to blow into a conch shell like a fog horn.


Day 6: St. Kitts. The ride ($20 round trip) to Cockleshell Bay at Reggae Beach Bar and Grill was filled with winding, steep hills and picturesque vistas--expensive homes and beautiful, emerald bays. The beach was crowded. "There is nothing free on the beach," the local beach attendant said in a typical island accent. Negotiating for a chair and umbrella for a large group was tricky, but Dane did his best--two chairs and an umbrella for $10. The snorkeling wasn't the best and the beach was narrow, but the view of the volcanic mountain on Nevis was spectacular. We played beach volley ball and drank $2 Caribs.


Day 7: St. Maarten. A beautiful tropical breeze greeted us in port. We secured a tour bus ($18 round trip) that would take us to the Pinel Island ferry at Orient Bay on the French side of St. Maarten. It was a pleasant ride through the small towns of the interior. The ferry was $8 round trip, which was a short ride over shallow waters. The beaches on Pinel Island had soft sand and marked off swimming areas. Two chairs and an umbrella was $15 for the day. The snorkeling was decent near the rocky shorelines outside the swimming areas. On the beach, the Karibuni Restaurant served excellent food and selections were made from your chairs and brought to you by beach attendants. We soaked in the warm, tropical sun and drank Presidente beer and Pina Coladas.


I have always said, "I am happy doing anything, along as I am doing something," and my cruise to the Southern Caribbean on Carnival's Liberty was something. It was well worth the $625 per person fee for an Ocean View cabin. The Liberty was nicely presented and graciously represented. The dinners were satisfying, the buffet filling, the shows entertaining, and the dining service top notch.

It was a wonderful 8 days spent with my daughter, revisiting old acquaintances, and forming new friendships. The group of fellow cruisers I had the pleasure of hanging out with, mostly young couples, were refreshingly open and exceedingly entertaining. My late seating dinner group were a pleasure to break bread and tilt a glass with. I partied like a pirate, drank rum like Captain Jack Sparrow, busted a move with our head server, participated in a dance-off, and succeeded at not embarrassing my daughter. For everything else I did, blame it on the Malbec.

St. Thomas/St. John Excursions
Barbados Excursions
St. Lucia Excursions
St. Kitts Excursions
St. Maarten Excursions

To Cruise Or Not To Cruise-Carnival's Fantasy And Charleston Unite

Would you go on a cruise ship that holds over 6,000 passengers? Wow, that is alot of people in a confined space of 1184 feet and sixteen decks. Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas is a cruise ship of gargantuan proportions featuring seven distinct nieghborhoods and departs out of Fort Lauderdale. Yes, you heard it right, neighborhoods. Sounds like living in the burbs. The Allure of the Sea, its sister ship, will debut in 2010 with a capacity of over 5,000.

Disney will be releasing into service in 2011 its third ship called The Dream that will accommodate over 4,000 passengers departing out of Port Canaveral. It will feature the first water coaster at sea, called "The Aquaduck" and will have a 9 hole mini-golf course. The adult-only Quiet Cove Pool will include a swim up bar and a series of connecting pools with hot tubs for adults & families. Has your interest peaked with those little or should I say huge tidbits of information?

I have been on cruises with over 2,000 passengers and crowds have never been a problem until the last day when you are departing the ship, but over 6,000 passengers? Although, considering I have been to some sporting events with 60,000 to 70,000 spectators, 6,000 or 4,000 doesn't sound like alot and again the crowds were no problem until exiting at the end.

However you may answer the proposed question at the beginning of this article many will say yes or cruise lines would not be building bigger ships. The fact of the matter is cruising has become very popular and Charleston is on the list of cruise ports.

Carnival's Fantasy has made Charleston its home and is now sailing year-round from our beautiful port offering a variety of 5 to 7 night Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean cruises. Fantasy has been fully refurbished and ships capacity is over 2,000. Quite modest in comparison to 6,000, but emphasis is still on non-stop fun and excitement. Check out Fantasy's itineraries with destinations including Freeport, Nassau, Grand Turk, and Carnival Cruise Lines' own private island paradise, Half Moon Cay. Take a 360 degree virtual tour of the ship.

An Unusual Hotel With A View-The Queen Mary In Long Beach, CA

If you are looking for an unusual place to vacation and checking out accommodations think Long Beach, CA and the Queen Mary. This is a cruise ship that never leaves port, so you don't have to worry about getting sea sick. The reason, this vintage ship has been permanently moored in Long Beach since 1967 and was turned into a floating hotel. The ship is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In World War II it was called the "Grey Ghost" and Winston Churchhill stayed on board.

The Queen Mary has 314 staterooms that have been converted into modern guestrooms, but if you want to experience a bit of the past glory of the ship there are suites that retain their original Art Deco ambiance. There are six different award winning restaurants, cafes, and bars on board with views of the ocean and city skyline. The Sir Winston, a five star restaurant, is known for great service and creative cuisine. The Observation Bar is a Southern California landmark with lively entertainment. The Grand Salon, the ship's original first-class dining room, has a special Sunday Brunch. Tibbies Cabaret offers delicious cuisine along with a critically-acclaimed, "Broadway-Cabaret" style show.

Ship attractions include historical tours, and for some scary fun, ghost tours, because the ship has a haunting dark side to its past. Haunted Encounters Tour takes you on a guided tour of the ship's most haunted areas while the tour guide reveals the stories of the Queen Mary's most famous reported ghosts. Queen Mary also has a interactive special effects show called Ghosts & Legends featuring spooky animations of the ship's haunted past. Increase the mystery and fun by taking the nighttime tours.

Since you can leave the ship at your leisure take time and explore the city of Long Beach with its many attractions. Aquarium of the Pacific, Downtown Shoreline Marina and Village, the Pike at Rainbow Harbor are featured places to explore with entertainment, shopping, and restaurants. Long Beach is a bicycle friendly city where you and your family can explore the waterfront and city by bike. Check out Bike Long Beach for biking fun. Upcoming events of notice include the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, which takes place April 16-18, 2010. The 15th Annual All Toyotafest is scheduled for May 8, 2010. The Queen Mary Park will be packed with over 370+ Toyota products (including Scion and Lexus). Featured vehicles include- modified, restored, hybrid, and all-original Toyota products.

Long Beach Airport ranked in the top five for lowest average domestic air fares in the nation. So, hop on a jet at your local airport and take off to Long Beach and experience the Queen Mary. Queen Mary can be found at 1126 Queen's Highway, Long Beach, CA 90802.-Vacation Rick Travel for travel information.

Cruise Sales Boom-Try One!

In a year end report, Expedia CruiseShipCenters said it continues to ride the wave of cruising’s popularity, reporting year end growth of 18 percent on sales and bookings of $310 million. “Clearly, the popularity of cruise vacations continues to grow, especially in the first-time cruise market,” says Matthew Eichhorst, president of Expedia CruiseShipCenters. “Cruising also offers the best value for the money and, for 2009, our client bookings are already ahead of this same time last year by 14 percent.”
The year saw the launch of more than 10 new ships including the much anticipated Celebrity Solstice, which featured among its many innovations a Lawn Club sporting freshly manicured real grass with a putting green and lawn bowling area.
The Caribbean remains the most popular cruise destination but, cruising to more exotic destinations is gaining popularity. Panama Canal, South America, South Pacific and World Cruises were 18 percent, Alaska was 16 percent and Europe 14 percent.

I thoroughly agree with the comment that cruising offers the best value for the money when considering a vacation. I like alot of activity and entertainment when taking a vacation and cruising gives you all of that. Just want to relax and unwind, cruising gives you that too. Bon Voyage.

To check cruise options go too Vacation Rick Travel.