Caribbean - 2015

Celebrity Reflection - San Juan - 2015

FOR A time, "winter" Caribbean Cruises became an annual event for us. The 2015 cruise was again with our group from the 2014 Celebrity Summit Cruise - but the group had diminished. As always, events of life sometimes conspire to change plans. Even though - as we left San Juan - in February 2014, we all planned to re-do the next year, it didn't work out. Two of the couples had other commitments. But the other 3 couples (we like to think of ourselves as the "fun core" 😁 ) signed up and did it again.

San Juan - 2015

FOR 2015, we cruised on the (maybe slightly upscale) Celebrity Reflection. It was Dejavu for my wife and me, as the Reflection was our very first ever Celebrity Cruise in 2013. As before, we really liked the Reflection (a good thing because we have since sailed on her 2 more times - in Europe). You may remember from my Celebrity blog post here, that The Reflection was the 5th (and last) and largest of the Solstice Class ships (now the middle class between Millenium, Solstice and Edge classes). With a capacity of just over 3,000 passengers, the Reflection still remains one of the largest in the Celebrity Fleet. Celebrity has 3 primary classes of ship: Millenium, Solstice and Edge. Though the Millenium class ships are the smallest and oldest (with passenger capacities of just over 2,000), they are in the process of being "re-fitted" one at a time. These ships still provide a nice, if not intimate cruise experience and we would not hesitate to cruise on any of them. But we mostly have cruised on Solstice - and lately - Edge class ships. Indeed, as far as we are concerned, you really cannot go wrong on any Celebrity ship.

With a capacity of just over 3,000 passengers, the Reflection still remains one of the largest in the Celebrity Fleet

THE CRUISE this time was slightly shorter (7-days), hitting only places we had become somewhat familiar with. But we were able to put a new "spin" on all three of our stops. Sadly, while we didn't know at the time, this would also be our last Caribbean Cruise for several years - finally making it back again in 2022. And I am pleased to report, we have one booked again for February 2023! 

San Juan Back Streets - 2015

LEAVING FROM Ft. Lauderdale Cruise Terminal this time meant a couple of different approaches to the cruise. Our first day was an "at sea" day, as it takes a full day to cruise from Florida down through the Straits of Florida to Puerto Rico. Once again, San Juan, Puerto Rico would be our first stop. But this time, we ported in the Old San Juan Harbor, right in the middle of things. We arrived in the afternoon, and though we didn't leave port until later in the evening, it still made the day seem short. This one was destined to be a "beach and bar" cruise. We walked up to the Castillo San Crisobal and spent a couple hours there. Then we walked back down into town and did a mini-bar crawl on some of the back streets in old San Juan. There may have been a flight or two of beer involved. And I had to chat with one of the bartenders and taste some real, quality Puerto Rican Rum (nope - not Barcardi). 😏

Sen'or Frogs - A "Caribbean Icon" - San Juan 2015

BECAUSE WE departed later, I was able to go back off the ship for a short time after dinner and do some night shooting. Looking back at my archive, I probably made less photos on this trip than any other cruise. But night shooting is a rare opportunity, because we are usually at sea at that time. I mainly wanted to get a shot of our ship lighted up, so I didn't have to venture far. As you can see from the above picture, I was also able to make a night shot of one of San Juan's most famous icons (well maybe the entire Caribbean). 😈

Ferry From Red Hook, St. Thomas to St. Johns - 2015

ON THE following day, we made port fairly early in St. Thomas, USVI. In 2014, we had visited St. Croix, USVI for our first stop, and finished in St. Thomas. The main cruise port in St. Thomas is at the USVI capital: Charlotte Amalie. In the 2014 blog, I opined that St. Thomas seemed touristy, crowded, and kind of dirty to me. I am really not trying to "dis" St. Thomas - or even Charlotte Amalie. We have had some fun there and I encourage exploration of both the town and other parts of the island and come to your own conclusions. But after two visits and not having changed that opinion, it was time to "change it up." Our cursory research had told us that it was an easy day trip to nearby St. John USVI. Once ashore, the folks as the cruise port told us our easiest and shortest trip over was to take the ferry from nearby Red Hook, just 5 miles from Charlotte Amalie. You can see from the map that there is a ferry route directly from the cruise port, but it looks to be a much longer ride. Instead, we took a 10-minute cab-ride to Red Hook, bought our ferry tickets, and took the short, 15-minute ride over to St. John. The cab ride over to Red Hook was also very interesting. It is an area that might be worth exploring on another trip.

Cruz Bay - St. John's USVI - 2015

THE IMAGE here kind of makes St. John look like all the other Caribbean ports. But it's really not. In fact, although there are a handful of large, fairly high-end resort/hotel facilities there, most of it (over 60% is protected land) is actually the uninhabited, relatively unspoiled Virgin Islands National Park. It is a destination for longer term visits. More than a day trip. But for us, the day trip was what we could do.

Caneel Bay - St. John, USVI - 2015

THE BEACHES on the northwest part of the island are well-known and spectacular. Many have probably heard of Trunk Bay, Honeymoon Beach, Maho Bay and Hawksnest. On the windward side of the island, they can also be very rough, and are at times closed. One of our group had heard of a lesser-known, small beach, that was adjacent to a private resort: Caneel Bay. From the port area of St. John, we found a golf cart transport to Caneel Bay. From the parking lot of the resort, we followed a small trail down to one of the nicest beaches I have ever been to. But quite small and intimate. There was a nice, sandy area just to the left of the image above. Visitors here are advised to stay down in that part of the beach. I have heard stories of swimmers getting into the area in the image above and getting in trouble. It can be very dangerous with undertow and waves crashing onto inhospitable rocks.

Caneel Bay - St. John, USVI - 2015

BUT THE sandy area is gorgeous, and the water is clear and warm. I have the image here on my website gallery for stock photography, hoping someday some advertiser will see it and want to use it for a brochure or online site, selling the virtues of the Caribbean. 😀

St. John, USVI - 2015

IF YOU have read this (and/or the 2014 account), it will not come as a shock to you that after spending some time on this beach - and time in the beautiful and warm water (this is one of the few times I actually had swim wear with me), we took the trolley back to the port area and found - of all places - a local bar! 😁

Sint Maarten - 2015

OUR LAST port for this cruise was another familiar stop - St. Martin. I often describe the islands of the Caribbean - at least as they relate to tourists and tourism - as kind of homogenous. They are all warm, mostly sunny and beautiful. The water is turquoise, clear and warm. The local populace (for the most part) - at least those that interact with the visiting public, put out that "don't worry, be happy" vibe. To be sure, each island has its own proud history. But even there, there is a certain amount of "sameness." Mostly originally settled by the same ancestry (Arawak, Taino, Carib) and taken over (and in most cases, exploited) by one European country or another (and in a couple significant cases, the U.S.), populated by the African slave trade in the 17th - 19th centuries, and having turned largely to tourism as a major source of livelihood. We still try to do some cultural experiences, but often find ourselves walking around on shore (usually not venturing far from the very commercialized cruise port areas), maybe sampling a local beer, and then returning to the ship.

Sint Maarten - 2015

IF I had to pick a favorite Caribbean Island (so far), it would be St. Maarten/St. Martin. Perhaps the most diverse and interesting of the islands in the Lesser Antilles chain, St. Maarten is split roughly in half, mostly north and south; a result of the Treaty of Concordia in 1648, between the French (the north side of the island - known as Saint Martin) and the Dutch (the south side - known as Sint Maarten). It is the one Caribbean Island that I personally have an interest in maybe spending a full week on someday. It is well-developed, and the Dutch side has one of the busiest airports offshore in the Caribbean - Princess Juliana Airport, as well as a large casino, many restaurants, shops, beaches and some very nice beach resorts. Sadly, like many of these island "paradises," there is a very substantial poor population, mixed in the wealthy (mostly foreign or expatriate).

Sint Maarten - 2015

ON PREVIOUS stops here we have walked the downtown area of Phillipsburg and toured the French and Dutch side of the island. We have sat at the bar next to Princess Juliana Airport and watched the jets take off and land virtually within arm's-reach. This time was different. I mentioned at the outset that this was more of a beach and bar cruise vacation. Our sole destination on this day in St. Maarten was the beach. After a short water-taxi ride from the cruise port, we rented chairs and umbrellas, at Great Bay Beach, and made ourselves comfortable with a bucket of beer. Behind us was a boardwalk, with many beach-themed restaurants, bars and shops. Eventually, we would make our way up there to have lunch, some shade, and to take refuge from a hard "summer" thunderstorm.

Celebrity Reflection - 2015

ON BOARD the Reflection, life was pretty good, too. On at sea days, it seems like there is always some "organized" afternoon activities around the pool - the central outdoor area on the Reflection. I don't participate, but occasionally "people-watch" and take photos. I also had a chance to watch the refueling operations early one morning from our balcony.

Refueling Celebrity Reflection - Caribbean - 2015

THERE ARE always some stories on these cruises. We were still in the "set table" mode in 2015. On our first night in the dining room, we were escorted to our table, which looked like it was probably set up as a 10-person table. As we sat down, we were kind of laughing at how we would probably need to use our phones to converse. Obviously, we asked to be moved to a smaller table. Thinking they would find us one for the next night, we were a bit surprised when they had us stand up and a crew came out, removed the tablecloth to reveal a round piece of unfinished plywood. They took it away and underneath it was a perfect 6-top sized table! 😅

Our 2015 "Crew" - Celebrity Reflection

THOSE WHO regularly cruise know the "ins and outs" of the dining room menus. On Celebrity (and Princess), there is usually a menu that changes daily. Sometimes it is bound to the places the ship is in. Other times, just based on variety. There is also usually a "regular" menu that is offered every night in case you don't find something you like on the specific night's menu. Usually it has fish, chicken and beef. Appetizers and sides are separate. You can mix and match and double up in virtually any combination. Two of us really enjoy the escargot, and we each ordered it every evening, no matter what else we had and what else was offered. After the meal, there is a dessert menu with a similar theme. One of the guys ordered blueberry pie every night, beginning the first night. Except that there was no blueberry pie on the menu. The waiters weren't even sure they had any blueberries. He kept at it - their own "private joke." Well, the joke turned out to be on him. On our next to last night, after dinner over and before they brought us the dessert menu, the waiters ceremoniously brought out a full blueberry pie and set it down on the table in front of Bob! Lots of laughs. And pretty good pie. 😋

THIS CRUISE was probably what most of us from the cold north country dream about in February. Warm, sunny weather. Cold beer (or whatever might be your choice). Beaches, tourist shops, colorful Caribbean landscapes, and relaxation. What could be better? A myriad of things, personal commitments, illness, and eventually a world-wide pandemic, would conspire against this group winter cruising in the future. We would travel together other places and times, and always reminisce about the cruises. I hope we are able to pull another one together one of these days soon. We would not cruise in the Caribbean again until February 2022.

The Caribbean; A short History

 

UH HUH! When was the last time I did anything short? 😇

A few posts back, I noted that it seemed like most cruise blogs seem to have a cast toward the Caribbean. Perhaps rightfully so. There are an awful lot of cruises there and an awful lot of cruise ship companies that offer cruises there. Traditionally, I think people (at least here in the U.S.) have thought of cruises as a warm weather vacation and reprieve from our sometimes-harsh winters. Caribbean cruising has expanded over the past few years. More and more Islands are now becoming cruise stops. We have made several cruises to and continue to cruise in the Caribbean ourselves. And as I describe these cruises, I often wonder a bit about the history of this pretty captivating part of our world.

"THE CARIBBEAN," a/k/a "The West Indies," derives its name - unsurprisingly -from the Carib native tribes that once populated this area of the world. Each time I do a "wiki" search of one of our ports of call, there is always a very brief mention of the former "indigenous" inhabitants. But never any depth. The current population of the Caribbean (we will attempt to define it better below) is about 41 million. That, presumably, is residents and doesn't include the substantial number of annual visitors. Different sources range that figure to between 25 and 35 million international visitors!

CONVENTIONAL "CARIBBEAN history" usually starts with something like, "when the Europeans arrived . . .  ." Who doesn't remember the (inaccurate and perhaps even revisionist) history of Sir Christopher Columbus' "discovery of America? As a very young person, I grew up thinking that meant he sailed into port somewhere in the U.S. and planted the Spanish Flag, claiming what we now know as "The United States of America" as Spanish territory. He didn't do that at all. 

BUT WHAT Columbus did "discover" (at least as far as Europe was concerned) was what we might call "the Americas" He was probably the most famous - and maybe first - explorer from Europe to do so. His first landing was in the Bahamas, which actually is neither the "New World" (U.S.), or the Caribbean (more on that later). The goal of Columbus' voyages was to find and confirm a presumed "shortcut" to the East Indies (essentially, Asia) in an effort to find an alternative to the sometimes treacherous "Spice Route." It wasn't until a year later, in 1493, on a second voyage to "the new world," that he made landfall in the actual Caribbean: St. Croix, (now part of the U.S.V.I.). He was a determined explorer, if nothing else. In 1494, he made landfall on what is now Jamaica. None of them were the East Indies. Ironically, the region he sailed to multiple times is referred to as "the West Indies."

SHORTLY AFTER Columbus' "discovery," other explorers and other European nations began to explore the area, including Portugal and France, and eventually England, as their navies and sailing fleets grew - partly as a result of the so-called "Age of Exploration," and partly because of the near-constant warfare and struggle for control of important waterways ensued between them. Eventually, the industrious and enterprising Dutch and even later, the Danish joined in. The Spanish did get there first and did declare the entire Caribbean Region to be Spanish territory. But they mostly concentrated on some of the major spots at first (Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico and "Hispaniola" - now Haiti and Dominican Republic). That left the other numerous islands up for grabs for the others. And they all got busy claiming, colonizing, and fighting each other over them.

The Caribbean

I THINK some geography would be helpful right about now. The "Caribbean" as we know it today, is formed by lands surrounding the Caribbean Sea. To the west and south are the mainland of Central and South America (Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela). To the north and east are the island archipelago of "The Antilles." The larger islands to the west (Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico are known as "The Greater Antilles." The numerous and mostly much smaller islands to the east are known as "The Lesser Antilles." Because Columbus was seeking (and may have believed he found) Asia and "The East Indies," the whole area above is also often referred to as "The West Indies." While as cruisers, we think of The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos as "The Caribbean," technically, they are not. Both are in the Atlantic (not in the Caribbean Sea). Because they continue to be important cruise points, I think we can continue to include them in our broad definition here, of "The Caribbean."

HISTORIANS BELIEVE that the islands were probably formed in a couple different ways. The Greater Antilles, it is believed, was most likely at one time connected to the mainland by land bridge. It is likely that much of the early migration of people were over that land bridge. In contrast, it is thought that most of the Lesser Antilles were most likely volcanic. Early inhabitants there most likely came by water. It is possible that Trinidad, the closest to the South American Peninsula was also attached by land bridge at one time.

BUT WHO was there before the Europeans arrived? The history of the inhabitants of the Caribbean is unclear. Most of what we know comes during and after the period of "discovery" which we will call, for convenience, the "Columbian" period.

SOMEWHAT SKETCHY history and archeology suggests that humans began to inhabit this region shortly after the Ice Age, and as long ago as 9000 B.C. Historians believe that Trinidad was probably the first inhabited Caribbean Island and was probably attached to the mainland by land bridge. I find it fascinating that historians attribute the eventual rising seas and disconnect of these now-islands to Climate Change. In 9000 B.C.!😐

REFERRED TO (perhaps euphemistically) as "Amerindians" the most probable early inhabitants were of Arawak descent and probably originated somewhere in the Amazon Valley, migrated up into Columbia and Venezuela, and then to the Antilles.

I find it fascinating that historians attribute the eventual rising seas and disconnect of these now-islands to Climate Change. In 9000 B.C.!

EVENTUALLY, THE Arawak origin branched to Taino, and perhaps, Carib. They all seemed to have similar cultures and the Taino, who seem to have emerged as the earliest settlers of the Antilles, shared the Arawak-based language (though the Caribs had their own, Kalinago language). Archeologists have found evidence on both the main peninsula and the islands in the form of elaborate pottery, ringed villages, raised fields, and large mounds, including evidence that they modified the soil using various techniques such as adding charcoal to transform it into black earth. According to historians, these are all indicators of a complex culture. The Taino appears to have been a particularly Antilles-based people. 

TO THIS world and culture, the Europeans arrived in the late part of the 15th century. And changed everything. This should not come as a surprise - at least not for any student of history. This was during what was known in Europe as "The Age of Discovery" (exploration), and dominant European nations (particularly those with robust naval and shipping capacity), began to explore - and conquer - the world. Spain, Portugal, France and England were continuously engaged in struggles for control both at home in Europe and around the world (including frequent hostilities in the Caribbean. Later, the Dutch and Danish would join the fray. Colonization (and exploitation) of many of these places ensued, including the Caribbean, the western Americas, and Mexico. This pattern continued for centuries. By the 17th Century, a new player, the United States, became involved.

AT FIRST, the Europeans discovered gold and other minerals in the Caribbean. They set up colonies, mined gold, traded (though often unscrupulously) with the native inhabitants, and eventually overcame them by force. Over time, the Europeans realized the potential in the rich soils and temperate climate for agriculture. The Caribbean was particularly suited to the cultivation of sugar cane and became at one time the world's largest producer and supplier of sugar and molasses. Sugar was a labor-intensive crop, and they began to import African Slaves into the region. This created an entirely new tension, which continued until well after the United Kingdon abolished slavery in 1833. It was not until 1865 that the U.S. finally passed the 13th Constitutional Amendment officially abolishing slavery in the U.S.

St. Kitts - Where some of the Residents live

THE BLACK slave culture produced a number of slave-rebellions throughout the Caribbean Region over the years. Perhaps the most famous was in Haiti and happened earlier - but is probably demonstrative of the atmosphere at the time. In 1791, a Haitian slave "uprising" ultimately became "The Haitian Revolution," (no doubt heartened by the U.S. Revolution just a few years early). The revolutionaries ultimately overthrew the French Colonial government and in 1804, Haiti gained its independence. Haiti still holds the distinction of being the world's first Black republic and was only the second (following the U.S.) independent republic in the western hemisphere.

A NUMBER of other Caribbean states gained independence in the years to follow. In 1821, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, all on the main South American Peninsula, gained their independence. In the Greater Antilles, both Cuba and Puerto Rico remained under Spanish control until 1898, following the Spanish American War. The victory by the U.S. in that war established the U.S. as the major power in South and Central America. In the 1898 Treat of Paris, the U.S. was granted control over Puerto Rico, and given temporary control and supervision over Cuba. Puerto Rico remains a territory of the United States. As a condition to full and final withdrawal of American troops from Cuba, the new Cuban nation signed another treaty, which essentially gave the U.S. "police-powers" over Cuba, agreeing that the U.S. could intervene militarily if they deemed it necessary. As later history would demonstrate, the tensions between the U.S. and Cuba grew and still exist to this day. Wouldn't it be nice if we could find a way to relax those tensions and once-again, allow cruise ship stops in Cuba?

TODAY, ONLY a handful of Caribbean territories remain under "colonial" control. Between 1958 and 1962 most of the territories who had not gained independence were controlled by the British, who years ago had established Naval Superiority in Europe. In 1962, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago became independent. In ensuing years Barbados (1966), Bahamas (1973), Grenada (1974), Dominica (1978), St. Lucia and St. Vincent (1979), Antigua (1981), and St. Kitts and Nevis (a federation - 1983) all gained their independence. Guadeloupe and Martinique remain French Colonies. St. Maarten and St. Bart's are "collectives" of France. The British continue to have colonial control over Anguilla, Bermuda, The British Virgin Islands (BVI), the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and Turks and Caicos. And of course, the U.S. retains control over Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. John's, St. Croix and some very small islands).

Abandoned Sugar Plantation - St. Kitts

EVENTUALLY, THE sugar industry began to decline. There were a number of reasons for the decline, but in the end, the Caribbean ceased to be the world's largest producer. Sugar has remained, however an important crop. Today, other important crops include fruit (especially bananas), spices, and tobacco. Oil refining has also been an up and down component in the Caribbean economy. For a time, offshore banking was also a significant Caribbean industry. For wealthy residents of the U.S. these islands - once they became independently sovereign, were very convenient places for offshore holdings. That, too, has declined more recently, particularly in light the U.S. Patriot Act. Bringing us back to where we started. Tourism. It has become one of, if not the most important industry in the Caribbean.

Today, the Caribbean Islands are highly dependent on tourism

HIGHLY DEPENDENT on tourism, the Caribbean today, by my observation, the divide between wealth and the less economically fortunate is pretty obvious if you travel around these islands. In most instances, highly dependent on tourism, what we as visitors and tourist see is often what some want us to see. Our visions of the Caribbean - colorful, sandy beaches, restaurants and bars (think Sen'or Frog), and clean modern facilities - are usually present at the cruise ports and major tourist areas. But having done some touring on a couple of the island-interiors, I have seen some very poor, and other less economically fortunate residents and areas. It puts my own good fortune for the things I have and the place I live in a very different light.

St. Kits - Away from the Tourist Areas

I FOUND researching and writing this fascinating. It helps me put my Caribbean Cruise adventures into a better historical perspective. I will continue to research the individual destinations as we visit them, but this was a useful exercise for me, and I hope, an interesting piece for the readers here.

The Caribbean - Again -2014

Celebrity Summit - Caribbean 2014

FOR THE third year in a row, we cruised in the Caribbean during the winter months of 2014. This time, ship was the Celebrity Summit. Our previous Caribbean adventures were first on the Ruby Princess in 2012, with family members, and then on the Celebrity Reflection in 2013, the O'brien wine group. The Summit is the fourth and final version of Celebrity's Millenium Class ships. This class is Celebrity's oldest and smallest class cruise ships still cruising, with an average capacity of just over 2,000 passengers. In recent years Celebrity has been updating and re-fitting them.

a cruise in the Caribbean has its own relaxing, almost "Conch time" atmosphere

THIS TIME, we cruised with a group of friends from our then hometown of Saginaw, Michigan. There were 5 couples on this cruise, all of whom were connected primarily with one of my law partners and me. We have traveled with this group - or parts of it - a few times. Always fun. Disappointingly, searching my archives, I didn't find any images of all 10 of us at the same time.

Caribbean - 2014 - Celebrity Summit

ONE DIFFERENCE this time was that we did not cruise out of Florida, where we have on every other occasion when headed into the Caribbean. This cruise originated in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Having stopped in San Juan on prior year's Celebrity Reflection cruise, we were excited to see it again. The old part of the city, appropriately, "Old San Juan," has a real "old world" feel, with old buildings and Spanish-influenced architecture, two old Forts guarding the Old San Juan Harbor, and the generally colorful Caribbean culture. In the port there are some great bars and restaurants and just off the beaten path, some perhaps even better local establishments.

Caribbean - 2014 - Celebrity Summit

WE WERE in for a surprise, however. When making cruise stops in San Juan, the ships port in the Old San Juan harbor. You are immediately in the town as you walk off the ship. But for originating and terminating cruises, there is another, more remote cruise terminal, which is where we boarded our ship. It turns out that it was only a mile or so from the old city, but at the time, we didn't really know that. We arrived at San Juan airport around noon on the day we were scheduled to depart. Sail away was early evening (maybe around 6 p.m. - that was a long time ago and the memory banks are not as efficient as they once were 😐). What we could see around us looked like we were very remote, and with only a few hours, the logistics of a taxi or other transportation for 10 seemed like it was not worth it. Nor did the (second) Senor Frogs (looking like the only place to go at the terminal) seem that inviting. If we were just going to mingle and drink with other passengers, why not just do that on the ship, where we had already paid for our drinks? So, instead, we stayed on board and began to take immediate advantage of our drink packages. At least it was warm and sunny - a welcome relief from the winter temperatures we had just left that morning. In retrospect perhaps we should have gone into Old San Juan, as it was "touted" as one of our ports of call. One of my "gripes" about Celebrity, as a matter of policy, is when they do that, and port in a remote location with either no, or not very hospitable means of transportation into the main attraction. There may be a blog on that topic in the future. For us, this was the first experience with that.

Not the "main" Senor Frogs (which is in Old San Juan right at the port) - 

this one was at the terminal - Caribbean 2014 - Celebrity Summit

I SOMETIMES wonder, these days, why we even go to the Caribbean, given that we live in an almost "Caribbean climate" now in the Tampa, Florida area. But we do love to cruise, and a cruise in the Caribbean has its own relaxing, almost "Conch time" atmosphere. I guess I answered my own question. 😁 Our experience has been that the weather is nearly always pleasantly sunny, the Caribbean clear and generally relatively calm, and the surroundings beautiful. We love to sit on the back of the ship and watch the sun set. And, sometimes, weather conditions conspire to demonstrate mother nature's majesty, like this rare, double rainbow of the Coast of Grenada in the Caribbean, during this cruise.

Double Rainbow - Caribbean - 2014

ANOTHER DIFFERENCE in this cruise was that we went to some places we had not been to before. We have done at least 6 Caribbean cruises over the years - and are certain to do more (including a planned, February 2023 cruise). For the most part, it seems like a lot of our stops are "been there, done that" repetitive. Most of our Caribbean cruises have been to the so-called, eastern Caribbean, and have so often included St. Thomas, St. Marteen, St. Kitts, and San Juan as to call them "regular" stops. This, though it did include St. Thomas, was to mostly new places, like St. Croix (U.S. Virgin Islands), St. Lucia, Dominica, and Grenada.

Main Street - St. Croix, USVI - 2014

FROM SAN Juan, our first stop was St. Croix, USVI. We left the port on a Saturday afternoon, so our day on shore here was a Sunday. As is true of most of these island ports, tourism is a major industry. The history of St. Croix is similar to most of the other islands in the Antilles Archipelago. Beginning centuries before, with the migration of "indigenous" tribes of the Caribbean, it was "discovered" by Columbus in 1493. The island was populated and controlled at times by the Dutch, Spanish, British, and finally, Denmark for a period of time. During this mixed history there were long periods when the island was uninhabited.

The old Fort protecting the port, and the long stretch of white beach beyond

contribute St. Croix's tourism industry - Frederickstat, St. Croix - 2014

IN 1916, Denmark sold Saint Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John to the United States. These islands now form the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), an incorporated U.S. territory, whose capital is in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. The island's inhabitants were granted United States citizenship in 1927.

Frederickstadt Cemetery - St. Croix - 2014

THE ISLAND houses one of the largest oil refineries in the world (formerly built and operated by the Hess Corporation in the 1960s). St. Croix is also the home of the Cruzan Rum distillery (interestingly, the distillery imports most of its sugar cane for rum production from Dominican Republic and South America). There is also a second distillery which produces Captain Morgan Rum. I didn't know about the rum distilleries when we visited. On a later Caribbean Cruise in 2015, I sought out some good rums - but mostly while we were in San Juan. Because we were in St. Croix on a Sunday, I doubt we could have arranged a tour/tasting for either facility. But it is something to think about for the future.

Frederickstadt - St. Croix, USVI - Celebrity Summit - 2014

SO MANY of these very small Caribbean Islands (a number of them, nations; others, territories of larger nations), away from the commercial cruise ports, are generally quite poor and depressed. At one time almost wholly dependent upon tropical agricultural products (bananas and other fruits, coffee, cocoa, sugar, spices, etc.), they are now highly dependent on the tourism economy. And even then, I think a lot of the retail establishments in the port area are owned by or affiliated with larger - worldwide corporations, leaving much of the income generated by the islands to taxes and employment of its citizens. You can see this in the photos I made in Grenada. The second image is what you see immediately outside of the port area. 

THE FOLLOWING day, our port was St. Kitts. My wife and I had been there in 2013 and had taken the narrow gage railroad up into the sugar plantations, and catamaran sail around the island. This time, our group was more ambitious. Well, some of them. There were five couples. The three "most athletic" of the guys (they all ran regularly and were reasonably fit for 3 "old guys" 😐) decided they were going to climb a volcano. The activity level was described as something like "moderately strenuous. Later, when they returned, all 3 admitted it nearly killed them. And they looked like they had been through a battle. The ladies all decided to take a jeep safari, and from what I can tell, they had a blast. The other two guys (you know, the ones who knew their limitations) exercised a little common sense, and just went ashore and wandered around. We may have provided the most important part of the day though. We found the spot where the beer was only $1!

The Sweet Lime - St. Kitt's - Caribbean ($0.99 beers)

ST. KITTS (short for St. Christopher) may be one of the most colorful of the Caribbean Islands. This was certainly true in and around the cruise port. But we even saw colorfully painted houses well back into the island during our Sugar Plantation excursion the year before. There was also a certain "local color" that often presented itself at as a photo-op.

This young woman offered to pose for me. How could I say no? 😐 - St. Kitts

AFTER WE had a few of those $1 beers, we ultimately found our way back to the ship. We may have had a little help. 😁

St. Kitts - Caribbean

OUR NEXT stop was another island we had never been to: Dominica (pronounced "domineeka," with the accent on the 3rd syllable). A part of the Windward Islands in The Lesser Antilles, this tiny island is its own commonwealth. Again, originally populated by indigenous Caribbean tribes, the island was colonized by France, sometime in the late 1490s. At that time, coffee was the primary commodity produced on the island and the French imported African slaves to work the coffee plantations. Following the Seven Years War between Britain and France, Britain took possession of Dominica and maintained it as British territory until 1978, when it was granted its independence and became a sovereign nation in its own right.

Roseau Cruise Ship Berth - Dominica - Celebrity Summit - 2014

DOMINICA's CAPITAL city is Roseau. The Roseau cruise ship berth (there is only room for one ship to tie up, so we were the only ship there) is surprisingly unprotected. I was impressed by how high above the island our upper cruise ship deck placed us. My photo of the dock leading from the ship to the island has always been one of my favorite cruise photos, with its graphic sweep onto the island.

One of the numerous local bars found on every Caribbean Island - Dominica - 2014

WHILE DOMINICA is known for its share of natural wonders, and has active volcanic activity, we didn't do much in the way of onshore tours or activities. Maybe some recovering from the prior day's activity? But the pattern here was a frequent feature of this cruise. We were all from Saginaw, Michigan which in February is deep into the throes of winter. We are usually weary of cold, dark, snowy and sometimes grimy conditions, with short days, long nights, and very little sunshine. A Caribbean vacation to us was about sun and relaxing. So, we weren't very ambitious for the most part. In most cases, we generally got of the ship for a couple hours, walked around, maybe did some souvenir shopping, and found a local bar to sample the local beverages (primarily the Caribbean beer offerings for the majority of us. Then we decided that since we had already paid for the "drink package" on board, we might as well go back to the ship.

Colorful clothing is a hallmark of the Caribbean - one of the ubiquitous shops - Dominica - 2014

GRENADA, OUR next stop on the following day is, perhaps at least for us Americans, best known for the 1983 U.S. invasion during the Reagan presidency. We docked at the cruise port terminal in the capital city: St. George's.

Grenada - 2014

FOR MY wife and me, this stop became kind of a "bust." Our group had booked a "golf cart" driving tour of the island. But my wife had a (very minor, but enough to hold us back) "medical" issue and we ended up not joining the rest of them. They did say upon their return, that they enjoyed the tour. In our case we went back aboard and got some medical attention. It is the only time I have seen the "hospital" area on the ship - and I hope it remains the only time during my lifetime! Not a cheery place compared to the other areas of the ship. Anyway, that being done, we did walk around the port area, briefly.

St. George's, Grenada

BEFORE THE arrival and colonization by the Europeans, Grenada was inhabited by the Carib tribes. They were initially quite resistant to European incursions. It is believed the Columbus sighted the island in 1498 (by then he had already claimed all of the Caribbean for Spain), and that perhaps Amerigo Vespucci again in 1499. But it was the French, who eventually began to colonize the island. The first French colony followed a French expedition from nearby Martinique, in about 1649, establishing a permanent French settlement (probably somewhere around St. George's). The French and the Caribs originally signed a short-lived peace treaty. Conflict soon arose and continued between the Carib inhabitants and the French until 1654. Sadly, by the 1700's the majority of Caribs had virtually disappeared from Grenada (though they continued to inhabit other islands and continued to skirmish with the Europeans). Over the next couple centuries, control of Grenada see-sawed back and forth between France and England. Ultimately, by the late 19th century, British control had been established and Grenada became a part of the West Indies Federation under the ultimate control of the crown.

Cruise Port Entrance - Grenada - 2014

IT WAS not until 1974, after unrest and protests over labor treatment that Grenada was granted independence and the status of a nation. In prior years, the colony primarily grew sugar and indigo, and - not surprisingly - the French imported 100's of African slaves to work the plantations. In 1714, cocoa was introduced to Grenada. In 1843, nutmeg was introduced. Both are important crops for Grenade, which supplies roughly 40% of the nutmeg produced worldwide. Today, Grenada is sometimes known as "The Spice Island."

Grenada - 2014

IN 1979, while the prime minister was out of the country, a Marxist Group effected a "bloodless coup," removed the government and prime minister, and established control of the government with a Marxist regime. Over the next 4 years, unrest continued. The regime, while outwardly "neutral," was known to cooperate with USSR and maintained close ties with Cuba. Eventually, another coup occurred (this one not so "bloodless") and a Marxist Military regime established. In 1983, in a very controversial action, the U.S. invaded Grenada and captured the Marxist government. The original 1974 constitution was restored, as well as "democratic" elections. By most accounts, the nation has remained mostly stable since. These days, like virtually every other Caribbean destination, they are hopping on the tourism bandwagon - and in that regard, they are pretty much like every other Caribbean Island.

Scenic Overlook - Magens Bay - St. Thomas, USVI - 2014

WE SPENT the next day at sea. Our last stop of the cruise was St. Thomas, USVI. The primary cruise port on St. Thomas is the USVI capital, Charlotte Amalie. We had been there on our last cruise, and I remembered Charlotte Amalie as mainly kind of touristy, and dirty. I think that in order to see the best of St. Thomas, you need to get out of town. Some of our group wanted to do some shopping in downtown Charlotte Amalie, so our plan was basically to get off the ship, walk around the downtown for a bit, and get back on the ship to enjoy our final sunny day in the Caribbean. But that morning, as we walked off the ship, we decided it might be nice to get a ride up and see the most popular beach in the area - Magen's Bay - and see some scenery, before being dropped off in the downtown. We jumped into one of the ubiquitous multi-passenger "golf carts." Our driver took us up to the beach and we got a look. It looks like a nice place for a day at the beach. The horseshoe shaped, nearly 1-mile long, sandy stretch is pretty, and there is lots of space for beachgoers. On the way back down to the downtown area, our driver detoured us up to what is probably the highest point on the very mountainous island, and to a viewpoint, where we were able to observe Magen's Bay from above - and of course - photograph it. After some "window" shopping and a few souvenir purchases, we ended up at a bar near the water in Charlotte Amalie (surprise). There, I heard for the first time, a story that I am certain is oft told to tourists visiting these island paradises. Our waitress asked where we were from. Eventually we go around to her, and she was from somewhere in the U.S. (I don't even remember - it's not really important to the story😎). The upshot was she said that she was from (somewhere) but that she now lived on St. Thomas. When we asked how she got here, she said she was on a cruise and got off the ship for the day in St. Thomas. And then never went back! 😉Yep. Unique story, I am sure! But still fun.

A fun end to a fun week. We would plan to do it again next year (as it turned out, the "crowd" thinned a bit from this year, but still a fun time)! We didn't cruise again until 2015. And when we did, it was once again, back into the Caribbean.