OUR 7-DAY CARIBBEAN CRUISE

During our 7-day East Caribbean Cruise, the following were our ports of call: St. Maarten/St. Martin, St. Thomas, and Princess Cays.

St. Maarten/St. Martin - This was our first port of call. It was early morning at 7:00 am on Wednesday, May 23rd, when our ship docked at the port of Philipsburg, St. Martin. Since our departure from Port Everglades until arrival at St. Martin, the Caribbean Princess steamed a total distance of 1073 nautical miles at an average speed of 17.9 knots.

Right after breakfast, the passengers started to disembark, all eager to explore this island of contrast known as St. Martin/St. Maarten. It is the world's smallest landmass shared by two countries: France and the Netherlands Antilles. Prior to going ashore, all passengers were required to carry their "Cruise Card". You will be asked to produce this at the gangway when leaving and returning to the ship. This serves as a safety measure to prevent unauthorized persons from boarding the ship and also as an effective way of accounting for all passengers.

Nicknamed The Friendly Island, it has white sand beaches, gourmet French restaurants, good hiking and nightlife that can make this the perfect destination. St. Martin/St. Maarten lies some 144 miles southeast of Puerto Rico and 9 miles south of Anguilla. The combined population in St. Martin and St. Maarten is 69,000. The year round temperatures average 80 deg F, and the sun shines almost every day of the year. French and Dutch are the official languages, respectively. On the street, you will hear Papiamento, a dialect based on local and European influences. The legal tender on the Dutch side is the Netherlands Antillean guilder. On the French side, it's the euro. However, U.S. dollars and all major credit cards are accepted virtually everywhere.

Once largely uninhabited, the island is now one of the Caribbean's premier playgrounds, with a profusion of beaches, sporting facilities, shops and restaurants. Many who come here appreciate its duty-free shopping and nonstop casino action. Although the Dutch side has lost most of its Dutch influence, the French side maintains its "Europe in the Caribbean" feel. St. Martin's and St. Maarten's respective capitals are Marigot and Philipsburg. Marigot boasts of its quaint shops, chic boutiques, sidewalk cafes and an open-air market. Philipsburg is situated on a narrow sandbar between Grand Bay and Great Salt Pond. It also has its own share of shops, boutiques, and restaurants.

The French claimed 21 square miles of the island and 16 square miles for the Dutch. No formal boundary exists between the Dutch and French sides of the island, except for a simple welcome sign which tells you when you cross from one country to the other. However, the differences are as noticeable as the spelling of the island's name.

When all the passengers were back on board later in the afternoon, the Caribbean Princess slipped her moorings at 5:52 pm, and manuevered astern off the berth. Once clear of the dock, the ship swung its bow to port and set a westerly course across the Caribbean Sea throughout the night towards our next port of call, St. Thomas.

St. Thomas - At 4:00 am the following day, Thursday, 24 May, landfall was made with the island of St. Thomas. And at 5:05 am the Caribbean Princess was subsequently manuevered alongside her berth and was 'all fast' with gangway rigged and ready just before 7:00 am. Since departure from St. Martin until arrival at St. Thomas, the Caribbean Princess steamed a total distance of 115 nautical miles at an average speed of 10.6 knots.

St. Thomas is described as the "Beloved darling of the cruise-ship industry and bustling capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands." With a population of some 51,700, the U.S. Virgin Islands are America's paradise offering an easy-going blend of island ways and American practicality. It lies in the vast crescent chain of the Caribbean Islands, with the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea washing their shores. Located 18 degrees north of the equator, the U.S. Virgin Islands is about 1,100 miles from Miami and some 40 miles east of Puerto Rico. Its three major islands are: St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix.

St. Thomas has shimmering bays, powdery white beaches, towering green hills, cosmopolitan life style, unsurpassed shopping, and with trade winds blowing across the ocean from Portugal which keeps the temperature between 70 and 90 degrees year-round thus assuring its visitors beautiful and balmy days after another. The capital of the Virgin Islands is Charlotte Amalie, a charming and gracious town named in 1692 for the Queen of Denmark. It has a natural deep-water port and has one of the most stunningly beautiful harbors in the world. Green hills dotted with houses rise above it, and to the north, away from town, spans a lush, tropical terrain graced by the picturesque beauty of Magens Bay Beach.

Downtown Charlotte Amalie's shopping district is centered around two streets: Waterfront and Main Street. Many smaller alleys run between the two and up towards what is known as Backstreet, creating an ideal layout for exploration, and a great setting for a walking tour of the many historic sites that await its visitors. The capital boasts all kinds of stores and small businesses, and is one of the best places in the world to buy jewelry. The many jewelry stores that line Main Street, from local craftsmen with one-of a kind hand made pieces to world-renouned chain stores carrying timeless designs, will ensure that you find what you're looking for, and duty-free prices will result in huge savings for you. Here you will find exquisite jewelry and watches, to fine china and glass pieces to fabulous buys on perfume, liquors and other luxury goods coming from all around the world.

There are a number of landmarks and attractions that are worth visiting while in St. Thomas. Two of these that we visited were the Mountain Top and the Skyride to Paradise Point. The Mountain Top is the island's first eastablished major tourist attraction. Located at the highest point of St. Thomas (1547 feet above sea level), it offers a stunning view of beautiful Magens Bay and the other Virgin Islands and Cays, including St. John, Tortola and Jost Van Dyke. Here one can enjoy the view while sipping a Banana Daiquiri and a bite to eat. We took the Skyride to Paradise Point which was an eight-minute ride to the top, located some 700 feet above sea level. It offers one of the most picturesque panoramas of the Charlotte Amalie Harbor. Here, you get to enjoy a refreshing complimentary beverage on the spacious observation deck. We had enough time to browse the shops and also take pictures before riding the skyride back to our waiting taxi which took us back to ship.

There's no shortage of taxis throughout the island to take you where you want to go. You can call to arrange for pickup or just approach a waiting downtown cab for a quick drop-off and pick-up at the beach or a full island tour. Drivers are required to post current rate sheets published by the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission. Quoted rates are one-way per person, plus an additional charge for luggage, radio calls and late-night service. There are many "gypsy cabs" to service, but registered taxis are easy to spot with their official TP license plates. Taxis do their part for gas conservation and tend to fill up with additional passengers, so expect some extra stops on busy days.

English is the official language of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Locals speak it with a Creole or West Indian lilt. The U.S. dollar is the legal tender. Traveler's checks and major international credit cards are accepted throughout the island. Duty and tax-free shopping bring mass tourism to the port town of Charlotte Amalie. The capital town receives more than 1,000 cruise-ship visits a year, making it the most popular cruise-ship destination in the Caribbean region. Beyond the busy shopping districts, the island's spectacular beaches beckon and the rhythms of reggae and calypso swirl through the air.

Just before 6:00 pm, the Caribbean Princess slipped all its moorings and the vessel thrusted off the berth. Once it was clear of the pier, the ship swung her bow to port and proceeded outbound through West Gregory Channel. It then set on a westerly course passing through the Virgin Passage. Throughout the night we passed 12 nautical miles off San Juan (Puerto Rico's main port) and from there it set a west-north-westerly course towards our third and last port of call, Princess Cays. We were at sea the whole day of Friday, the 25th of May and it was in the evening that we were all dressed up once again for our second formal dinner.

Princess Cays - During the early hours of Saturday, 26 May, the Caribbean Princess proceeded on its north westerly course through the Exuma Sound towards the Southern Peninsula of Eleuthera Island and the exclusive resort of Princess Cays. The ship dropped anchor at 8:22 am and shortly after, the tenders were lowered to provide a continuous ferry service ashore for the rest of the day.

Located at the isolated southern tip of Eleuthera Island, Princess Cays is an exclusive port of call reserved solely for Princess guests' enjoyment. Its 40 unspoiled acres include four adjoining cays and 1.5 miles of pristine beach, and it has been landscaped with indigenous tropical trees and plants that complement the natural beauty of this secluded port. About almost everything you could want is on Princess Cays, from solitary stretches of sand to a beach barbecue and shopping.

The resort boasts all the amenities while carefully preserving this natural paradise. All of Princess Cays' facilities are linked by walkways. Recreational activities abound. Here you can enjoy volleyball, a full range of water sports, or simply relax on the beach. Snorkel equipment, sea boards, floats, kayaks, paddle-wheelers, the banana boat rides and beach cabanas can be pre-reserved. It has a wooden tower which offers stunning views of the beach and the ship at anchor. The Craft Market is located just outside the front gate and offers an assortment of Bahamian crafts and souvenirs. And for food, the ship's staff prepared a delicious lunch complete with different types of fruits and beverages.

Later in the afternoon, and with all the passengers back onboard and its tenders recovered, the Caribbean Princess heaved up her anchor and throughout the evening proceeded northbound, paralleling the eastern coast of Eleuthera Island. And finally during the early hours of the morning of Sunday, the 27th of May, our ship approached the coast of Florida. We then proceeded inbound through the approach channel into Port Everglades, thus concluding the seven wonderful and memorable days of our cruise.