What better way to heal from gallbladder surgery, than to go on an Eastern Caribbean cruise. I was ready to sail away, relax, lie in the sun, work puzzles, and nap. I was also hoping my body would be able to swim, snorkel, do a Segway tour, horseback ride, and dance every night.
This year's Caribbean cruise was a ten day excursion, again on the Celebrity Reflection, sailing from Ft. Lauderdale to five different ports (itinerary below). Five of the six of us were going again, (Shirley, her brother Rick and his wife Darla, and Joe's sister Patty). But this time we had Shirley's friend Marci (instead of Teresa). Joe stayed home to tend the house and pets since he had just been to Florida for a week and had been on a poker cruise in December.
| Date / Time | Port |
|---|---|
| 08 Feb 16:00 | Departing from Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida |
| 11 Feb 09:00 - 16:00 | St Johns, Antigua |
| 12 Feb 10:00 - 18:00 | Bridgetown, Barbados |
| 13 Feb 08:00 - 18:00 | Castries, St Lucia Island |
| 14 Feb 08:00 - 18:00 | Basseterre, St Kitts Island |
| 15 Feb 07:00 - 17:00 | Philipsburg, St Maarten Island, Dutch Antilles |
| 18 Feb 07:00 | Arriving in Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida |
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| The party rooms |
Patty and I roomed together in cabin 9152, an inside room on the 9th deck, towards the front of the ship, with Shirley and Marci right next door. Rick and Darla were around the corner and a few doors down in a Veranda Stateroom.
Thursday 2/7 - At 11:15am our adventure began as we piled suitcases and people into the SUV. Joe drove and first we picked up Shirley, then Patty, and then Marci. We were dropped at the airport in Nashville where Shirley had wheelchair assistance and we followed her for a quick jaunt through security, to our gate. After lunch at a nearby food court area, we sat here for a bit before boarding.
Shirley and Marci sat two rows behind Patty and I, and it was a quick two hour flight to Ft. Lauderdale. Again we had a brisk wheelchair escort to baggage claim and in no time were on the curb waiting for our shuttle to the hotel.
The mini-bus was full, but on the interest of time, we packed ourselves in, with I standing in the luggage area with two chaps from Canada. The joking, fun, and making new acquaintances had begun.
Check in went much smoother than last year and we were soon in our room. After a quick fresh up and organization session we went to the hotel restaurant.
Great food and a complementary drink was enjoyed by all. We were full and relaxed upon returning to the room and it wasn't long before lights out and I think we all quickly fell asleep.
Seen left, Shirley, Patty and Marci eventually joined me for breakfast.
We caught the hotel shuttle to the dock, met up with Rick and Darla, and got checked in with Celebrity. Then we had to wait for the ship to be cleared and the 'OK' for passengers to load. Shirley used a wheel chair which helped get her through the long walks and waits.
Finally our group was given the go-ahead to board. We gave up waiting for the cruise line wheel chair pusher and Rick took the 'helm,' having way too much fun maneuvering Shirley up the gang plank and over the speed bumps.
Our first destination was the Ocean View Café to eat lunch while waiting for our rooms to be ready.
We designated this area (seen in photo) as our meeting spot for breakfasts and lunches during the cruise. And then we started making trips to various buffet lines. The Ocean View (one of the ships many spots to eat) has so many different choices and areas to go for food, that there is rarely a wait, except for the ice-cream.
I must say, I made a pig of myself throughout the cruise, and found I was able to consume anything I liked (even mass quantities of bacon) without ever getting a belly ache. I am so glad I got my gallbladder out!
After our muster drill, we went to deck 15 to watch our ship leave.
And in no time we were heading out to sea.
None of us swam, but we did enjoy sunning on deck 15 for a bit.
Rick had gotten us moved to be at one table together and we all enjoyed the first of many great dinners as a 'family.' We did find that it was a little noisier on this lower dinning hall deck, sitting out in the open rather than by a window.
This photo was actually taken on the second night, when we were more dressed up.
Rick and I went to the Sky Lounge to listen to Karaoke while the girls shopped.
Then we all met down in the Grand Foyer to dance with the House Band, but everybody soon hit the hay, tired from surviving the rigors of getting to the ship, on board, un-packed, and acclimated. I went back up to the Sky Lounge for more dancing to the 80's with DJ Alessio and got connected with some ladies who love dancing.
I was back to my cabin by 1:00 and went right to sleep.
I missed sunrise but was soon up on deck walking the track while my tea brewed (I did this almost every morning). After breakfast we were back in our swimsuits enjoying lounging. During all our days at sea, I spent most of my time lounging in the sun by the bandstand and pool, and working puzzles (mostly Sudoku). I also enjoyed many of the poolside activities and entertainment.
Seen here, the girls preferred the quieter, shaded areas. I would sometimes go visit them or try to meet up for lunch. We did meet in the Grand Foyer for a Cha Cha lesson around 3:00.
This is our cruise director Eddy, who always looked kind of dorky but was actually hilarious. He has traveled the world, lived and worked on twelve different cruise ships, and has a genuine love for life and people.
After our formal dinner we went to the Entertainment Court for the 8:00 Battle of the Sexes and then we moved to the Theatre for the 9:00 Hard Day's Night Show.
At 10:00 it was to the Martini Bar for the Silent Disco Party.
I was proud of my travel companions for staying up so late for this fun event.
I ended upstairs (the routine for every night) in the Sky Lounge with Late Night Dancing with DJ Alessio until 1:00.
This is Karen from Canada, one of my late night dancing friends. I didn't get a photo of Meshia from Paris who was more of a dancing 'go getter' than I.
Sunday 2/10 - It was another day at sea with the same types of activities up by the pool... different bands played, there was line dancing, and various guessing games (Name That Tune, Question of the Day, and Scattergories).
After another nice dinner, there was 
a singalong with the house band in the Grand Foyer followed by more live entertainment in the theatre.
a singalong with the house band in the Grand Foyer followed by more live entertainment in the theatre.
Then it was back to the Foyer for the Beatlemania Dance Party. Marci enjoyed dancing quite a bit also.
I ended the evening on my own up in the Sky Lounge as usual, but hit the hay at midnight because the dancing ended early.
Getting off the ship was quick and easy, and we made our way to the shop where we waited for our tour guide. We brought the wheelchair for Shirley not knowing how far we would be walking.
We were plenty early, so killed time by watching the locals at work and the tourists shopping. And of course we took photos.
We also got a tourist to take a group shot of us.
We had been in contact with our tour guide and while we were waiting for our taxi, a talkative mute man (I know, that is an oxymoron) befriended us. He could understand us but only communicate to us with verbal noises, hand gestors, and some sign language. He was able to sort of say his same, Leroy. He was such a sweet heart.
After a bit of a drive, we reached our Segway tour building.
Next came a Segway driving course. Patty and I just needed a refresher but Shirley and Marci were new at this. They caught on quickly.
Soon we were off.
Our guide lead the way, and a new trainee employee followed at the end of the line of us four ladies. Behind her was the 'paddy wagon' van that brought food and water and could rescue Shirley if she got too tired. But she held up great!
We 'segwayed' our way (video) through sandy, rocky, grassy and flat surface terrain, listening to our guide through the headset. She gave information about the island or warnings about speed bumps and other hazards that were coming up. We were given breaks throughout our trip to rest our legs, get water or refreshments, and to photograph sights and each other.
Our first stop was at the Governor's house. We parked near this old structure in his front yard, that had been used to grind sugar cane.
Our next stop was at the beach. We were given the opportunity to buy a beer and swim, but we didn't have suits on and chose to drink the complimentary water.
We enjoyed the island music and it was good to rest and chat.
It wasn't long and we were on our way again. Our last stop was Fort James which stands at the entrance to the harbor of St. John's in Antigua.
We navigated our Segway's over rough terrain, up a steep hill, and through this archway into the fort. If you look closely, you can see our ship (one on right) in the background.
We had a chance to walk around awhile and take photos.
We were offered plenty of water while we enjoyed a lovely fresh fruit kebab on a stick.
One last photo opportunity before we headed back towards our starting point.
We had to go past the beach again, and this time I saw some horses being ridden on the beach.
When we arrived back in town, while walking to the port, I saw the group of motorcycles that were from our ship.
What a fun cruise they must be experiencing, and a great way to see each of the islands!
Dinner was relaxed, tasty, and wonderful as usual.
I moved quickly from dinner to the Sky Lounge to catch the Hot Latin Dance Hour at 7:15. But, nobody was there.
The Masque Interactive Theme Party began at 8:00 and within 15 minutes guest were invited to join the singer and dancers out on the floor. Marci and I didn't hesitate, and were having fun with many from the crowd, including a few my dancing lady friends.
I decided to skip the night's show in the theatre and walked around a bit and went back to the room to prepare to come in after lights out as usual. Each night I tried not to wake Patty.
I went up to the poolside at 10:00 for the full moon dance party. The mermaid swam in the pool at the start and there were a few line dances, but it never got very crowded, nor did the crowd fully get into dancing. But there were about 30 of us who were having a good time. Several of us proceeded up to the Sky Lounge at 11:30 and I stayed up until almost 1:00. I don't get photos when I am by myself.
After breakfast we all met to disembark together for our catamaran, snorkel, and beach adventure.
Leaving the dock for our three hour voyage.
On the catamaran, headed out to sea past our docked cruise ship.
Our first stop - swimming with the turtles. Patty, Rick, Marci, and I took the plunge. Shirley took these photos from on board.
Then we sailed to another spot where we snorkeled above two different ship wrecks. One was too deep to see very well, but the other was about 15 feet down. It looked just like these two photos I got off the internet. A guide from a different boat actually swam down into one hole and came out a different hole. He was an oyster diver and had incredible lung capacity.
Once we were all done snorkeling, the bar was open and the rum punch was flowing.
Our last stop was at the beach. We had to swim from the boat to it, so I think it was just Rick and I from our group who went in. I think the rum was 'talking' because I might have had a little too much fun jumping and diving off the catamaran.
We had a female captain who motored us back to the dock and soon we were back aboard our larger vessel.
I went right up to the pool and hot tub to enjoy both while listening to two different bands and then a nap in the sun occured.
We opted out of formal dinning so took our time getting ready for dinner as the sun made its way towards the horizon.
We all met in Rick and Darla's state room and watched the sun set as our ship pulled away from port.
We had a nice dinner up in the Oceanview Cafe. It was quite empty so there were no lines and it was quiet.
Our evening activities included Karaoke, followed by the show Elyslum.
Then we went up to the Sky Lounge for another Silent Disco Party.
My clan turned in around 11:00, but I stayed a little longer, dancing to the tunes the DJ had coming, one after the other.
Wednesday 2/13 - During my morning walk I watched us get docked in Castries, on St Lucia Island. I was excited about my day's activity yet a little nervous about making all my connections.
After breakfast I was off on my own, to get to Holiday Riding Stables.
I was well ahead of schedule and called Fidel to let him know. So he sent his taxi to come early. Ten minutes later when this vehicle pulled up, I opened the door and asked if this was my ride to the stable and the driver said yes. Long story short - as you can see, it was the wrong riding stable. Fidel called to ask where I was and I said "with your driver." Nope. So this driver turned around, took me back to the dock and I eventually found the correct driver, actually before this driver found his correct rider.
The rest of my shore excursion went fantastic, without a hitch. After a 30 minute taxi drive I got to Holiday Stables, paid Fidel in cash, and then he introduced me to my guide, 'Magic,' the 36 year young man who trains the horses (how he got his nick name - like horse whisper sort of). I was put on Only One, a mare who is the only one of her color.
Just Magic and I rode through local neighborhoods on the narrow streets.
As we arrived at the beach, we passed this very large, slow moving riding group. It was great being a one person group. During my whole ride it seemed that I got to set the pace. It was very relaxing and fun.
We continued our journey through some brushland and along the coast, with many breathtaking views of the Atlantic.
We also rode into and alongside the wild horses near Donkey Beach. This is an open range land. You can see the horses in the distance as we approached.
Magic was checking on some of Fidel's horses, these three came right up to greet us.
And finally, the moment I had been waiting for, a swim in the ocean. I slipped out of my jeans and t-shirt with my swimsuit underneath.
And then he got this (video) of me riding Only One, while she swam. She was very comfortable in the water but this was the first time Pretty Boy had swam so he did not want to go. So I took the lead on Only One. Once over her head, you could feel her floating. As the waves lifted and lowered her, it felt like being on a carousel ride. Every now and then I could feel her feet touch bottom. Swimming is tough work for the horses so we did not stay out too long. What a great experience this had been.
Once out of the water, we got dried off, Magic saddled the horses back up, and we headed down the beach.
Magic had been a fantastic tour guide, helping me off and on the horse. He had pointed out sights, provided local history, as well as he gave me insight into his personal life on the island and as a horse trainer.
We cantered a long ways along the beach on the way back to the ranch. It was exhilarating. This was an excursion I will never forget. Thank you Only One and Magic.
I don't really remember the evening nor did I take any photos. I am sure it included dinner, listening to music, live entertainment in the theatre, and dancing till late. Guess I was still dreaming of my day's ride.
There were some Valentine decorations around the ship, and the breakfast pastry area had these.
We got docked during breakfast and shortly after, this other ship pulled in next to us.
I enjoyed watching the motorcycles being driven off our ship.
(side note - I can't get these photos to be placed where I want them. Blogger's obnoxious mind of its' own has taken over and I give up! I wish programmers could mend this problem.)
Us four ladies had a beach day excursion that we soon headed out on.
We were early and not exactly sure where to wait, so looked around, and then sat on a bench, befriending this dog who was sleeping right by it.
We kept taking turns getting up and looking around for where our guide might be coming to find us, and it got later and later.
We gladly shared our bench with others passing by.
Finally, 40 minutes late, our tour guide found us.
In less than an hour, we were dropped off at the beach of our choice. We had to pay for chairs and umbrella, in addition to what we had paid for our beach day tour, which I was not happy about, but later found it was an okay deal.
We laid out and rested. Patty had come down with a nasty cold, so this was a good activity for her. We also walked the beach and wadded in the water. And an adult beverage was enjoyed by each of us. Beer was the same price as pop.
It had been a very relaxing few hours here. On the way out, we spotted our motorcycle group.
Each of us ladies got a rose at dinner time.
Much of the evening, the music venue was love songs, so dancing for us 'single' ladies was at a minimum. I got back to our cabin earlier than usual, at midnight.
Friday 2/15 - Our last port was St. Maarten's, an island Joe and I visited for a week with Jim and Debbie. I was excited to see some of the familiar places in Philipsburg we had gone too, and it was cool to look at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort from the ship's point of view.
I was also curious to see what had changed because of the damage from hurricane Irma 16 months ago.
I set out on foot on my own because I was on a mission and walking at a fast pace. I was trying to find the saxophonist I had so loved listening to two years ago.
The water was still as pretty as before, a magnificent color of beautiful turquoise and azure blue. But so many trees were missing from the beach. I walked for nearly an hour, seeing old familiar places yet noticing still plenty of damage left from hurricane Irma.
I never found the lady sax player. Wanting internet, I chose an outdoor hotel bar right on the boardwalk The nice lady bartender helped me get connected to their internet. I sat enjoying a beer and touching base with folks back home.
I hadn't had lunch so grabbed a quick hot dog up by the pool and enjoyed it as I listened to live music.
We had extra time before dinner because we weren't going to the formal dinning room, so sat and listened to more live music in the Grand Foyer before our planned dinner time.
We enjoyed the comedian Dan Wilson for the nights showtime and then went to the Grand Foyer for the third and last night of the Silent Disco.
As usual, we all had a great time dancing. It was a battle of the DJ's, with Brittany, Ed, and Alessio trying to get the majority of the crowd on their music 'station.'
I think Ed (with the red station) won.
I did not retire with the rest of my group, but went up to the Sky Lounge for more dancing. I stayed up till 1 am because I had nowhere to be in the morning since we would be at sea for the last two days.
It was another two days of fun and relaxation on board this ship where I spent most of my time by the pool. Music, games, line dancing, dips in the pool, and soaking in the hot tub happened for several hours both days, as did a nap each day.
This was our last formal night and meal in the dinning room. We enjoyed complementary drinks (champagne and curacao). It was so good, we asked for seconds.
We had time for part of the dance party in the Grand Foyer before going to the nights fantastic show 'Euphoria,' a Cirque du Soleil type production.
The show was spectacular, mesmerizing, thrilling, and very well done.
Then Marci went with me to the MTV dance party in the Martini lounge. It was a crazy and fun time, dancing while watching dance videos, and trying some new moves.
I proceeded up to the Sky Lounge on my own as usual, but ran into dancing friends as usual too.
And when it was time to test her in the open seas, it floated. Peter had us kick our feet at the pool's edge to make waves to simulate high seas, and the little ship did not capsize.
I don't recall what the show was (a singer) but know after the show I had the girls go for a little walk up on deck 15 to look at the moon.
We also wanted to get our photo in the large lawn chair. I didn't have much luck with the selfie, but we had fun trying.
Music was playing in the Grand Foyer much of the night, and DJ Alessio kept the tunes coming. There was an interactive theme party but the crowd was not that large or the dance floor very crowded. The music in the Grand Foyer lasted till 11:30 and then the DJ moved up to the Sky Lounge. I had been getting a sore throat so decided to call it a night. It had been a fun cruise with five great excursions and lots of sun, swimming, eating and dancing.
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