Wednesday December 18, 2024 – Jeff and I flew south to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to begin a 20-day Caribbean cruise. It was overcast 25 degrees when we left home and bright & sunny mid-70s in Florida when we arrived, so we knew this was a good idea.
We arrived in Fort Lauderdale two days before the cruise to avoid flight delays or any other travel hassles. Also, Fort Lauderdale is a fun city to explore and the weather was perfect: 75 degrees, bright and sunny with an ocean breeze.
Friday December 20th – We took a taxi to the cruise terminal and boarded our home-away-from-home: The Enchanted Princess. This was the Holiday Cruise of 2024 and the ship was filled to capacity with 3,954 guests, which included 450 children and 1,346 crew members.
The boarding process took less than 10 minutes so we had plenty of time to settle in and explore the ship.
Life onboard is what you make of it. There are many social opportunities, activities, entertainment, exercise programs, shopping, eating, or relaxing at one of the pools, spa or in the stateroom.
Enchanted Princess left Fort Lauderdale with a Sail-Away celebration of up-beat music and dancing on the pool deck. The ship’s horns blared the old ‘Love Boat’ theme as we cruised out of the harbor.
Saturday December 21st – Princess Cays, Eleuthera, Bahamas – The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is an independent country comprised of about 700 islands. The archipelago is located 110 miles southeast of Florida.
Princess Cays is a beach resort which is owned by the Carnival Corp. It is located at the southern end of the Bahamian island of Eleuthera.
The ship moored off the beautiful tropical beach. We had a leisurely breakfast outside on the aft deck and later took the Water Shuttle to shore.
Everything is provided on the beach: chairs, towels, food, refreshments, umbrellas, sand, clear tropical water. Paradise… It was a wonderful introduction to the Caribbean.
Sunday December 22 – A Sea Day: The Enchanted Princess sailed away from the Bahamas last night heading to San Juan, Puerto Rico. It’s an 800 mile cruise, so we enjoyed a day at sea.
This was the “Holiday Cruise” so the ship was beautifully decorated with garlands, wreaths, Christmas trees, and Menorahs. Some guests decorated their stateroom doors and some wore holiday shirts and costumes.
There were many activities to participate in and entertainment was everywhere on the ship. There was an Irish Pub onboard and the two musicians had a schedule of performances. They also gave lessons on how to play musical spoons.
The musical and entertainment venues offered a variety of genres of music. We enjoyed The Diamond Strings which was a duo who played classical music.
Tonight was ‘Formal Night’ when guests are encouraged to dress up for dinner in the dining rooms. We enjoyed watching the construction of a pyramid of glasses which became the Captain’s Champagne Waterfall.
We noticed that most of the people did not “dress up” for dinner. We guessed the reason was because there were many children and young families onboard. Also times have changed and most people are less formal.
Nonetheless, there was a festive feeling aboard the Enchanted Princess. All the guests were very friendly and we were greeted with amicable comments and pleasant conversations everywhere.
Monday December 23 – San Juan, Puerto Rico: It was overcast and misty when the ship passed Castillo San Felipe del Morro that guarded the entrance to the harbor. The fortress was built in 1539 by the Spanish to protect the city from British, Dutch, and French invasions.
We docked in the Old Town of San Juan so it was easy to step ashore and walk around the historic district. The Spanish explorer and conquistador, Juan Ponce de Leon, founded the original settlement in 1508.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to visit the forts in the Old Town which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but we enjoyed walking through the narrow cobblestone streets and admired the colorful stone buildings which date to the 16th and 17th centuries.
Tuesday December 24 – It was Christmas Eve day, so I wasn’t surprised to find Santa Claus enjoying a hearty breakfast in the ship’s dining area.
We arrived early this morning to the Dutch side of the island of Sint Maartin. In order to prevent war, the French and Dutch signed the Treaty of Concordia in 1648 which divided the island into two parts. “Saint-Martin” is the French side and “Sint Maartin” is the Dutch side.
We disembarked and walked past the shops to a “water taxi” to take us across the bay to the capital city of Philipsburg.
Philipsburg is a town along a white-sand beach with shops, restaurants, bars, and many jewelry stores.
In the evening, the cruise director read Clement Clarke Moore’s poem, A Visit From St. Nicholas. Many children filled the Piazza to hear, “Twas the night before Christmas….” Many adults listened in from the balconies.
Wednesday December 25 – Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda – Hanukkah and Christmas Day
The independent country of Antigua and Barbuda is located where the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea meet. A former British colony, it is one of the smallest countries in the Caribbean. Antigua and Barbuda has been independent since 1981.
We walked past the shops and jewelry stores in the cruise port to see what St. John’s was like. Because of the holiday, everything was closed and the streets were very quiet.
We continued through the quiet streets to St. John’s Cathedral, an Anglican church perched on a hilltop, which was built in 1845.
We returned to the ship in time to see Santa Claus descend the stairs in the Piazza and distribute gifts to the excited children waiting below. Snow fell in the Piazza!!
Thursday December 26 – The next day, we arrived at Saint Kitts and Nevis which is an independent nation known for its rainforests, mountains, and beaches of white, gray, and black sand. Basseterre is the capital city.
We wanted to see more of St. Kitts so we took an excursion which included a tour around the island by car and train. The island is gorgeous- lush, verdant, tropical and mountainous.
The official name of the larger island is Saint Christopher but referred to as St. Kitts. Nevis is the smaller, less populated island, located two miles south of St. Kitts.
Friday December 27 – Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas, U. S. Virgin Islands and is an American Territory. After a leisurely breakfast, we went ashore and took a local taxi up to the top of one of the mountains.
Saturday and Sunday December 28 & 29: We had two “Sea Days” as Enchanted Princess cruised north back to Fort Lauderdale. We kept ourselves busy and were entertained by all the activities on board.
Monday December 30th – My 79th Birthday!! :-) There were 300 passengers, like us, who were staying on board for the next 10-days to celebrate the New Year. First, we all assembled in the Capri Dining Room and were soon led out to Customs and Immigration in the cruise terminal. We trooped out, off, down, around, showed our faces to the facial recognition machines, then trooped back up and onto the ship. It was a relatively quick and painless process.
Meanwhile, all the rest of the passengers left the ship — to be replaced by another 3,300 new guests. This time, there were fewer children and young families. There were more couples and mature folks. The new passengers looked like they were ready to welcome the New Year.
For a few hours, we had the run of the ship so I caught up on laundry (Princess ships have a laundry room on every floor), relaxation and reading. Later in the evening, we enjoyed a delicious sushi dinner in the Ocean Terrace and listened to Celtic music at O’Malley’s Pub.
Tuesday and Wednesday December 31 & January 1 – Two more days at sea allowing the Enchanted Princess to travel south to our next port-of-call in the Caribbean.
New Year’s Eve aboard The Enchanted Princess was another “Formal Night” and many people were dressed up in glitter and gowns. Music & dancing everywhere. Parties were going on in all the venues. The air was alive with excitement and celebration.
Thursday January 2nd – We returned to the island of Antigua. We booked an excursion in order to see sights on the island. We were driven to Nelson’s Dockyard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in English Harbor. It is the only continuously working Georgian era dockyard in the world, built in the early 18th century.
Friday January 3rd – Fort-de-France, Martinique – We had booked an excursion so we could go beyond the capital city and see more of the French island.
A van picked us up at the cruise port and drove us north through the mountainous rainforest in the center of Martinique. It was slow going up the steep winding roads, but exciting and fun.
We stopped at the Church of the Sacred Heart of Balata which was built in 1925. It was modeled after Sacre Coeur Basilica in Paris.
We continued to the Depaz rum distillery. It was originally built in 1635, and rebuilt in 1905 after the eruption of Mount Pelee had destroyed the original family business.
After visiting the distillery, we resumed our tour with a visit to the lovely town of Saint-Pierre. The sea-side town was devastated in 1902 after the eruption of Mount Pelee, killing 30,000 residents.
Saturday January 4 – Return to Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis – We booked an excursion to learn more about the islands. First stop was the Fairview Great House, built in 1701, which is an example of island Colonial architecture.
Sunday January 5 – Roseau, Dominica – Our first rainy day! Dominica is an independent island country located between the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Dominica is called the “Nature Island of the Caribbean.” The island has lush mountainous rainforests and geothermal-volcanic activity.
Monday January 6 – Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas – We decided to enjoy a quiet day. We had a continental breakfast on our balcony and took a leisurely walk around the cruise port.
Tuesday January 7 – Grand Turk, Turk and Caicos Islands – The islands are a British Territory and are known for tourism and as an “offshore financial centre.” The islands are mostly beaches. Colonel Murray’s Hill, the highest point on Grand Turk, stands at 89 feet above sea level.
Wednesday January 8 – A Sea Day to travel back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Turks and Caicos Islands are located south of the Bahamas about 650 miles from Miami.
Our 20-Day Caribbean Cruise was a fun adventure. It was a perfect combination of perfect weather, lots of activities, comfortable accommodations, friendly people, free time, and good company.
We arrived back in Fort Lauderdale on January 9th. We took a bus from the ship to the airport and arrived home at 8:30 at night. I won’t mention the bus breaking down or the 3-hour flight delay or that it was 23 degrees in New York when we arrived at LaGuardia Airport.
There are warm, beautiful, lush, green, heavenly places in the world…..