Saturday, January 16, 2016

Southern Caribbean Cruise

We just returned from a 7 day cruise on the Celebrity Summit. Our cruise began in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Ports of call were Tortola, Martinique, Dominica, St. Kitts & St.Thomas. Cruise-Snorkel-Hike-Indulge, are words I'd use to describe our week. The snorkeling was fun with a nice variety of sea life, so relaxing. On Martinique we rented a car; all road signs were in French and we only went down 2 one-way streets the wrong way! We made our way to the base of Mont Pelée and started up the path. Step by step we climbed 2500 ft. up to the Caldera ridge, where the misty clouds swirled around us. The cruise was really nice....good food, great desserts, good entertainment, the best scenery and calm seas made for a fun week. Snowstorms on the East coast cancelled our return flights; while being "stuck" in Puerto Rico we enjoyed the sights of Old San Juan and Castillo San Cristóbal; a fun way to end an already perfect getaway.

We are on way to San Juan, Puerto Rico


We'll be spending the next 7 days on the Celebrity Summit

Tortola was our first stop

We are in the British Virgin Islands

Chickens are a common sight on any island we've ever been to.....they must be smarter than we think!

Snorkeling is the best way to discover hidden underwater life

It's like being in an aquarium

Colorful sea fan

Cruising the Sir Francis Drake Channel

Heading back to the ship, all aboard at 5:00pm

We had one sea day to relax on the ship

Outdoor pool, there was also an indoor pool

Of course, there's always food available

Pilot boat stays with the ship, the Pilot helps the Captain maneuver into the port

Fort de France, Martinique

We are headed into town to pickup a rental car

Within minutes we arrived at Enterprise Rent-a-car with the help of a sketchy map and a nice Martiquen man

Le Morne-Rouge sits at the base of Mont Pelée

Montagne Pelée is where we are headed

Starting up the Aileron route

Looking back down the trail

There were a lot of stairs......I should have counted them !

There were even steps carved into the rock

Lush vegetation along the path

Do you see the troops in the clouds?

Deuxiéme refuge

We made it 2500 ft. up to the Caldera ridge

Amazing flora

Snails having a meeting along the path

The vegetation was so thick, at times I couldn't see Kent

We were the only Americans on the trail . . .
we'd say "Hello". . . "Bonjour" was the response every time !

Almost back to the car, it was a good hike, though not easy



Aerial view of the Mt. Pelée Trail
Due to time constraints we only made it to Deuxiéme Refuge

Picturesque Saint-Pierre with Montagne Pelée in the distance

Le Carbet is another cute coastal town on Martinique

Kent reflecting on our day at Martinique

Back to the ship.......it's time for dinner !

We enjoyed the American Grill.  Kent made friends with a cook, Eric from Kenya

Meats cooked to order

Our room-steward made us a towel frog using the nightly chocolates for the eyes

Roseau, Dominica

Commonwealth of Dominica Government building

Kent checking his work emails at the local library

Enjoying the catamaran ride to Soufriere Bay

Typical colorful Caribbean homes

Spotted drumfish

Blue tangs and colorful sponges

Surgeonfish

Kent checking out the champagne bubbles

Underwater hot springs send up "champagne" bubbles from the reef, very cool

We were treated to a rainbow, though it hadn't rained

Kent looks right at home.....sailing to Shitten Bay on St. Kitts

Blue Parrotfish

Trumpetfish and sponge

The Island of Nevis can be seen in the distance

Basseterre, St. Kitts

We stopped here to use the phone after learning that our flights were cancelled due to the snowstorms on the East coast

A yummy treat we discovered on St. Kitts

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

We took a catamaran to Cruz Bay on St. John

Cinnamon Bay Virgin Islands National Park

Annaberg Plantation was used to process sugar cane for molasses and rum

Annaberg Sugar Mill is the largest and tallest windmill in the Virgin Islands

Cotton tree and factory building remnants

Coral was used in building the walls

Calabash is a tropical gourd-like fruit

We had planned to snorkel at Trunk Bay, however conditions were not advisable

Trunk Bay is a beautiful spot

It's hard to resist the color of the water and beautiful beaches in the Caribbean

Due to our cancelled flights we were "stuck" in San Juan for a day and a half

What to do: visit Old San Juan and Castillo San Cristóbal

Old San Juan is Puerto Rico's oldest settlement, it's located on a narrow island

So many neat buildings, not enough time to see it all

I had to take this picture, since Kent works at Zion.....his motto is "Find Another Park!"

The 3rd Observation area is the highest level

The Fort was once covered in plaster

These are real cannonballs, or mortar shells

Historical ship graffiti on the walls in the dungeon

In the lower level, rooms are connected by thresholds

A garita or sentry box, where guards stood watch over the bay

San Juan is a great place to begin a Caribbean cruise and it was a fun place to be stuck for a day !



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