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.
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| We are on way to San Juan, Puerto Rico |
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| We'll be spending the next 7 days on the Celebrity Summit |
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| Tortola was our first stop |
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| We are in the British Virgin Islands |
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| Chickens are a common sight on any island we've ever been to.....they must be smarter than we think! |
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| Snorkeling is the best way to discover hidden underwater life |
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| It's like being in an aquarium |
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| Colorful sea fan |
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| Cruising the Sir Francis Drake Channel |
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| Heading back to the ship, all aboard at 5:00pm |
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| We had one sea day to relax on the ship |
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| Outdoor pool, there was also an indoor pool |
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| Of course, there's always food available |
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| Pilot boat stays with the ship, the Pilot helps the Captain maneuver into the port |
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| Fort de France, Martinique |
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| We are headed into town to pickup a rental car |
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| Within minutes we arrived at Enterprise Rent-a-car with the help of a sketchy map and a nice Martiquen man |
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| Le Morne-Rouge sits at the base of Mont Pelée |
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| Starting up the Aileron route |
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| Looking back down the trail |
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| There were a lot of stairs......I should have counted them ! |
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| There were even steps carved into the rock |
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| Lush vegetation along the path |
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| Do you see the troops in the clouds? |
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| Deuxiéme refuge |
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| We made it 2500 ft. up to the Caldera ridge |
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| Amazing flora |
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| Snails having a meeting along the path |
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| The vegetation was so thick, at times I couldn't see Kent |
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We were the only Americans on the trail . . .
we'd say "Hello". . . "Bonjour" was the response every time ! |
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Almost back to the car, it was a good hike, though not easy
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Aerial view of the Mt. Pelée Trail
Due to time constraints we only made it to Deuxiéme Refuge |
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| Picturesque Saint-Pierre with Montagne Pelée in the distance |
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| Le Carbet is another cute coastal town on Martinique |
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| Kent reflecting on our day at Martinique |
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| Back to the ship.......it's time for dinner ! |
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| We enjoyed the American Grill. Kent made friends with a cook, Eric from Kenya |
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| Meats cooked to order |
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| Our room-steward made us a towel frog using the nightly chocolates for the eyes |
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| Roseau, Dominica |
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| Commonwealth of Dominica Government building |
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| Kent checking his work emails at the local library |
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| Enjoying the catamaran ride to Soufriere Bay |
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| Typical colorful Caribbean homes |
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| Spotted drumfish |
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| Blue tangs and colorful sponges |
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| Surgeonfish |
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| Kent checking out the champagne bubbles |
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| Underwater hot springs send up "champagne" bubbles from the reef, very cool |
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| We were treated to a rainbow, though it hadn't rained |
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| Kent looks right at home.....sailing to Shitten Bay on St. Kitts |
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| Blue Parrotfish |
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| Trumpetfish and sponge |
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| The Island of Nevis can be seen in the distance |
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| Basseterre, St. Kitts |
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| We stopped here to use the phone after learning that our flights were cancelled due to the snowstorms on the East coast |
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| A yummy treat we discovered on St. Kitts |
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| St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands |
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| We took a catamaran to Cruz Bay on St. John |
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| Cinnamon Bay Virgin Islands National Park |
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| Annaberg Plantation was used to process sugar cane for molasses and rum |
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| Annaberg Sugar Mill is the largest and tallest windmill in the Virgin Islands |
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| Cotton tree and factory building remnants |
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| Coral was used in building the walls |
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| Calabash is a tropical gourd-like fruit |
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| We had planned to snorkel at Trunk Bay, however conditions were not advisable |
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| Trunk Bay is a beautiful spot |
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| It's hard to resist the color of the water and beautiful beaches in the Caribbean |
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| Due to our cancelled flights we were "stuck" in San Juan for a day and a half |
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| What to do: visit Old San Juan and Castillo San Cristóbal |
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| Old San Juan is Puerto Rico's oldest settlement, it's located on a narrow island |
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| So many neat buildings, not enough time to see it all |
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| I had to take this picture, since Kent works at Zion.....his motto is "Find Another Park!" |
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| The 3rd Observation area is the highest level |
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| The Fort was once covered in plaster |
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| These are real cannonballs, or mortar shells |
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| Historical ship graffiti on the walls in the dungeon |
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| In the lower level, rooms are connected by thresholds |
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| A garita or sentry box, where guards stood watch over the bay |
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| 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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