BARBADOS

31^st January 2013.

Overnighted in choppy seas from Antigua to Bridgetown, the capital of the island of Barbados. It was a bright sunny day and about 28 degrees.

The island of Barbados is the eastern most island in the Caribbean group. It is a fairly flat island, with a dry climate and a population of 285,000 people. Bridgeport is a very busy and large township dating back to the old colonial days. The island is another tourist mecca with another four cruise ships in port.

We spent most of the day checking out Bridgeport as we missed seeing the area during our 2010 World Cruise. The local people are extremely friendly and we had a very easy day having a local coffee , {no Starbucks} at the old marina boardwalk and walking around the streets and the foreshores of the township. The place was reasonably clean and maintained and a cut well above Antigua. We enjoyed the day, but it is a probably been there, done that situation.

Tomorrow we overnight to our last port of call in the Caribbean,Trinidad & Tobago. This is our first visit to island and we are looking forward to an organised land excursion of the island.

 

 

 

PHOTOGRAPH BARBADOS

Bridgetown Barbados

PHOTOGRAPH BARBADOS

Marina Area Bridgetown Barbados

PHOTOGRAPH BARBADOS

Foreshores Bridgetown Barbabos

ANTIGUA

30^th January 2013.

Overnighted in calm seas from St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands to the Port of St Johns on the island of Antigua.

The day was fine and sunny and about 26 degrees. The island of Antigua is about 14 miles long by 11 miles wide and one on the larger islands in the Caribbean group. It’s also a typical tropical but hilly Caribbean island with a population of about 85,000 people.

The island economy relies soley on the tourist trade and five large cruise ships were in port on the day with about 13,000 people out and about spending their hard earnt dollars, helping the economy out. What I can gather, this amount of cruise ships visit the port every second day year in year out.

We again spent most of the morning wandering around the town of St Johns checking out the local sights and shops, before several heavy rain squalls forced us back to the ship. We did not do any land excursions as we had seen most of the island sights during our previous 2010 World Cruise.

The port town of St Johns generally is old and dilapidated and pretty grotty and in need of a good clean up. It’s hard to believe with so much tourist dollars coming in, something hasn’t been done to clean the place up. This is not on my list for a return visit.

We had a beautiful late afternoon and early sunset sail away and now overnight to the island of Barbados.

 

 

PHOTOGRAPH ANTIGUA

Grand Princess Berthed at St Johns Antigua

PHOTOGRAPH ANTIGUA

Harbour Foreshore St Johns Antigua

PHOTOGRAPH ANTIGUA

Township of St Johns Antigua

PHOTOGRAPH ANTIGUA

Main Street St Johns Township Antigua


 

PHOTOGRAPH ST THOMAS US VIRGIN ISLANDS

Island of St Thomas US Virgin Islands

PHOTOGRAPH ST THOMAS US VIRGIN ISLANDS.

Town of Charlette Amalie Island Of St Thomas US Virgin Islands

ST THOMAS US VIRGIN ISLANDS

29th January 2013.

Following two days sailing in windy weather and choppy seas we reached our first port of call in the Caribbean and the Island of St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. It was a beautiful sunny day of about 25 degrees and a great introduction to the Caribbean. St Thomas is a small lush tropical island about 13 miles long by 4 miles wide with a population of approx. 2,000 people whose economy virtually relies on the tourist industry to survive.

While we were berthed seven large cruise ships were in port which amounted to about 18,000 people visiting the island.

We spent a leisurely morning wandering around the main area of Charlotte Amalie town which was close to the ship checking out the sights and shopping, then back to the ship for an afternoon sail away.

Tomorrow is overnight to the island of Antigua and Barbuda.

FORT LAUDERDALE

27^th January 2013.

After a long 26 hour journey from Sydney we reached Ft Lauderdale ready for our cruise around South America. We stayed overnight at the Ft Lauderdale Hilton Beach Resort right on the beach and woke up to a beautiful morning and a nice walk along the beach with breakfast at the local Starbuck’s. Ft Lauderdale appears to be a very nice city and sea Port and a place you would want to come back and visit.

Later in the morning we were shuttled out to the cruise Terminal which was a sight to see, with nine cruise ships at the complex including the enormous Oasis of The Seas. Boarding the Grand Princess was well organised, however it took about an hour and a half of processing before we were able to board the ship. The Grand Princess is big compared to what we have been used to with the Dawn and Sun Princess and it will take us some time to get used to the facilities on the ship.

Because of late arrivals we were 3 hours late leaving Ft Lauderdale, however we are now on the high seas for two days in calm weather and looking forward to the voyage in the Caribbean and the first port of call at Saint Thomas in the US Virgin Islands

PHOTOGRAPH FORT LAUDERDALE

Cruise Complex Fort Lauderdale

PHOTOGRAPH FORT LAUDERDALE

View of Beach Area from Hotel Room in Fort Lauderdale 

PHOTOGRAPH FORT LAUDERDALE

Hilton Beach Resort Fort Lauderdale

COFFS HARBOUR

Monday 21st Jauuary 2013

Four days to go. This is a test run for photos to make sure I can put them on the Blog as seen below

COFFS HARBOUR

Marilyn's Mazda mx5

COFFS HARBOUR

28th January 2013.

This is a test run to see if everything is okay before the cruise. With one week to go before we leave, we are all but packed and chafing at the bit to get going.