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CHRISTMAS IN THE CARIBBEAN
As the holidays were approaching and the weather in Florida was turning cooler, we decided to celebrate the holidays some place warm and watery. So on December 16 we flew to Barbados in the southern Caribbean, spent the night in a lovely seaside hotel and then boarded the Seabourn Ovation the next morning for a 10 day cruise in the Lesser Antillean Islands.
We were amazed by the beautiful holiday decorations all around the Ovation and the warm welcome we received from the staff and crew. This is the same ship we sailed on last April from Miami to England and it felt like coming home for the holidays.
Most of the islands we visited were new to us, so it was fun to explore these tropical paradises. Our first stop was at Bequia, a tiny island only 7 square miles in size. Guadeloupe was next up. They have a quaint downtown filled with many shops stuffed with imported Chinese goods somewhat akin to our dollar stores. The friendly residents are French speaking. The town of Basse-terre sits in the shadow of a large volcano.
St Martin is another former French colony with the requisite fortress towering over the island. It is filled with beautiful beaches. This island suffered from Hurricane Irma in 2017 and is still recovering. This same hurricane also inflicted damage to our Florida stomping grounds as it made its way north that year.
Next up was St Kitts-Nevis. We took our Distinctive Voyages group on a tour of this lovely island through the old town and then up to Brimstone Hill Fortress. This was designed by the British in the 1700s and built with slave labor. Now it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Upon returning to the port the Ovation was hosting its famous champagne and caviar beach bbq party. Seabourn rents the Carambola Beach Club for the party. It is quite a challenge for the crew since all the food and drinks need to be brought ashore by tender. But they never ran out of champagne and there was plenty of lobster and caviar to go around. We even had a steel drum band for entertainment.
After four straight port days it was nice to have a sea day to enjoy the many things the Ovation has to offer. We were fortunate to have Steve Wozniak and his wife Janet on board as guest lecturers. Together with Steve Jobs, the”Woz” launched the personal computer industry with the creation of Apple Computers. Woz and Janet did two “Question and Answer” sessions which were informative and fun. Along with being a genius, the Woz is quite a jokester. They were both very approachable and we had several interesting conversations with them about life and computers.
In Aruba we took a sailing and snorkeling tour. The Caribbean waters were still warm this time of year and the visibility was quite good. We saw lots of colorful fish and a few turtles. Aruba is known as the “Windy Island” and it lived up to its name. That wind prevented us from diving on the famous Antilla shipwreck which is considered one of the 10 best snorkel sites in the world. Oh well, maybe next time.
We awoke the following morning as we entered the harbor of Willemstad, Curacao. This island is a gem that reflects its Dutch heritage beautifully. Even though it was Christmas Eve day we were able to explore both sides of the city via the famous floating pedestrian Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge. It is a unique destination to visit and a great walking town.
The ship’s staff put on a wonderful Christmas show plus caroling on the pool deck and a visit by Santa. Very well done.
Our final port was Carriacou, Grenada. We went to Paradise Beach, which turned out to be the nicest beach on the whole cruise. It was voted the Best Caribbean Beach in 2022. Crystal clear calm waters surrounded by miles of white sand beach shaded by sea grape, coconut, and almond trees. It was a fitting ending to a lovely holiday cruise. Happy New Year to all!!
