December 21, 2023

As we wrote on our last trip here, it is often considered to be one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean. It certainly has its share of yachts! From our stateroom window we saw many as we dropped anchor off the coast. The white yacht to the right in the distance is called “Joy”. I looked it up and saw that it could be chartered for a mere 650,000. That is PER WEEK for 12 people. I guess if you have to look it up, you can’t afford it.

Mark and Adam looked up the yachts that are here for the holidays. They included ones owned by Jeff Bezos and Steven Spielberg. We didn’t spot the yachts or the owners in town. But there are many wealthy residents and visitors here and the prices do reflect that. We noted many of the finest shops and enjoyed browsing. The island is very close to St. Martin. They enjoy 300 days of sun every year so it is perfect for vacations. There are lots of beaches and the island consists of only 8 square miles. Last time we went to Shell Beach and enjoyed it.

We were happy to see that the seas were calm so the tender operation to the shore was pretty easy. It took about 15 minutes. We walked around the town and remembered much of it from our last visit – not much has changed. We even saw school children out on a walk – just as we did last time! Here are some of the sights.

We walked around town and both bought Panama hats. As I have written before, they are not made in Panama but in Ecuador. We didn’t go to the factory to buy them in Ecuador, but these were calling our names.

We came back to the ship for a wonderful lunch in the Aquamar Kitchen. Norm loved his tuna tacos and my falafel on pita was delicious. 

We played trivia with our team and didn’t place this time but we learned a lot for sure.

Dinner was in the Grand Dining Room. It is a beautiful venue, designed so you really don’t realize you are in a huge room. I didn’t take pictures but will next time. Here are some of the dishes we enjoyed.

Our entertainer was Fred Moore, a magician/comedian who performed a few nights ago in a different show. 

Tomorrow we will be in Dominica which is a new port for us. More adventures await!