Antigua, also known as Wadadli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Caribbean region. It’s part of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. The island is known for its beautiful beaches, such as Dickenson Bay and Half Moon Bay, and its coral reefs, perfect for snorkeling and diving. . There are 365 beaches on the island – one for every day of the year!
The English Harbour is a historic district and marina, home to Nelson’s Dockyard, which was a base for the British Navy in the 18th century. The island’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and vibrant culture make it a popular destination for tourists from around the world.
Cricket is very popular and the country hosted matches during the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
That looked like a nice party boat
Last time we were here, we went swimming with the stingrays and loved it! This time we opted for a walking tour with Mark and Ramsay. It is Boxing Day which is celebrated here so everything other than the shops on the pier was closed. We set out on a walk to the Botanical Garden. We took one wrong turn but found it – and it was really not a garden at all but an open space scattered with trash – it looked like people had quite a party there.
Murals spotted on our walk
I did some shopping and got 2 Pandora charms and a Longchamp tote.
This was at the “Botanical Garden”
Tonight was the first of two Oceania Club parties. We were recognized as the most traveled guests!
We enjoyed the cocktail party and after that we were all invited to dinner with Damien, the General Manager. We had a great time, good food and good conversation. We love the design of the Grand Dining Room on Vista.
Merry Christmas! Santa showed up early and gave gifts to the few kids between 11 and 17 who are on board this voyage.
St. Lucia is a stunning Caribbean island located in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It is part of the Lesser Antilles and is situated north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados, and south of Martinique. The island is of volcanic origin and is known for its iconic twin peaks, the Pitons, which rise 2000 feet dramatically from the sea. St. Lucia’s lush, mountainous terrain is complemented by beautiful beaches, dense rainforests, and stunning coral reefs, making it a perfect destination for nature lovers and adventure seekers. The island is only 27 miles long and 14 miles wide with a shape that is said to resemble an avocado or a mango.
Mark and Ramsay got married in October of 2019 at a Viceroy resort in Snowmass, Colorado. They had a free night in any Viceroy hotel gifted to them for having their wedding there. But COVID interfered with being able to do that. There is a Viceroy hotel here on St. Lucia and they agreed to let Mark and Ramsay spend the day at the hotel and beach. It is about 1 1/2 hours from where our ship docked, so they hired a taxi to take and return them. This ended up being an interesting tour of the island as well as a nice beach day for them. Mark did some snorkeling along one of the large Pitons. He said the coral was pretty bleached but there were nice fish.
St. Lucia is known for its banana exports, which have historically been a significant part of the island’s economy. The agricultural sector, including banana production, plays a crucial role in St. Lucia’s economy and cultural heritage. The island’s lush, fertile lands are conducive to growing bananas, and the industry has been a key source of livelihood for many St. Lucians. While facing challenges such as natural disasters and international trade dynamics, the banana industry remains an important aspect of St. Lucia’s identity and economy. Mark and Ramsay learned that the roads here are so much better than, for example, those in Dominica. This is because bumpy road travel bruises the bananas making them unacceptable for export!
We chose to take a walk around town, and because it was Christmas, most things were closed but we enjoyed the many local people who wished us a Merry Christmas (and wanted us to hire them to take us around the island!)
Here are a few sights from town.
We thought this was a hotel but it turned out to be a law office! They must do a lot of business.A lovely little park.
The flowers in every port are lush and beautiful!
After our walk, we had lunch on the ship and they had a beautiful Christmas cake. We didn’t eat any of it but they did cut and serve it. There are also frequently replenished cakes and cookies at the gingerbread village in the atrium. I try to stay away from there but the powdered Mexican tea cake cookies call my name once in a while!
At trivia we placed second and had a lot of fun. We didn’t know that Jimmy Carter caused a scandal by kissing the Queen Mother on the lips. You learn something new with every trivia game.
Norm and I had the invitation to the Moet and Chandon tasting at 7, so the rest of the family went to dinner alone. It turned out to be a private tasting!
Vitaly from Ukraine talked to us about Champagne in general before we tasted
Champagne is a small region located northeast of Paris. It is about 87,178 acres in area but accounts for only about 1% of global wine productions. Moet and Chandon is known as the most iconic Champagne Maison in the world.
We tasted three champagnes: Grand Vintage 2013, Nectar Imperial and Moet Rose Imperial. Each was paired with a compatible food. The first was a ceviche which was delicious. The other two were a foil gras on mint jelly and round bread and a beef carpaccio with grilled bread. I don’t eat meat so had another ceviche and the waiter brought me two mussels and a seafood on grilled bread.
All of the champagnes were really good. Vitaly told us that the 2013, which is made using only the grapes harvested in 2013, is comparable to Dom Perignon. But this one sells for only $125/bottle!
The Rose Imperial is the #1 Rose Champagne in the world. And the Nectar Imperial undergoes 21 months of maturation which gives this Demi-Sec champagne a sweet and luscious taste. That one was Norm’s favorite. I liked them all!
We did have a bit more to eat in the terrace, and then went on to the show. It was called Headliners and it showcased the onboard entertainment team singing and dancing to popular songs. They are very talented.After the show, I played in the casino for a while and then Christmas was over for another year. We do like this idea of Christmas cruising, especially since we live close to the Miami port. Who knows, maybe we will plan for next year.
St. George’s is the capital of Grenada, a picturesque island nation in the Caribbean. It is about 90 miles from the north coast of South America and is the first in the chain of Windward Islands. It is only 21 x 12 miles in area. With its colorful waterfront houses and bustling market, the town exudes a vibrant charm. The harbor offers stunning views and is often filled with the masts of sailing boats. We can see Fort George from our ship.
Grenada is an independent country and a member of the British Commonwealth of nations. It has a population of about 95,000. Tourism and spices are the biggest economic producers here.
It was hot and humid today and we decided to just take a walk around town.
We asked some local people if it was safe to walk through this tunnel and they said yes, but stressed that we should stay on the left side. There is no designated walking area and the cars come pretty close to you.
After our walk around town and lunch, we opted to watch Oppenheimer, or at least half of the movie since it is 3 hours long. We watched 1 1/2 hours and then Mark, Ramsay and I had a cooking class and Norm and Adam went to trivia without us. We said if they (with our teammates David and Dorothy) finished first, we were probably irrelevant!
The cooking class was fun. The subject was Mastering Heat – Unleashing Intense Flavor.
Three divas on a grill with rustic chimichurri and minty verde sauceGrilled vegetable panzanella saladWe also made the crepes with seared pears, gorgonzola and honey in the right front of the display. I forgot to take a picture of mine
Adam and Norm came in after the class to sample. And they told us they came in first in trivia!
Because the cooking class ran from 4 – 6 pm and it was Christmas Eve, we had asked our butler, Melvin, to create a cocktail and pizza party in our room. It was a good idea for us to do that since we weren’t that hungry and we could just relax and nibble. Adam then asked Mark, Ramsay and I all of the trivia questions. I got two that they missed at the trivia game!
Selvin couldn’t resist a selfie!
The show tonight was Linda Gentille – we have seen her several times before. She conducts the Jersey Shore Pops when she is not traveling and performing on cruise ships. She was as exceptional as usual and we enjoyed her fast fingers on the piano, her running commentary and much more.
After her performance, most of the ship’s crew came on stage and sang carols with the audience. Santa and the Grinch both showed up!
There are trees around the ship that are decorated by different departments. This one is done by housekeeping.
It was a fun Christmas Eve. Adam and I watched the officers and other staff line up for photos. Then Santa went into the General Manager’s office. Hmmmm?
Tomorrow we will be in Castries, St. Lucia. We are invited to a Moet and Chandon Tasting experience at 7 pm.
Barbados is the furthest east of the Caribbean’s Windward Islands. For that reason, it doesn’t get the hurricanes that the other islands to the west are vulnerable to. The distinct white sand is so different from the black sandy beaches of other island. Unlike its volcanic neighbors, Barbados was formed over millions of years by the accumulation of coral and deceased sea creatures, resulting in those distinctive white sandy beaches.
Barbados has a rich and diverse history that has shaped the island into what it is today. Originally inhabited by the indigenous Arawak and Carib peoples, it was claimed for the Spanish Crown in the late 15th century. However, it was the English who established the first permanent settlement in 1627, marking the beginning of the island’s colonial period.
The sugar industry played a pivotal role in Barbados’ history, with the introduction of sugar cane plantations and the reliance on enslaved labor from Africa. This period of slavery and colonial rule has deeply influenced the island’s culture and society. There is still a lot of sugar cane here and it is the top industry followed closely by tourism.
Barbados remained under British colonial rule until gaining independence in 1966, becoming a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth. The legacy of British influence is still evident in Barbadian culture, language, and political institutions.
Today, Barbados is known for its vibrant culture, stunning beaches, and diverse heritage. The island’s history continues to shape its identity, blending influences from its indigenous roots, colonial past, and modern developments.
Today we acted on advice from our ATW Oceania Ambassador, Cella. We hired a taxi to take us to Harrison’s Cave. Our taxi driver was Mr. Smart. He was very informative about the country and told us lots of facts about the country. Barbados has a population of 380,000 and Bridgetown is the most populous city.
The education here is interesting. School is compulsory until the age of 18. Law is a major subject in the university. Students must get 3 certificates to go on to higher studies. If they don’t achieve that, they often go to trade schools. For medicine, the students complete their education in either the US or England and must come back to Barbados and work for 15 years.
When we arrived at Harrison’s Cave, we watched a short movie about the formation of the island and the formation of the caves,
The large limestone cave, named after the original landowner who discovered it, is simply amazing. We donned our helmets and were met by our driver and guide for a tram trip through the caves.
Here are some of the amazing formations.
A few times we could get out of the tram to see the sights more closely. One area, called the “cathedral” , is a place that weddings and small concerts are held.
There are other things to do at the surrounding park such as zip lines. There are also many monkeys but we didn’t spot any.
We returned to the ship (Mr. Smart waited for us) and had lunch. Much to our surprise, because the Insignia (the ship we sailed around the world on – for 4 different trips) was in port, we saw some of our favorite crew members and officers aboard Vista for a visit and lunch.
The Insignia in the foreground and the Vista right next to her
Farid is the most wonderful chef – very innovative and also very charming. We miss him but we’re so happy we got to see him.
Mark, Ramsay and Adam went to Browne’s beach and enjoyed some of the local beer.
I spotted this sailboat from our balcony. Mount Gay rum is a huge product that is produced here. You can’t clearly see their logo but this boat looks like a lot of fun.
We did our usual trivia with our team and actually placed second! Later we had dinner with the family in Terrace Cafe and then went early to the show – “Into the Night” which was truly amazing. The dancing could have won on dancing with the stars, and the choreography was done by someone from that show. Wonderful show and we are looking forward to more by this great entertainment team.
This is our first time in Dominica. Roseau is the most important port for foreign trade which included many fresh vegetables and fruits. The Roseau river is among the largest rivers that flow through any Caribbean capital. It is independent now but in the past has been ruled by the French and the English. People speak Creole, English and French. The island was “discovered” by Columbus and he named it Dominica which means Sunday in Italian.
Here are some pictures of the island after our arrival. It is mountainous and does have a volcano which last erupted in the 1800s.
Mark arranged a private tour with Hot Pepper tours. After we disembarked and waited for our vehicle and guide, another couple, Larry and Pam joined us and were quite excited because their last name is Pepper! They were hoping for some company t-shirts but they don’t have any for sale.
Our guide was Georgina and she was very interesting and kept us engaged during the trip. She shared a lot about the 2017 hurricane Maria which really devastated the island, over 90% of the houses and businesses were destroyed and not all have been rebuilt. The population of Dominica is about 71,000.
The one who really deserved a lot of credit was our driver, Ken. The roads into the mountains are very narrow and wind a lot, and they drive on the opposite side of the road (from what we are used to in the US). He was amazing in navigating it all safely.
After a long drive up through the mountains and the rain forest, we arrived at the Emerald Pool in the National Park. It was a walk on a pretty rocky path to get down to the pool, and to swim required walking on slippery stones, so some of us, including me, just put our feet in the cool refreshing water. The waterfall and the whole area was very beautiful.
They say the bark of this tree is an aphrodisiac. They call it the Viagra tree. No wonder it is an offense to debark it!
On our way down the mountain
After the hike back out of the pool area and the forest we traveled over the mountain to another part of the island, the beach where we spent about an hour. We stopped at an overlook point for the lovely views. Ramsay and I enjoyed the swim and Norm and Adam hung out. The water was very refreshing.
Our last stop was the botanical garden. We saw this “cake” topiary, the bamboo “forest” where many weddings take place and the vines to swing from. Mark was the only one brave enough to do it. We also enjoyed some rum punch which was good but pretty sweet.
During Hurricane Maria, this branch of the tree crushed the school bus in a David and Goliath moment. There is a sign commemorating it.
We returned back to the ship where I enjoyed my third cooking class, and if I have had a favorite so far, this is it. The rest of the family went to play trivia – sorry to miss it but the class came first! It was called Harvest Unleashed and was a plant based class. We paired dishes with two wines.
Pretty nice background for a class, right?The staff lines up the ingredients we will use in the recipesThe socca with bitter greensZucchini ribbons with walnut pestoSicilian roasted cauliflower linguine muddierBanana-Coconut chia pudding
At the end of class, Noelle lines up all of the completed dishes, wines and some of the ingredients. Norm did come to do some tasting. We decided to go to the terrace cafe for dinner since this class was 4 – 6 PM and I was already pretty full after sampling. I just had a small bowl of soup! Adam is really enjoying the pizzeria at and after dinner so he opted for just a few things from the buffet and pizza.
After dinner we saw Alex Yost for the second time. His show tonight was Buble to Broadway. Two of the onboard singers did duets with him. He does have a great voice and we enjoyed the show.
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.
Mark, Ramsay and Adam walked to the lighthouse overlooking the harborMany of these small smart cars are seen on the streetsSt Bartholomew’s Church
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!
We had another day at sea on our way to our first port of Gustavia, St. Barts. Norm and I had breakfast in the Terrace Cafe and it was pouring rain outside. It soon cleared up though and ended up being a very nice day. Later in the day it got quite choppy – more about that later.
I had another cooking class – Classic French Technique. We made French Onion Soup, Gratin Dauphinois, Bistro Steak and Tarte Tatin. Norm came after the class to do the tasting with me as we cannot take anything out of the culinary center. And he enjoyed it all, and I was happy that he ate the steak since I don’t eat meat. The class was really good and I would make all of these recipes at home. We get a recipe booklet with everything we cooked featured as well as several other recipes.
The cooking station in the culinary center. There are 24 spots and they fill up quickly.French Onion Soup . I already took a taste and almost forgot to take a picture!The Gratin Dauphinois and the Bistro SteakTarte Tatin
It was Mexican lunch today so we ate in the Terrace Cafe, then visited with Mark, Ramsay and Adam at their very comfortable spot on the pool deck!
I had another blackjack tournament. This time I came out on top of the two qualifying rounds, but sadly lost the final by 2 chips. There will only be one more tournament before the end of the cruise because we only have one more sea day and the casino is closed when the ship is in port.
We had trivia today and Leslie said there will be sessions even on sea days – two sessions tomorrow since we get into port late. We are the “Lounge Lizards”. We did finish third but got points for second in a Leslie twist. We need to listen to Adam and Mark as the two non family members of the team remind us. They are pretty sharp – we didn’t take their answers at least twice and they were right. Adam is a crackerjack on golf (among other categories) and Mark knows his US Presidents and flags for sure!
We had dinner in Toscana (the Italian restaurant) tonight and it was delicious as always.
We went to the show – “Into the Night” -which would be the first show by the entertainment team. It is new and this would be the first performance. It is choreographed by someone involved with Dancing With the Stars. We sat close to the front so we could really see the dancing. At the time for the show, Leslie came on stage and advised us that they had to cancel the show because of the “motion of the ocean”. It was bumpy and unsafe for the dancing. In addition, several members of the cast were seasick! I never remember that happening before with the cast. Occasionally it happens with a guest entertainer. We will see the show later in the cruise.
So, we had time to do other things, casino, bars, etc. Adam is especially enjoying trying many of the drinks. The ones made in the Founder’s Bar are unusual and delicious. Mark, Ramsay and I visited the library too. It is huge and very impressive. Some of the coffee table books are really something special.
Tomorrow will be our first port and we are hoping the weather is good since it is a tender port and if the waves and/or wind are too heavy, we cannot go ashore. Fingers crossed.
I didn’t realize how long the island of Cuba is. We sailed past it all day long.
It was a nice day, not too hot, and we all had different things to do. After breakfast, I had a 2 hour cooking class called “The Old Man and the Sea” which of course focused on seafood preparation. Our instructor was Noelle. I took a class with her on the Marina cruise a few years ago. She not only taught the recipes which we then cooked, she talked about wine pairings (we had 2 kinds of wine) and she challenged us to try different methods of cooking fish. The culinary center is really beautiful and all of the staff makes it easy to prepare the recipes. The center accommodates 24 people and the classes fill up. This one is the most popular one, Noelle said.
The dishes we prepared were Miso glazed sea bass, Nordic salmon rillettes, Pesce Provencal and Sole meunière. Norm joined me at the end of the class to taste the food.
Posing with one of the staffThe wine paired with this Dover Sole is a French chardonnay, a type of white Burgundy, which is different from California chardonnay and pairs well with this fish.Norm really enjoyed the Salmon rillettesPesce ProvencalMiso glazed sea bass
We learned about many techniques and which are best to use with each type of fish. Noelle demonstrated ceviche shrimp, poached salmon and beet cured salmon but we didn’t make those.
After the lesson and a light salad for lunch, I went to the blackjack tournament where 17 people showed up – we needed 3 qualifying rounds to get to the final and I was out before the final with only one winning hand out of 7. Better luck tomorrow!
Nice picture of Norm and Adam after breakfast at the Terrace Cafe. For my fellow Oceania travelers who read the blog, the outdoor part of the Terrace Cafe on other ships has tables with umbrellas. Here, they have a covering over the whole area which is really a good idea. We love eating out here.
All of us formed a family trivia team and had fun at the afternoon trivia. We finished third (among other teams). Who knew that a group of lizards is called a lounge? Or that the last letter in the name Google on their site is red? We do now! It was fun to see Leslie Jon again. He is the cruise director and was on two of our world cruises.
The Captain’s cocktail party was tonight and we saw all of the senior officers. Damien is the GM and we also know him from previous trips.
We had dinner in the Terrace Cafe and were almost alone outside. Adam is trying many drinks and especially likes the ones from the Founder’s Bar. They are quite unusual and incorporate different ingredients including fresh herbs.
After dinner, Norm chose to skip the show but the rest of us went and enjoyed the singer Alex Yost.
Tomorrow we have another day at sea before arriving at St. Barts on Thursday.
Captain Anton LoncaricaSunset from Horizons The family at dinner
We started our journey from West Palm Beach – we were picked up by our car service at 10:30 AM and we stopped by Adam’s hotel in Miami to pick him up on our way to the ship. Embarkation was fast and easy and we boarded the beautiful Vista (just inaugurated in May 2023). We were greeted by carolers in the atrium and a very beautiful display of a gingerbread village. Very talented pastry chefs!
We had a quick lunch, unpacked our bags and set out to explore the ship and she is just beautiful. When we returned to our room, in addition to the orchid plant that is in our room and is pretty traditional for Oceania, we found this stunning centerpiece. We had dinner in Polo and it was great to have the family together. But we were so busy catching up that we didn’t have a family picture taken! We will do that in the next couple of days.
Here are some pictures of our sail away out of Miami. We all went to the show after dinner and I spent some time in the casino. For the very first time I saw a player at our table get a royal straight flush – and he didn’t have a bet placed on the “6” (three of your own cards and the best two of the dealer’s cards). It would have paid $5000 on that $5 bet. Everyone in the casino erupted. He was sitting next to me and I felt very bad for him. He placed that bet always after that but that luck didn’t come again. Tomorrow is a sea day so I will post about the activities then.
Just over 2 weeks to go before we leave for a 12 day Caribbean cruise from Miami. We are so excited to have our sons, Adam and Mark and our daughter in law, Ramsay, with us for this adventure!
Here is the map of our voyage. I will be posting from each port and probably in between too. We have been to all of the locations except Dominica and are looking forward to all of them and to a relaxing time on the newest Oceania ship, the Vista.
