TomDills

Roatan Island Art is a small craft shop located on the “main drag” of Roatan, about 200 yards from the cruise terminal.  I found it on Google Maps and am glad I did, because it isn’t listed on the cruise line’s “Port and Shopping Map.”  But it should be!  Yeah, you have to walk past all of the “ship recommended” shops and actually leave the port area.  Once you say “no, thank you!” to 300 taxi drivers wanting to take you on an island tour, you get to a part of the street with a number of restaurants and the straw market.  Directly across the street from the straw market in a colorful and whimsically designed shop is Island Art.

Everything in the store is sourced and hand-crafted by Yourgin Levy, his wife and sons.  Yourgin is a native Honduran and is intimately familiar with the indigenous wood, stone, shells and other materials he uses in his work.  He speaks passionately about his island, his crafts and his family, and told us that he got his start selling his jewelry on the beach.  With encouragement from his wife, family and others he worked hard to get a storefront to sell his goods.  The items in the shop and the shop itself reflect the passion he has for his work and his island.

Whatever you choose to do on Roatan – and you should do something because it is beautiful – have your driver drop you off at Roatan Island Art.  Or just walk there from the ship.  And when you get there, take the time to talk with Yourgin and experience the passion and love he has for the island of Roatan and for Honduras.  I’ve written this because in my own heart I feel strongly that this man and his shop deserve the publicity.  Go there!

Joyce used to go by Joyce Prince, so if you see reviews under that name it's the same Joyce! We've toured with her 4 times and will see her for the 5th time in just a few weeks. I highly recommend Joyce.

Look into a private tour with a good local guide and let them know ahead of time what you are looking to photograph. I always use Joyce Prince and many folks use Bernard, but there are others.

We'll be on Silhouette the week before you, so let me know what you like and we'll try to save you a few bottles. :)

I'd actually like to see a current wine list, too. Although it may change after she returns from the European season. On past sailings aboard other S-Class ships we have enjoyed several of the Chiarello wines, and their Giana Zinfandel is especially good.

We've toured with Joyce three times. She is friendly, reliable and knows St. Maarten. She's often booked but is the first person I contact when I book a cruise that calls in St. Maarten.

We had cabin 1100 a few years ago on Serenade of the Seas which is a sister to Radiance with the cabin in the same position. It was our favorite cabin ever, except that we encountered an unusually high amount of rain on that cruise and couldn't fully enjoy the balcony, which is mostly uncovered. Noise from the Windjammer was not an issue.