Hi! Z has the food well covered, so I thought I’d pop in with some reports about our excursions so far 🙂
Aruba: De Palm Island Snorkeling, 4.5 hrs, 2 walking men, all food and beverages included.
Quick bus to the ferry, then a little wait for the island tender. This is a site open to any ticket holders. It has cabanas for hire, but we didn’t see the point and just used one of the many lounge chairs. Not so much “beach” area, but many areas to enjoy the warm, clear water. After a refreshing adult beverage, we took our gear down to the place for dedicating snorkeling. You can use their equipment if need be, and it did not look shabby. Must wear their safety vest and no fins allowed to protect the coral heads and other snorkelers. The amount and variety of fish was fantastic and kept us entertained for about 45 minutes. Dried off and went to the Caribbean buffet lunch. There is also a grill with big burgers, fries, and such if local food isn’t your thing. Delicious and hearty fish and chicken dishes with a lovely lentil soup, steamed veg, Caribbean rice, fruits, modest salad bar, and desserts. The fountain beverages are Coke products. Some familiar and some native to this area. It made me recall the wall of beverages from all locations at the World of Coke in Atlanta.
We walked the island to work off lunch and saw flamingos and turtles. There is a volleyball area, a few tall water slides, a children’s water park, and a gift shop. Nice enough place. The amount of time there was enough for us.
Bonaire: Kayak and Snorkel, 2.5 hours, 3 walking men.
Originally, the kayaks were clear bottom, but that changed. No biggie. They were all 2 seaters. We walked a short distance and launched near the Princess ship docked in front of Grandeur. About a mile kayaking to a little beach inlet, and yes, the 3 walking man was correct. Certainly strenuous. Great snorkeling again! So clear and warm. We were right on the edge of a seriously deep drop-off that had us itching to dive, but there was plenty to see up top. After about 45 minutes, the group kayaked back. Great group of folks! Would definitely do this again.
Grenada: Mt. Gazo Hike and Swim, 3.5 hours, 3 walking men.
Before beginning our hike, one of the excellent guides gave a hands-on lesson about many of the spices on the island. He had brought a few things from his backyard which he “processed” as we gathered around the van. Nutmeg, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, a cacao pod, and a cocoa seed he’d previously dried and roasted. Really fascinating to watch and listen. Nothing can compare to the smells as he grated or crushed items for us to taste and smell. Unexpected and welcome extra on this excursion!
Let me say, we are nature enthusiasts and have participated in many a hiking excursion before. This one should have been more like 5 walking men because we literally followed an incredibly steep (in many places) rustic path to the summit about 850 ft up, I believe. Not much of a leisurely stroll through the dry forest (as opposed to rain forest) as we were all occupied watching where we were putting our feet. Finally making it to the top lookout point made the effort SO worth it (but damn! I am Really out of shape lol). Gorgeous vistas in all directions! The walk back down was steep also, but there were handrails on that path. We ended up at a beautiful cabin/bar and enjoyed a complimentary drink - adult and not. Then a short drive down to Grand Anse beach. An hour there was slightly too long, but we did enjoy watching the families and locals gathered to celebrate the Easter weekend. We witnessed the start of a lovely sunset, and we’re back on board by 6:20pm.
Which brings us to today!
St. Lucia: The Tree Top Adventure, 4.25 hours, 3 walking men.
We love zip lines. Have done them all over the world. This one ranks in the top 3! It was a beautiful area. The lines varied in height, length, and speed, but you can still look around and enjoy the views. We walked to each platform along concrete and wooden paths and stairs. A the forest was lush, green, and wonderfully cool in the shade. Occasionally, we accessed the next platform via a plank bridge encased in a rope next to which we anchored our harness. Definitely cool. As with any excursion, the guide can make or break the experience. The crew today came to work just for our group (it’s Easter) and were absolutely delightful! They kept us safe and kept us laughing and having fun throughout all 12 lines. It was a wonderful day.
Participated in the ship’s Easter egg hunt! 15 minutes to find 150 plastic eggs full of candy on deck 4 only. There was a good turnout and it was great fun to watch adults get so serious about finding these eggs! Seriously, I got hip checked in the casino and lost that egg! You would’ve thought ice cream was involved given the determination of many participants! 🤣 Three golden eggs were also found with Regent points, the Easter bunny made a welcome appearance, and a good time was had by all!
Hope I didn’t bore you too much! Cheers, everyone! 🐰 Ash
