Let me Serenade You - the 12/11-18 Review with Too Many Pictures

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Chris pulling up a conch to show us:

 

 

 

 

Hard to see, but a stingray on the bottom:

 

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It was a pleasant trip back to the ship, dropping off the folks at Sandals on the way, and admiring the beautiful homes on the islands:

 

 

By the time we were back at the dock, the rain there had finally stopped. A shot of our home away from home:

 

 

[waterbugohio]

Keep this wonderful review coming. Your photos are wonderful, I have to ask which camera most of these photos are from, they are great. Can I also ask (as a beginner dslr owner) what kind of setting did you use for the night time sailaway photos of San Juan.

 

As for Antigua and Eli's Eco Tour, we also did this. It comes very very highly recommended on these boards, and it is not a disappointment. We had a great day and as the OP says, the climb and views from Hells Gate are amazing. This is truely one of my favorite tours.

 

Great reliving our cruises on the Serenade thru your review.

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Keep this wonderful review coming. Your photos are wonderful, I have to ask which camera most of these photos are from, they are great. Can I also ask (as a beginner dslr owner) what kind of setting did you use for the night time sailaway photos of San Juan.

 

I played around with several settings on the DSLR for nighttime photos, and I also brought a monopod for a few of the shots from the balcony.

 

I really fell in love with my new little Sony TX5 on this trip. I did not want to bring the big camera on excursions, and I wanted to be able to take underwater pics. It really performed well - all the Antigua shots, both above and below water, were with that. I just carried it with me or looped it around my bathing suit strap when I was climbing everywhere.

 

It has two features I used a lot everywhere - a "sweep" panorama (you just push the shutter button, sweep the shot, then release the button, and it captures the image), and a "twilight no flash" setting that essentially takes a bunch of images and combines them to avoid the blur you usually get on low-light shots. That is what I used for a lot of the night time San Juan photos, in fact. I was so glad I got it for myself as an early Christmas present!

[p182cessna]

Thank you so much for this great review. We live just south of you in Lebanon, OH. My wife and I are Leaving for the Serenade Jan 21. Your pictures are great! Can't wait.

[brianabrad]

Thank you so much for this review! The pictures are amazing! It seems like you had an amazing trip!

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Wednesday. Dominica. (That's Dom-in-EEK'-a, not Do-MIN'-ick-a. We were educated.)

 

We wanted something different from the usual beach stop, and we certainly got it, thanks to Donaldson of Nature Isle Explorers.

 

The day did not start off too well, as Donaldson had asked us via email to get off the ship as early as possible and meet him at the gate, so that we could be ahead of the big crowds. Well, that was not a problem for us, we were among the first few off the ship. But, no Donaldson (he said he would be holding a "Nature Isle Explorers" sign). We found another couple who was also looking for him, and we wandered around searching for about 15 or 20 minutes, still no Donaldson.

 

The other couple borrowed a cell phone from a taxi driver and called him. It turns out that since the Serenade had docked at the industrial port instead of the downtown one (P&O Ventura had that), he was not allowed into the port area, so we had to go outside the gate to meet him, which we did. To get there we had to go through a kind of warehouse area.

 

I'm not sure how else it could have been handled, but we were a little peeved to start. Especially since he was waiting for another couple as well. My DH offered to go in after them holding the sign, which Donaldson gratefully took him up on. It turns out they came out and found us, but we did not end up leaving the port area until after 9. In the end just a minor inconvenience, and both Donaldson and his driver, Joseph, were great for the rest of the day.

 

Pics of the port:

 

 

 

Ventura in the choice parking spot:

 

 

 

 

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As we waited to get off the ship, we noticed the plaques down on Deck 2 near the gangway that were apparently presented to the Serenade on stops on her maiden voyage. Interesting to look through them:

 

 

 

One more of the "lovely" port area as we walked out to Donaldson's van:

 

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But as I said, once we were all in the van (two couples plus the three of us), the day improved immensely!

 

Donaldson is a personable young man, very knowledgeable and possessing quite the entrepreneurial bent, to have the gumption to start his own tour company. And after experiencing the roads (I use that term loosely) and traffic conditions on the island, we were very grateful that Joseph had, as Donaldson put it, "a PhD in driving".

 

We were soon headed into the interior and enjoying the beautiful mountain views, thanks to many steep climbs and hairpin turns. We stopped to take some pics:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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We were soon at the parking area for the Middleham Falls hike. This is described as a 45 minute hike to the highest waterfall in Dominica. It definitely takes the full 45 minutes, and there are a lot of elevation changes, plus some narrow spots, requiring clambering over rocks, along the way. I admit I am not in the best of shape, and I definitely felt it. But it was so worth it, both for the sense of accomplishment and the payoff of the view of the falls at the end.

 

Donaldson took time along the hike to point out interesting plants and to tell us more about the country. He also provided a helping hand where needed and moral support when we were "sucking wind"!

 

Some photos along the way:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The payoff:

 

 

 

 

 

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It was treacherous climb from the viewing platform down to the pool at the base of the waterfall for a swim, but it was worth it. The water was so cold it took your breath away - I believe the euphemism is "bracing". It brought to mind these PSA commercials they used to show on the BBC when we lived in Britain, warning people not to jump right into cold lakes our you could have a heart attack. But after that hike, it was marvelous.

 

A short video of one of the guides from another group making a "leap of faith" (click on the picture for the link):

 

 

And more pics from the falls:

 

 

 

 

Of course, hiking in means hiking out...

 

 

Donaldson showing us a plant that makes a natural "shampoo":

 

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The hike out seemed easier than the hike in, and we were soon back at the van, enjoying a drink. We had a cooler of fruit juices, sodas, water, and local beer to choose from, included in the tour.

 

 

Then it was off for a short drive to the next stop, Ti Tou Gorge. Thankfully, a MUCH shorter hike, just a few minutes.

 

 

Donaldson having fun with my DD:

 

 

 

There is a little shed at the trailhead with restrooms and a vendor selling snacks and trinkets, and we all changed into swimsuits.

 

The water in the pool at the base is very cool, but there is a stream of warm mineral water feeding in from a pipe, so that felt great to stand under:

 

 

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Unfortunately, I could not find a setting on my camera that really captured how cool it was to swim into the gorge, to the waterfall. It was dark and cool and just awesome. Donaldson told us there was a scene in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies that was filmed here.

 

A few blurry shots I was able to manage:

 

 

 

 

 

I believe this is the start of the trail to Boiling Lake, which is something like a 3 hour hike. Um, I'll pass.

 

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Our adventure for the day was not yet over. After another harrowing drive on winding mountain roads complicated by construction everywhere, we headed to Trafalgar Falls.

 

It was much more crowded with tour groups here, but it was still gorgeous. Not only two beautiful waterfalls to see, but natural hot tubs - mineral springs that created warm pools in which to soak aching muscles. So relaxing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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After a soak, we headed back to the large parking area, where there was a restaurant, many vendors, and restrooms. We enjoyed a couple of cold local beers from Donaldson's cooler:

 

 

 

 

 

We made one more quick stop, at the Botanical Gardens, where there is a reminder of Hurricane David:

 

 

and a "Bamboo House":

 

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One couple wanted to be dropped off in downtown Roseau to do some shopping and get a taxi or bus back to the ship, but the rest of us were ready to get back "home" to shower, change, and revel in our adventures of the day.

 

We got back to the ship about 3 and had a snack at the Seaview before relaxing and watching for "runners" from our balcony. Although there were at least a couple of groups returning late (one at 5:05 for a 4:30 all aboard time), they must have all been RC tours, because there were plenty of ship's personnel out there eagerly awaiting the return of the prodigal cruisers:

 

 

 

 

A few more port shots:

 

 

 

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And another beautiful sunset as we pulled out of port:

 

 

 

 

 

The moon was out later that evening at sea:

 

 

 

Tomorrow, Grenada!

[brianabrad]

Your photos of Dominica have me wishing this was one of our ports!

 

Any idea if there is anything like the waterfall you saw in either St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Aruba or Curacao?? I'd love to do something like this for our cruise.

[sjcruiser]

Great pictures and reviews!!! Every time I read a review or see cruise pictures, I get more and more excited!!!!

[Darkwolfe]

This review keeps getting better and better. Kudos! :)

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Thanks for the kind words - it's fun to relive such a great trip! Especially since there is about 4 inches of snow outside and it's brrrrteen degrees...

 

So let's transport ourselves back to warm Grenada!

 

We had originally planned to just get a taxi to Grand Anse Beach here, but we decided at the last minute to do a ship's excursion to snorkel then beach it. I'm not sure what we were thinking, because although we did have fun, it was a reminder why we generally avoid cruise line excursions. Even more important to us than the typically higher cost is the larger number of participants. Oh, well, as I said, we did still have fun.

 

The weather was also a factor, with rain showers off and on all morning. I was actually surprised that even though the rain made it darker and a little murkier, the snorkeling was better than I thought it would be.

 

On to the pics (that's the reason most of you are checking out this thread, right?):

 

No rain when we first got off the ship:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pile onto the catamaran:

 

 

Sailing to Flamingo Bay, where the sunshine was not going to last: