Emerald Princess Cruise Journal - Southern Caribbean Dec. 9 to 19 with Photos

[canadarocks]

Does that mean that Winter 2015 emerald will be back for this itin?

 

I'm pretty sure the Emerald will be sailing out of Texas next year.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Hi AryMay!

 

I am so excited to read your review and see your beautiful photos. Thanks so much for taking the time to post this. Yes, your cruise was when the bumpiness began, but sad to say it got worse until the 1/8 cruise, when it finally settled down. Every day in my blog posts I was saying "Bumpy last night. No sleep." Glad to hear I wasn't just being a hot house orchid about that, and that someone else thought it was rough high up on the back of the ship.

 

As for the Royal Princess...most people we've talked with on board have already booked it for next January. Whatever its drawbacks (and we know there are several), we're looking forward to new shows and venues.

[JF - retired RRT]

During the night the ship was shaking and shuddering continuously to the point where I actually started to feel a little panicky. I wasn’t in fear of something bad happening, just that feeling that I couldn’t escape the motion. (I had the same trapped feeling during an MRI recently and again during a dental procedure where I had a plastic membrane stretched across my mouth. Does this qualify as claustrophobia?) :confused:

 

Sounds more like a panic attack.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info ..

[AryMay]

The guys saw Goofy Golf on the schedule and thought it would be something they would enjoy so as soon as the vegetable carving demo was over we headed up to Deck 19. Turns out that it was just a putting contest…and a lame one at that. I guess I was expecting more of a miniature golf course…but found just a putting green. The “contest” took just a few minutes since very few showed up to participate.

 

 

Once everyone else left, the guys had their own little putting contest!

 

 

Laurel and I took advantage of the great view to get some photos.

 

 

Next to the putting green is a bocce ball court. We played for a bit before going to the Horizon Court for lunch.

 

 

While the others went through the buffet line, I made my way to the Prego Pizzeria and grabbed a couple of slices of pizza. I loved it…and managed to eat several more slices throughout the cruise!

 

There was a country line dance class at 1:30 pm that Bob, Kent & Laurel wanted to attend in Club Fusion. I wasn’t that interested and had been dealing with some knee issues so instead I grabbed my iPad and found a chair outside on the promenade deck in the shade under the lifeboats. Eventually I went back in and sat in the Piazza listening to music and people watching.

[AryMay]

This first sea day was also our first formal night. The dinner reservation seemed to work well for us the previous night so as we were leaving the dining room on Tuesday evening, we set up another reservation for the same time for tonight.

 

Duo Push, the guys who did the strength and balancing act, were performing again in the Piazza at 5:00. After listening to Bob and Kent go on and on about how great they were, we made it a point to get dressed extra early so we could see for ourselves. Yep…they were strong…and very well built…and put on a great act!

 

 

 

Afterwards Laurel “had” to get her picture taken with the guys and we spent some time talking to them finding out how they got into such a career! Interesting!

 

 

With a 5:30 dinner reservation we had just enough time before going to the Michelangelo Dining Room to enjoy the Emerald Singers and Dancers doing a Beatle’s medley…complete with costumes! I loved how there always some type of entertainment happening in the Piazza!

 

[AryMay]

Our early dinner meant we came out of the dining room just in time to see the Captain’s Welcome Aboard Party and Champagne Waterfall.

 

 

 

The Piazza was a beautiful backdrop for formal night photos.

 

 

 

The production show, “I Got the Music” was the evening entertainment in the Princess Theater. The three different show times (7:00, 8:45, and 10:15) made it easy to work around dinner plans and kept the theater from being overcrowded at any one show.

 

The evening ended with a windy stroll on the Promenade Deck.

 

Edited January 18, 2014 by AryMay

[AryMay]

Thursday, December 12 – St. Thomas

 

Bob and Kent are both scuba divers and the cruise was booked with that in mind. Their first dive was to be in St. Thomas at Coki Dive Center. Bob had done a shore dive with this dive shop two years ago on our first visit to St. Thomas and was happy enough with their service that he chose to book with them again…this time for a two-tank boat dive.

 

The ship docked at Crown Bay and it was a little bit of a walk to get through the port area and out to where taxis were waiting. For the most part, taxis on St. Thomas are trucks converted into open air safari type vehicles.

 

 

There was a bit of confusion as taxi drivers were trying to get people organized into groups to go to the different locations on the island. I was a bit concerned when we were placed in a taxi with others going to Red Hook to catch the ferry to St. John’s but the driver assured us that he would get us to Coki Beach.

 

The family going to St. John’s was trying to catch the 9:00 ferry and we dropped them off at Red Hook at EXACTLY 9 am. They had a plan where one person was going to run to the ferry and ask them to wait while someone else was going to purchase all of the tickets. This same family was on a tour with us later in the cruise and we found out they did make it!

 

Another family had a tour planned and needed to get to a yacht club. They were also cutting it close and were in a hurry as they rushed to get out of the taxi and pay the driver.

 

Eventually we made it to Coki Beach where the dive shop is located adjacent to Coral World…one of the main attractions in St. Thomas.

 

 

The cost of the taxi ride from Crown Bay to Coki Beach was $10…but I thought it was interesting that those that were dropped off first at Red Hook were each charged $11. I’m pretty sure the route we took was not the most direct to Coki Beach…but it worked out OK. As we were getting out of the taxi I noticed a duffle bag in the front row…it was snorkel equipment left by the group that got dropped off at the yacht club!! I felt sick seeing it there and could imagine the owners probably felt much worse. The driver took the bag (although not happy) and headed back to the yacht club hoping to get the bag back to the family that had forgotten it. (Good news…we also saw them on a tour later in the week and found out the bag had gotten to them!)

 

Laurel and I left the guys to get checked in for their dives and walked down the steps to the beach.

 

 

Immediately we were approached by a guy renting beach chairs. We each paid $5 and had him set the chairs up in the shade.

 

 

After forgetting to take my noodle to Princess Cays I made double sure that I had it today. I alternated between just floating and using the noodle to snorkel.

 

 

This is such a flattering photo, isn't it!

 

[AryMay]

There were lots of fish around the rocky area at the end of the beach, attracted by people feeding them with giant dog biscuits. This was a perfect spot for Laurel to try out her brand new underwater digital camera!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AryMay]

A few more photos taken around Coki Beach area:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[debi56]

Tell Laurel her underwater camera takes very nice pictures! Beautiful...

[AryMay]

The guys returned from their dives a little after noon. We gathered up our stuff and found a taxi waiting in the parking area. Some of the others in the taxi asked the female driver if she would be willing to stop at some of the scenic overlooks on the way back to the ship and she said “sure”!

 

 

 

 

 

There were three ships in port that day…the Carnival Breeze at Havensight…

 

 

…and the Nieuw Amsterdam along with the Emerald Princess at Crown Bay.

 

[AryMay]

It was Laurel’s birthday and she was hoping to do a little jewelry shopping in St. Thomas. The drive back to the ship took us right through downtown Charlotte Amalie with LOTS of jewelry shops, but also lots of crowds. She decided to wait and shop at the port area instead.

 

 

The return taxi fare was also $10 but we each gave the driver a nice tip for stopping and letting us take photos. Bob had grabbed a roll from breakfast and stopped to feed the iguanas on the rocks near the ship.

 

 

I tried to count how many iguanas were running around this area, but there were so many I soon lost count. Here is a video of Bob with his little friends…

 

 

Bob and I returned to the ship, but Kent and Laurel stayed on shore to check out the jewelry shops. Laurel was successful in finding a Larimar ring that she was looking for and they paid about 75% less than the marked price…so be willing to bargain!

 

At my high school reunion in October I found out a former classmate (whom I hadn’t seen in 40 years!) was going to be on the Emerald Princess for the cruise right before ours. It didn’t work out to get to see him on embarkation day, but he texted wishing us a happy cruise and said “I left you a surprise.” Turns out he had paid for us to have dinner at Sabatini’s one night!

 

Once back on the ship we decided to see if we could get into Sabatini’s for that night and they had an early reservation at 5:30 available.

 

Here are some sail away photos we took before going to dinner. If you look closely at the first one, you can see a jet...on a runway that ends right at the water's edge!

 

 

 

 

We requested a table for two by the window and had a very enjoyable dinner. Kent & Laurel chose to have dinner in the MDR where Laurel was treated to a little extra attention for her birthday!

 

 

Following dinner we met up for the evening show with singer, Bobby Brooks Wilson, son of the late Jackie Wilson. Bobby wasn’t feeling well so at the last minute (around 5 pm) they made the decision to cancel his show. The Emerald singers and dancers scrambled like crazy and by 7:15 they had a production number ready to perform. (Sorry…I don’t remember the name.) With their regular scheduled shows the night before and the following night that made three nights in a row they performed!

[AryMay]

Tell Laurel her underwater camera takes very nice pictures! Beautiful...

 

Thanks...I agree! I will pass on the compliment to her!

[AryMay]

How was the octopus!? I love octopus and calamari. :)

 

I wouldn't have a clue...I'm not putting something that looks like that in MY mouth! ;)

Edited January 20, 2014 by AryMay

[AryMay]

Hi AryMay!

 

I am so excited to read your review and see your beautiful photos. Thanks so much for taking the time to post this. Yes, your cruise was when the bumpiness began, but sad to say it got worse until the 1/8 cruise, when it finally settled down. Every day in my blog posts I was saying "Bumpy last night. No sleep." Glad to hear I wasn't just being a hot house orchid about that, and that someone else thought it was rough high up on the back of the ship.

 

As for the Royal Princess...most people we've talked with on board have already booked it for next January. Whatever its drawbacks (and we know there are several), we're looking forward to new shows and venues.

 

Thanks for checking out my review! Please feel free to jump in with any information...or corrections...as needed. I am mostly using my photos to jog my memory, but may not remember everything "exactly" as it happened.

 

I look forward to reading your blog every night and feel as if I am cruising along with you and G!

[unc84]

I'm loving your review & check everyday for updates as my husband & I are sailing the 10 day Southern Caribbean on the Emerald in less than 40 days!!

Can't wait for more from you!

Thanks for a wonderful review - fun to read with great photos!:)

[AryMay]

I'm loving your review & check everyday for updates as my husband & I are sailing the 10 day Southern Caribbean on the Emerald in less than 40 days!!

Can't wait for more from you!

Thanks for a wonderful review - fun to read with great photos!:)

 

Thanks for the kind words. Doing a photo review is so labor intensive that it is always nice to get comments that reassure me that people are actually looking at the review!

 

On with the review...Dominica is next...we all agreed it was our favorite port!

[MGnut]

Thanks for the kind words. Doing a photo review is so labor intensive that it is always nice to get comments that reassure me that people are actually looking at the review!

 

On with the review...Dominica is next...we all agreed it was our favorite port!

 

Enjoying your review very much. We board on Jan. 28th for 20 days.

 

Looking forward to following along with you.

 

Thanks for the review.

 

Howard

[AryMay]

Friday, December 13 – Dominica

 

For Friday the 13th, the day turned out to be a really great one! It was exciting to see the ruggedness of the island of Dominica as we approached…very lush and mountainous...the image I have in my mind when I think of a Caribbean island.

 

The ship docked at 9 am and as soon as the captain gave the announcement that we were clear to leave, we headed off the ship to find our tour, Roseau Valley Treasures, with Bumpiing Tours.

 

The ship docked right in town and our designated meeting place was just across the street from the pier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This tram drove by as we were waiting...

 

 

Once everyone in our group had arrived with went with our guide, Levi, to a waiting van. I think there were probably a dozen of us altogether.

Edited January 21, 2014 by AryMay

[AryMay]

Some photos as we drove to our first stop at Champagne Reef.

 

 

 

 

The email we received with info on the tour:

 

Champagne Reef

: (1st stop) One of the most unique snorkeling areas in the eastern Caribbean. Take a short 5 minutes walk to the end of the stony beach, until you get to a cliff where you will gear up, walk in and begin a very different under water experience. You will be swimming in bubbles like you were in a giant aquarium.

Some photos as we walked to Champagne Reef. Although the email was technically correct when it said it was a short walk, I would like to point out that getting into and out of the water at Champagne Reef was not easy. The shore was covered with rocks and once I took off my shoes to get into the water, it was very difficult to walk. There were rubber mats leading into the water, but they were slippery and with the waves, I found it very hard to keep my balance.

 

 

 

 

As you might have noticed from previous photos, Bob and I both wear bright yellow t-shirts when we snorkel. As a pale redhead, I go to all lengths to avoid getting sunburned. However, I was under the impression that we would only be in the water for a short while…just long enough to see the “bubbles” and didn't put on any sunscreen or wear my shirt. (My fault for not asking more questions.)

[micbri]

We are loving your review and photos. We are sailing the Southern Caribbean on the Emerald in a few weeks so you're giving us a nice hint of what lies ahead. Thanks very much. And by the way, we're from Manitoba Canada (north of Minnesota) and we're having an exceptionally cold winter so we can't wait to get on board. :)

[AryMay]

Levi provided life preserver belts for any who wanted and once our group was in the water, we headed for the area with the “champagne bubbles.” On the way I spotted this fish. I’m not sure, but I “think” it it is needle fish. Anyone know for sure?

 

 

The bubbles in the water are due to volcanic gasses bubbling up through the ocean floor and only were located in one small area.

 

 

 

Here is also a video that I took:

 

We continued to snorkel and Levi would often dive down and point out interesting things…he even showed us a cannon from an old ship!

 

 

We were out quite a distance from shore and the bottom of the ocean just “dropped off” into blue nothingness.

 

 

Altogether we were probably in the water for almost an hour and I was sure I would be burned to a crisp, but surprisingly I wasn’t! I think what saved me was that at the beginning we were in the shade of the cliff along the shoreline.

 

When I got back to the shore, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get out. There was a large step up to get to the rubber mats, and each time I would try and get out, a wave would knock me down. I finally made it but had to crawl on my hands and knees to get out (not a pretty site.) Some kind woman was able to find where I had left my shoes under a tree and brought them to me so I could walk across the rocks.

 

Please don’t think I am complaining…I just want you all to realize that this isn’t a tour for someone with limited mobility. However…I would still go back in a heartbeat!

[AryMay]

The Emerald Princess off in the distance...

 

 

More snorkeling photos...

 

 

 

 

Some sea urchins:

 

 

Kent checking out an underwater cave:

 

[AryMay]

Some of the sights as we made our way to the next stop...Titou Gorge.

 

 

 

 

The road was unbelievably steep and twisty...

 

 

...and just kept getting narrower and narrower until it turned into what looked like two sidewalks!