My husband, our friends and I have just returned from a glorious 10 day Southern Caribbean cruise on the Holland America, Volendam. I cannot say enough about what a wonderful time we had. We have happily traveled with Holland America several times prior and this time was no exception. Our sincerest thanks to Captain Eversen, Hotel Manager Hannen and all of the wonderful Volendam staff that made our vacation both memorable and exciting. Special thanks to Miguel, Eddie, Philips, Yohat, Beth, Franzie and Ali for their continual extensions of kindness and thoughtfulness during our cruise.

One of our stops on this cruise was Roseau, Dominica. If you are a rain forest loving, thirsty for all that planet earth has to offer in the way of nature, then Dominica is for you! The residents there are both welcoming and accommodating. As this was one of the highlights our trip I cannot help but focus on this amazingly beautiful area.

Thank you Cruise Critic.com! Your site allowed me to find Lester Pond and Alwin Hill. These gentlemen run a tour operation in Dominica. I never would have thought to go on our own in such unfamiliar territory however it was one of the best decisions we made. I read about Lester's tours from a few other Cruise Critic posters. I e-mailed Lester and he quickly responded. A few e-mails back and forth - I felt as though we would be in good hands during our time in Dominica. Read more