We loved Aruba!! I could easily stay a week there! This was my first time visiting there and I truly enjoyed it! It still has Dutch influence though it is no longer under the Netherland Antilles. 

We took a water taxi to Eagles Beach which hardly had anyone there! The water was great and no one pestering you to buy anything. Plenty of resorts nearby so you could use the facilities. Very relaxing!

Aruba

LOVED Bonaire! My first time there and I didn't know what to expect. The water was like a swimming pool, it was so clear!! We bought an excursion on board for $35 which brought us to the Eden Beach Resort. When we got there, we found other people who got a taxi there for $10 (not each but for the entire group!) so we should have done that. Oh well. 

We rented snorkels and fins for $15. The water was great, the beach was great and everything was very clean! Not too crowded either. Great day!!

Bonaire

My first visit and probably my last. I didn't care for it at all. It reminded me of Jamaica. Seemed like you had to pay for everything! $1 to use the bathroom, $10 for chairs on the beach, etc. 

Though it is known for it's spices, I didn't buy anything. I'm not a cook and figured the spices would just sit with all the other unused ones in my cupboard! No sense buying more! :)

At the vendor stands, we saw bugs (roaches) and it just grossed us out. If I go there again, I'll just stay on the ship and enjoy the sunshine from there.

Grenada

My first visit. We booked a tour at the dock that gave us a tour of the island. I wanted to see 3 things: drive through volcano, Marigot Bay and the Pitons. These were all listed on the tour along with other things along the way. The tour was $40 each and they said it was 4 hours long. It didn't include lunch and I thought I should have grabbed some cereal boxes from the ship. We got on the van at 10:30 but didn't leave until almost 11 as they were trying to fill the van. We had to be back on the shop at 4:30 so I figured this still gave us time to look around the shops.

The driver, Matthew, was nice and informative. The island has a large percentage of unemployed people which is why he said there were so many trying to sell their wares. We stopped at a couple of view points for pictures. Stopped at a banana plantation which was interesting. Then stopped at Diamond Falls botanical park. We had to pay an additional $5 to go into the park which we all did. The park was nice and the falls were pretty. We didn't pay for the mineral spring baths.

Back on the van, we saw the Pitons from a distance. Matthew said we'd be getting closer to them. 

We got to the drive through volcano but it was an additional $8 to go in and no one else wanted to go in. I felt guilty for making everyone pay (it was all or nothing) so I opted to not go. :(

By now, we had been gone for over 4 hours and were still far from the ship. I asked if we were going to Marigot Bay and he said we didn't have time. 

So we didn't see the 3 things I really wanted to see at St Lucia. We got back to the pier around 4:15 so that left no time for shopping. My friend loved it but I was disappointed. I'd like to go back to see the 3 things on my list someday.

St. Lucia

I've been here before and wanted to visit the hotel that I had previously stayed in: Holland Beach Hotel on the Dutch side which is where we docked. We took a water taxi $6 roundtrip to the uptown area which is where the hotel was located.

We found the hotel and looked around and then rented a couple of chairs $12 to sit on the beach. The weather was cloudy that day but still nice.

Not much to say. It was ok. The area is very changed in the 9 years since I had been there. LOTS more commercialization.

St. Maarten

Riviera 508 was a convenient location midship. It was close to the stairs/elevator and easy to access the Horizon court (buffet) and Movie Under the Stars which is where we usually were!

Comfy beds. Plenty of storage. Bathroom kinda tight but most are.
Good steward but no towel animals if you didn't have kids. :(

I've never seen a breast have a bone sticking straight out of it so I don't think it was really a breast.So Royal Caribbean remains my favorite cruise line.

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