Our first port of call was Nassau, Bahamas.  We decided to hoof it over to Junkanoo Beach after we arrived in port and while it was pleasant, the amount of broken glass in the sand was astonishing.  A public beach, I guess not maintained.  We spent a few hours there in the sun and water, and then moved to the huts for cold beer and coconut.  Not a bad way to start the holiday.  We ate in the area near the dock and it was the most expensive gyro I've ever had in my life @ $15.  I'm not much of a shopper, so Nassau otherwise held little appeal. 

The horse and carriage rides looked interesting, but I thought the horses looked like they were poorly kept and half starved.  I'm no expert on horses, but I do know that when I see horse after horse with ribs sticking out of their sides that something is wrong.  I know animal rights people want NYC to ban these rides, I can't imagine what they would think if they saw Nassau.

Nassau

Coming into the port of St. Thomas is so breathtakingly beautiful I still daydream about it.  It seemed like we were cruising into heaven.  We got off the ship promptly and took a cab to Red Hook, and from there the reliable ferry to St. John (departs on the hour on each end).  Another cab to Trunk Bay and we were at the prettiest beach I've ever seen.  Supposedly rated in the top ten beaches worldwide, this place was ideal for sunning, swimming and snorkeling.  Beautiful fine sand, lovely scenery, underwater marked snorkeling trail, gorgeous fish, showers, bathrooms and lifeguards (it is a US National Park after all) it was the highlight of my vacation.   

One of my beach photos on my work computer is my background right now. Cabs were easy and readily available for the trip back to the ferry and then again to the ship.  It took about 1.5 hours each way, and left us too little time on the beach.  I wish we had arrived in St. Thomas earlier in the morning!  We all had drinks a bar near the port upon our return and then did a little shopping...I got a shipwreck coin!  (at least I hope it is)

St. Thomas

Arriving at San Juan at dawn was lovely; I have some beautiful photos of the fort we passed on the way into dock.  We got off the ship first thing and started wandering Old San Juan.  Found an amazing coffee shop and had a fantastic brew.  We eventually made it to Castillo de San CristÃ³bal where we met up with my family.  Any fan of history will love San Juan, especially the forts.  I only wish I had made it to both forts, but there is never enough time in port it seems.  We made our way from the fort to a fantastic Puerto Rican restaurant run by a friend of mine from college.  Right near the cruise ship docks it was a cheap and fantastic meal that everyone in our group enjoyed.

San Juan

Bathroom leaks, bathroom doors show enough damage from water that this has been a problem for some time. Otherwise excellent cabin, quiet and convenient to aft staircase.

I'm picky about music and see so much world class entertainment in NYC that I found these folks to be third rate at best.They made the trip musically for us, and I was glad I got to meet them and tell them so on the tender back to the ship.

Norwegian Sun Review

NCL Sun - Eastern Carib - Jan 28 2012 - The Novel

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