Caribbean Christmas Escape! - Eastern Caribbean "Ports" Review by hyker1

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Home > Member Reviews > hyker1's Port Reviews of St. Croix, St. Kitts, Dominica, Grenada, St. Thomas

hyker1's Port Reviews of St. Croix, St. Kitts, Dominica, Grenada, St. Thomas
Celebrity Summit cruise in December 2012

Member Name:	hyker1
Cruise Date:	December 2012
Embarkation:	San Juan
Destination:	Eastern Caribbean
Member Review:	hyker1's Celebrity Summit Review

	St. Croix Port Rating: Not Rated We signed up for snorkeling at Buck Island. It was a lovely drive from Fredricksted to Christiansted to get our boat. The bus ride was about 30 min. There were about 30-40 people on this excursion. We were promptly ushered aboard the boat and then it took another 30 min. or so to ride out to Buck Island, which is a National Park-protected island and reef. Unfortunately, that day it started getting really windy and rough. Several people were cut on the coral and got thrashed around by waves pretty badly. Both my husband and myself were hit hard by the surf, but we were lucky and though beds of coral were just feet away from us, we managed to steer clear of harm's way. I'm a die-hard snorkeler, so I stayed out, but just didn't get too far into the reef. Of course, I didn't get to see as much marine life, either, but it was better than nothing, and nobody can control the weather. They wound up cancelling the next tour, due to the rough conditions. We enjoyed seeing the area and Buck Island's beautiful. Had conditions been better, it would have been a perfect day!
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	St. Kitts Island tour Rating: We honestly didn't know what to expect on this excursion. We knew nothing about St. Kitts. It turned out to be one of my two favorite ports. Byron, our driver, knew a lot about the area, culture, etc. We were there on Christmas Eve, so the locals were getting ready to have their big Christmas festival. Byron explained what was going on, etc. Made it really interesting! Our first stop was Romney Plantation which dates to the early 17th cent. We were given about 30 min. to walk around, see how Batik is made, experience the Rain Forest, tropical plants, etc. The only reason I'm giving this particular tour a "4" is that we were a bit rushed. I think they could easily add another 2 hrs. to this one so that people don't feel hurried/pressed for time. Next on the agenda was the Brimstone Fortress, located on a high promontory which had volcanic beginnings. This was a spectacular fort and lookout and was lots of fun to tour. Again, we were a bit rushed, but it was a fabulous experience, and we took some awesome photos. This tour really wetted our appetite to return to St. Kitts! It is a gorgeous place.
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	Dominica Whale & Dolphin Watching Rating: This tour was the low point of our trip. Whenever you seek out wildlife, it's never a guaranteed thing. However, the staff/crew that led this tour didn't do much to enhance the experience. We were taken straight to the dock and boarded the whale-watching boat. We would be looking for Sperm Whales, 200 of which roam off the coast of Dominica year-round. The crew used echo-locating devices that were dipped into the water to sound "readings" to locate whales that were within several miles. We didn't have any luck. However, nor did the crew do much explaining as to what they were doing. Several people (myself included) fielded questions regarding the process, but sometimes we were "shushed" and we wound up learning very little about Sperm Whales. Consequently, little or no information was given about dolphins, which we were also supposed to be looking for. Several times, people saw birds feeding/flying about over the water, but we didn't see anything. Supposedly, we "heard" whales, but I'm not 100% sure about that, personally. The crew acted almost as though they were the only ones on board and that we weren't there at all. Most of the people on the boat fell asleep after the first hour and a half. My husband and I kept looking for wildlife, still asking several questions. Those were answer tersely without any additional information given. We both felt like the captain and crew missed a great opportunity to discuss whales and dolphins and perhaps even educate us more on the process of locating them, despite us not having any luck. Honestly, I didn't see a single person place anything in their tip jars. Sad to say, they didn't really deserve any, and it had nothing to do with our not seeing any whales or dolphins!
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	Grenada Port Rating: Not Rated I LOVED this trip! We did another snorkeling excursion, and it was by catamaran. The crew was fabulous on this boat, which more than made up for the day before! They took us a short distance to a sheltered cove, and conditions for snorkeling were excellent. We saw a great variety of shallow reef life, spiny sea urchins, snake-fish, tropical fish, etc. Brian, our guide in the water, had a warm, welcoming approach and was very enthusiastic. The crew served rum-punch and sandwiches, and alot of us laid-out on the trampolines of the boat. After snorkeling, they took us to a fantastic beach for about an hour where we all went for walks or swam. The water was that stunning Caribbean blue that I sill can't get my head around. Really a super day!
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	St. Thomas Scuba - beginner Rating: Not Rated I took my first scuba-dive, and it was a fairly good experience. We dove near a wreak in about 38 feet of water. Saw lots of lovely coral, sponges, and tropical fish. After a short scuba experience, I snorkeled. Really beautiful cove and lots of sea life. I saw a good-sized barracuda and a tuna. My dive course was very straight-forward, informative, and well-organized. The gear was in excellent condition, and I felt very safe. We dove in groups of three and our instructor, though a no-nonsense sort of guy, was also VERY into safety and precautions. I very much appreciated that, since this was my first experience. I highly recommend this diving experience to anyone who's adventurous and would like to try diving. As a result, I may take a class now and try to get some more experience towards certification. :) Good-times! Snorkeling Rating: My husband and I did separate excursions on this day. He went on another snorkle, and got to swim among rays and sea-turtles. He said it was awesome, and he really loved it. His group sailed a a cute little sailing vessel designed to look like a pirate ship. They served beverages and he said, though it was crowded, that everyone had a super time and was very friendly.
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