Cruising is one of the things we love the most. You unpack once and go your merry way. This time it was with RCCL on Oasis, currently the largest cruise ship on the seas.
Our first stop was Nassau on Providence in the Bahamas. This is the capitol city. The island is one of 28 inhabited in this chain of 700 islands. This was a land of pirates, blockade-runners and bootleggers. Now it is home to luxury resorts and casinos such as Atlantis. We were surprised to learn that almost everything is imported from Florida. Tourism is the major industry. There is no room for farming, etc.
A day at sea gave us time to explore the ship. It definitely takes more than a day to see it all. Even deciding where to eat from a choice of 24 restaurants and 20 bars and lounges takes time. There is 5th Avenue with all the shops, Central Park with restaurants and even little birds, the Boardwalk complete with a carousel. There is a sports deck with a zipline, two flow riders, golf putting, basketball, rock climbing walls, shuffleboards, ping pong and more. Add to all this an ice rink, full gym and spa and all the pools, hot tubs and saunas. This is a complete city.
Our second stop was St. Thomas and a visit to Charlotte Amalie, “the duty free shopping capital of the world.” Of course we had to try it all out. With our shipload of over 6,000 and two others ships in port, the streets and shops were crowded. We still did our best to support the economy. Blackbeard, Bluebeard and Sir Francis Drake may have used St. Thomas for all their stolen loot, but it pales in comparison to the jewels that abound there today
The day was hot and blue with a warm wind as we docked in Phillipsburg, St. Maarten, crossroads of the Caribbean where the Carribean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. One side of the island is Dutch. The other is French. A little shopping was about all we could manage. It was back to the air-conditioned ship for lunch in Central Park, a walk through the solarium and a quick game of miniature golf.
Evenings on board were a time for entertainment. We enjoyed “Cats,” a Kenny James concert, the high diving and gymnastics of the Aqua Theater, and a fantastic ice production of “Frozen.” A speciality dinner at Giovannis gave us a little celebration, and of course we had to explore all the shops.
Cruising is a marvelous way to travel. Come with us as we cruise from Tampa to Vancouver for 19 days in April.
It is not, however, the onl y way to go. We are traveling with Collete Tours to Israel in October and to South Africa in 2016. Want something closer to home.? How about a southern holiday in December? Closer yet? We have Leavenworth in June and the Lavender Festival in August.
For further information, contact Linda Finch at 253-927-8207 or linda.finch@gmail.com