We had a wonderful vacation in the Caribbean this year (2010). We didn’t go away last winter and waited to vacation until early March this year, so we were full of anticipation when the travel day finally arrived. We flew to St. Maarten on Saturday, March 6th and boarded a 74 stateroom small cruise ship (360 ft. at waterline, 52 ft. beam, 205 ft. masts), the Windspirit, for a 7-day cruise. The itinerary was St. Martin, St. Kitts, 3 of the British Virgin Islands: Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, and Virgin Gorda, a day at sea, St. Barthelemy (St. Barts), and then back to St. Martin. The beauty of a small cruise ship is that we could get into ports that the behemoth ships can’t so we were never jockeying for space against them or on our days in port. It was also small and intimate so it was easy to meet people, and even those you didn’t necessarily spend time with you still saw often enough to say hello and feel comfortable aboard. We arrived fairly late in the boarding process so we barely had time to get to our cabin, when it was time to participate in the mandatory lifeboat drills. While waiting for the drill to get started, we chatted with Bob & Jenny in the lounge. Then it was time for cocktails and dinner, which we had in the main dining room and made new friends, John & Cristie from Minnesota.

Sunday, March 7th our port of call was St. Kitts (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.). We opted not to take a ship excursion that day since we were tired from traveling the day before. In Basseterre, duty-free shops and boutiques line the streets and courtyards radiating from the octagonal Circus, built in the style of London’s famous Piccadilly Circus. Independence Square is surrounded on three sides by 18th-century Georgian buildings. Being Sunday, it was very quiet, so we just walked around and took in the scenery. We went back to the ship for lunch and lounged around for the afternoon, while it rained off and on. It was nice to relax, learn our way around the ship, read up on the shore excursions to be offered each day and to meet some of the other passengers, such as Richard and his wife, Danny. We enjoyed chatting with them, reading our books, and testing out the bartender’s skills on rum punch, pina coladas and other tropical treats. Bruce had his first experience with motion sickness when we got underway (more on that later), so he stayed in while I went to the Captains cocktail party. We went to dinner in the dining room, but ate alone since we weren’t feeling 100%.

After all our years of boating, we were both surprised to have a touch of motion sickness, but quickly discovered being below decks when in our cabin, in the main dining room or the lounge, where you can’t watch the horizon makes a big difference. It seemed to bother Bruce at meals and bothered me most in our cabin since we were underway most nights. We learned to eat outdoors on deck at Candles whenever possible, and hung out at the pool deck lounge instead of below decks in the main lounge. The ship’s doctor was giving out motion sickness pills but once it has gotten ahead of you it is hard to quell so they didn’t quite do the trick for me. Thankfully we never were sicker than just feeling queasy, but for our next cruise we will use the patch behind the ear that so many folks swore by.

Monday, March 8th was our first of 3 stops in the British Virgin Islands, Tortola where we docked at Soper’s Hole/Frenchmen’s Cay, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.). We took the ship’s excursion for a morning of snorkeling. First we went over to Norman’s Island for snorkeling at the caves. We had a bit of excitement when Bruce’s prescription mask slipped off his head while he was helping me with my gear. Thanks to a diver on a nearby boat that Bruce recruited to help us, the mask was retrieved. The snorkeling was good, and it was a nice day to be on the water. We enjoyed the gorgeous scenery at the Pirate’s Bight on Norman Island, including both a caged parrot and their previous parrot having escaped his cage long ago, but who still hangs out in the trees in the area. On the trip we chatted with Betty (Ann) and her husband, Charlie, who were lots of fun. After another delicious lunch on the ship, we went into the Soper’s Hole Marina for some shopping and a famous Painkiller at the Pusser’s Rum store – quite tasty and very potent. Around 2 p.m. we set sail for the short trip to Jost Van Dyke. That evening we dined out on deck at the small, intimate Candles restaurant. Since we had heard so much about Foxy’s Tamarind Bar, we went ashore to check it out. It was a very loud, crowded, and happening place, so we only stayed for one drink before heading back to the ship.

We were at Jost Van Dyke from 8 p.m. Monday until 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 9th. This was another explore on our own day, so we got a ride up over the hill from Great Harbour to White Bay. What a beautiful cove, with gorgeous blue water and sandy beach, and of course, a beach bar – the Soggy Dollar, so named because there is no dock and the yachties jump over board to swim ashore to the bar and thus have to pay with “soggy dollars.” We had lunch, some drinks, a swim, and did some shopping – a shirt for Betty and a hat for Bruce. We could have spent the entire day there but had to be back for the last tender to the ship to sail at 3:00 towards our next destination. That night there was a bar-b-que on deck, and we had lots of laughs with new friends, Gladys and Mary Ann, and other shipmates. We had arrived in Virgin Gorda around 8:00 p.m. but didn’t go ashore until the next day.

On Wednesday, March 10th, in the morning we took the ship’s excursion to the Baths on the opposite end of Virgin Gorda from where the ship was anchored in the North Sound. We took the ship’s tender to Gun Creek, and then rode open air buses down the length of the island to the Baths. We arrived at the Top of the Baths and took the trail down to the beach. We then took the trail going through a maze of enormous boulders to get to the Devil’s Bay Beach. Even though we arrived early, there was already quite a crowd as you can see from the pictures. After hiking the trail back up and around to the top, we decided to enjoy the view from there, have a drink with Jon & Cristie, and browse in the gift shops. We really loved the scenic drive back from the Baths, because we got to see so much of the island and our guide stopped several times to give us information and for us to take pictures. We got back in time for the ship’s beach bar-b-que lunch on Prickly Pear Island. There were lots to do on the beach all afternoon, but we wanted to see the Bitter End Yacht Club where we had been thinking of staying for a future vacation. Since you can only get there by boat, we took the ship’s tender over, and were given a very nice tour of the place. While it was very lovely with some fantastic views, the rooms were all scattered around up on the hillside so it was quite spread out and difficult to get around. Back on board the ship, we sailed away from Virgin Gorda around 5:00 p.m. Sailing in the daylight was always a treat to hear the music playing while the large sails unfurled overhead. We had a quiet evening with drinks and dinner, discovering once again that eating below decks in the main dining room made for some queasy moments.

Thursday, March 11th, was mostly spent at sea on the way to Saint Barthelemy (St. Barts) in the French West Indies. It was another fun day of sunning, reading, strolling the decks, visiting with folks and enjoying the views. Unfortunately, I came down with a cold that a few other passengers had, and wasn’t feeling up to par. We arrived earlier than expected and took the ship’s tender to Gustavia to walk around on our own. Our first stop was a pharmacy for cold and sore throat remedies for me. Next, we had something cold to drink and then found our way to Shell Beach a short walk away from Gustavia, where we enjoyed a swim, looking for shells & beach glass, and taking pictures. Back in town we did a little window shopping (very pricey) and stopped for a drink at Le Select of Jimmy Buffett’s cheeseburger in paradise fame where we ran into Gladys and Mary Ann from the ship. Dinner was easier that night since we were at anchor and not underway so we were able to enjoy dinner in the dining room with another couple, Dwayne and Myrna from California.

Friday, March 12th, we had made plans with Jon & Cristie to tour St. Barts together. They rented a motor scooter and we rented a 4-wheel ATV, and off we went clockwise around the island armed with a tourist map for a day of sightseeing. We drove through Corossol, a small, quaint fishing village, and then up to a scenic overlook of Anse du Colombier and Anse du Flamands – spectacular coves with beautiful turquoise water, especially when viewed from the top of the hill/mountain. In hindsight, we should have gone counter-clockwise around the island and ended up at Colombier for a 30-minute hike down to the beach to swim and snorkel – it looked so beautiful and inviting but we had lots more island to see so we had to content ourselves with taking pictures from the overlook before moving on. Next we drove to Flamands, where we enjoyed the beach, and ended up staying for a very expensive lunch at the St. Barths Isle de France hotel right on the beach. After lunch was more island-touring with a stop in St. Jean, where we parked in town and walked to the beach for a swim and more picture-taking. Then it was time to hop back on our scooter & ATV to see as much of the rest of the island as we could fit into the remainder of the day. Next stop was Anse du Grand Cul-de-Sac where we sipped some cold drinks at La Gloriette, while watching the activity on the beach and in the water, including a young kite-surfer. Back on the road we experienced some very narrow roads but thankfully didn’t encounter any traffic coming our way, and the scenery was just beautiful as we wound our way around the Toiny coast. Our last beach stop was at Anse du Grande Saline where we walked past salt ponds and down a rocky dune trail to be rewarded with a beautiful secluded beach with refreshing clear water. Ah, that swim felt so good! Finally it was time to think of getting back to Gustavia to return our rides, and of course, by then we needed another cold drink to wash down the saltwater and road dust. Bruce and I capped off our fun-filled day and celebrated our last night on the ship with an intimate dinner for two at the Candles restaurant on deck outdoors.

The ship traveled overnight and we awoke early Saturday, March 13th, at dock in Marigot, St. Martin. We had to hustle off the ship by 8:20 a.m. as they were preparing the ship for a transatlantic crossing to be in position for spring cruises in the Mediterranean and Baltics.

A few lessons learned from our first cruise: wear a anti-motion sickness patch to be safe; meet more people and exchange contact info with the ones you do meet; keep a journal or at least take good notes so you not only remember what you did, who you met, but you have an idea what your pictures are of; at least for this kind of casual cruise you can pack less (you only dress for dinner, and that is casual chic); pack less and buy shirts, hats, etc. as souvenirs from the places you visit; plan something for every day so the day doesn’t just get away from you, etc. We took the cruise to get a taste of the BVIs where we have always wanted to go, and while we did get a taste, you are really not in port long enough to really get a feel for an island. While we enjoyed the cruise very much, we discovered that are people who are really cruise-fanatics who cruise all the time, and that just isn’t us. We will do another cruise, but can save that for when we are older and have gotten some other trips taken that are higher on our priority list. We enjoy more time on an island instead of having every day be a different port of call.

We were so happy we had decided to spend 3 says on St. Martin post-cruise rather than rushing for a plane home right away. We shared a taxi with several other folks and made 3 stops in the Orient Bay area before heading to Anse Marcel. From our viewpoint both the Dutch and French sides were quite built up and packed with hotels and villas. Since I was still feeling poorly from the cold I caught on the ship, all I wanted to do was get into our room, unpack and go to the hotel beach. We didn’t expect to get a room at our 11 a.m. arrival time, but the frustration level was high when after numerous promises, we weren’t taken to our room until 5 p.m. and it still wasn’t quite ready. Luckily we had packed a day bag so we were able to change into swim suits to enjoy the beach and the ocean. We learned quickly that it was very hot there because the Radisson is in a cove where the prevailing winds were blowing from the direction of the mountains behind us – no breeze + hot sun = needed to stay in the shade or in the water. Grand Case is the island’s gastronomic capital so we were anticipating some great food. Dinner was at Spicy, a cute little place where we had delicious shrimp in mango sauce, lobster risotto, and creme brule.

As if we hadn’t been on the water enough in the last week, Sunday, March 14th, was an all-day excursion aboard the Scoobi Too, a 75-foot catamaran that left from the marina beside the Radisson Hotel. First we sailed to Tintamarre Island, deserted and tropical, where we anchored off shore for some great snorkeling. We floated lazily along the surface and were treated to views of many different kinds of fish (blue tangs and parrotfish being among our favorites), as well as sea fans, urchins and coral. The friendly crew served some tasty drinks while we sailed to British Anquilla, which is a very flat coral island. It wasn’t as dramatic and scenic as some of the volcanic islands we had visited on our cruise, but the beautiful, almost shockingly turquoise water more than made up for it. We learned the water color is enhanced by the fact that Anquilla is a coral island and the water around it is shallow. Once on Anquilla, we enjoyed a delicious buffet lunch (kingfish, chicken, rice, vegetables) provided at The Great House as part of the day’s package. We had the afternoon free to swim and enjoy the beach, but since we had seen that the Cuisinart Resort was just down the beach, we decided to go for a walk there to have a drink. As we were arriving we could see a funky beach bar just beyond Cuisinart and heard some lively reggae tunes playing. Our sense of adventure told us a drink there would be more fun that at the elegant, fancy (maybe stuffy) Cuisinart. We had stumbled upon a local legend, Bankie Banx Dune Preserve. The architecture and décor of this tropical beach bar is quite unique with seating and tables made from things such as surfboards, plexiglass shower doors, etc. Check out the pictures because it defies explanation. We whiled away the afternoon listening to the band, enjoying the drinks (the Dune Rum Punch was so-o good), and scenery both inside and out. Bankie Banx is a reggae music pioneer, and has for many years hosted the annual Moonsplash Music Festival at the Dune Preserve. Jimmy Buffett’s Live In Anguilla CD/DVD was recorded there in 2007. We had a lovely sail back to St. Martin so it was a great day all the way around. When we were ready to go to dinner in Grand Case, we had a taxi driver snafu at the hotel and ended up with someone who usually delivers luggage from the airport to hotels and villas. As a result he didn’t know the restaurant we were looking for, L’Estaminet, couldn’t find it for us, and his radio was broken so he couldn’t get directions. We got out near the restaurant where we had eaten last night and wandered around looking. I was exhausted from my cold and the full day adventure, so we ended up at another restaurant, The Fish Pot, which had also been recommended. Dinner was overlooking the water and the food (mahi mahi in coconut rum sauce and scallops in ? sauce) were good but from what we heard later, L’Estaminet would have been better, so in hindsight we should have kept walking and asking.

Monday, March 15th, was our last full day on St. Martin and since I still wasn’t feeling well and we had to travel the next day, we hung out at the Radisson, enjoying the beach and the water. We had another nice lunch a C Le Restaurant at the hotel. Dinner in Grand Case was at L’Auberge Gourmand where we had duck breast in some wonderful sauce and rack of lamb, followed up by a decadent chocolate desert and glasses of vanilla rum made on-site. Our best meal of the vacation, and a nice way to cap off our stay.

Tuesday, March 16th, we did a little sightseeing via taxi on the way to the airport to see the Dutch side of the island. After some shopping in the airport, it was time to fly back home.  Things we would do differently if we go again to SXM: rent a car to drive around on our own or take a taxi tour of the island that stops at Orient Beach; go to Marigot to walk around and have dinner there one night; stay at a different hotel that isn’t so far from the beaten path that you have to take a taxi to go anywhere. All that said, both the cruise and our stay on St. Martin was a great vacation. Only thing that could have made it better would been avoiding the cold I had that proceeded to hang on for several more weeks once home.