Last minute we decided to join my sister, Kylee and her family on a Caribbean cruise. So a week later we were on a plane to Florida.
We stopped at three ports:
St. Maarten: We took a small water ferry into town and then after walking around town we hired a taxi to take us to a nicer beach to do some snorkeling. The weather was not the greatest and it started raining on us. Unfortunately the good snorkeling required a boat ride so we ended up just playing in the waves and enjoying a rainy day at the beach. The taxi ride was the highlight as we spent time talking with the taxi driver learning about the island.
Puerto Rico: Kylee had served her mission in Puerto Rico and this was her first time back. We tagged along with her and rented a car so that she could go back and drive through areas she had served in. It was great to see the areas I had read about in her letters. We also drove through a national park (name?). We then dropped off the car and walked around the Fort near the docks. There is so much to see there and too little time to see it all.
Haiti: Although we were in Haiti, it was only a small beach compound owned by Royal Caribbean – so not the “real” Haiti experience. There we nice sandy beaches, plenty of hammocks and beach chairs. So we spent the day soaking in the sun, snorkeling and just relaxing. It was nice but we wished we had the opportunity to see more of the “real” Haiti.
The On Board Adventure: The ship was truly amazing! It was the largest cruise ship on the ocean at the time. There was plenty to do, from surfing or boogie boarding, rock climbing, ice skating, movie theaters, basketball courts, ping-pong tables (which Jared enjoyed), many pools to choose from as well as as much food as you could eat. I enjoyed lounging by the pools reading books and Jared enjoyed exploring all that the ship had to offer.
We left wondering how soon we could go again. What a great way to travel!!