Recently my family and I took a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. It was ten days aboard the Norwegian Gem. There was plenty of things to do although the weather was disappointing. I was at sea for the first three days on ship. There were many dining choices and they were amazing with a view of the ocean. Every night there were amazing musicals and plays in the Stardust Theatre.
1st stop - San Juan
In San Juan it did rain but that was not disappointment because before it rained i went on a bus tour and it was a amazing. The first monument i saw was the democratic statues the visited during their term in the white house. Featured presidents were JFK, Eisenhower and Obama. Although Puerto rico is a U.S territory it does not vote in our presidential elections. Their highest government position is Governor. The second monument seen was a gravesite sight from the 1800’s near a castle in Old San Juan. there was also their capitol building and holocaust memorial. San Juan also has a beautiful seashore on the atlantic side of the island. When it wasn't raining vendors were selling and making things ranging from pottery to small glass figures and holding animals. There were lot of fun things to do, just make sure you get back on the ship in time.
Some of the president statues in San Juan, PR
2nd stop - St. Thomas
St. Thomas has a lot mountains and a beautiful seashore. immediately when arriving in St.Thomas you could see all the small boats and houses in the mountains, which almost resembled something from Italy. On the tours they took you up in the mountains and stopped at various places for shopping. At each stop the ocean looked so beautiful and you could tell where the ocean color changed around the island. My tour guide took us to the top of the mountains at 4,000 feet and the entire island was spectacular. There was some nice houses in the mountains that were on a slant because of the hills. There are a lot of shopping areas in St. Thomas, but the best is downtown st. thomas because it has the best jewellery and deals for shopping.
A home in St. Thomas
3rd stop - St. Maarten
St. Maarten was beautiful and the tour was mostly in the mountains and you could see other british and americans virgin islands such as st. john, because they were also close. During the tours you noticed that the graveyards were above ground because the hurricanes that happen would make them float above ground anyway, so most burials were stacked on top of each other. After my tour all i did was shop. There were mostly jewelry stores because the island were famous for their diamonds. The beaches were amazing also and water was light blue and almost clear.
A scenic overlook in St. Maarten
Last stop - Tortola
I didn't have much time on this island but the tour was great. It was very informational and i got a lot of history about the islands. The crazy part about the tours were the driving. The hills were pretty steep. My tour guide said, “you have to be really brave to drive in these hills.”
Two more days at sea and i'm back in NY. This cruise was really fun and amazing. Cruising anywhere is fun.