On a dark miserable day in February, my phone rang and after being surprised and delighted beyond words, I thought to myself “well I am going to Barbados” with the tune of this song penetrating my mind – wow was that a dream phone call! No, it was an amazing invitation to join the recently launched “Explora 1” cruise ship in Barbados.
I was so excited as I left a cold and dreary Heathrow to commence my Caribbean cruise away. After a night in Barbados, excitement was in overdrive as I completed the check-in process and my Caribbean adventure had begun. Along with my other five colleagues, we discussed who would be responsible for discovering the amenities on board this amazing ship, it was quite a difficult task to decide who would be able to isolate one particular overview of everything as on first impressions the whole concept was just staggering.
After finally unpacking and settling into my wonderful grand ocean terrace suite, I decided it was time to explore the fourteen decks. With all this space, the ship has a maximum number of guests of just 922 making it one of the most spacious ships afloat. My chosen subject to focus on during my cruise was the vast range of experiences which are offered during each cruise. The destination experiences range from action-packed and exhilarating to culinary delights. You can discover colonial histories or head back into the clear blue waters of the Caribbean to explore the underwater world, or even watch the wonderful unforgettable experience of whales with a marine biologist. The vast array of destination experiences caters for all passengers as they enjoy life on board.
In Martinique I decided to explore the port of St. Pierre with my colleagues. Here we explored this volcanic island and discovered how during the eruption of 1932 more than 29,000 lost their lives. The complete devastation was detailed by photographs which can now be seen at the Volcano Museum. I also found it interesting to wander through the locals selling their home-grown fruit and vegetables.
On my next port of call at Basseterre St. Kitts and Nevis I enjoyed a nostalgic train ride and some fascinating views of the island aboard an old double-decker steam train. The tracks of the train were constructed more than one hundred years ago to transport the sugar cane to the mills in Basseterre, the journey on this double-decker steam train was over one and half hours long and covered many villages where children waved as the iconic train made its way through the abandoned sugar cane estates. Throughout this fascinating journey, a cool rum punch was served as the train passed through deep canyons traversing amazing bridges which had been constructed during the sugar cane production years, now all abandoned and forgotten but leaving behind a tapestry of stone windmills used to grind the cane for exportation.
The experiences on offer in the Dominican Republic were very varied, some of my colleagues enjoyed an exciting four and a half hour high engergy ride on an ATV. Much as I would like to have participated in this tour, I felt I would leave the excitement to my younger travelling companions, I know the adrenalin was flowing by the time they returned to the ship!
Ocean Cay in the Bahamas was just wonderful. I had very little knowledge of this amazing island. White sandy beaches, clear blue sea which shimmered in the sunlight, and as I walked along this long golden beach I could see shoals of glimmering fish on the waters edge. The island is owned by the MSC shipping company and they retain this eco friendly location with much pride and joy.
My final destination of Miami was somewhere I had not visited before and I was eager to see what this renown Florida destination could offer. I joined a hop on hop off tour, leaving the ship and joining a two and a half hour sightseeing tour and it was fascinating. Crossing the vast bridge into the South Beach area I was able to witness the wealth of this area where many of the rich and famous have their homes. The Art Deco architecture here is just amazing and fortunately still retain their original glamour and detail. It was so nice to witness the original construction of these iconic buildings. Back over the bridge to old Miami and a fascinating visit to Little Havana, here it was so vibrant with brightly coloured houses and reflected so well a Cuban way of life, I loved it and enjoyed a typical Cuban lunch in a buzzing Cuban eatery.
Sadly my Caribbean journey came to a sad closure as I left Miami and headed back home with some wonderful memories and a Caribbean suntan. What an amazing week in the life of a very happy and very fortunate Miles Morgan Travel Agent. My cruise was such an amazing experience and I am now able to share my knowledge with my Miles Morgan clients.
