My family and I went on a cruise a few summers ago and it was great! The weather was amazing and the islands were beautiful! We were on the Carnival Victory and made port at St Thomas, St Lucia, Barbados, St Kitts, and St Maarten (or St Martin or St Maartin, we saw it spelled so many ways haha) I could talk about everything we did but that would take too long but basically we snorkeled reefs and shipwrecks, saw the countryside of St Lucia, rode horses on the beach, laid out on gorgeous beaches, played soccer on the beach in Barbados,went shopping in St Marteen and had fun on the boat. When I was on the boat running on the track on the top of the sky deck all I could see in any direction was water. It was so amazing to see how vast the ocean was. It really made me think about how vast the Lords power and love truly is. Job 11:7-9 says the The almighty is “broader than the sea
5 things you should know/do in the Caribbean:
1. TAXI: You will get bombarded by taxi drivers/tour guides etc as soon as you step off the boat. If you don’t want a taxi then just keep walking and ignore them. If you talk to them at all they will stick with you and try to convince you to get a taxi to go to a store that is just a block away no matter how many times you say no. Don’t worry about being rude, just keep walking. However, if you want to see the island, a taxi is the way to do it! The locals will show you all the beautiful places. On our taxi tour of St. Lucia, our taxi driver took us to an absolutely beautiful viewing spot. He also stopped so we could purchase some coconuts and pick some limes and mangoes right off the trees on the side of the road.
The view from our taxi tour in St. Lucia
2. Locals: Meet the locals! My sister and I enjoyed some soccer on the beach of Barbados with some local teenagers and loved it! Our tour guides for different excursions always had fun stories about where they came from and what we can do on the island. Everyone is friendly so be friendly back. Don’t let them talk you into buying something but don’t be a snobby tourist and not engage in conversation either.
My sister enjoying a coconut.
Playing soccer on the beach
3. Snorkel: You have to snorkel at least once. The fish life is amazing! We went snorkeling in St. Thomas and Barbados and saw tons of fish, sea turtles and I even found a sting ray. In Barbados we snorkeled around a ship wreck and the fish around there were so amazing! I especially enjoyed seeing fish from Finding Nemo. There are tons of companies that take people snorkeling on every island so you will have tons of choices and they will take you to the best places.
4. Monkeys: St Kitts is full of monkeys! They say there are more monkeys than people and there are locals everywhere with baby monkeys on their shoulder and its usually only $3-$5 to take pictures with the monkeys. It’s a total tourist trap but it was one I didn’t mind falling into. They are adorable and so fun to play with!
5. Shopping: Last but not least the shopping! I am not a huge shopper but the local little shops are so fun. There are all kinds of jewelry and clothes and on a few islands there are tons of things made out of coconut shells like bird baths and statues. On the islands, they use everything from the coconut. There were also arts and crafts made from seeds and leather and wood. It was all so fun! I really enjoy local stuff that you can only get there and there are plenty of one of a kind items on the islands. In St. Thomas as well as most of the other islands you can buy jewelry with precious stones, especially diamonds, for way cheaper than in the states.
6. Beaches: Don’t forget the beaches! All of these islands have beaches (Duh!) and you need to take at least one day to just lay out on the beach, find a beach-side bar and meet fun new people. Collect shells and make a necklace to remember your trip. Play soccer and go for a walk and see what you find. You never know!
My sister is awesome!
Overall, there is plenty to keep you enjoying your vacation. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the beauty of these amazing islands!
Until next time, relax, spend lots of time with Jesus and make each day an adventure 🙂
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