Cruise Diva's CRUISE
DIARY
~ Oceania Cruises' REGATTA ~
Caribbean
Hideaways
Tortola (British
Virgin Islands)
Late sleeping Regatta passengers in
portside staterooms and suites awoke to quite a surprise, particularly
if they left their drapes open before retiring the previous night.
Berthed alongside in Tortola, Norwegian Sky passengers had a pretty
clear view through their floor-to-ceiling windows. All of Regatta's
Pool Deck was visible from the larger ship's uppermost reaches and
Norwegian Sky guests were snapping photos as we sipped coffee in
Horizons Lounge. With the two vessels side-to-side, it was possible to
appreciate how much smaller Regatta is than mega-sized cruise ships.
She appeared much sleeker and, frankly, more exclusive than the 77,000
tons Norwegian Sky, which carries over 2,000 passengers. With a double
occupancy rate of only 660, Regatta's ambiance is more intimate, yet
she features many of the facilities of the larger ship.
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|
Pusser’s—famous
for the Painkiller, made with dark, aromatic rum
|
Docked at the cruise terminal, it was a
short walk to the center of Road Town, the capital of the British
Virgin Islands. Blackbeard is said to have inspired the sailing ditty,
“Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum,” by marooning 15 pirates with a
single rum bottle at Deadman Bay in the British Virgin Islands. No visit to Tortola would be complete
without a stop at Pusser's for a Painkiller, made with the official
rum served for over 300 years by the British Royal Navy.
While many fellow Regatta passengers
headed to the beaches on the northern side of the island, about twenty
minutes by taxi from Road Town, we took a short stroll to Main Street where
most of the shopping is located. Island arts and crafts are
good finds in Crafts Alive, a collection of shops in the style of a
Caribbean village on the waterfront and an outdoor market nearer the
cruise terminal.
Back aboard Regatta, the highlight of
the evening was dinner in Polo Grill, including an oh-so-tender filet
prepared as rare as I like it and bread pudding to rival any in New
Orleans. To enhance the mood for our itinerary, entertainment included
the movie Pirates of the Caribbean, shown on the big screen in
the Regatta Lounge.
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|
Independence
Square & Immaculate Conception Co-Cathedral |
St. Kitts &
Nevis
The next morning
was something of a bonus in the form of St. Kitts. Not on our
itinerary, we were nonetheless delighted with docking there and the
opportunity to poke around Basseterre, the island's capital. A short
stroll from The Circus, a roundabout in the heart of the city, found
us in Independence Square and smack in the middle of blocks of
British-influenced colonial architecture.
Just off The Circus, we discovered an
Internet cafe that offered high speed connections and phone cards (and
phone) for touching base with home.
From the steel drum band composed of
school children that greeted us, to the merchants in the crafts
market, every resident of St. Kitts made us feel welcome. We hated to
leave, but an afternoon in Nevis beckoned.
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|
Charlestown,
Nevis |
Unfortunately, we encountered our
first Caribbean shower as we anchored off Nevis. With the lush green
mountain tops shrouded in clouds, which Christopher Columbus likened
to snow, we waited for the rain to subside before tendering ashore. A
combination of our late-afternoon arrival and the weather made for a
brief and not-so-fulfilling look around. We had looked forward to
seeing the Museum of Nevis History, housed in the Georgian style house
that was the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton. While we found it with
no problem, regrettably it was closed.
While overlooking the harbor from the
museum grounds, we discovered the Christena Memorial Plaque, erected to honor
the persons whose lives were lost when a government ferry sank in
1970. With its lovely view to St. Kitts and historic sites, we'd like
to return and explore Nevis more extensively.
Dominica
Uh oh... awakening to the sound of
water against my window, I couldn't help but wonder if our tour in
Dominica was about to be rained out. No problem. While it was
postponed for an hour, the River Tubing Adventure got off to a
terrific start when we piled into three vans and were sent on our way with
unexpected box lunches from Regatta's galley. Due to our delayed
departure, we wouldn't be
back until after the dining room and buffet closed and the Destination
Services staff didn't want us to go hungry! Really considerate and
most appreciated later.
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|
Tubing
down Layou River Gorge |
Our 40-minute drive through
Dominica's lush rainforest was enthralling as the van climbed higher
and higher on twisting mountain roads. Our driver stopped to point out
waterfalls, banana plantations, and fields of pineapple and bright
tropical flowers.
I have to admit that river tubing
wasn't my idea, but my friend Anita assured me it would be great fun
and my lack of swimming skill wouldn't be a problem. She was right on
both counts and I was reassured when we arrived at our launch site on
the Layou River Gorge. Our guides were waiting right there beside the
road and we were outfitted with flotation vests and paddles and given
an orientation of what we were to experience while floating down the
river in our wooden-bottomed tubes. One by one we waded into the
shallow water and plopped into tubes, holding onto one another's
paddles until we were all afloat. Then we let loose and went racing
toward the first set of rapids. Screaming and laughing, we dodged
rocks and one another while attempting to capture the fun and
magnificent scenery on waterproof cameras.
The guides were on hand to assist
those of us who managed to spin out of control and get ourselves
"beached" on rocks—yes, I got entangled once before
getting the hang of it. After a refreshing dip in a swimming hole
("the longer you stay in the water, the younger you'll
feel!") and a taste of sticky sweet cocoa seed provided by the
guides, we were on our way again through the forbidding gorge, a bit
of rain, and several more sets of rapids. At the end of our wild ride
we once again grabbed each other's paddles and gathered in a circle.
Our guides engaged in riddle-telling and congratulated us as
"rocky rollers" and then, to our surprise, they showered us
with much splashing and laughter.
To accompany our lunches, we were
treated to trays of coconut, mango, and pineapple and a potent punch
made with local rum and freshly squeezed native fruits. Would I do it
again? Absolutely! The excursion was one of the best I've ever taken
and the Dominicans were splendid hosts. For someone who approached the
tour with trepidation, I hated to see it end.
Back at the pier, we browsed through
the small "market" and bought locally grown spices and
Island made bamboo crafts. What began as a gloomy, wet day ended on a
bright and cheerful note.
As Dominica faded from view, we chose
to dine beneath the stars at Tapas on the Terrace. What a delightful
setting—with candlelight, deep
blue chair covers, linen placemats, and colorful dinnerware
transforming the Terrace into a magical outdoor cafe. While the
original Spanish-style menu has been altered for American tastes, we
were quite pleased with the variety. Start with a freshly tossed
Caesar salad, then move on to the carving station or perhaps an
individually prepared pasta selection. And don't pass up the desserts!
-
Part
Three -- Antigua, St. Barts & Virgin Gorda
-
Part
Four -- Dominican
Republic & two relaxing
sea days
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Part
Five -- Debarkation and lasting impressions
Take the REGATTA
Photo Tour
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