Caribbean Cruise Part 3: the Islands

As I mentioned here and here, Dan and I went on a kid-free cruise in October. It was absolutely amazing. One of the best parts of the cruise was the opportunity to explore the insanely gorgeous Caribbean waters in both St. Maarten and St. Kitts. 

The morning after our stop in Puerto Rico we landed in Philipsburg, St. Maarten. We took an all-day snorkeling and boating trip through Soualiga Tours. There were a few other couples on the small speedboat with us as we made our way around the island. We stopped in several locations throughout the day, including Pinel Island, Grand Case, and Tintemarre Island. We saw giant iguanas on white sandy beaches; floated in perfectly warm, clear water; ate lunch and drank pina coladas on the beach; snorkled with schools of needlefish; and saw turtles swimming next to our boat. I'd say it was a pretty good day.

I didn't think we would be able to top that experience, but the next day we went scuba diving in St. Maarten. I was so excited to be back underwater again. Neither Dan nor I are certified so we did a resort dive through Pro Divers. This was my fifth or sixth time diving, and Dan's second (see here for his first time). 

We had a great experience with Austen and his team. We dove in two separate locations, including over a natural hot water vent. We saw tons of great things including giant stingray. But the coolest things we saw were the Moray eels devouring a Lionfish that our guide had just speared. I had no idea that eels twist and turn their entire bodies into knots to break up their prey. Sadly, I didn't have an underwater camera, but here's a video that shows what it looks like.

This cruise was exactly what Dan and I needed. I came back feeling refreshed, relaxed, and excited to see my little girl. The best part is she had a fantastic time too, so no guilt! Win-win!

Read more about this cruise:
Eastern Caribbean Cruise, Part 1
Caribbean Cruise, Part 2: San Juan

Read about our other cruises here:
Baltic Cruise
Mediterranean Cruise 

Caribbean Cruise, Part 2: San Juan

As I first mentioned here, Dan and I went on a kid-free cruise to the Caribbean. It was amazing! Our first port of call was Puerto Rico--an island that neither Dan nor I have been to before. We only had a few hours in San Juan, but it was just enough taste to whet our appetite.

The view as we pulled into the harbor was fantastic. I loved seeing the fort, so strong and beautiful.

Dan made us a reservation at Marmalade, a very well-reviewed restaurant that books up a month in advance. We walked around Old Town before dinner, and though San Juan is beautiful, I can't even tell you how humid it was. It was really awful. Thankfully it rained while we were at the Castillo San Felipe del Morro, and it cleared up after that.

Did you know that the pina colada was invented in Puerto Rico? Obviously we had to test out the local fare. We did a quick taste test at two different bars, and the winner hands-down was the Parrot Club. It was delicious! What really set it over the edge was the toasted coconut and sprinkled cinnamon on top. It felt like a very grown-up version of the sweet drink.

Dinner was really fun. The chef came and talked to us for quite a long time, actually. He described the inspiration for his dishes, told us about his adventures living in Spain and England, explained that being a chef in a Michelin-star restaurant is a terrible experience (unless you're the executive chef), and gossiped about Anthony Bourdain. It was a very interesting conversation.

We headed back to the ship after dinner and got ready for our next adventures.

Read more about this cruise:
Eastern Caribbean Cruise, Part 1
Caribbean Cruise, Part 3: The Islands

Read about our other cruises here:
Baltic Cruise
Mediterranean Cruise