Thanks Summer, yes a very comfortable flight with a good variety of films, music, and games on the TV screens situated in the back of the seat in front…
Early morning saw us sail into the small harbour of St Lucia, always an event to be leaning on the rail for. The captain managed to manoeuvre the 115,000 ton ship into some very tight spaces indeed.
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11648
I blame myself for not doing my homework or booking a trip, because as we walked over the jetty of this very picturesque town, we were approached by a very nice Caribbean lady who suggested that we might take a short boat trip to a nice beach. We left rows of waiting taxis behind and boarded the small boat, preferring a different kind of travel more appropriate, although quite a bit more expensive than road transport.
It was brilliant to be skimming the sky blue waves of the Caribbean, with the wind blowing in our faces with gentle spray keeping us cool. We passed a very nice beach, and the skipper told us that there were no private beaches on St Lucia, so I wondered how much better was the beach we were heading for. The beach that got away…
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11650
We soon arrived at our destination, a small harbour with several private craft tied up to various jetty’s. A very small oversubscribed beach jutted out from the trees, with umbrellas and sunbeds squeezed together. At the rear of the beach the smell of fried chicken emanated from a tumbledown shack, I guess this would provide lunch. After disembarking onto the small wooden jetty the skipper told us he would return at 15:00 hours…Enjoy…:shock:
It looked like Cleethorpes Caribbean style! The walk down to the sea was fraught with pain as you picked your way through the sharp barrier of stones that barred your way to the sea. Because of the heavy traffic of power boats and yachts entering and leaving the dock, the sea was corralled off with marker buoys for safety, providing a mainly paddling area for the children. It was certainly not my vision of the Caribbean! However, the locals were happy and friendly and with Bob Marley booming out from a thirty year old speaker, we made ourselves comfortable, sunbathed and paddled until three…The chicken wasn’t half bad either…
The skipper arrived just when he said he would, and with the smell of cooked chicken still lingering in my nose we returned back to the little harbour where the Azura was berthed.
The lady in charge was called Marie, the same name as my daughter, so some bonding took place between the two, so the compulsory photo session was completed before returning to the ship and some proper food…
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11651
Before we steamed off into the evening, I took this shot of the little harbour in St Lucia from the deck of Azura. All the family were singing the praises of St Lucia and couldn’t wait to return. I’d probably feel the same if I could find a decent beach on this island… Still haven’t seen the Caribbean I dreamed off…
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11649
Just catching up on this thread Foxy.
You are making me yearn for the sunshine you know.
Brilliant pics and commentary.
Lovely that your beautiful daughter bonded with a local.
She’s a people person Sweetie and works in a cafe.
You’ve probably guessed from my posts that she gets it off her tolerant, good natured, friendly Dad…
A good sense of humour too Foxy:lol:
Thanks Sweetie, it’s my most endearing Quality…:-p
Hell! it might be my ONLY endearing quality…
I was already out of bed and raring to go for my early morning swim when I spotted this little gem…Just a few minutes away from docking at St Kitts…
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11663
My Daughter - bless her little cotton socks - had been doing her homework and reckoned that there were more jewelry shops here than anywhere else in the Caribbean, a perfect place for her intended to buy her an engagement ring…
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11664
So in ridiculously high temperatures we pounded the streets in search of the elusive diamond encrusted token of Nicks love for baby fox…
It certainly knocked the wind out of his sails (and his wallet) when she chose a ring costing more than I’ve paid for some of my cars in the past. So the deed was done, and August 4th is the chosen day, but we already knew that…
I lounged on the large sofa while the choosing took place with my mind on other things. So after the scene of the mugging (only kidding) I wandered away from the town and on to some waste ground and spotted the ship at berth across the bay…But something else had caught my attention…And it got me thinking, Why am I sat here when I should be climbing that mountain over there…
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11665
St Kitts has been my favourite place up to now…But it’s time to return to the ship and before you could say Jack Sparrow we were casting off for Antigua…
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11666
Oh gosh, so much here to catch up on and I am still away from home, but I will soon!
In the meantime, how lovely it is to see your family enjoying the cruise and to have faces to go along with the names! You all look so happy and relaxed. What a nice family you have, OGF!
Thanks Surfermom, look forward to seeing you once again perusing the forum full time…Safe journey home…
I haven’t got much to report about Antigua, I had great hopes of taking to the skies in my first ride in a helicopter, or touring the island and finding a secluded beach to relax while sipping on a rum punch, but it was not to be. After spotting an interesting church spire from the top deck of the ship we made a half arsed attempt to visit it.
You’ve got to hand it to the locals, their lives are full of music and happiness (I’m not naive enough to believe they are always like this) but for today, this was a fine welcome to the island of Antigua and Barbuda.
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11667
My spirits were high as we stood on the dock and in 34 degrees C with the sound of pop music resonating around the harbour from the steel band, we marvelled at these two mighty sea going luxury hotels laying side by side at birth.
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11668
We picked our way through the contents of two cruise ships spilling out into the entrance to the village, we were met by scantily clad Caribbean dancers, but pushed on through the crowds in search of the beautiful church we had spotted from the ship.
Unfortunately, now down at street level it was impossible to catch sight of the church so we made our way blindly uphill and away from throng of shoppers in the main street.
The backstreets of any town are not the most attractive feature, and with the hot sun dissolving the enthusiasm of the small party (un-acustomed to adventure), we decided to abandon the search and return to the ship for lunch. And that was our one and only experience of what had, the promise of a beautiful little island…
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11669
The ship was soon leaving port and returning to Bridgetown to collect supplies for the long cruise home. The captain would have a fight on his hands to make it back to Barbados before sunrise the next day, and it was reflected in the thirty knotts he maintained throughout the night. The fastest I had seen since joining the ship five days ago.
Foxy, lovely photo’s, lovely memories you will have, and lovely man writing it all down for us. 
It’s alright, you can pay me later. 
You’re a very good friend Mups, hugs on their way…:hug:
And remuneration…
Gosh I wish you had explored St Lucia it’s such a pretty island. I know the church you missed in St John’s if you just had kept walking up the hill you would have stumbled across it. 
St John’s is less than impressive but the rest of Antigua is gorgeous and renown for it’s 365 beautiful beaches one for every day of the year:) it’s one of my favourite islands.
You seem to have had a good time maybe it has inspired you to return for a land visit to one or two of the islands . Cruises are great but leave you so little time to explore maybe if you visit again…who knows:)
Captain Hoyt wasted no time as he steamed at full speed (30 Knotts) throughout the night from Antigua back to Bridgetown in Barbados. I assumed we would have been tied up to the dock by morning, but as I opened my eyes I realised that we were still travelling, albeit somewhat slower. The sound of the thrusters vibrated through the whole ship, and at last this 115 thousand ton floating hotel was being manoeuvred into position alongside the concrete jetty.
We should have been sailing in the other direction now, heading for Porto Delgada in the Azores, but it had been cancelled due to some bad weather in that neck of the woods. So the captain had returned to Barbados to collect supplies for the eight day non-stop voyage across the Atlantic to Southampton. Every cloud though, and it meant we had another day in Barbados.
I was determined not to miss out on a tour of the island, so while little fox and her intended preferred to swim with Turtles, Mrs Fox and me boarded the bus to paradise…
We were immediately driven out of Bridgetown and on to what could best be described as farm tracks, winding our way through Banana and Sugar Cane plantations until we reached the highest point of the Island. 1100 foot above sea level. The view was outstanding as we watched the angry waves roll in off the Atlantic Ocean…
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11691
A beautiful seventeenth century church was next on the agenda. St Johns Parish Church, originally built of wood in 1645 but destroyed by a hurricane and rebuilt out of stone in 1660.
Don’t we all just love a good church…
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11692
And what tour of Barbados would be complete without sampling the local Rum Punch…Hic…:surprised:
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11693
It turn out that it was the Turtles day off, so little fox came back disappointed…
Gutted!
She will just have to make do with those at Sea World in Scarborough…
Just seen your post Summer. We are just off to the cinema to see ‘Peter Rabbit’…I know…:surprised:
I will respond to your comments later…x
Thanks Summer, the younger generation have a very short attention span, and an even shorter tolerance of walking in the heat, so under duress I had to return them to the ship…
Although I’ve enjoyed the holiday, and the indigenous people were extraordinary with their happy and welcoming disposition, it’s a long way to travel for something I can get in the Med…
I doubt that I would fly/cruise again, I’d rather cruise for longer to reach those destinations that couldn’t be reached in a fortnight from Southampton. There’s something relaxing about a cruise, and visiting somewhere every day takes away the slow passage of time usually enjoyed when traveling by ship. On the other hand, eight solid days at sea without a break takes it to the other extreme. I felt the need to stretch my legs with a long walk (or run if I’m able) after a couple of days on board ship seeking out every orifice and activity.
Walking back and forth around the deck, or spending hours in the gym just doesn’t do it for me. And on the Azura the front of the ship was closed off, so a complete traverse of the promenade deck wasn’t possible.
And to cap it all, Meadowhall was full of screaming kids, so the queue for the cinema reached as far as Rotherham, so we’ve postponed our visit to the cinema until next week…
With all the trips and visits behind us we stood on the deck and toasted the sunset with a glass of bubbly as the ship lurched away from her moorings in Bridgetown and the sail away party began. With dinner at six thirty, and the loud music beating my brain to a pulp we slipped away to find somewhere less hectic and dress for dinner. I know…I can be so boring…But I long for the open spaces and quiet countryside…Beam me up Scotty!
That night we sailed for home leaving the Caribbean behind us, and by the time I woke up there was nothing on the horizon but a beautiful sunrise and an open ocean.
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11696
Each night I found a quiet bit of deck to leave the hustle and bustle of people dashing to find some entertainment, and consider what had happened over the last few days. With over three thousand passengers and fifteen hundred crew members finding an empty deck like this was rare…But welcoming…
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11697
Apart from a midnight visit to an island in the Azores for a medical emergency, we steamed, at what seemed a very slow pace, all the way back to Southampton. Each day saw a drop in temperature until finally, as the Mercury hit rock bottom we arrived at our destination and prepared to disembark…I’m sure the memories will become fonder as time goes by. And looking at the photos with the rain splashing on the window makes me think of what we had, and how I wish I was there now…
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=1357&pictureid=11698
Foxy Signing off…Thanks for your interest and support…
Hi Bob.
I don’t venture into these personal threads as a rule but it’s great to read about your holiday and look at these wonderful photos and I do take a look often without posting. You both had a smashing time
Hi Bob I loved your holiday photos and reading your write ups of your journey around the Carribbean and I’m glad you had a great time.
Fantastic reports and lovely photos! You and Mrs. Fox look so relaxed and ebullient! I suspect it had more to do with enjoying the day than whatever is in that punch.
While we all have had different experiences seeing the same islands, we seem to come to similar conclusions about the experience of visiting the Caribbean and cruising in general. You have shown exact spots that I visited including the St. Johns church, the shop with the pirate, and the view of the Sandals resort from a boat in St. Lucia. A photo of the Pitons is at the bottom.
Of all the things enjoyable about cruising (and a reluctant cruiser I once was), the promenade deck is by far and away my favorite public space, not just because of its usual emptiness, but because it recreates what cruising must have been like decades ago.
Summer is so right about the Antigua beaches, though the last time I was there I cycled it. A shame about the turtles, but I have a hunch your daughter will have other opportunities down the road. Conservation efforts are bringing their numbers up globally.
Thank you as always for taking the time to share your adventures. One day I hope you get to go back and hike Nevis peak that is the distance in your photo of St. Kitts.
I don’t think I could ever tire of looking at that blue, blue ocean.
The Pitons, St. Lucia: https://thumb.ibb.co/cxENbc/IMG_1361.jpg