The Wandering Disciple

Miami, Florida: We arrived into Miami early in the morning and it could not be early enough as we could not wait to get off the SS Prison Boat. Well its not like we had a choice, since my wife was still “infected” she was given priority disembarkment and we were off the ship quickly. Not sure if it was because they didn’t want to get anyone else sick or just because they were tired of hearing us complain but it didn’t really matter since we were free. We gathered our luggage in the claim area and began the drive back home. The events of the last few days of the cruise really tarnished what started out as a remarkable vacation. Its hard to believe the amount of power they give to one person with no secondary opinion available. Seems like there should be a checks and balance system in place which there was not at the time. Once we returned home, I contacted Royal Caribbean’s corporate office and advised them of the experience. The actions of the crew were justified in their min...

Nassau, Bahamas: Once ruled by pirates, Nassau is the capital city of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Located on New Providence island, it is about 175 miles from Florida and its proximity to the US, makes it a popular stop for cruise itineraries. The area was originally known as Charles Town prior to being burnt down by the Spanish in 1684. The region was rebuilt in 1695 and was renamed Nassau in honor of King William III. By the early 1700’s the island was declared a pirate republic and pirate’s Thomas Barrow and Benjamin Hornigold were declared its governors. The island quickly became home to many famous pirates including Edward Teach (Blackbeard), Calico Jack and Anne Bonny. The pirates controlled the island until British troops lead by Captain Woodes Rogers regained control of the island in 1718. Blackbeard was overthrown as magistrate, ending the Privateers Republic and transferring control back to the British. British lost control of the island briefly in 1776 as the ...

Nassau, Bahamas: Today was the second day of the quarantine period and the ship had pulled into port in Nassau. We were originally scheduled to do the Nassau and Paradise Island excursion but thanks to the restrictions put in place by the medical staff, we were unable to attend. Today we were extremely grateful to have had a balcony room so at least we could get some fresh air. But the four walls of the room were closing in quickly and the stateroom began to feel more like a prison. As the quarantined continued, the rudeness and hostility of the staff increased. Our meals arrived to the stateroom cold and when asking for drinks, all we were told is they couldn’t do that. Well if we weren’t restricted to our rooms, we would have gotten it ourselves, but it wasn’t an option. By the end of the day, I was so furious with the situation I could not wait to return home in the morning. As the sunset over Nassau, we began the short trip back to Miami and off the prison boat. For photo...

Atlantic Ocean: Today marked our second day at sea and when our wonderful vacation turned bad. We encountered some rough seas after departing St Maarten and the ship was rocking pretty good. Between the rough seas and the drinks from the night before, my wife got seasick pretty bad. She went down to the clinic to see the doctor and get some medication to cure the seasickness. He misdiagnosed her with a viral disease rather then give her seasickness medication and quarantined my entire family to the stateroom. We were not allowed to leave the stateroom for any reason and all food would be delivered to us. During this time, the cabin attendant was not allowed to enter the cabin for clean linens or to clean the room and was ordered to keep an eye on us that we did not leave the cabin. Despite pleas to the medical staff explaining the circumstances of the night, the rhinovirus diagnosis remained an the quarantined restrictions we kept in place. We tried to speak to guest relatio...

Philipsburg, St. Maarten: Located in the British Virgin Islands, the Caribbean island of St. Maarten is the smallest island to be shared by two countries. At only 34 square miles, the island is comprised of Dutch Sint Maarten and French Saint Martin. Like its neighboring islands, the island was initially inhabited by Indian tribes. The Arawaks initially settled on the island. They were then run out of island by the Carib Indians. The Carib Indians remained on the island until settlements from the Europe arrived. Although he did not land here, Christopher Columbus named the island in 1493. He sighted the island while on exploration. He named the island St. Maarten after the holy day of St. Martin of Tours, the day in which he sighted the island. The island was not inhabited by Europeans until 1630 when the Dutch and French established small villages on the island. The Spanish did not sit silently as they retook the island in 1633. The Spaniards occupied the island until the joi...

Philipsburg, St. Maarten: Another day, another island. This time marking the first time we set foot on land not under control of the United States government. We will be visiting to separate countries on one island; Dutch St Maarten and French St Martin. We took the St Maarten Island Tour excursion. We boarded the air-conditioned bus and began our tour of the Dutch side of the island, traveling through the great salt pond and past Orient Beach. A stop was then made for shopping in Marigot. Forty-five minutes later we boarded the bus to continue the tour back to the ship. Once back onboard we headed to the Windjammer for dinner and then to Ixtapa Lounge for karaoke and drinks before heading back for bed. For more photos of St Maarten, visit my St Maarten photo page.

Charlotte-Amalie, St. Thomas: Rising to 700 feet above Charlotte-Amalie, Paradise Point offers sweeping views of the historic downtown area and the harbor along with views of neighboring Caribbean islands in the distance. To reach the top of the mountain, guest ride in an tram car that climbs the side of the mountain allowing for breathtaking views along the way. The idea of the project was started in 1985 with Tramway Properties purchased 33 acres on Flag Hill from the Queen of Denmark. They got the project approved but suffered a few setbacks over the next few years, including Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The project got going again thanks to a partnership with a group of Austrian investors and in just six month after the joint venture, the tram was completed. Paradise Point Gondola was opened to the public on August 4, 1994. Despite several more hurricanes that struck the island, the project continued to grow. The site changed ownerships several time over the next few year and in ...

Charlotte-Amalie, St. Thomas: Sitting high on a mountaintop lies this castle lookout believed to be the watch post for the infamous pirate Blackbeard. From here he had a good view of the harbor and could spot passing ships miles away. Built by the Danish government in 1679, Skytsborg Tower was built on the highest point on Government Hill. The tower was part of the fort system built to protect the island of St. Thomas from invasion. It is believed that the tower was eventually taken over by Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. Blackbeard is thought to have used the tower as a watch post to spot approaching vessels to attack. Because of the connection to Blackbeard, the tower was eventually renamed Blackbeard’s Castle. The tower eventually became part of a private residence for many years before becoming part of a hotel. Today the site remains a National Landmark where guests can visit and take a look back at life as a pirate. You can even climb to the top of the tower and l...

Charlotte-Amalie, St Thomas: The white sand beaches and cool Caribbean waters make Magens Bay one of National Geographic’s top beaches in the world. Located on the north side of St Thomas about three miles north of Charlotte-Amalie, Magens Bay is one of the top attractions on the island. Magens Bay became a public park in 1943. Property owner Arthur Fairchild felt the beach needed to maintained as a public park for all to enjoy. So he deeded the 50 acres of land to the government of St Thomas. The Magens Bay Authority was created to run the public park. Today guests flock to the 500 yard beach to swim in the clear and cool Caribbean waters. You can snorkel, kayak or just relax on the white sand beach. There is even a mile and a half nature trail that winds through various ecosystems. With so much to offer, its easy to see why Magens Bay is one of the top rated beaches in the world.

Charlotte-Amalie, St. Thomas: Surrounded by turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, St Thomas is the territorial capitol of the US Virgin Islands. The island has a rich history, from the European explorations to the piracy of the high seas, St Thomas has been in the middle of it all. The island was first inhabited by the Arawak Indians. They were believed to arrived on the island around 300 AD. The Arawaks lived peacefully on the island until being forced out by the Carib Indians. Christopher Columbus discover the island in 1493 during his second voyage to the New World. Columbus did not remain on the island long as he continued his explorations further west. The island remained unguarded by the Spanish. Because the island was unguarded, the bays became a shelter for pirate vessels. The pirates established small settlements and sought refuge on the island. Sir Frances Drake arrived on the island in 1585 and used a mountain top as a lookout to spot Spanish ships carrying treasu...

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas: Day four of the cruise began as the ship arrived at St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. Living it Florida it was nice to see some elevation as the ship pulled closer to the island. Disembarkation here was much easier. We walked around the Havensight Mall by the port prior to beginning our excursion. For the excursion we book the Ultimate Island Experience. We boarded an open air bus and began a tour through the island. We drove along Skyline Drive and enjoyed the scenery that St. Thomas has to offer. First stop on the tour was Mountain Top overlook. We continued our climb through the mountains and made another stop at Drake’s Seat overlooking Magen’s Bay. After a brief stop, we began our descent from the mountains to Magen’s Bay where we took a two hour beach break. It was easy to see why Magen’s Bay has been rated one of the top beaches in the world, the water was crystal clear and refreshing. We then boarded the bus resumed our tour. The n...

San Juan, Puerto Rico: The largest fort built in the New World by the Spanish, Fort San Cristobal was built to help protect San Juan from land attacks. The fort was used in conjunction with other Spanish forts to provide a well rounded defense system. Finished in 1783, the 27 acre fort surrounded the city and access to the city was controlled through the fort’s gates. The fort featured an extensive tunnel system to travel throughout the fort. The walls of the fort contained several sentry boxes called garitas that were used to help protect the perimeter of the fort. Fort San Cristobal saw its first attack in 1797 as San Juan was invaded by British troops. A troop of over 7,000 British soldiers under the commanded for Sir Ralph Abercromby invaded the island in one of th largest invasions. The Spanish troops were able to successfully defend the city and avoid British occupation. In 1855the fort was temporarily taken under control by Spanish rebels. The mutiny by the San Cristobal...

San Juan, Puerto Rico: The capitol of the island territory of Puerto Rico, San Juan is the second oldest European established city in the Americas. The city is torn between old historical architecture and modernization, making it one of the most fascinating cities in the Caribbean. Juan Ponce de Leon founded the first settlement Caparra just outside present day San Juan in 1508. A year later the settlement was moved further west and renamed Puerto Rico, which meant rich port in Spanish. By 1521, the name changed again and became San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico in honor of John the Baptist. The island was known as San Juan and the city was known as Puerto Rico. Then names were used interchangeably and in 1746, they were switched and the island became permanently known as Puerto Rico and the city as San Juan. Because of its location in the Caribbean, San Juan became a stop on the path to the Americas. The Spanish fortified the city to protect the island and the goods on the shop...

San Juan, Puerto Rico: Today marked the first stop of the cruise, San Juan. We started the day off with breakfast at the Windjammer and then got ready for the day. As we approached the coast of Puerto Rico, we went up to the deck to watch the ship sail into the harbor. We past the Fort El Morro on the point as the ship made its way to the dock. We were greeted by Puerto Rican dancers on the pier as we arrived in port. Disembarkation at the pier was hectic, a mad rush and the lines were slow moving. Once we were off the ship we began our shore excursion. We chose the Old and New San Juan City Tour. The tour consisted of a bus ride through the city of San Juan passing by many of the landmarks of the city. The tour guide was great, provided a great historical perspective of the city while mixing in the right amount of humor to keep it interesting. The tour bus stopped at Fort San Cristobal and we spent some time touring the fort on foot. Once back onboard the bus, we heading i...

Atlantic Ocean: The began with breakfast at the Windjammer. Then my wife and mother went to play bingo while my dad, son and I set off to explore the ship. With 15 decks the ship has many places to enjoy. We started from the top down and visiting the Viking Crown, Bridge overlook, pool area and many more. During the evening we decided to break from our routine and have dinner at Johnny Rockets. After dinner we spent some time playing games in the arcade before heading back to the stateroom for the night. For pictures of the ship, visit my Navigator of the Seas photo page.

Miami, Florida: Once the largest passenger ship on the seas, Navigator of the Seas is part of Royal Caribbean International’s Voyager class of ships. Measuring 1,020 feet in length, the Navigator can hold 3,114 passengers, making it the largest passenger ship from 2002-2004. Built in the Aker Finnyards in Finland, the Navigator was the fourth ship of the Voyager class. Although it was the fourth ship, it was the first of the second generation of the class and many of the bugs from the first few ships were corrected with Navigator. One of the biggest changes were the glass balconies that were added to the ship. Measuring 1,020 feet in length and weighing in at 138,000 gross tons, the Navigator can carry 3,114 passengers and a staff of 1,213 crew members. The ship travels at a speed of 22 knots while employing four stabilizers to smooth the ride. To accommodate the guests, the ship contains 1,557 staterooms. 939 of them are oceanview and of that 707 of them have balconies. There ...

Miami, Florida: Royal Caribbean International (RCI) is one of the world’s most popular cruise line. Featuring over twenty ships sailing to destinations on six continents, its easy to see why Royal Caribbean is the choice for cruisers from all over the world. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines was formed in 1968 when three Norwegian shipping companies merged together to form a cruise line. Anders Wilhelmsen & Company, IM Skauge & Company and Gotaas Lardsen were the controlling companies that founded RCI. They commissioned their first ship in 1970, Song of Norway. During the next few years, they added two more ships to the fleet, Nordic Princess and Sun Viking. As the popularity of the cruise line grew, so did the ships. In 1978, the Song of Norway was stretched to accommodate more guests. Then in 1980 Nordic Princess followed and passenger capacity was increased a couple hundred guests for each ship. RCI added a new ship to its fleet in 1982 with the Song of America, which a...

Miami, Florida: We left our home in the early morning to begin the three hour commute to the cruise port in Miami as we embarked on our first ever cruise. The anticipation of the cruise made the drive feel more like 8 hours. As we climbed the bridge and caught a glimpse of the ship in the port, the excitement began to kick in we had finally made it. Embarkation was a breeze, having a toddler in a stroller was a golden ticket to advance to the front of the line. We were photographed for our Sea Pass and quickly stepped aboard the Navigator of the Seas. Once one board, it did not feel like a ship, rather its vast open promenade felt like a city block. We headed up to our stateroom on the ninth deck. We booked an superior balcony room near the front of the ship. The room was spacious and the private balcony was worth the extra money. My parents and sister arrived shortly after and checked in to the room next to us. They added airfare to their cruise package and were picked up an...