The Wandering Disciple

Miami, Florida: One of the busiest ports in the world, the Port of Miami is home to both passenger and cargo ships. Over 4 million cruise passengers and 7.5 million tons of cargo pass through the port each year. Mother Nature helped to create the port in the early 1900’s. A hurricane hit south Florida and separated the southern end of Miami leading to what is today the port. The newly created channel now known as the Government Cut was then dredged and the leftover soil became Dodge, Lummus and Sam’s Island which is now the site of the present day Port of Miami. As the business at the port began to pick up, the port needed to be expanded. The city government passed legislation to expand the port by land filling the three islands into one and increasing the overall size of the island. Today the port contains eight passenger terminals as well as an extensive collection of cargo equipment. It is also the headquarters for some of the cruise lines including Royal Caribbean. Future ...

Miami, Florida: We awoke to find Majesty pulling aside the terminal in Miami. We headed to breakfast and then to our disembarkation staging area, the Schooner Bar. Disembarkation was a pain, not just because of the reality that the vacation was over, but the fact that it seemed very unorganized. We were tagged for disembarkation at 8:15-8:30 and we headed into the line at that time, but the overflow of the “Express Check-Out” spilled over and backed up all of the color tag disembarkation. Once we hit the gangway, we proceeded to the baggage pick up area. Seemed like an eternity for the bags to arrive. When they did, my wife’s new suitcase looked like it took a long fall off the side of the ship, folded like an accordion with multiple tears in the fabric and the frame cracked. Note to self, next time use priority and carry the suitcases off yourself, faster disembarkation and you are responsible for your luggage. Finally we cleared customs without a problem and headed to the ca...

Cococay, Bahamas: Nestled among the Berry Islands in the Bahamas, Cococay is a private island owned by Royal Caribbean International. It is located a little over fifty miles north of Nassau. The island is a private island stop for guest traveling on cruises operated by Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruise lines. The island was once known as Little Stirrup, was once operated by Admiral Cruises. In 1990 the island was acquired by Royal Caribbean who claimed exclusive rights to the island and its use. Today the one mile long island features plenty of watersports and beach activities for its guests. Guests can swim, snorkel, scuba dive, parasail, hike on nature trails or just kick back and relax on the sandy beaches of the island. The island even contains a straw market with Bahamian souvenirs. Because the waters around the island are shallow, there are no piers for the cruise ships to dock at. They operate three two-story tenders to shuttle the passengers from the anchored cruise...

Cococay, Bahamas: Our final full day on the cruise had us visiting Cococay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas. The ship will spend a full day at the island leaving for the return to Miami around 4:30. We headed to breakfast first thing in the morning so we could avoid the rush to the tenders. Afterwards we headed to Deck One and were on one of the first tenders to the island. Once the tender docked at the island, we headed straight to the beach. My wife and son played in the water while I toured the island and took some pictures before returning back to help my son build a sand castle. After swimming and shell collecting, we took him to Adventure Ocean to play with the kids and work on the project for a little. While he was there, we kicked back on a chair and relaxed. We then picked him up and traveled across the island to the race track where he got to race a four wheeler around the track. Then we browsed the Straw Market before returning to the ship. After we ...

Nassau, Bahamas: A haven for the pirates, its only fitting that there be a museum devoted to the legend of piracy in the Caribbean. The Pirates of Nassau museum tells the story of those swashbuckling pirates that ruled the open seas. The Golden Age of Piracy lasted for more then thirty years and during that time Nassau was home to some of the most notorious pirates. The location of the island combined with the depth of the harbor made it a favorite to the pirates. By 1713, they declared Nassau a pirate republic and ruled the island until being overthrown by British soldiers several years later. Today you can tour the museum in the heart of downtown Nassau. Enter the moonlit dock and board the replica pirate ship “Revenge”. Witness life onboard a pirate vessel. Learn what it was like to be a pirate and see what happened once the law caught up with the pirates. Along the way there are artifacts recovered as well as a few live actors to enhance the exhibits. At the end of the mu...

Paradise Island, Bahamas: More then a hotel, Atlantis Paradise Island combines world class accommodations with water adventures, marine life, shopping and casino into one of the world’s premier travel destinations. Atlantis is ranked one of the most expensive hotels in the world with the Bridge Suite going for $25,000 a night. Atlantis was developed on Paradise Island by Kerzner International Limited. Seeing the potential of the property, Sol Kerzner purchased the property from Merv Griffin in 1994. The planning and development of Atlantis had begun. It took four years and 800 million dollars for the visions of the mythical city of Atlantis to take shape. The Beach and Coral Towers were first to open. By 1998, the Royal Towers were completed and the resort took on its iconic appearance. Then in 2007, the resort expanded again with the opening of the Cove Atlantis. Today the resort features close to 3,00 guest rooms. The crown jewel of the resort is the aquatic attractions. Fe...

Nassau, Bahamas: With the threat of war loaming on Great Britain and its territories, the need to fortify their positions became more important with each passing day. Lord Dunmore felt the need to protect the eastern side of the harbor and Fort Fincastle was constructed. In 1793 the fort was constructed on the top of Bennet’s Hill. It was located to the east of the Government House and in conjunction with Fort Charlotte, helped protect the capitol city from attacks at sea and on land. It was also crucial in the protection of the armory on nearby Hog’s Island. No shots were every fired from any of the Nassau forts and Fort Fincastle was eventually decommissioned. Today what remains of the fort is available to tour. Its close proximity to the Queen’s Staircase and the Water Tower makes it a popular stop for tourists and a sure stop on most city tours. For photos of the fort, visit my Fort Fincastle photo gallery.