LR
Cruise Report
Holland America Eurodam Cruise
San Juan, Puerto Rico
I
chose Holland America’s Eurodam Eastern Caribbean itinerary because it included some islands I was eager to see, and others I wished to explore further. First port of call was San Juan, Puerto Rico. I’d done many of the island adventures there before – rainforest zip-lining, bioluminescent bay kayaking, and I had toured the forts – but I never really explored the old city on foot. And I did have a definite destination in mind: Barrachina, the birthplace of the original piña colada! This is a must-visit spot, not only for the rich, creamy cocktails with a kick, but also for their fabulous mofongo, an authentic Puerto Rican specialty. Next up was Grand Turk. We opted to go on a boat trip to snorkel with stingrays. Oasis Divers is the best outfit for this adventure, and we were blown away by the beauty of Gibbs Cay, where the stingrays hang out. Our guided interactions with those gorgeous creatures were life changing. Back at Grand Turk, we kept walking past the touristy Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville complex to explore further. Lucky we did, as we stumbled upon the
©Photo by Lori Keenan
Pleasurable Ports of Call
coolest little beach bar, Jack’s Shack, with killer hand-crafted cocktails, crazy good jerk chicken and a mind-blowing view. This is where the real travelers go apparently, and the barkeep/co-owner, Janet, just happens to be an ex-pat Quebecer! Great fun! Next was St. Thomas, USVI – the best island in the Caribbean for duty-free shopping on luxury items. But we decided to trek on by water-taxi to its sister island, St. John’s, to see Trunk Bay, touted one of the most glorious beaches in the world. We were not disappointed. It lives up to its reputation and was superb for snorkeling, too. The final port of call was Holland America’s own little slice of paradise, Half Moon Cay on Little San Salvador Island, Bahamas. They offer all kinds of excursions, but we decided to take advantage of the full surfside services on the lovely beach and just chill, swim and listen to live music coming from their fun and funky shipwreck called Captain Morgan on the Rocks Bar. Heavenly. Visit www.hollandamerica.com. SUSAN CAMPBELL
-- LuxuryReportMagazine.com