1.1.17 A disappointing start

1.1.17 A disappointing start

We were supposed to dock in Virgin Gorda today. It was one of the reasons we chose this cruise since visiting the Baths is on my bucket list. Heavy winds kept us from leaving St Kitts. The winds were too strong for the side thrusters on the ship so it couldn't get off the dock. The weather report didn't have any improvements and the Captain got very worried about getting back to Miami. Since it was New Year's Eve, the Captain had a very hard time getting help from the dock so he went and knocked on the door of a tug boat in port to see if he would help pull the boat out if the winds died down a little before sunrise. And it worked.

It meant no port but at least we'll make it back to Miami on time. I had a rough day with seasickness so I spent most of the day in bed. We have two more Sea Days so hopefully I'll feel better.

12.31.16 Nevis

12.31.16 Nevis

We pulled into St Kitts this morning and had another breakfast on the balcony. We really like having a large table out there.

We decided to take an excursion to Nevis since we've been to St Kitts before. The weather was windy with on and off showers. The boat ride over was very windy. The captain did a great job avoiding the rain showers. At the Nevis pier, we split up in groups of 8 to tour the island. We stopped at a historic bath house to put our feet in the hot springs. We passed by Alexander Hamilton's home. We stopped at Nesbit Plantation House and saw the gorgeous Four Seasons golf course plus a church from the 1600s. It was a great island tour. We were surprised to see so many old buildings, but they were built from bricks made from the volcanic soil.  The end was a 2 hour beach break at Lime. It's a restaurant where had some amazing grouper and Caribe beer. The weather was too rainy to hang out at the beach.

We took the ferry back and then got ready for White Night/ New Year's Eve. We had dinner in the dining room. It was surf and turf of the standard cruise variety. We headed up the Living Room to hang with some of our new cruise friends. We were very impressed that the crew transformed the pool deck. All the chaises were replaced with tables and chairs.  A local group came on board to dance. Then the Azamara orchestra, dancers, and singers put on a show leading to midnight. It was great!! We had so much fun. They had the ice sculptures of the old year, knocked off the six and added the seven. We headed to bed shortly after midnight since we had an early excursion in the morning.

12.30.16 Antigua

12.30.16

We started the day with a good breakfast in the dining room. I had a tuna melt omelet which tasted just like a tuna melt. We played morning trivia and lost terribly.
Our tour left at 10:45 am.

We joined 11 other people for a cooking class at Nicole's Table. The class is hled at her home on the top of a hill with a gorgeous view of the harbor. We made snapper, green and ripe plantains, shrimp wontons, rice and beans, and a coconut tart. It was a great fun class. It was more expensive to book through the cruise line, but we were glad we did. The two women who booked separately had a little trouble finding a taxi who knew where her house was.

We came back to the ship and enjoyed some cocktails in the Living Room. Then it was time to get ready for the special event. Each cruise, Azamara hosts a special event on shore for everyone cruising. Our event was a party at the Governor's House. It was incredible. We had police escorts through town. A huge tent was set up and we met the Governor. They had a great steel drum band, cocktails and appetizers of local food. The highlight was a band that had played for Prince Harry. Most people sat in chairs on the lawn. Glenn and I found a high table with a view. We danced the night away. I think we were the only ones dancing. We couldn't help it! The music was so good!! Then we enjoyed one of the longest fireworks displays we have ever seen.

When we got back to the ship, the taxi took us right to the door where waiters were waiting with glasses of champagne and the band was playing. So much fun! We went straight to karaoke and had a blast. Glenn sang three songs and during Fly Me to The Moon - a couple got up to dance. A very very fun night.