Yachtsman's Caribbean and Flavors of the Caribbean Review: 19Jan-02Feb 2013

[Love.II.Cruise]

Pre- Info

 

Usually people want to know the perspective you are talking from. This usually results in people reading more or less of the review. This trip was a romantic getaway for just the two of us. DH = Dear Husband.

 

We’ve taken several cruises; these trips included the following lines: Carnival (1 for me, DH never tried), Celebrity, Princess, Oceania, Regent, and Royal Caribbean.

 

I’ll start this review by discussing our experience in St. Maarten. If you don’t want to read that, you can easily skip to the embarkation part when I post it.

[Love.II.Cruise]

Pre Cruise, Friday, Jan, 17-18, 2013: St. Maarten

 

We had arrived into St. Maarten and checked into an Ocean Front King Bed room at the Westin on Jan. 17. It took over an hour to get from the airport to our hotel - traffic was bad at 4pm.

 

After grabbing a drink and walking the grounds, we decided to have dinner at Ocean, one of two restaurants at the Westin. We started with the Crab Louis, which wasn’t like the description at all - it’s like they took crab meat and prepared it with whatever they had. It was just okay, and we left over half of it. Our entrees of beef tenderloin (filet) and roasted chicken were okay, but we can cook better at home. But at least we didn’t have to do the dishes!

 

One thing I will always remember about this evening is that we ate outside hoping to hear the ocean, but instead there was this loud almost howling noise. We thought it was birds or bats, but weren’t sure what it was. Later we found out they were tree frogs (now we understand why Sawyer in the show LOST wanted to kill one - and did).

 

On Jan 18, we decided to do a Fun Friday Sail with Celine Charters out of Simpson Bay. We had breakfast tickets at the Westin (breakfast starts at 7am), but we needed to be at SkipJack’s by 7:30am, and missed breakfast. Fortunately, Celine Charters did serve pastries, bread with plain cream cheese and chive whipped cream cheese, as well as assorted fruits: watermelon, grapes, sliced oranges, sliced bananas, and sliced grapefruit. They also had coffee, water, juice, and rum punch (yes, for breakfast, but a little too early for us). Breakfast was wonderful and really hit the spot.

 

Below is a picture before we left SkipJack's.

 

 

We set out to leave the bay to make the 8:15am bridge opening. Below is the opening.

 

 

 

We were told it was going to be a little rough and that if we felt sick to keep our heads facing the wind and looking at the horizon. Two hours later and after some big swells we found ourselves at Tintamarre Island. There we were given about 2 1/2 hours to swim, snorkel and go the beach.

 

There were 7 other boats/catamarans there as well, but it didn’t feel too crowded. The captain rode the dingy back and forth with umbrella’s and drinks for everyone. Everyone swam to the beach, except for us. We choose to stay on the boat and try out our new snorkel gear (note: this excursion provides gear, but my DH and myself chose to bring our own, as did a few others). We had also bought a new waterproof camera and had brought it along to test out. We saw some beautiful sea turtles and enjoyed watching them pop up for air after we finished snorkeling. This isn’t the best place to snorkel, but the water was refreshing. We were told that it is not normal to see such sea turtle activity.

 

 

 

Edited February 17, 2013 by Love.II.Cruise

[Love.II.Cruise]

Pre Cruise, Friday, Jan, 17-18, 2013: St. Maarten (Continued)

 

For lunch, they cooked seafood paella, grilled fish with wasabi aioli, fresh salad, potato salad, pasta salad, and BBQ ribs. We caught a little bit of the preparation:

 

 

Everything tasted wonderful, and nothing needed any extra seasoning (we weren’t looking for the salt and pepper). Later we were served dessert, which was also great:

 

 

From here we left and went to Creole Rock which is supposed to have great snorkeling (but we were only given 30 minutes to snorkel). Many people did not go snorkeling (including us) and we were told by those that went that they saw few fish and the visibility was not great. Visibility for snorkeling is always hit or miss.

 

From there we were supposed to go to a small island for mud baths, but the motor to drop the anchor stopped working, so we left to go back to St. Maarten.

 

Would we do this excursion again? No, for a couple reasons:

 

1. It was too much sailing time for us. The seas were rough and there wasn’t enough cushions to sit on during sailing, which leaves most everyone sitting on hard rough, sandpaper-like surfaces. My DH said his butt was sore for a couple days afterwards.

 

2. We had wished they would have played Caribbean music during sailing, but it was all 70’s rock and roll. We wanted to feel like we were in the Caribbean, not Detroit; some reggae or calypso music would have gone a long way in brightening the mood.

 

3. Celine Charters takes your shoes when you board (not so bad on other charters we’ve done - but they weren’t an all day long trip). Everyone walks around bare foot - which at first didn’t bother us. But this is an all day tour and if you need to use the restroom, you have to go barefoot, which is not the most pleasant experience as you can imagine. We had a hard time believing the wetness on the toilet seat and floor was water, so the sanitation of the restroom, and, subsequently, the rest of the boat was a big issue for us. Also there are no locks on the bathroom door (there are two doors for the one restroom - it’s in the hallway of one side of the catamaran), so privacy is rather nonexistent with a full boat.

 

There were a couple people on this excursion that had sailed with them before and were there again because they enjoyed it before. So just because we wouldn’t go back, doesn’t mean others do not. Here are a few more pictures of the trip:

 

 

 

That evening we went to a restaurant recommended by the Captain - Lee’s Roadside Grill. We each had the Chicken and Ribs combo. They grill everything there (you can see and smell it outside before you walk in). The chicken was perfectly done and juicy, the ribs a little tough but very tasty. The plantains, potato salad and coleslaw were all excellent! We highly recommend eating here.

 

That evening back at the Westin, we went into the jacuzzi (which is the largest we’ve seen) to relax before retiring to bed.

[Love.II.Cruise]

This will take me several days to post... so please be patient. ;)

[Love.II.Cruise]

Saturday, Jan 19, 2013: Embarkation on Wind Surf at Philipsburg, St. Maarten

 

This morning we decided to sleep in and enjoy our complimentary breakfast at the Westin. We had a late breakfast and didn’t arrive to the port until just after 2pm. Check-in was a breeze. We were greeted where the taxis dropped us off by a windstar representative who tagged our luggage and asked for our names to check us off her list. From there we walked to the yacht, went through security with our carry-ons, and then walked up the gangplank (where we were again checked off a list). Once on board, we were asked to fill out credit card forms, waivers to water sport activities, and health cards (all the while we were given hors d’oeuvres and a rum punch). Then our picture was taken, our passports taken for the cruise, and we were then led to another line to get our cabin/cruise cards. The whole thing took under 30 minutes (the longest part was walking from our taxi to the yacht).

 

Once on board we were led to our cabin (114 on deck 1) and were told where our life jackets were and different things about our cabin. Below are pictures of our cabin (I'll post the bed area later when I actually took the picture):

 

 

 

 

Note: the flowers under the TV were arranged by my DH.

 

 

Porthole while docked:

 

 

 

We had nearly finished unpacking our carry-ons when our luggage arrived. We finished unpacking and proceeded to shore excursion desk. TJ was very helpful and we luckily were able to book the three excursions we wanted. We hadn’t booked before-hand because we didn’t want to miss out on the beach BBQ or water toy usage. She advised us that the water toys would be pulled out depending on weather (which I’ll post in this review) and if we were refueling. She also told us that on the lunch BBQ day, that all excursions would be completed in time for that event. After booking our excursions, we toured the yacht from top to bottom.

 

At 5:30pm was the lifeboat drill. It went smoothly and we then went for a cocktail. A gentleman who had sailed with Windstar many times answered some questions for us. He told us the jacuzzi’s and pool are closed in the evening for the dining venue (Candles) that is set up (good thing we found out early, because we had planned to go in the jacuzzi that evening). He told us they do not reopen them up after dinner - in his opinion, it was a drawback, but he stated it would be cleaned in the middle of the night and reopened at 7:30am. (I’ll discuss this more later - because later in the cruise we were able to go in after Candles closed). He also convinced us on getting the drink package; so off we went to the Reception Desk.

 

At the Reception Desk, Brenda was very helpful. She said our drink orders that we had placed would be taken off since we were doing the drink package, and she proceeded to explain the restaurants and the reservation guidelines. She said we could only reserve one evening at Candles (but could check daily for additional reservations), and also needed to make reservations at Stella Bistro. Stella Bistro would have the same menu until the evening BBQ and then the menu would change. Brenda recommended making one reservation at Stella Bistro before the BBQ dinner and another afterward, which we did.

 

Dinner that evening at Candles was wonderful. Due to the weather, they moved the restaurant to the Veranda location for the evening. Our waiter came around and placed sun-dried tomato tapenade and butter on the tables and, shortly thereafter, we were asked what bread we wanted. I went for the sun-dried tomato bread (absolutely wonderful with the tapenade). The rolls are nice and small, so you don’t easily fill up on them.

 

For dinner, my DH ordered the ceviche, but it tasted fishy and not good (thus he didn’t eat it). We each ordered the 8oz filet with bernaise and peppercorn sauce. It was perfectly cooked and wonderful, some of the best bernaise sauce we’ve had in some time.

 

That evening we retired early but I was woken up in the middle of the night, not by the rocking of the ship, but by the sound of the water sloshing and splashing by the portholes. I was a bit startled, so I decided to open the drapes to peek outside. Boy, was I surprised to see the water moving by at a height that was probably at my waist... then whoosh! Water hit the porthole and I recoiled back, hitting the bed. Yikes! :eek: Then more sloshing of water was hitting the side of the hull of the schooner. Time to close those drapes back up. To think that my DH was worried about sea sickness on this trip... Maybe we should have worried about the sloshing sounds that were keeping me awake. I read until I was too tired to stay up (all the while listening to the water hitting the schooner and sloshing around).

["Wandering Wino's&quo]

Looking forward to reading more of your review as we will be boarding the Windsurf in St. Maarten on 03/09 for the Flavors of the Caribbean. We also arrive in St. Maarten a few days early and are staying at the Beachside Villas. Love your pictures of your cabin, one question did you bring the beautiful floral arrangement aboard or was it waiting for you when you arrived?

Shirley

[Love.II.Cruise]

Looking forward to reading more of your review as we will be boarding the Windsurf in St. Maarten on 03/09 for the Flavors of the Caribbean. We also arrive in St. Maarten a few days early and are staying at the Beachside Villas. Love your pictures of your cabin' date=' one question did you bring the beautiful floral arrangement aboard or was it waiting for you when you arrived?

Shirley[/quote']

 

The floral arrangement was arranged by my DH before sailing through Windstar - so Windstar did the arrangement.

Edited February 19, 2013 by Love.II.Cruise

["Wandering Wino's&quo]

The floral arrangement was arranged by my DH before sailing through Windstar - so Windstar did the arrangement.

 

Very sweet husband.:)

[sealord]

Saturday, Jan 19, 2013: Embarkation on Wind Surf at Philipsburg, St. Maarten

 

This morning we decided to sleep in and enjoy our complimentary breakfast at the Westin. We had a late breakfast and didn’t arrive to the port until just after 2pm. Check-in was a breeze. We were greeted where the taxis dropped us off by a windstar representative who tagged our luggage and asked for our names to check us off her list. From there we walked to the yacht, went through security with our carry-ons, and then walked up the gangplank (where we were again checked off a list). Once on board, we were asked to fill out credit card forms, waivers to water sport activities, and health cards (all the while we were given hors d’oeuvres and a rum punch). Then our picture was taken, our passports taken for the cruise, and we were then led to another line to get our cabin/cruise cards. The whole thing took under 30 minutes (the longest part was walking from our taxi to the yacht).

 

Once on board we were led to our cabin (114 on deck 1) and were told where our life jackets were and different things about our cabin. Below are pictures of our cabin (I'll post the bed area later when I actually took the picture):

 

 

 

 

Note: the flowers under the TV were arranged by my DH.

 

 

Porthole while docked:

 

 

 

We had nearly finished unpacking our carry-ons when our luggage arrived. We finished unpacking and proceeded to shore excursion desk. TJ was very helpful and we luckily were able to book the three excursions we wanted. We hadn’t booked before-hand because we didn’t want to miss out on the beach BBQ or water toy usage. She advised us that the water toys would be pulled out depending on weather (which I’ll post in this review) and if we were refueling. She also told us that on the lunch BBQ day, that all excursions would be completed in time for that event. After booking our excursions, we toured the yacht from top to bottom.

 

At 5:30pm was the lifeboat drill. It went smoothly and we then went for a cocktail. A gentleman who had sailed with Windstar many times answered some questions for us. He told us the jacuzzi’s and pool are closed in the evening for the dining venue (Candles) that is set up (good thing we found out early, because we had planned to go in the jacuzzi that evening). He told us they do not reopen them up after dinner - in his opinion, it was a drawback, but he stated it would be cleaned in the middle of the night and reopened at 7:30am. (I’ll discuss this more later - because later in the cruise we were able to go in after Candles closed). He also convinced us on getting the drink package; so off we went to the Reception Desk.

 

At the Reception Desk, Brenda was very helpful. She said our drink orders that we had placed would be taken off since we were doing the drink package, and she proceeded to explain the restaurants and the reservation guidelines. She said we could only reserve one evening at Candles (but could check daily for additional reservations), and also needed to make reservations at Stella Bistro. Stella Bistro would have the same menu until the evening BBQ and then the menu would change. Brenda recommended making one reservation at Stella Bistro before the BBQ dinner and another afterward, which we did.

 

Dinner that evening at Candles was wonderful. Due to the weather, they moved the restaurant to the Veranda location for the evening. Our waiter came around and placed sun-dried tomato tapenade and butter on the tables and, shortly thereafter, we were asked what bread we wanted. I went for the sun-dried tomato bread (absolutely wonderful with the tapenade). The rolls are nice and small, so you don’t easily fill up on them.

 

For dinner, my DH ordered the ceviche, but it tasted fishy and not good (thus he didn’t eat it). We each ordered the 8oz filet with bernaise and peppercorn sauce. It was perfectly cooked and wonderful, some of the best bernaise sauce we’ve had in some time.

 

That evening we retired early but I was woken up in the middle of the night, not by the rocking of the ship, but by the sound of the water sloshing and splashing by the portholes. I was a bit startled, so I decided to open the drapes to peek outside. Boy, was I surprised to see the water moving by at a height that was probably at my waist... then whoosh! Water hit the porthole and I recoiled back, hitting the bed. Yikes! :eek: Then more sloshing of water was hitting the side of the hull of the schooner. Time to close those drapes back up. To think that my DH was worried about sea sickness on this trip... Maybe we should have worried about the sloshing sounds that were keeping me awake. I read until I was too tired to stay up (all the while listening to the water hitting the schooner and sloshing around).

 

OK ... at the risk of appearing stupid 'again' ... how do you put your pictures into your post? Thanks.

[Love.II.Cruise]

Very sweet husband.:)

 

I agree! :D

 

OK ... at the risk of appearing stupid 'again' ... how do you put your pictures into your post? Thanks.

 

I use Picasa (through my Mac) and then host them up on google+. You need to get your pictures hosted on a website and then you can use their links to post using the "insert image" icon on cruise critic. There are many websites you can use to host your pictures. There are threads on this topic on the forum for "Photo & Camera Discussions," - I'd start there by doing a search to get an idea of what different websites can do for your needs.

[Love.II.Cruise]

Sunday, Jan 20, 2013: Falmouth Harbour, Antigua

 

This morning we were up early (darn sloshing!). Below are pictures as we arrive to Antigua.

 

 

 

 

 

 

and sunrise...

 

 

Today we arrived at 8:00am and the last tender was slated for midnight, but the Captain came on the loud speaker and announced that if the NFL Playoff Games ran past midnight that they would keep the tenders running to accommodate those guests that stayed out to watch the games. Being Sunday many shops were closed so we went to the Nelson Dockyard (which we simply stumbled upon by walking too far thinking we might chance upon either a shopping center or a main street). After talking with the young woman at the ticket counter, we walked around Nelson’s Dockyard, absorbing the restored beauty of its shops, hotel, and marina. Below are a few pictures.

 

Notice in the picture below the lizard to the left? We didn't even know it was in the picture until we looked at it at home on our computer! :o

 

 

Edited February 19, 2013 by Love.II.Cruise

[Love.II.Cruise]

Sunday, Jan 20, 2013: Falmouth Harbour, Antigua (Continued)

 

It was time to tender back. And then... there she was again, The Maltese Falcon! We first saw her on our honeymoon in Tahiti. It's a very memorable looking yacht.

 

 

Today the water-sports platform was open from 9am-5pm. The evening dress is described as being casual elegance, “requesting that shorts, t-shirts, hats, jeans, and tennis shoes not be worn in either of the indoor restaurants (AmphorA Restaurant and Stella Bistro) during dinner or cocktail hour in The Lounge”. We considered cocktail hour to be between 6:15-7:15pm, when appetizers are served. During cocktail hour, you can wear what you like to Compass Rose and Candles Grill; however, throughout the cruise we did see guests in AmphorA and Stella Bistro wearing sandals, workout pants, flip flops, and jeans.

 

Compass Rose quickly became our favorite hangout spot, because it reminded us of the Paul Gauguin, which sails the Tahitian Islands year round, and which we sailed upon on our 2006 honeymoon. Compass Ross is an indoor lounge area with a small setup for a two-person band, but it also has two large doors extending into an outside seating area; these doors stay open day and night.

 

That evening we had reservations at Stella Bistro and, unfortunately, I have to say this meal wasn’t memorable. The worst part of this meal was the Lobster Bisque - we both agree that it was the worst we have ever had. It had lots of lobster, but the soup itself wasn’t good.

[beachbuddy]

Enjoying your review so far.

[sealord]

On Super Bowl Sunday The Maltese Falcon deployed one her square-rigged sails and projected the Super Bowl broadcast on it. We were at the Mad Mongoose bar/restaurant watching it on numerous screens setup for the purpose.

Sunday, Jan 20, 2013: Falmouth Harbour, Antigua (Continued)

 

It was time to tender back. And then... there she was again, The Maltese Falcon! We first saw her on our honeymoon in Tahiti. It's a very memorable looking yacht.

 

 

.

[Love.II.Cruise]

On Super Bowl Sunday The Maltese Falcon deployed one her square-rigged sails and projected the Super Bowl broadcast on it. We were at the Mad Mongoose bar/restaurant watching it on numerous screens setup for the purpose.

 

WOW! That is awesome! :D We wish we would have seen it.

Edited February 21, 2013 by Love.II.Cruise

[Love.II.Cruise]

Enjoying your review so far.

 

Thanks! :)

[Love.II.Cruise]

Monday, Jan 21, 2013: Falmouth Harbour, Antigua

 

Last night we stayed overnight in the harbor and left at 1pm to sail to Soper’s Hole. The watersports platform was open and below are some pictures I took. The mats and trampoline are all tied together with a rope, making it easy to relax and play without worrying about drifting away.

 

 

 

 

 

We decided to treat today as a sea day, relaxing and reading on deck and in Compass Rose. For dinner, we ate at AmphorA. For my appetizer, I had the Porcini and Truffle Fettuccini, described as yellow and green fettuccini with porcini mushrooms in a truffle cream sauce, and my DH ordered the Belgian and Endive and Arugula Salad, described as crisp leaves with candied pecans and juliennes of apple. My pasta was excellent and I would highly recommend it. When my DH’s salad came to the table, the waiter apologized and informed him they were out of endive, so it was only arugula with the candied pecans and apple. For his entree, my DH ordered the Steak Churrasco, described as marinated flank steak, sliced and served with home-made stacked steak fries, chimichurri sauce, and potato crisps. Overall, the he enjoyed the dish, but, it unfortunately came without the chimichurri sauce. My DH was hungry and didn’t bother to ask for any. As for my entree, it must not have been memorable because looking at the menu again, neither one of us could recall what I ordered.

 

That evening was the Captain’s Cocktail Party and we arrived early to get good seats. Captain Peter Harris is the most articulate and well spoken captain we’ve ever met. He also has a great sense of humor and we saw him often throughout the cruise. Captain Harris encouraged people to visit the bridge; one can go on the bridge when at sea (not when ported, docked, or while traveling in and out of harbors). Compared to others we’ve attended, we enjoyed this Captain’s Cocktail Party immensely.

[Love.II.Cruise]

Tuesday, Jan 22, 2013: Soper’s Hole, B.V.I. / Jost Van Dyke, B.V.I

 

We arrived to Soper’s Hole at 10am. We did the Tortola Snorkel Adventure through Windstar. First we went to Norman Island; below are some pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

[Love.II.Cruise]

Tuesday, Jan 22, 2013: Soper’s Hole, B.V.I. / Jost Van Dyke, B.V.I (Continued)

 

Next we went to The Caves to snorkel. As the name of the spot would suggest, there is actually a cave and I managed to snorkel into it. It’s dark, narrow, shallow, and, honestly, kinda scary! :eek: Below are some snorkeling pictures (I didn’t get a good shot in the cave - it was too dark):

 

 

 

 

 

We would recommend doing this excursion if you like to snorkel. We can’t speak for their snorkel equipment, since we brought our own, but, as with most snorkeling excursions, the rum punch flows freely!

Edited February 22, 2013 by Love.II.Cruise

[Love.II.Cruise]

Tuesday, Jan 22, 2013: Soper’s Hole, B.V.I. / Jost Van Dyke, B.V.I (Continued)

 

There was a Galley tour scheduled at 10am this morning, but we decided to catch the tour the following week since we were busy getting ready for the aforementioned snorkeling excursion. The watersports platform was open from 11am - 4pm. We left Soper’s Hole at 5pm and sailed to Jost Van Dyke Great Harbour (arriving at 6:30pm). Jost Van Dyke is a popular party port, and tenders were supposed to run until midnight, but at midnight it was determined that since there was still crew and guests on the island, tenders would run until at least 1am.

 

Just as an FYI, on the overnight stops, you can stay on the island if you choose to, you just notify security. Supposedly some people like to rough it and camp out on the beach in Jost Van Dyke. We paid for our room and we had no interest sleeping on the beach on a towel with bug spray. We don’t know if anyone actually did this on our cruise, but we heard rumors that some people do.

 

That evening was the Yacht Deck BBQ Dinner. We arrived early to select a table at the Veranda on the Star Deck, as per the tip from the gentleman we met on embarkation day. I don’t know how many grills they had going, but it was a huge spread and it smelled so good. We each got a plate of different things and shared our plates so we could get a taste of everything. Our favorites were the suckling pig and lamb chops.

 

Below are some pictures of the ship:

 

AmphorA Restaurant

 

 

The Lounge

 

Sail with moon

Edited February 22, 2013 by Love.II.Cruise

[surfcitygirl]

Enjoying your thoughts and pics thus far. Had been looking forward to it. Wanted to say how much I enjoyed meeting you both and that I wish I had found you earlier. Will be looking forward to the rest. You never know, we might meet again on the high seas.:)

[Love.II.Cruise]

Enjoying your thoughts and pics thus far. Had been looking forward to it. Wanted to say how much I enjoyed meeting you both and that I wish I had found you earlier. Will be looking forward to the rest. You never know, we might meet again on the high seas.:)

 

It was great meeting you too! I'm so glad you found us, despite not having a meet and greet set up. It would be great to be on another cruise again with you. ;)

Edited February 22, 2013 by Love.II.Cruise

[COLLEYBERRY]

Wonderful review ,great photos ...so enjoying it.:)

[cynbar]

Your pictures of the restaurant show tables set for groups --- is it easy to get a table for 2 if desired? We may well meet passengers we'd like to dine with, but it's not guaranteed, and I think we'd like some alone time too. How about in the lounges? The Veranda?

[ducklite]

Your pictures of the restaurant show tables set for groups --- is it easy to get a table for 2 if desired? We may well meet passengers we'd like to dine with, but it's not guaranteed, and I think we'd like some alone time too. How about in the lounges? The Veranda?

 

There are plenty of tables for two. You will be accommodated with whichever you choose.