So we wanted to break up St. Thomas into a couple of parts because we got so many awesome pictures of us pulling into port right after sunrise. It was beautiful and quaint just like a painting.
So how about our actual day in St. Thomas?
Well…just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale….
Our day started BRIGHT and EARLY with the excursion we had booked. Folks, I was really excited for this one. I was going to possibly swim with some sea turtles. We used some of our on-board credit to book the Doubloon Sail & Snorkel Tour. I thought it would include some snorkeling, and maybe, just maybe a sea turtle spotting. Guys, listen….we had the time of our lives.
Our day started off with a lil’ blonde firecracker of a gal (Jordan) hollering at us “this way for the Doubloon excursion!”. And we waited patiently by the dock while our pirate ship rolled in.
Yeah…I said Pirate Ship. Once on board, Captain Boomer cast us off and made way for Turtle Cove on Buck Island while Steve (below) made all the introductions, told us what our trip would entail and made sure we were all prepped for an awesome time.
Once we got to Turtle Cove, we hopped in the water. I went no fin, and Steve whole-heartedly approved.
(Above: Some pasty white guy getting ready to jump into the water)
It’s worth noting that at this point in the adventure, the waterproof camera our buddies let us borrow decided to pretty much not work – let the disappointment ensue. So, we missed out on snapping any pictures of marine life.
Jordan led a snorkeling tour giving us more info than a Wikipedia page ever could. There were stingrays, sea turtles, lots o’ fish, and an awesome coral reef full of crazy stuff, including sea urchins. After the initial tour, Kara & I broke free from the crowd so that we could avoid being kicked in the face by wayward flipper fins.
*Note to all snorkeling hopefuls. AVOID THE CHILDREN. They will kick you in the face. Repeatedly*
It was here in the peaceful calm away from the crowd that we were rewarded with our best experience. A sea turtle surfaced for air right in front of us! Twice! We could have reached out and touched him he was so close! (but we didn’t, because you gotta respect the code of the sea, man). It was truly amazing. The pictures are all in our heads.
Once back on board, the party started. They raised the sails, cranked the music, and the booze started flowing. Okay…look, we’re adults. We have a drink every once in a while, but it has literally been years since either one of us has been drunk. Well…about that. You try sailing the Caribbean on a pirate ship with FREE PAINKILLERS and try not to get drunk. I triple-dog dare you. We’re on vacation man! Come on! And of course as we get back, they were topping off our drinks as we were exiting the boat because there’s no open container law in St. Thomas. After realizing that I couldn’t really walk a straight line, I ended up tossing the remainder of my last painkiller in the trash.
All of this happened before noon.
I say this because after spending a morning swimming in the hot sun and sucking down alcohol, it was time to get back on the Fantasy for some food. Let me tell you, the Cabanas lunch buffet didn’t even know what hit it. I’m not sure I even remember eating. I do remember some kindly fellow asking if he could sit next to us and then politely moving away a few minutes later. Must have been our incessant giggling.
After we sobered up in our stateroom, we decided to venture back out and check out downtown Charlotte Amalie.
Looking back to the docks, the mammoth cruise ship looks so majestic sitting in the crystal blue water.
First you walk through the port at the docks where you’ll find all sorts of shops to fulfill your material desires. Beautiful colors, lush green vegetation and pretty blue skies. Also, it was crazy hot.
It’s a little over a mile walk from the docks to downtown Charlotte Amalie. There is a sidewalk the whole way, and plenty of chances to look back towards the docks
Since we are not very touristy folk, we didn’t care for Charlotte Amalie. It was very pretty, very quaint with lots of Caribbean flair, but just WAAAAAAAY too many tourists. And nothing really “local”. Just an excess of duty free shopping. If you’re looking to pick up some tanzanite or diamonds, then this is the place for you. If you want local culture, food, etc., then you might not find what you’re looking for. BUT, still glad we went. Always good to see places.
Here’s one more on our way back!
And Saint Thomas was just as pretty pulling away too!
Next up in our Disney posts: Pirate Night Dinner at Royal Court
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