Sometimes the travel gods are with you. Today they were in party mood.
Taxi from home: 5 minutes early.
KLM from CWL to AMS: Departs on time, arrives 10 minutes early, so our tight connection became comfortable.
KLM from AMS to ATL: Boarding commences just as we reach the gate. Departs right on time. Food & in-flight service outstanding (even by KLMâs usual good standards). Arrives 30 minutes early. Bags almost first on the carousel.
Customs and immigration: Unlike our last time through Atlanta, short queues, friendly & cheerful Border Agent, straight through customs (no questions asked), bags collected by a smiling handler just past Customs for the onward flight.Â
Airport lounge (The Club @ ATL) on arrivals concourse at the top of the first escalator. Plenty of space with a view of a runway. Decent (if not exciting) food and an extensive tended bar. 4 hours well spent on R&R.Â
Then on to Delta Airlines. Still good, but why do American carriers make such a fuss about everything? Annoucement after announcement at the gate (most of them creating confusion, using 50 words where 5 would do). Complicated boarding procedure (of which no one took the slightest bit of notice - stampede best describes). However, we were away, and arrived, on time. On board service on a 3hr 30m flight? Non-existant! Once around with soft drinks. Three times around with stuff to buy!
Viking did a meet and greet at the airport and collected our bags, which were returned in our room.
So finally at the Hilton Caribe, just before midnight. The only item on the agenda⊠Bed!
Woke up at around 7am. What a place to wake up!
Decided on a quiet day, so we had breakfast and took a stroll around the Hotel complex. This place is not really an âhotelâ, more of a resort. Private beaches, multiple pools, pool bars and eateries. Beach loungers, hammocks, outside tables, multiple restaurants, shopping (many and expensive). Their plan is to keep you on-site, and if you donât mind the premium pricing, thereâs no reason to venture outside.Â
The local iguanas⊠Theyâre totally relaxed with people - they just ignore you!
Tonight weâre going to have dinner in one of the Hotelâs restaurants and go for an early night. Ship embarkation tomorrow.
Another day in Old San Juan. Strolling around, taking in the atmosphere and generally chilling.
Itâs a pretty place with a very Spanish Colonial feel to the Old Town. Simply pleasant to walk and watch the World go by. Some interesting sights: old forts and a cemetery.
Cruising began at around 5:45pm and we had our first experience of Manfrediâs for dinner. Apparently, the Chefâs from Bangladesh, but, in my opinion, heâs secretly an Italian! We visit Italy almost every year and both our meals were as authentically Italian as they could have been.Â
Thankfully, Viking donât surcharge their Speciality Dining, so weâve booked tables for several future dinners and, TBH, if we only ate there, it would be ideal! Prompt, friendly yet professional service, perfectly prepared dishes, Italian wine and grappas and a quiet intimate atmosphere. Bueno.
At the moment weâre sailing towards the British Virgin Islands: calm(ish) sea and cool breezes. So good.
Docked around 7am at Road Town in the British Virgin Islands.
The BVI is made up of 60 islands with a total population of around 30,000. Tortola is the largest. It's a British Overseas Territory; it has a Governor, the Queen is the Queen and its flag has a quartered Union Jack. The residents have British Passports and are considered to be EU citizens. They drive on the proper (left) side of the road, but most of their cars are left-hand drive! Local currency? US Dollars! The Worldâs a funny old place!
Our excursion today was an Island tour taking us up into the mountains and around the coast - in a âSafari Taxiâ. The driver was also our guide and had a wealth of stories and extensive knowledge about the BVI. He spoke repeatedly, and at length, about the Queenâs visit in 1966 - still an important date in Island history.
He also introduced us to the story of the Islandâs local rum, still made in a 400 year old distillery. He also found a bar for a stop which sold it; first time Iâve ever had a shot of rum at 9am! So what; itâs holiday time!
The views from high up were spectacular.Â
Two interesting (weird) places as we drove back along the coast.
The first was a âShell Museumâ - a roadside shop in truth. Our driver pulled up outside, not to shop, just to see, and an old guy and his friends became an impromptu band!
Next we passed the most rundown bar Iâve ever seen. It only opens every 28 days to celebrate the New Moon. âWildâ mushrooms are brought down from the mountains, local rum flows freely and the Police stay away. The following day, large quantities of underwear cover the floor.
Alongside the pier are some very up-scale shops and 5 minutes away the total opposite. Fun to stroll around, in the former thereâs nothing normal mortals can afford and in the latter, nothing the normally sane person would want to buy!
Tortola is a really laid-back, charming place to spend a day (but probably no more than 2).
Docked at 8am in St Lucia. A bit more cloudy than previous days, but, as seems to be the case in these parts, the clouds rolled away, then came back, then went away again.
We took a tour around the island, which was interesting enough. The main stop was at a private home high in the hills above a beautiful bay.
Now why didnât I think of this? The owner, from Manchester (UK), has a beautiful home, with manicured gardens, a waterfall and views to die for. He âinvitesâ tour buses to call (15 today) and (Iâm guessing) charges around US$10-15 per passenger. Youâre given a tiny snack of local food and a fruit drink and have 30 minutes to explore the âpublicâ parts of the property. He also hosts parties (500 people on New Yearâs Eve last) and his home is available for weddings etc.Â
From tour buses alone, he must make at least US$3500 per DAY which, given a near year round tourist season⊠you do the maths! Thatâll cover gardeners, maids and most everything else, leaving his home free of visitors from 3pm to 9am for him and his wife.
Just another day in Paradise!
The capital town, Castries, where weâre docked, is another clone of our previous docking: interesting enough, but nothing new or exciting.
Tonight we have the pre-dinner cocktail party for returning Vikings and sail at around 6pm for Barbados.
Docked late by an hour and today was our earliest departure (4:30pm) which is a great shame, because, so far and by a long way, Barbados is our favourite island to date. Admittedly, weâve only seen Bridgetown.
Itâs retained a totally Caribbean atmosphere, whilst seeming more up-to-date, cleaner and better organised.
It has been slightly invaded by the international brands, but our guide was pleased (delighted, in fact) to tell us that Barbados is the only nation on Earth where McDonalds has failed. They were open for 9 months and then closed from lack of business!
Our tour of Bridgetown took us to the Mount Gay rum factory, where Barbados rum has been made continuously since 1703 and where the first liquor weâd recognise as rum was made. We were obliged (courtesy is so demanding) to sample several of their range. I didnât mind as its âBlack Barrelâ is my 1st (well, perhaps, 2nd) favourite brand of rum.Â
Our tour then took us past the Kensington Oval, venue for many of Englandâs defeats during West Indies Test Series where there is a statue of Sir Gary Sobers who scored a perfect 6x6 over some years ago. It was at St Helenâs Ground, Swansea (Wales) and Iâd seen it on TV. Our tour guide was impressed. Cricket is a Barbadianâs true love.
We then travelled on to the Garrison Area, now home to a race course and still a home to the Barbadian Army of 2,000 troops.Â
Our final stop was at the Screw Dock. Here âin the dayâ ships could be turned on their side for caulking (removing barnacles). Today, itâs a small museum and bar, where local hospitality required us to take a rum-punch to welcome us. Oh-um!
We had no time left to explore Bridgetown in any depth - a bit of a shame, as there seemed to be lots of local markets and historic buildings well worth a look.
Guadeloupe, French Caribbean. Well France actually! I didnât realise that Guadeloupe is a French DĂ©partment, part of La Republic Français. They elect Monsieur Le PrĂ©sident.
That also means its citizens are full EU citizens and the DĂ©partment receives money from the various EU funds: Regional Development, Agriculture etc. They speak French (and being French wonât speak English). The currency is the Euro. We drove on some of the very best roads in the Caribbean, built in part by the British taxpayer. Vive la difference! Vive le Brexit!Â
Itâs a beautiful island, and has everything. Beaches, manicured villages, mountains, rain forests, markets. But like all Heavens, there is a Hell. Itâs populated by Les Français with all that that brings with it. Câest la vie!
It also has the most macabre cemeteries! Pictures tell the story.
This morning, St Kitts: a small ex-British island partnered with its smaller neighbour, Nevis. A pretty place, with typically beautiful bays, mountains and coastline.
Our tour took us to an old Colonial residence with beautiful gardens and we were given a brief history of the property. Boy-o-boy, did those slave-owning plantation landowners have a good life And yet, they couldnât comprehend the immorality.
The tourist industry seems to be only just developing here. There is a recent, modern International airport that can handle aircraft as large as the B-777. Hilton have just opened a âresortâ at one end of the island and Hyatt, Ramada, Radisson and a couple of others are âcoming soonâ. I hope that this almost unspoilt little island can survive the globalisation hit this will surely bring.
At the moment, Basseterre (so many Caribbean places share this name!), itâs capital, whilst slightly polluted by the cruise port, still has an authenticity about it.
Last island tomorrow: St Thomas, USVI.
Maybe a combination of an unimpressive tour, and an even more unimpressive tour guide, St Thomas has proved a little disappointing.
Itâs a pretty enough island, but the main town at which we docked, Charlotte Amalie, has no Caribbean character. Its main street is lined with the same sellers of âallegedâ duty free jewellery, watches, etc., except here theyâre interspersed with McDonalds, KFC, Subway, Wendyâs and all the other international fast-food joints found almost anywhere on Earth.
I mentioned that the duty free is âalleged". I priced a watch on Amazon, and then the identical watch in duty-free. Cheaper on Amazon by 35% (and that included 20% UK-VAT.).
Some beautiful scenery, despite the town.
And so, on to the tour. Two hours long. Itâs taken on the same Safari Taxis we used on Tortola BVI. Nothing against them; on Tortola, we found it good fun.
We climbed in to the hills, most of the way with rock on one side and thick vegetation on the other; an occasional gap did offer some lovely views. At the top of the climb we reached our main destination. It claimed to have invented the Banana Daiquiri.
It was about the size of (but less appealing than) an aircraft hanger, stuffed to the gunwales with every imaginable variety of tourist âkiss-me-quickâ tat stacked high before you. The famous banana daiquiri was on sale for US$18 (but you get to keep the plastic cup). There was a small viewing platform with some lovely scenery. We were blessed with 45 minutes in this shoppersâ paradise!Â
It is right to say âblessedâ. Our driver/guide styled himself âThe Godfatherâ. The inside of the bus was decorated with an assortment of Old Testament tracts and every time traffic cleared or we avoided a near miss he proclaimed, âPraise The Lord!â.
His belief in the goodness of The Lord was most evident on the trip back down the mountainside. He treated us to a white-knuckle experience that would grace Alton Towers. Our cynical opinion was that as soon as he returns to dockside, his vehicle will be allocated another tour group, yielding more income.
A bad plan. Itâs the only tour where we havenât tipped $5 or $10, and, as far as I could see, no one tipped him.
Last day today. đą We sail for San Juan this evening and then disembark at around 9am.
However, one unexpected bonus đ.Â
I donât know if other Cruise Lines do this, but for all of us who have afternoon flights, Viking have booked a Conference Suite in a 5-star Old San Juan hotel for complimentary use by its guests. Coffee station and plenty of lounge seating to make use of, before a 12:30pm transfer for our 3:20pm flight. A bit of time for some local sightseeing; much better than being stuck at the airport.
Around 32 hours from waking up tomorrow to landing in Cardiff. You have to love long-haul travel!!
After breakfast and a quiet morning, we transferred to the ship. Itâs docked within throwing distance of historic âOld San Juanâ; just step off and youâre there!
Weâve nothing with which to compare (our 1st Ocean Cruise), but, to us, it seems light, airy and peaceful. Everything low-key Scandanavian: pale woods, pastel colours and a general lack of fussiness.
The stateroom (cabin to us plebs) is spacious, tasteful and well equipped. More storage space than we can fill (and we pack a lot of stuff!).
Our steward (a delightful Philippina girl) dropped by to say âhelloâ and much to my surprise and delight let me change the standard contents of the complimentary minibar: now it will be refilled with just whiskey and vodka instead of all the other spirits I donât really go for and only zero-sugar sodas. Off to a great start!
Weâve not had much time to explore the ship, but everything weâve seen so far has impressed.
After settling in, we took a stroll around Old San Juan. Very much what weâd hoped for and expected: Stereotypical Spanish Caribbean.
Weâre going to try one of the casual dining venues tonight: The World CafĂ© - an upscale food court with a range of street foods from around the World. You can take the food out of doors. With the temperature and cloud-free skies it looks like a winner!
Weâre in Port until tomorrow evening, so thereâs plenty more time to explore.
A warm (hot, actually) sunny morning for a tour around the Island. An even more British island than Tortola, because here, cricket is almost a religion and itâs God is Sir Vivian Richards.
We travelled up to Shirley Heights for the views and on to Nelsonâs Dockyard in Falmouth. Here Admiral Nelson was based when defending British interests from the Spanish. Itâs still a boat-yard, servicing luxury yachts that probably cost more than the GDP of Antigua! It claims to be a museum, which arguably it is, but in reality itâs an outdoor shopping experience priced for people who can afford those yachts! However, our tour included a rum punch, made with the local brew. At 10:30am (given it was only 9am yesterday) it seemed quite in order to drink it!Â
At 11am it rained. Noah would have felt quite at home. It really, really rained. Then at 11:10am it stopped and the sun came out. Iâll be more careful next time the forecast says â⊠with an occasional showerâ.
The ship docked in St Johnâs, the capital of Antigua; practically in the High Street! So, after lunch, a few more rum punches and a nap, we strolled around the harbourside area of the town. The value of the goods on sale and the standard of building maintenance is in direct proportion to the distance from the ship, falling by about 10% per 100 metres. The mathematicians amongst you will have worked out that at about 750 metres from the ship, it seemed prudent to turn around and head back.
It seems this itinerary has a plan. Each Island is more beautiful than the one before!
St Maarten/St Martin is both Dutch and French; there are unmanned border crossings as you drive around! Both sides, however, have a distinct flavour of their international allegiance. Different currencies, vehicle registrations, police, fire, health systems, education systems, even language (although where Dutch is the official language, English is the dominant language; the French speak French!). There are even different laws: nudity on beaches, gambling, drinking. One is the Netherlands, the other is France. You can guess!
We first visited Marigot, capital of St Martin. Beautiful waterfront, French cafĂ©s and patisseries. A sense of all the South of France aspires to be, but falls short.Â
We travelled back to Philipsburg, the Dutch capital, via some of the most spectacular scenery.Â
Our tour guide today deserves a mention; a youngish, totaaaaly Car-i-beee-aaan guy with the most amazing patter and sense of humour. Went by the name of âTâ.
We stopped at the portâs gate on departure and received a parody airline takeoff announcement. âIn the event of cabin depressurisation, oxygen masks will not fall down. You will have to break the windows.âÂ
"There are two emergency doors, one at the front and one in the centre. If an emergency occurs, the open one will be the front door, which is near to me, and Iâll be long gone.â
âTo your right are the islandâs permanent retirement homes.â We were passing a cemetery.
He was also an excellent guide and very knowledgeable.
Tonight we sail for St. Kitts.