We started off the month of December with a 10 night
Southern Caribbean cruise aboard the RCCL ship Serenade of the Seas. This was our third trip with a group of fellow
RVer's. This voyage had the advantage of visiting five ports we have not been
to before. Since we boarded just before
lunchtime, first order of business was to get some lunch. This ship was smaller
and older than the last one, but the basic amenities remained the same. With most of three days at sea before our
first port, we had a chance to completely explore the ship.
Our first port of call was Tortola, B.V.I. The island was first spotted by Columbus on
his second voyage. The Spanish attempted
to possess the island but the presence of pirates including Blackbeard
prevented a successful occupation. Eventually, the British took control from
the Dutch and developed sugar cane plantations across the island using slave
labor from Africa. In 1834, the British abolished slavery and the plantation
system collapsed due to competition from other areas where slavery still
flourished. Most of the white landowners
left the island over time.
Arriving in Tortola
Today, with a population of under 25,000, one of the
main sources of income is tourism. It
remains a haven for sail boaters, but today resorts and cruise ships provide
most of the tourist dollars. Still under
British rule, it remains a low income area for most of the residents. The climate, beaches and beautiful scenery
are the main attractions. We opted for an
island tour to see most of the island and get a feeling for how people live
away from the attractions. It is hard to find a tour that does not include at
least an hour plus beach break. So we
did visit a beach and it was raining.
We did find some shelter in the outside area of a closed bar. I doubt
that there is a compelling reason to return unless we arrive by sailboat.
Bus tour of island
View from highest point on the island
Beach break and return to ship
9 comments:
What an interesting adventure!! Everywhere....there is so much history!!
I love cruising!!
I'm sure the rain was a bit disappointing but what a beautiful island!
Nice to be on a 10-night cruise, touring islands. Probably warm, too, as opposed to chilly. What's a little rain, anyway (unless you're in NorCal where we are being inundated!). Hope you enjoyed the cruise!
How funny. I just read Erin and Mui's post and saw your comment. Never knew you were on a cruise too,
We have never been on a cruise. I didn't know the cabins were that big. I have never heard of Tortola. It does look on the poor side. Not sure how I feel about chickens on the beach.
We enjoyed Tortola on one of our cruises last year. Took an open bus ride up into the hills and weren't sure we'd live to see our ship again the way the driver drove. He thought he was a Formula 1 driver or something. :cO
At least being where you are you don't have to worry about all the ice and snow others are into. Enjoy yourselves!
That's a very nice looking room. We took one cruise to Alaska and our room was much smaller. Beautiful sunset and pictures of the colors in the sky and the colorful stops.
I sometimes think it would be nice to live on one of these islands, but then think realistically, what on earth would I do? Sun and beach would get old eventually, although a peek at the news and the reports of snowstorms might make the sand bearable ;-)
I absolutely love all your photos and thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful tour! I love ships! Once when I was at the Old Port here in Montreal, there was a large ship docked there. This was many years ago, and I remember noticing how big and majestic it looked! I have never been on a ship, just canoes and small boats like this. Thank you so much for sharing.
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