Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.”
What do you do on a cruise line’s private island? Anything you want! One of the best things about sailing with Princess Cruises is their private island, Princess Cays. John and I like this stop because no matter what we are interested in doing – kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, or just laying out on the beach – we can do it here. Since this island is just for Princess cruises, the beaches are not overcrowded, and we took advantage of that right away! Into the sparkling blue waters of the Caribbean Sea we went! I think we could have stayed in the water for the entire time we were at Princess Cays, but the delicious smells of the beach BBQ kept wafting by, and we couldn’t resist. We headed for the buffet lunch pavilion where we were treated to a variety of tasty entrees. Mouthwatering hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hotdogs, and cajun chicken were grilled on site, and the only problem was deciding which to choose! (Yes, we could have them all if we wanted, but this was only Day 1, so we exercised restraint!) All the fixings were there, plus a couple of side salads and of course, dessert! Cookies and brownies were piled high on platters, plus various tropical fruits were cut right in front of you! Watermelons, pineapples, cantaloupe and honeydew! (By the way, this fabulous meal was included in the cruise package!)
After our lunch, we took a stroll down the beach and saw several small shops that offered anything from souvenirs to island clothing to beach accessories. Individual pastel-colored cabanas could be found a bit farther down the beach, and could be rented for the duration of our stay by those who wanted a little more privacy. No matter where we walked, we had a beautiful view of our ship, the Caribbean Princess, anchored off shore.
The Caribbean Princess is the first ship in the fleet that is fully equipped with the Ocean Medallion. This is a replacement for the traditional cruise card and makes the voyage much more personal. You can even create your own avatar that follows you around the ship! (Not actually following you, but on the digital screens throughout the ship!) The medallion can be worn in necklace or bracelet form, in a sport band, or on a pocket clip. It was pretty awesome walking up to my door and seeing my face appear on the wall screen before it automatically unlocked the door! Pretty convenient when your hands are full of late afternoon snacks!! There are so many great things you can do with the Ocean Medallion, and it’s been lots of fun learning how to use it on this cruise.
One last plus on the Caribbean Princess is the new internet service. In past cruises, the internet has been very slow and tedious for use when at sea, and when we were in port, everyone would race to a location that offered free wi-fi. No longer will you see me rushing to the nearest hot spot in town to send a text message! With the installation of the MedallionNet, logging on to the internet is quick and easy, and the speed is amazingly fast… even in the middle of the ocean! I have been able to log on to Facebook, You Tube, my email, and even FaceTime with the family back home in seconds! It is affordable and easy to use. I cannot wait until all the ships in Princess’ fleet are equipped with MedallionNet!
Next stop: St. Thomas, USVI