Category: Travel

Psalm 139: 9-10 “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”

This morning, I received this verse from my pastor’s wife, Sandra. It was a special blessing to me because this was the day we boarded the Emerald Princess for our cruise to the Mediterranean. As I reflected on this verse, I was reminded that there is no place we can go that will separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). He is always there to lead us, sustain us, protect us, and commune with us. It is such a comfort to know that as His children, we are held securely in the palm of His hand at all times (John 10:28).

For the first 7 days, we will be crossing the Atlantic, then our first stop should be the Azores, an island group belonging to the country of Portugal (more on that when we get there). For the first three weeks of this trip, we are in a balcony room on the Aloha deck. The balcony rooms on Princess ships have always been very nice, but this one surprised us because its balcony was huge, which thrilled John! He loves to sit out on the balcony and enjoy the voyage! Today as we sat outside, we were excited to see the US Navy Blue Angels practicing their routines in the skies above us! What a treat!

The Emerald Princess has a very elegant persona, with spiral staircases in the atrium, fine dining venues, and various places to sit and listen to pianists, string trios, and other performers. There is a promenade deck that has a wide path on the outer deck where you can completely around the ship. On the top of the ship, there are open decks with multiple pools, and places to eat, including a pizzeria, a hamburger/hotdog grill, and an ice cream/coffee shop. The best part is that it is all included in the booking, so you simply walk up, ask for what you want, and then eat it sitting by the pool or on your own balcony! YUM!

I will try to share more about ship specifics as the trip progresses. Unfortunately, once we head out to sea, the Internet will not be available to me until we get nearer to land, so it may be a few days until my next post. I will be looking forward to sharing my trip with you as soon as I can get online again.

“Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:” – Jeremiah 31:35

**********

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea;                                   Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

(from “Holy, Holy, Holy” by J. Dykes and R. Heber)

Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.”

In spite of weather forecasts for rain, we awoke this morning to calm seas and partly cloudy skies as we approached Antigua. Golden rays announced the rising sun in the eastern sky, and the only sound was the quiet hum of the ship’s engines. Opening the sliding door, I was greeted with a beautiful view of the island! To think God simply spoke all this beauty into creation is so incredibly amazing! The vastness of the sea, its deep blue waves in rhythmic harmony as marshmallow clouds hang suspended in a sky blue firmament. Wow! How great Thou art! Read more

Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.”

St. Lucia is definitely a gem of the Caribbean! It is an island of verdant forests, volcanic black sand beaches, brilliantly painted flowers, and very friendly people. As we approached, we saw houses nestled within the rainforest adding splashes of contrasting colors to the tapestry of green woven over the island.

Before we reached our first destination, we had several places where we stopped for photos as we ascended into the rainforest. Our first stop provided us with an amazing panoramic view of the azure blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. From this vantage point, we could look down on Castries, the capital, and also, our ship at the dock. Our next stop was overlooking Marigot Bay. A beautiful inlet that often shelters boats during hurricane season, this spot was known for several films made here. Each overlook had a few locals selling their handmade wares, but all we took back with us were pictures.

Finally, we arrived at the Tet Paul Nature Trail. This was a precarious hiking trail that would take us between the Pitons, two peaks that seem to be rising right out of the sea! Made of hardened lava, they rise to an elevation of approximately 2,000 ft. above sea level. I managed to stumble my way up the trail without a spill, and was rewarded with a breathtaking view of the Pitons! Once we made the trek back down, we were rewarded with crispy fish fritters (so delicious!), the sweetest Valencia bananas (I think 1 ate 3 of them throughout the day!), and guava (my first time)!

Our next stop was brief as we made our way to a local waterfall. Most of the folks there were jumping in and taking their photos under the falls, but we chose to stay dry and snap a picture from the sidelines. From here, we went to have lunch at a restaurant on the beach. It was buffet style and had several local selections: plantains, fried bread, cabbage slaw, breadfruit pie, boiled green bananas, lentils, saffron rice, creole chicken and whitefish. Yum!

On the ride back to the ship, I had the opportunity to think about the variety of cultures that we’ve been able to experience. It is so mindboggling to think about the creative mind of God. Our world is diverse in so many ways, and yet it all came from His mind alone. Never mind the incredible process of creation that occurred simply from His spoken word, but just the profound assortment of plants, animals, topography He designed takes your breath away! Amazing doesn’t even begin to describe it!

Next stop: Antigua

1 Kings 8:60 “That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.”

The diversity of the Caribbean islands always amazes me! Although the indigenous history of the islands is similar, the countries that eventually colonized them differed greatly. St. Kitts was fought over by the Spanish, British, and French, but the British and French eventually shared the island in the early 1600s, with Britain eventually taking full control later.

Known for its sugar, St. Kitts’ economy depended on sugar cane until recently, when it no longer became profitable to produced sugar. Now, tourism is the backbone of the economy. On our recent excursions, heat and humidity have been our constant companions, so I finally got wise and brought a cloth and a sweatband! Yoohoo! I was ready to go! By the time we got back to the ship, my sweat band was soaked, but I had a great day!

We visited Romney Manor, once owned by an ancestor of Thomas Jefferson. This estate was beautiful! Surrounded by rainforest, the estate had a plethora of colorful flowers and lush green plants. We strolled around the grounds, enjoying the tropical garden and the shade of a 400-year-old saman tree, whose canopy covered 2/3 of an acre! An added treat was visiting the batik fabric crafts factory on the grounds where we watched a woman make the designs as she explained the process of creating the materials.

Afterwards, we went to the Brimstone Hill Fortress, which is the largest fort in the Caribbean. It was quite a climb to the fort itself. Probably due more to the heat and humidity, but by the time I got to the grounds of the main part of the fort, my muscles were protesting! However, I wasn’t going to quit! I had a fort to explore with John! Cannons were all around, and we were able to roam around checking out the old barracks, ammunition rooms, and officers’ quarters. I found it quite interesting that we could climb all over this multi-leveled fort and there wasn’t a single protective rail on the upper levels! If you weren’t paying attention, it would be a very long drop!

Being at the fortress and hearing about the battles between the French and British for the island reminded me that our battle as Christians is not against a mortal enemy. Ephesians 6:12 says “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” We must be equipped at all times in the full armor of God to fight our adversary, for Satan is formidable and seeks to destroy anyone who loves the Lord. As God’s Word tells us in 1 Peter 5:8, “… the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Therefore, I must be battle-ready at all times, so that no matter what I face in this life, with Christ, I can “withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

Next stop: St. Lucia

Isaiah 42:12 “Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.”

Today, we arrived at St. Thomas. It is the second largest island in the archipelago known as the U.S. Virgin Islands. At 31 square miles, it has approximately 50% of the USVI population, and is home to Fort Christian, a U.S. National Landmark, and the oldest standing structure in the Virgin Islands.

St. Thomas was one of the first islands we ever visited in the Caribbean, so this time, we decided to set out on our own. Charlotte Amalie, the capital, is a beautiful place for walking around, especially along the water’s edge, but we started our day by strolling through the town. Of course, we took the requisite photos by the oversized postcards in the port plaza before heading out to the main street. Throughout the plaza there are lots of places to shop, so it can take a bit of time to get from the ship to the main part of town. Once there however, it’s only a short walk to the St. Thomas Skyride, which takes you to Paradise Point high above the city. You don’t have to wait until you reach the top to get great views. Skimming above the treetops in a cable car, you ascend up the hillside getting an amazing panoramic view of the port, the town and some of the offshore islands. When you reach the top, you can walk around, grab a snack, and even do a little souvenir shopping!

Charlotte Amalie is known for its Danish colonial architecture, and many of the streets have Danish names since it became a Danish colony in the late 1600s. There are two houses of worship that are historically important and worth visiting to get a photo or two. Both are two of the oldest structures of their denominations in the Western hemisphere. One is the St. Thomas synagogue, and the second is the Frederick Lutheran Church. A little more exciting is the pirate history of the area. Charlotte Amalie was reputed to be a place often frequented by two famous buccaneers: Blackbeard and Bluebeard. Both pirates have a castle on this island built by the Danes.

Walking along the waterfront, there are shops all along the pathway leading back to the pier where the cruise ships dock. There were places to sit and enjoy the view or take memorable photos. If you look carefully, you may even see an iguana basking in the sun on the rocks along the shore!

One of the most striking things that came to my mind was that despite the differences in geography, flora and fauna, and cultures, God remains the same no matter where I go. Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever,” but He is also the same here, there, or anywhere else! There is such comfort in knowing that my God is always with me, always aware of what is happening in my life, and always cares for me no matter where I may be!

Next stop: St. Kitts and Nevis

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

Genesis 1:2b “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” 

As we left Ft. Lauderdale last week, I found myself thinking about the Spirit of God moving across the waters of the earth prior to God speaking light into existence. It is difficult to imagine what it must have been like at that time. No lifeforms in the ocean; no sea birds soaring overhead; no islands rising majestically above the waves. Just the Spirit of God gently caressing the face of the waters as He moved along. As the sea breeze blew ever so gently, I closed my eyes and imagined the sweet touch of the Holy Spirit upon my face. The power of God can be like a whisper on the wind, so light upon our consciousness, while other times it can be so powerful that the very awareness of its magnitude is staggering.

As we sailed into the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline eventually disappeared, and we were surrounded by nothing but water as far as the eye could see. Like sapphires in liquid form, the ocean was the deepest shade of blue. The seas were calm; no white foam spilling over the top of cresting waves, just gentle ripples moving across the vastness of a great sea. Could it have been like this when God’s Spirit moved across the face of the deep? No violent storms, no crashing waves, no thunderous roar of angry seas? Just the presence of the Holy Spirit gliding effortlessly over the waters, stirring the depths of the sea in anticipation of what was to come? Oh! to have ridden the wings of God’s Spirit at that time! To witness that moment when God spoke! When creation’s first day burst forth in brilliant illumination! Four simple words, “Let there be light” and millions of glittering diamonds erupted across the aquatic cobalt blue shroud covering the earth when God’s light appeared for the first time!

It’s amazing to think that the same Holy Spirit that “moved upon the face of the waters” is the One that dwells within each saved person. And when God speaks to our hearts, there is once again brilliant illumination in our soul as the light of His Word quickens us and then bursts forth for all the world to see.