Berry Islands District

I'm writing this from where I am sitting on the beach at Great Stirrup Cay.

What a delight it was to have a quiet evening as opposed to the hullabaloo we had to endure every night at the Brickell Arch residence pre-cruise in Miami. Not that we got to bed early last night. But this time staying up was by choice instead of out of necessity. No need to caution anyone about loud music either.

Anyway, a good night’s rest, and we were up at 7:00a this morning … a little later than usual. A quick visit to the gym to do our stretches. Followed by a light breakfast on the aft deck at the Terrace Café. Then, it was time to get ready for our beach break.

Cruise lines lease small islands from the Bahamas to create a private oasis for their guests. Great Stirrup Cay, in the Berry Islands of the Bahamas, is just such an island and is open to the three cruise lines owned by NCLH. There are facilities available … food, snorkel rentals, zip lines, kayaks, and such. But most are closed today. No matter … we don’t need any of that to have a good day on the beach.

With Insignia anchored off the island, we were transported ashore by small ferry boats operated by the locals. By 10:00a, Mui and I were walking amongst palm trees fluttering in the wind. Our timing was excellent as we managed to get one of the few shade palapas that are set around the beach. At that hour, there were maybe 20-25 people ashore … a perfect time to wander around and take photos. There are more people on the beach now, but with Insignia at less than 50% capacity for this cruise, neither the island nor the beach is crowded.

As you can see from the satellite map I’ve attached, there are a number of coves with white-sand beaches. I would like to have gone for a wander to check them out. However, we were not expecting this beach break so I was unprepared to wander in the sun … no need to court a sunburn. Instead, I settled myself under the palapa to enjoy some quiet time for a while.

Mui’s been in and out of the water a couple of times. The beautiful hues of the ocean, ranging from the palest blue to aqua, to deep navy are inviting. Alas, being unprepared for sand & surf fun, I’m going to have to settle for a short walk along the edge of the water. At least I can get my feet wet … which is what I am off to do now! Maybe I’ll try out the swing set in the shallows, too.Read more