Saint Michael

An 11:00a arrival in Bridgetown, Barbados meant that we had a relaxing morning at sea, starting with a leisurely breakfast at the nearly deserted Terrace Café, chatting with the wait staff that outnumbered the guests. We also managed to get two loads of laundry done by the time Barbados came into view … that will tide us over until our free laundry perk kicks in on the 28th.

When CD Ray announced at 11:15a that the ship was cleared, we were ready to disembark with Terri and Jim. The plan was to share a cab to their favorite restaurant, Zacchio’s in Holetown, about 11 km from the cruise port, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy some beach time.

After lunch, which included flying fish sandwiches, a local specialty, we rented a couple of chairs and an umbrella on the narrow strip of sand that passes for a beach at Zacchio’s. Terri said there used to be a wide stretch of sand, but not much is left … probably due to erosion from storms.

While I settled down to enjoy the shade and the breeze that was very welcome on this hot December day, Mui lost no time getting in the water. Despite the waves crashing ashore, he enjoyed his swim … even saw 20 different species of fish, which was a nice surprise. Unfortunately, swimmers were restricted to a small area marked off by buoys because of the boats that come in and anchor off shore. He didn’t much care for that.

Overall, I would say that we enjoyed our outing. However, with so many other beautiful beaches in Barbados, some of which are much closer to the cruise terminal, we won’t be seeking out Zacchio’s should our travels return us to Barbados someday.

We were back on the ship by 3:30p. We debated walking into town, but the hot sun changed our minds for us. Instead, a quick shower, and then we headed up to Horizons on deck 10 forward for the afternoon tea … scones with clotted cream and jam … yummy!

After teatime, I collected my writing implements — the iPad and keyboard — and we settled into a couple of chaise lounges on the deck 5 promenade … cool and comfortable in the shade with a lovely light breeze … unlike our veranda which is bearing the brunt of the afternoon sun. The bonus … good cell signal strength. A good way to wrap up our day.

We wanted a relaxing day today … and that’s what we got. Tomorrow is another port … one that we have not been to before. Let’s see what awaits us there.Read more