St. Kitts and Nevis - Third Best Island in the World



St. Kitts and Nevis - Third Best Island in the World

Arch at Brimstone Hill Fortress Postcard



According to a post at Cruise Line Fans, St. Kitts and Nevis has rung in at #3** on a recent list of the 10 Best Islands in the World.



Now, though I've cruised to a bunch of the islands in the Caribbean, I have not yet had the good fortune to be on board a ship that made a call at St.  Kitts.  It's something I'm still looking forward to.  Have you been there yet?



 

One of the interesting facts I learned while doing research for a page I did titled Pictures of St. Kitts and Nevis, is that one of America's own, Alexander Hamilton was actually born on Nevis.  Hamilton, was one of our country's founding fathers, and served as our very first Secretary of the Treasury.  It's his picture on the United States Ten Dollar Bill.



** The Maldives and Bora Bora captured the number one and two spots.

St. Lucia Independence Day

St lucia sunset 03
by SteeveO69

On Wednesday of this week, they'll be celebrating Independence Day in the popular southern Caribbean cruise destination of St. Lucia.
St. Lucia became an independent state of the Commonwealth of Nations on February 22, 1979.
It's an uncommonly beautiful place, with a tropical climate, and more mountainous than some other Caribbean nations. Here's a picture of the famous twin peaks of the Pitons there:

St. Lucia Pitons from the Sea
by h2oWater

MORE about St. Lucia:
To see more views of the island nation, visit Pictures of St. Lucia.
For something really cool, find out about St. Lucia's Drive In Volcano.

St. Kitts and Nevis

A Day in Paradise by gubanich

Have you cruised to St. Kitts?  Then you may be interested to know that the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis will be celebrating Independence Day this coming Monday, September 19.  Twenty-eight years ago Monday, the two island Caribbean nation became independent.

I haven't been there yet, but look forward to the day when I can.  (I hope)
Meanwhile, I really enjoyed putting together this page showcasing Pictures of St. Kitts and Nevis on various products by the artists of Zazzle - from wall art to mousepads, mugs, and totes, to iPhone cases.

Some Related Articles:

Pictures of St. Maarten

Pictures of St. Thomas

Pictures of St. Lucia

Got Bumper Stickers?

CruiseReady on Zazzle has cruise bumper stickers for you!  Put them on your car ...  put them on  hard-sided suitcases to make them easy to find on crowdedairport  luggage carousels, or at disembarkation. 

There are some other uses for cruise bumper stickers ... bulletin boards ... covering up a scratched area on a filing cabine, or other metal object ...  

 

Can you think of some uses for cruise bumper stickers?

80 Days til Ship-Rise

Six mornings a week, near sunrise, one or more cruise ships appear on the watery eastern horizon off the coast of east central Florida. As of this writing eight in all sail out of the rising sun into Port Canaveral, for either a 'turn around' or a call at our fair port.

In 80 days, that sunrise ship count will rise by one, as our sunrise sees the SUN rise over our horizon. She'll be making her first arrival at her new home port, coming al lthe way from across the Atlalntic.

That evening -October 16, 2010 - she'll sail from her new home on a seven night westeren Caribbean itinerary.

As there were for the first Port Canaveral sailing of the Freedom of the Seas and the Carnival Dreeam, I'm sure there will be plenty of locals on hand to bid her and her cargo of revelers a hearty "Bon Voyage" as she heads for her first port of call, Cozumel, Mexico. I'm looking firward to welcoming a new ship to our 'home fleet,' and barring any unforseen circumstances, I plan to be in that crowd that afternoon!

Musings on the coming of the Sun brought to you by

Norwegian Sun postcard (pre-hull art) at CruiseReadyStore.com

and Bon Voyage to me pins at CruiseReady on Zazzle

Are Brighter Days Ahead for the ss United States?

A while back, I wrote about the ss United States, and efforts to save this historic (and much loved) vessel from being turned into scrap metal, in a post titled "Is the End Near for the ss United States?"

New York City. The ss United States with the ss America passing in front of her

Today, I'm happy to report that, thanks to the generosity of a benefactor, and the consideration of Norwegian Cruise Line, it appears the ss United States Coservancy will be able to buy her some more time.

The angel is a Mr. Lenfest, who donated several millions to the effort. Thanks are also owed to NCL, who turned down an offer of almost double from a scrapper a while back. They did so in order to agree to take a lesser offer from an organication that would preserve the record setting US built ocean liner.

It''s going to take a lot of work to get her back into shape, along with a great deal of capital.

The ss United States in 2007

Now she has a chance!
The Conservancy has deal with NCL for a $3 million purchase price, despite a $5.9 million big from a scrappers. EPA concerns must be satisfied soon.  The Conservancy has enough capital for 20 months expenses for the ship, during which time they must create a plan to clean the ship of toxins and provide for future financial security for her. They may turn her into a hotel or floating maritime museum.

A Breakfast Menu from the ss United States,

dated July 10, 1966

Are brighter days ahead for the ss United States? Can the Conservancy pull off the monumental task ahead of them in the months they have?  Gee, I sure hope so... and I know I'm not alone.

Carnival Ecstasy still at Sea (Alex) Next Sailing Delayed

Because of severe weather from Alex, the Carnival Ecstasy has been unable to  port at Galveston.    Carnival Cruise Line has announced the following change.

The next cruise will now be a 3 day cruise to nowhere beginning on Friday, July 2nd.  Bording will begin at 2 pm.

According to the Carnival website, "Guests that sail on the new 3 day cruise will receive a 25% refund of their cruise fare along with a 25% discount on a future 3 to 5 day cruise departing prior to April 30, 2012 as well as a $25 per person on board credit as a reimbursement for the Cozumel government taxes and fees." 
SOURCE: http://www.carnival.com/cms/faq/default.aspx#q-1

This announcement brought to you by

Cruise Ready on Zazzle

UPDATE on Carnival Ecstasy

Just received news that the Port of Galveston DID, indeed, close during the night... there are 5 ships that are waiting for the harbor to open so that they can enter. Presumably, the Carnival Ecstasy would be one of those five.

Hurricane Alex

 

Tiki bar at Cozumel on a beautiful day.

Some cruisers encountered less than ideal weather in Cozumel last week, courtesy of then Tropical Storm Alex.

Well the 2010 Hurricane Season is off to a rip-roaring start in the Atlantic Basin.  Alex was upgraded to a hurricane last night, and, while he's still a Category 1, he's a big boy in terms of size.  He also has a very low minimum central pressure, so additional strengthening is certainly possible before landfall on the western gulf coast.  He's slowed down, and that can make him even more dangerous for wherever he strikes... and for a wide surrounding area, given his size.

There was minimal disruption in cruise itineraries as TS Alex came near Cozumel. Just one ship headed east to Nasau in leiu of Cozumel, and two others simply  reversed their scheduled port calls. 

Today's  turn-around for the Ecstasy could have been be affected, but the storm was considerate enough to move in time for the port of Galveston to be out of the danger area for the ship to return.  (Passengers may well have experienced the effects of some higher than normal seas, though.)  Let's hope he's equally considerate to the residents of northern Mexico and lower Texas.

June hurricanes aren't common, but aren't unheard of, either.  The season has just begun, so aware that your cruise between now and late November  could be affected this year, which is predicted to be unusually active.    Check my previous blog entry, Cruising During Hurricane Season for some basic tips.

This blog entry sponsored by

Cruise Ready Store

Cruising during Hurricane Season

Well, here we are, with 10 days of this year's Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season already gone, and not a storm in sight. That's typical, actually. The most active period is usually from about the second week of August through Octoer.

With virtually all of the major prediction centers and experts forecasting an extremely active season, we should be prepared for just about anything this year. Check your emergency plans, and get your 'go bag' ready if you live in a vunerable area. SOONER is better than later!

CRUISING
If you choose to cruise this time of year, here are some 'starter' tips for cruising during hurricane season from my Cruising Tips for New Cruisers page at Cruise Ready Store.

You may even find rough seas in the ship's pool during hurricane season.

Special Notes on Cruising during Hurricane Season

Hurricane season: June 1 – November 30

There are deals to be had during ‘the season,’ most especially during the peak months of August, September, and October. However, be prepared for possible trade-offs for those cheaper fares.

First – Plan to arrive at your port city at least a day early. If there’s an active ‘cane, the port authority could close down the port and order all ships to sea hours early. The captain has no choice... the ship MUST leave - with you or without you.

Second – Always buy travel insurance.

Third – Never cruise the Caribbean during hurricane season with your heart set on seeing a particular port. The captain WILL divert the ship’s course to keep you safe. This may include substituting an alternate port, or missing one or more ports entirely.

Fourth – Be prepared to end your cruise a day earlier or later than scheduled, or even in a different port than originally planned. Make return travel arrangements to your home that can be adjusted accordingly.

Fifth – If you are prone to motioin sickness, take along plenty of your favoirte remedy. Our favorites are of the natural variety, like these ginger candies.


Yes, all of the things mentioned above can happen. Not often, but they do. We cruise during hurricane season. We have even cruised in the rough seas generated by a Category 3 hurricane. And yes, we've been on a ship that was ordered out of port a few hours early, and arrived back a day late - at a port 200 miles from the one we left from. And yes, we had a wonderful time. Just wish we'd come home to a house with electrical power, and a neighborhood with gas stations and grocery stores that were open and stocked with inventory. But, we were well able to deal with it all, having just enjoyed some time on board our favorite cruise ship.

So, if you are cruising during hurricane season, be sure your home will be ready, and then get ready to cruise... Be sure to visit CruiseReadyStore.com and Cruise Ready on Zazzle to find some great cruise gear. You'll also find more tips and discussions about cruising during the season at http://www.cruiselinefans.com/.

Win a Cruise on Celebrity!

Celebrity Cruises is giving away cruises for two to the Caribbean on a Solstice Class ship! Yes, cruises - plural - sixteen of them!

Grand prize is a 7 night Caribbean cruise for two in the Royal Suite, which includes European sstyle butler service. Winners of the First Prize (five of them) will sail in an Aqua Suite, while the 10 Second Prize winners will recieve Concierge Class accommodations.  20 additional lucky entrants will win an iPod touch.

CLICK HERE to go to the entry page on Facebook.  I hope one of my followers wins one of the great cruises, and will be in the market for a personalized cruise name bagde.  Good lulck, and happy cruising!

Does your Mom Cruise?

With Mother's Day coming soon, many folks will be looking for someting special for Mama. If your mother loves to hop on a cruise ship and get away from time to time, think Cruise Gifts. Maybe you can't afford to give her a cruise, but how about a piece of cruise memorabilia from her favorite ship or cruise line?

Or, maybe she's going on a cruise soon? If so, how about a special shirt or hat with a nautical theme? Perhaps one of these, from CruiseReadyStore.com:

Or, for a personalized shirt, hat, bag, magnet, or other item.... there's still time to have one made up with her name on it at Cruise Ready on Zazzle. Here are some examples from there:

Have her name embroidered on this "Official Cruiser" shirt... shown here in a blue short sleeved polo, it's available in a variety of styles and colors. IDEA: A long sleeved pink tee and matching cap for cruising to Alaska.

If, like many, you find you must be cost-conscious this Mother's day, here's a budget tote for just $11.00 - and that includes personalization with her name!

(Other styles and designs also available)

Crossed Palms Personalized Budget Tote

Or - make her a personalized magnet with the name of her ship, itinerary and cruise dates on it. Available in more styles, with different ships, or caribbean and cruising themes. Magnets, buttons and name badges are $2.00 to $3.50 at Cruise Ready on Zazzle, with quantity discounts starting at just 10!

For even more ideas for Mom you are cordially invited to browse my little collection of Mother's Day Cards and matching gift items at TropiCards . . . some even suitable for (!) non-cruising moms.

We Sail Today!

Some persnal notes for today - Sailaway day! It's been SO long since we curised that I hardly know how to act, but today's the day!

We'll be on the Monarch of the Seas, with our good friends Sue and Dickie, and it will be three days of relaxing and catching up. Everything's ready. Bob and Marilyn are here to mind the house and Walker, and I've got my Bon Voyage to Me T shirt ready to wear.

Dickie informed me he brought his nautical tie clip - the one from my store with the cruise ship on it - but doesn't intend to dress up. Does THAT make sense??? Why bring it if you don't intend to wear it? We'll see. And Sue brought everything but the kitchen sink, as usual. The two of them are such fun. It's going to be great to cruise with them again.

They were really pleased with the way our little magnet door markers turned out. These come in handy for my guy, too, who can never remember his cabin number. Since all the doors on those long hallways look pretty much alike, I 'mark' ours for him with a pretty magnet. Here's a pic of the ones I did for this trip ... one for each of our two cabin doors. They'll be a nice little keepsake afterwards, too. This is just one of several designs available for personalization in my Zazzle Gallery. (There's buttons and shirts, hats, bags, and other things, too)

Well - time to get in gear... first, breakfast at our favorite pre-cruise spot - The Sunrise Diner. So, now IT BEGINS.

Caribbean Cruising Cruise Gear

Caribbean Cruising

Cruise Gear & Gifts

by

Cruise Ready on Zazzle

If you love Cruising the Caribbean, you're sure to like this new line of persosnalizable "Caribbean Cruising" cruise gear from Cruise Ready on Zazzle. Shown above are the magnets and buttons ready for you to customize with your name, and cruise information. Both come in either round or square. -OR- if you're a TA, take advantage of bulk pricing, and customize with your agency and contact information instead - they would make great advertising give aways!

Two more products in the line include tote bags you can put your name on (with several styles of totes to choose from), and coordinating Tropical Isle keds deck shoes.

There are mpre Caribbean Cruising Cruise Gear amd Gifts, too - including a hat, stickers, a mousepad, and mugs. See them all, along with other cruise geag and cruise themed gifts at Cruise Ready on Zazzle.