Windjammer_Polynesia_Jul95
From: kbarnes@utdallas.edu
Hey Mon! I'm back, albeit very reluctantly!!! I can describe my trip in one word WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Before I went on my Windjammer cruise to the West Indies I had done considerable research. I knew what to expect and knew I would have a good time. But... This was the best vacation I have ever had. My trip started out great even before I got to St. Martin. While in line at the check-in counter in Miami, Debbie and I met Sam, Tracy and Jack, all from LA. We struck up a great friendship right there. Monica the activities director met us at the airport. She is great and we all loved her, and she is really cute too (for all you single guys) We couldn't get on the ship until five so she suggested we go to a bar called "Everything's Cool", relax and get in the Caribbean spirit. so several of us did just that. One really fun couple we met was from Austin so I'm sure we w ill see them again. As a matter of fact one of my favorite things about the cruise was the really interesting educated and fun people we met from all over the US and Canada. We went aboard the ship (NOT BOAT) at five and got our cabin assignments. Ours was 31, a great location, the cabins were small , but all we did was change and sleep there. Several people slept on deck at night and said it was great but I like a bed, so that is the one activity I didn't join in. I do have a tip for you, they conserve water so the shower faucet only stays on if you hold it on. The full length mirror is on the other side of the room from the electrical outlet. This made it hard to blow dry your hair and put on any make-up (it's a girl thing) so bring an extension cord. The dining room is nice and the food is great (I would have liked more chocolate desserts, but that just me). They feed you all the time. I would be in line for appetizers and the ever popular rum swizzles at 5:00 and I wasn't even hungry. There are two settings but you can sit with whom ever you like. The first night there was a band on board and I got to lead the conga line (I had already had rum swizzles and wine by then.) The first morning they ring the bells early to get you up for breakfast and the safety drill. We had tow people filming the entire cruise for a new Windjammer video and commercial, I tried my best to get into every shot :-) I will be available to autograph copies! The first time we set sail was a truly moving experience in more ways than one. We all took the lines (not ropes) to help raise the sails and after that fun voluntary chore was complete, they played Amazing Grace on all the speakers and boy is it beautiful. The second night on board we had the Crab races (similar to horse races). Monica, the ships activities director, drew a circle on the main deck and dumped about 10 crabs with numbers painted on their backs in the middle of the circle. The first crab to cross the outer line of the circle was the winner. I was really funny to see all of us passengers hunkered over the circle yelling at the crabs we had bet money on "come on baby faster mamma needs to pay for the cruise: HA! There were a series of qualifying races between which we all bet money. Monica was dressed as a crab just for the occasion. By the way my crab lost "boo hoo" I'll bet I had a better 4th of July than anyone else. We docked at Sandy Island (of the gold master card commercial fame) late in the day and I got ashore in time to get some awesome sunset pictures. A local band set up to play music all evening and we had a great beach barbecue. Combine the music and a great bar (take cash), and have a mango margarita. We danced in the sand under the stars and had a fantastic limbo contest (no I didn't wind but it's amazing how limber you get after a few drinks) The next night we docked at St. Barts (my favorite island) we had a wine & cheese party that night. We rented a car with Sam & Tracy to explore St. Barts. Fun, but scary (the French drive crazy). The shops close early so if you want to shop to it early. Shell beach is a great beach on St. Barts (and topless or course) and yes I did :-) One night we had the BLT party (black tie, lingerie, toga). Debbie and I did togas, but some of the guys wore their wives lingerie, was it funny or what. They also have a box of costumes you can use. We danced late into the night but a fin time was had by all. I got some great blackmail pictures and there were some good one of me too. One of the best experiences was when we night sailed. The first time we did that after the sails were up they turned out all the lights on deck and you should have heard all the oos and ahhs. There was a sea of stars, I had never seen so many stars in my life. When we were on Anguilla some of our group, unfortunately I wasn't among them, ran into David Letterman and got their pictures taken with him, boy I was envious. I got to steer the ship, be sure to do this, and several of us took turns crawling onto the widows net to have our picture taken. I was really nervous doing it, but I hadn't brought all those bathing suits for nothing. It is very casual on Windjammer cruises I ran around in shorts and swimsuits all week, and barefoot of course. All age ranges were aboard from 13 to 76, although I wouldn't recommend it for children, it really isn't geared for kids. Most of us aboard were in 30s, 40s 50s. The ship itself is gorgeous with all that wood and sails and you really get a feel for the blue/green Caribbean on this type of ship. No one got seasick just to be sure I took a pill the first day until I got my sea legs. There are plenty of mats to sit on top deck. The staff is GREAT. Debbie and I are already planning our next cruise. It was a magical experience and I highly recommend it for those who choose not to be bystanders in life but active participants!!!
Kay
Kay Barnes McDermott Library, UTD kbarnes@utdallas.edu