This is a short account of the second leg of a back-to-back Caribbean cruise on the Dawn Princess (Ref 1). The first voyage (Ref 2) was a counterclockwise circuit of the eastern Caribbean while the second voyage is clockwise through roughly the same area but stopping almost entirely at different ports.

The port selection of this second voyage is quite interesting as it combines a number of foreign influences in the Caribbean: St. Thomas - American influence; St. Kitts - British influence; Martinique - French influence; Isla de Margarita - Spanish influence and Curacao - Dutch influence.

Oct 28 - San Juan (Ref 3). Departure was at 2300 hours and was almost identical to the sailaway of the week before. Very restful with warm balmy air, a very nice night to go to sea. The balcony on the right or starboard side of the vessel seemed to be preferable to the other side for this particular cruise. In any event, the view of El Morro with its illumination combined with the background lights of the city was very pleasant.

Oct 29 - St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands (Ref 4). A second visit in three days was unusual but it was not unwelcome. Rather than head for St. John again, I joined a great number of my fellow passengers by taking a taxi a short distance north to Magen's Bay for some swimming. The beach has been highly rated but I consider it just another beach in the world of beaches. The bay is uncluttered and perhaps that is what attracts so many to its shores. It's proximity to Charlotte Amalie doesn't hurt either.

I spent some time getting a replacement receipt for a digital camera that I had purchased there years ago but was lost (read stolen) by FedEx recently. FedEx won't reimburse for lost goods without original receipts!

Oct 30 - St. Kitts (Ref 5). Previously called St. Christopher, St. Kitts was formerly a British possesion but has a French-named port, Basseterre. The small island has a southerly neighbor, the upstanding island of Nevis which is easily reached by ferry if one has the time. I chose to take a taxi around the island and found a most charming view to the north from Brimstone Hill Fortress along the northwest coast. It features the Dutch pyramidal islands of St. Eustatius and behind it an almost similarly shaped island called Saba.

Oct 31 - Martinique (Ref 6). French-owned Martinique is a somewhat more attractive island than most as its residents enjoy a higher standard of living and this is reflected in its structures and shops. I took a ferry across the bay directly to the south to the lovely Meridien Hotel beach at Pointe du Bout where the swimming was quite pleasant.

Nov 1 - Isla de Margarita, Venezuela (Ref 7). The island of Margarita is a popular resort for Venezuelans and residents of neighboring countries of South America. The ship moored in Guamache which is no more than a port terminal at the end of a small peninsula some fifteen miles from the urban resort center of Porlamar to the northeast. The small beach near the terminal is pretty but extremely shallow so that most passengers only waded around up to their knees in water. I tried swimming on my back to get out to some deeper water but it did not work out too well.

We had only a half day in port but I tried taking a cab into Porlamar to get an idea of the resort area. Because of the limited time and the heavy traffic in the city, I managed only to see the seamy side of town and will have to go back at some future date to get a real appreciation of the place.

Nov 2 - Willemstad, Curacao (Ref 8). The island of Curacao is just 35 miles north of the South American continent. It is noted for its oil refining capabilities and I watched at least a dozen smokestacks puffing away at an incredible rate and wondering how a resort industry can live with that pollution. In any event, the entrance to Willemstad, the capital and chief port, is colorful with Dutch-styled buildings lining the channel that eventually leads through town to the oil tanks that are associated with the heavy tanker traffic. A swinging bridge, that works in tandem with a couple of ferry boats, permits foot traffic across the waterway between Otrabanda on the west and Punda on the east. A new cruise ship terminal has been created within the last few years just west of the north-south waterway.

A number of passengers headed for the rather small Seaquarium east of town with some associated swimming at just about the closest beach. I had been there on an earlier visit so I concentrated on exploring the town. Numerous casinos are probably the town's greatest claim to fame.

Nov 3 - Always to be enjoyed, a day at sea to wind down a bit and remotely think about packing for the inevitable ship departure on the morrow.

Nov 4 - Return to San Juan was very early, perhaps at 0500, and offloading started at approximately 0800.
I was up even earlier to see Mayaquez and the west side of Puerto Rico as we transited Mona Passage then head east along the north shore to San Juan.

After a leisurely breakfast I headed for the airport and a flight to Chicago. Fortunately, there were no large-scale political rallies as there were before the cruise when traffic was gridlocked for many hours at a stretch along the pier areas. To give you an idea as to how bad it was, I walked the three miles or so from old San Juan to my hotel at the Marriott in Condado and no car passed me during the entire walk!

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