After some buffet breakfast, I left the ship at 9:25. On the pier, they offered a shuttle to get to shore, because of the long walk. It was about 200 meters. Doesn’t get much more “cruising” than that, does it?
After 15 minutes walking back and forth, I felt that I had “seen” what needed to be seen in the nearby area. I wasn’t interested in taking a cab to Christiansted, which apparently was the main town on the island. I looked for a mug at the ordinary vendors in tents just outside the dock, but couldn’t find any to my liking.
I took off towards a beach, 2 km north. On the way, I got asked by two young men on scooters marked Police if I was interested in making a donation. I said no, and it felt quite strange. However, shortly after, a police car drove past the two guys, and they waved, so I guess it was sanctioned. Shortly after, I caught up with a woman walking alone, so I asked if she was heading for the beach, which she was. Contrary to me, she had checked out the beach that was close to the dock, but it was mostly rocks, not very swimming-friendly. Google told me last night that Rainbow Beach where the place to be, so we kept walking together and talking. Nice with some company. She was also cruising alone, but on the other ship.
It took about 25 minutes to reach the beach, and we thanked each other for the company and said goodbye. I found a spot on some rocks where I could store my stuff in sight and then jumped into the water. Went to grab my eReader and just sat in the water reading. Rather nice with a waterproof one, so I didn’t have to be too worried about it getting wet. Though since it has an open USB-C port, I kept it above water at all times. No need to take unnecessary risks.
I got a bit thirsty, so I got out of the water and went into the bar that they at the beach. I took a table at first, but I didn’t trust the plastic chairs, so I moved over to the bar that had sturdier stuff. I had a drink and they had wifi so I could read up on some news. Followed by a pulled pork sandwich (which looked very much like a burger). It was quite interesting to see the staff work in the bar. How they kept the line short, overheard each other, and could bring something while the other one handled payments and such. They seemed good at what they were doing! I finished my food and drinks, and then went back to the water for some more reading.
At 13:30, I packed my stuff and headed back to the town. When I came back, I took another run at the stores and tents. I found a small bucket marked with St Croix, which would have to do. It’s in cheap metal, so at least it isn’t as heavy as a porcelain mug.
I skipped the shuttle back to the ship as well and went up to the Solarium to watch the game between IK Sirius BK and Bollnäs GIF, currently number 1 and 2 in the league. A great game, even if it’s a bit hard to track the ball in bandy on a cellphone screen. The second half I spent in the pool while watching. It felt a bit surreal to sit in a pool, on a cruise ship in the Caribbean, watching a game that was played on ice outdoors. Sirius won by 9-6 and is still at the top of the table!
On the way back to the cabin, I passed by a bar and picked up a souvenir cup, a part of the soda package I bought. It can be refilled with soda at any bar on the boat.
I took a shower and then went down to the Tides Dining Room for a three-course meal. However, this time it took a lot longer to get a table. One of the staff tried to explain it to me, but I didn’t really get it. After 20 minutes, a couple of Canadian women and I were seated at tables beside each other. I tried to eat a bit slower than at the first dinner. Had onion soup as a starter, and it was quite hot, so no rush there. Tasty though! Followed up with a steak, which the ladies praised since they had it last night. And it was good! Finished off with a carrot cake, which was also really good.
During the dinner, they had some sort of celebration, and they told us some facts. There are 800 crew on this ship, 350 of them work with food and beverages. They come from 60 different countries, and “We get along better than the UN”, which brought down applause and cheers! Then all staff (and many of the guests) danced to Macarena.
After the dinner, I spent some time in the Safari Club reading and then took a lap on the deck outside, looking at the water in the dark. I love being in the water, but primarily when I can see the bottom. So the thought of falling overboard, especially in the dark, frightens a bit.
