| Back-to-Back: Two cruises on the same ship, starting at the same port, are called back-to-back cruises. We did the Eastern Caribbean with an 8-day cruise and the Western with a 6-day cruise. We had booked the same cabin for the two cruises, so there was no packing and unpacking after the first part. The sea passes were delivered to our cabin the day before the last day. We were escorted by the 3rd purser off and on the ship after a short wait in the terminal. Everything went absolutely hasslefree, a quick check from the local customs, and back on the ship for the second cruise. It only took longer than usual because the Radiance had the comprehensive Coast Guard test with smoke, smoke removal, etc. going on that is done twice a year on every cruise ship. Key West was hot, really hot with a humidity of more than 90%. Ships in port: the HAL Veendam and the Carnival Celebration. We strolled around in the center of Key West and were glad to get back on the air-conditioned ship. The next stop was Cozumel. We docked next to the Freedom otS and the Carnival Fantasy off the center of Cozumel, where several other ships were docking: Oceania Regatta, Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Dream, Costa Magica, and in Playa del Carmen Celebrity Constellation. |
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| On Grand Cayman there were lots of people in the port, all ships had to tender to different spots close to the totally overcrowded city center. It was again hot, and with so many people and traffic it was almost impossible to cross the streets and to get into one of the stores. Freedom otS and Voyager otS, Costa Magica, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration anchored off the harbor. We had planned on booking a boat trip, but with so many people everywhere, we did not want to queue for a tour. The weather was again extremely hot, so we tendered back to the ship at noon and enjoyed the ship's amenities. After dinner we attended the production show "Piano Man" for the second time. It was interesting, because we noticed more details than with the first time-the excellent decoration, the wonderful costumes, and the professionalism of the singers and dancers. Montego Bay, Jamaica: The last port on our cruise, and for us also the last one on our ranking list. Mo-Bay is a total tourist trap. You can buy a bus round-ticket for $12 and you get a paper bracelet and a map with their so-called “Hot Spots”. So we took one of these buses to the last stop, “Doctor's Cave Beach”, where we were asked to pay $5 for visiting the beach, $5 for a beach chair, and $5 for a parasol, all in all $30 for the two of us. We decided to take the bus back to the next Hot Spot, because the beach was not worth paying $30 for 2 or 3 hours. The next Hot Spot was a bar, but we do not belong to those species who love to drink already in the morning, so we went to the next stop, the “City Center Mall”, a third-class shopping mall and also totally overcrowded. On our way back to the pier we passed the “Harbor Street Craft Market”, but this did not interest us either. Information for those who want to take a taxi: 1 hour for about $30, a tour to Dunn's River Falls about $100. Our conclusion These ports of the Western and Eastern Caribbean were so overcrowded that we had no fun leaving the ship and discovering the ports. On Antigua, we were able to avoid the crowds on an independent tour, but in every other port we did not experience any Caribbean feeling; I doubt that it was there at all. Someone who loves to visit the different beaches on these islands will have fun, on the beach or with water sports activities, and enjoy these itineraries. I believe that RCCL made the right decision to bring the two smaller ships “Azamara Quest” and “Azamara Journey” into play, with different itineraries and different, less crowded ports of call. A touch of expedition, and less mass tourism. |
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