Year 2 Day 280 – “Living the Dream”. Thursday, 2/02/2023. Day 12 of 14-night Wonder of the Seas Caribbean Cruise. Today we are in Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas.
We arrived at Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands this morning. This is the capital city of the US Virgin Islands. We opened our curtains to a bright beautiful day. The US Virgin Islands are situated 40 miles east from Puerto Rico. This beautiful area includes three main islands – St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John – as well as 60-odd cays.
English is the principal language. The best time to visit the US Virgin Islands is December-April. We stay on ships time, but the time here is one hour later. There is a huge yacht the KAOS docked. She was built in 2017 in the Netherlands. The Kaos has four decks and is the largest cruise ship ever built in the Netherlands. She has capacity for 34 guests and 41 crew and has 17 guest cabins and 23 crew cabins. The ship is owned by Nancy Walton Laurie who is the younger daughter of Bud Walton, the brother and business partner of Walmart founder Sam Walton. At Bud’s death, she and her sister Ann Walton Kroenke inherited a stake in Walmart now worth over $9 billion.
There is also a yacht transporter ship here in port. you can expect to pay between $3,000 to $15,000, minimum, to ship a boat over water. Shipping large yachts from one continent to another may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. I guess I have to stay with cruising it is more affordable.
Every morning we try to get a walk in. I found this today and totally agree. I try to walk for 45 minutes every day on a cruise and not on a cruise.
The first day of this cruise I scheduled a mani-pedi for the spa for 8am this morning. Such a relaxing nice experience. The price was $148.92 including 18% gratuity. The experience lasted two hours and was the middle tier mani-pedi with shellac manicure and regular polish pedicure. I always get a mani-pedi on Royal Caribbean cruises. They do the best job and never use a Dremel on your nails.
After my salon visit, we got off the ship and walked around for a while. This port has changed a lot and is much nicer than the last time we were here. The weather is perfect. The iguanas are loving sunning themselves on the rocks along the water. All the plants here are lush and green with chickens running through the bushes.
Remember to always say yes when someone offers to take your picture. Of course, always offer back.
There was some outside entertainment.
These little shuttles will take you into town for a fee.
This is where we sat and had lunch in the Windjammer. All the way in the back is a seating area. Looking out the window across the open space is the entrance to the Windjammer where the sinks are located. I noticed that the officers like to eat back here. It is quieter. Always look to see where the officers are eating and what they are eating. Remember this is their home. There is a beverage station close to this seating area.
Pulling in and out of this port is beautiful. Make sure you get outside and enjoy the scenery when pulling into or out of any port.
This afternoon I received this welcome email for our next cruise from MSC. Royal Caribbean only sends emails asking if you want to upgrade for more money. MSC is after your business Royal Caribbean. Such a nice letter: Dear Dolores, I am Captain Rossi Massimiliano* and I’ll be in command of MSC Meraviglia for your upcoming cruise. I’ve been working at sea since 1992 when I started as a cadet on tanker ships. Then after I obtained my masters’ licence several years later, I switched to cruises and became a Staff Captain in 2010. When MSC Cruises offered me an interview I leaped at the chance. Who wouldn’t – they are renowned as being the best in the sea-faring business. I was welcomed into the MSC family and was given my first command in 2019. It’s a fantastic position that fulfils my ambition to travel the world. And I share my dream job with likeminded people who are as passionate about sailing and looking after our passengers as I am. I doubt there’s a more friendlier welcoming company on earth. I’m forever grateful to have been given the opportunity to do what I’m good at as part of the MSC family. I’m proud to be your captain on your cruise, and together with my brilliant crew, we’ll make your cruise an experience of a lifetime that will be with you forever. MSC Meraviglia is truly a wonder, as the name translates in Italian. As the first in a new generation of ships, she really does take the cruising experience to another level with innovations such as spectacular Carousel at Sea shows and the 480-metre LED dome. There is such a variety of venues and activities on MSC Meraviglia. I would encourage you to take a look around now on our website, so once you are on board you will already be familiar with all the wonderful bars, restaurants and other incredible facilities. I also urge you to reserve them now, so you can make the most of your precious vacation time. While I and the other officers focus on your safety and security on board, your Hotel Director, Cruise Director, and Chief Engineer will look after your comfort, and entertainment, and provide you with excellent service. On behalf of all my crew, I would like to give you a special welcome as a Gold member of the MSC Voyagers Club. You are very special guests to us all and I do hope that we get the chance to meet. In the meantime, I hope you’re looking forward to your upcoming cruise. We can’t wait to welcome you on board soon. With warm wishes, Captain Massimiliano Rossi
Today’s product recommendation is for the Rev-A-Shelf. I love this for my pots, pans and lids. The one we recently installed is the 21 inches with a spot on the top shelf for the lids. We will also be installing a smaller one for baking dishes. These are awesome. https://amzn.to/3CzOwwq https://amzn.to/3ZcBuyq
To view the complete daily diary, click here: Living the Dream – Deestimes – Make every step of the journey count