Part 5

This week, we’ll explore the 5 ports where we stopped on the 2nd cruise. We only got off the ship for 3 of them, but the view from the ship for the other two was pretty interesting too.

Our first stop was the fabulous island of Tortola, where we had been on 2 previous cruises, but it had been a long time since we’d been back. We took a snorkel excursion to Norman Island and Peter Island, and here’s the description from Celebrity:

“Experience the British Virgin Island's premier snorkeling at a small island south of Tortola. Norman Island is the source of many pirate legends and was inspiration for "Treasure Island." Explore underwater wonders - and maybe find pirate loot as well as colorful marine life - in its caves. At a second snorkeling site, gently paddle in shallow water or simply enjoy a swim. Total snorkeling time is about 1.5 hours between the two locations.

Highlights

Listen to Norman Island’s pirate lore and legends and see the location that inspired “Treasure Island.”
Enjoy a scenic boat ride to Norman Island, one of the British Virgin Island’s premier snorkeling destinations.
Discover a unique world teeming with marine life at the Caves at Norman Island.

All participants must be competent swimmers and must have snorkeled within the last 12 months.”

The caves were just amazing and this snorkel trip was one of the best organized I’ve been on. We had an hour at Norman Island and another hour at Peter’s Island, owned by Amway! There wasn’t much to see in the water compared to the prior stop, but it was lovely and calm and a really good time. They served Painkiller cocktails on the way back to the pier which were great. I will say that snorkelling inside a cave is pretty scary, but amazing. I’m so glad I did it and glad that Steve took some pictures.

The next day we stopped at our favourite island -Antigua. Having been there many times before, we booked through Shem Johnson who we met in 2025 – he took us across the island to Catherine’s Café, which I found online when I looked for a place to have lunch and for me to go swimming and/or snorkeling- it can be found along Antigua’s southern peninsula at stunning Pigeon Point Beach. “This beloved gem is tucked into the corner of sailor’s paradise, English Harbour. Established in 2006, it became a Rocks Group Restaurant in 2017, now alongside Sheer Rocks & Rokuni.The French-inspired beachfront venue offers modern, healthy, and stylish menus that are created around the native produce from local famers, which a focus on fresh seafood. Catherine’s Café is surrounded by lush greenery and mesmerising neem trees, providing an idyllic backdrop for long daytime lunches or refined & relaxed dinners by the sea.Luxurious daybeds are sprawled across the sand, with a popular beach menu, designed for sharing. Sit back with a rosé in hand and enjoy Catherine’s sun dappled setting.”

The view of the harbour from the restaurant was gorgeous, the food and drink were delicious, yet super expensive, but the day was a real treat, so we didn’t mind. The service wasn’t wonderful, but I had read about it online beforehand, and it was better than expected. There was something really exciting about having lunch by the water, then walking right in for a swim.

Our next stop was Barbados – there were no interesting excursions to us for this port, so we slept in, had a late breakfast, and caught up on work in our room while watching all the activity at the shipping terminal outside our side of the ship. This may sound boring to some, but being operations and logistics types, we had a great time watching all the trucks load up on platforms and trying to figure out the system. The pictures also show that the view of the port from the ship is not always palm trees and beaches. (actually, it very rarely is)

The next day we went to St. Lucia and went out on our last snorkel trip. Here’s the description: “Your snorkel adventure begins by boarding a power boat or catamaran for your cruise along the West Coast. Gear up and get ready as you snorkel at one of the Snorkel Marine Reserve - "Cinderella Shoe" after the boat ties up to the mooring. Marvel at the underwater life of coral reefs and tropical fish. After snorkeling spend time swimming then return to the boat where refreshments await. Cruise back up to the coast to the ship. Explore underwater nooks teeming with star fish, sea urchins, and octopus before enjoying cool refreshments on your return sail.” It was a fun snorkel and another beautiful warm day.

Our final stop was the island of St. Kitts – we had booked another excursion, but we decided to skip it as we were both tired. It was a good day to explore the ship and also to sit out on our balcony and relax.