2010-24 Princess Cays, Bahamas
Hello All,
Out of St. Thomas we took a north westerly course across the Caribbean Sea towards Princess Cays. Our passage took us through the night and the following day and night. We passed north of Puerto Rico, the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Princess Cays (pronounced Keys) is located in the Bahamas, on the southern tip of the Island of Eleuthera, which was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492. Often it is described as the most beautiful and scenic of the islands of the Bahamas. Eleuthera is 100 miles long and averages 2 miles wide. It is mostly a flat coral and limestone island, graced with gentle rolling hills with miles of deserted white sand beaches and mangrove trees. And, it is surrounded by clear, turquoise waters, while being blessed with a warm tropical climate with little seasonal variation. The winter temperatures reach about 75 degrees Fahrenheit and summers are 80-85 degrees.
In the early 90’s Princess Cruise Line purchased and developed the beautiful 40-acre island resort. This private resort is a port-of-call on many of their Caribbean cruises. Coral reefs surround the island forcing cruise ships to anchor offshore. Guests arrive via tenders from their ship. We dropped anchor about two miles offshore and then boarded a tender for the short trip to the island’s “Love Boat” marina. We were greeted with large spreads of fresh tropical fruit for our enjoyment and a calypso band playing reggae and calypso music--it really sets the mood of being in a tropical paradise!
Choices were many at the resort. We could go swimming, kayaking, banana boating, paddle boating, water skiing, snorkeling, parasailing, sail boating, or wave running. There are also volleyball and basketball courts for the more active folks. Or, you can just sit back and soak up the sun while taking in the awe inspiring tropical beauty of the area and listening to relaxing music--it was truly spectacular!
Many structures have been built at the resort and are linked by paved walkways. These include but are not limited to an information kiosk, first-aid station, equipment rental kiosks, water sports center, souvenir shops, a fully-supervised playground where children can have fun all day long, an observation tower you can climb for panoramic views, bars and dining areas, all affording vistas of the beach and the sea. Princess really has its act together.
Out of St. Thomas we took a north westerly course across the Caribbean Sea towards Princess Cays. Our passage took us through the night and the following day and night. We passed north of Puerto Rico, the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Princess Cays (pronounced Keys) is located in the Bahamas, on the southern tip of the Island of Eleuthera, which was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492. Often it is described as the most beautiful and scenic of the islands of the Bahamas. Eleuthera is 100 miles long and averages 2 miles wide. It is mostly a flat coral and limestone island, graced with gentle rolling hills with miles of deserted white sand beaches and mangrove trees. And, it is surrounded by clear, turquoise waters, while being blessed with a warm tropical climate with little seasonal variation. The winter temperatures reach about 75 degrees Fahrenheit and summers are 80-85 degrees.
In the early 90’s Princess Cruise Line purchased and developed the beautiful 40-acre island resort. This private resort is a port-of-call on many of their Caribbean cruises. Coral reefs surround the island forcing cruise ships to anchor offshore. Guests arrive via tenders from their ship. We dropped anchor about two miles offshore and then boarded a tender for the short trip to the island’s “Love Boat” marina. We were greeted with large spreads of fresh tropical fruit for our enjoyment and a calypso band playing reggae and calypso music--it really sets the mood of being in a tropical paradise!
Choices were many at the resort. We could go swimming, kayaking, banana boating, paddle boating, water skiing, snorkeling, parasailing, sail boating, or wave running. There are also volleyball and basketball courts for the more active folks. Or, you can just sit back and soak up the sun while taking in the awe inspiring tropical beauty of the area and listening to relaxing music--it was truly spectacular!
Many structures have been built at the resort and are linked by paved walkways. These include but are not limited to an information kiosk, first-aid station, equipment rental kiosks, water sports center, souvenir shops, a fully-supervised playground where children can have fun all day long, an observation tower you can climb for panoramic views, bars and dining areas, all affording vistas of the beach and the sea. Princess really has its act together.
Once guests are docked, they
are able to enjoy the various activities that are offered throughout the island
or just lay back and relax the day away. The ship’s staff had lunch sizzling
away on huge barbeques. We strolled around for a while checking everything out
and snapping photos of the colorful beach scenes.
Talk about a master at
work! This young man is one of the chefs
from our ship. He could make a watermelon look amazingly beautiful--what a
talented artist!
Here’s a barefoot shopper
checking out some local baskets, shells, and handicrafts that were available.
Palm trees, bougainvillea, and
other plants indigenous to the area further enhance the atmosphere. We found
this flower quite lovely. The pink buds blossomed into bright red flowers.
Don’t have a clue what it is. The bush wasn’t thorny like a bougainvillea.
If you want to just relax and
enjoy the beauty of the island you can find a shaded hammock under the palm
trees or a beach chair on the sand.
The beach chairs and umbrellas are free to use.
You could also rent a bungalow for the day. Small groups of passengers from our
ship were making good use of these small colorful huts.
The mixologists were busy
making a host of tropical drinks at several open-air bars.
If you are into snorkeling
with schools of tropical fish this would be the place. There was even a shallow
area for newbie’s to get used to their gear before venturing out around the
coral reefs.
Unfortunately, all good things
must come to an end. At the end of the day we boarded a tender for the short
ride back to our ship.
Leaving Princess Cays we
sailed through the night and were berthed at Port Everglades shortly before
sunrise, completing our 3560 statute mile voyage. We saw a lot of beautiful
places and a few that weren’t as nice. The trip was so enjoyable that we put a
deposit down for our next adventure on a Princess Cruise. Now we just have to
figure out where and when we want to go.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns