Castaway Catamaran Sail and Snorkel to Shipwreck Cove - St. Thomas

We knew that snorkeling was something we'd like to try during our Caribbean Cruise.  There are many choices for this, and we decided to go on the Castaway Girl, departing from Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands.  This ended up being an excellent choice!

You take about a 20 minute ride out to the cove for your snorkeling.  You should be aware, depending on the sea, it can be a rough ride, but not unpleasant.  Once there, you receive instructions on how to snorkel including safety information as well as how to enjoy yourself in the water.  All of the equipment you'll need is provided. 

Once in the water, your tour guide will take you around the cove explaining the different sea life you're seeing, which cannot be fully appreciated in just photos.  She also shows a shipwreck under water that she'll swim through.  This was definitely a very exhilarating tour that we'd recommend to others looking for a snorkeling trip in St. Thomas.  

After everyone got back on the boat, there was plenty of Rum Punch to go around (and other non-alcoholic drinks for kids).  Refills were unlimited and simple trail mix snacks were provided as well.

Mountain Top Downhill Rainforest Trek - Sint Maarten

Mountain Top Downhill Rainforest Trek in St. Maarten is a great excursion for those in good physical condition. Let me repeat that: only do this if you are in GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITION.

People on this excursion are taken to the top of Pic Paradis by bus and then a very bumpy ride by truck. The hike downhill from there is much easier than the hike uphill would have been, but some of the sections of the trail are steep, rocky, or both. However, the views from the top of the hill are worth the hike back down.

The trail has two sections, the first small section ends at a road for people who signed up and decide they can't handle the hike. From here, someone from Loterie Farm will come pick you up. However, beyond that, there is no turning back.

The area that you hike through was once a rainforest that was destroyed and turned into a sugar plantation. You'll hike past a slave-built rum distillery, see lots of critters (we saw lizard-type creatures both big and small) and tropical fruits and learn about the local flora.

This is a very cool excursion. It takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to hike down the mountain, and you will get sweaty. But the views and the history you'll learn about St. Maarten, and the ride to Loterie Farm and to the top of Pic Paradis makes everything worth it.

Disney Cruise Line: Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Disney Magic

A fantastic getaway, even for couples sans kiddos, is the Disney Cruise Line 7 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise. With three days at sea during your cruise and three ports of call, it's a great balance of time on board to enjoy all the ship itself has to offer as well as enjoying the best of the Caribbean.

We opted for a higher end room, on the Disney Magic stateroom level 5C - a standard size room on deck 5 with a veranda. The room was tight compared to a hotel room, but we didn't spend a ton of time in the room anyway. The veranda was our favorite area of the room. Of the time we spent in the room, more than half of the time was spent out there. We had room service deliver breakfast one morning and the attendant placed the tray right out on the veranda for us.

The other beauty of this room was the split bathrooms. I could be showering and getting ready for the day while in the other bathroom, you could use the toilet, brush your teeth, do your hair, etc. while the two bathrooms were small, having the two rooms and a sink in each room made getting ready in the morning a breeze!

On 7-night cruises, there is a formal night. On the Disney Cruise Line website it says the attire for the night, "formal wear for men: tuxedo or suit; for women: gown or dress." However, the degrees of formal for the evening is as varied as the people on the cruise. We did a formal cocktail dress and shirt and tie (above). Others did full suits, some women packed ball gowns and went to the on board salon to get their hair done. There is also a semi formal night where we did a similar style and some people wore less formal attire than that.

I also want to give some space to the onboard Vista Spa. The spa area is another adults only area on the ship and on the Magic the doors near the spa lead outdoors to the Quiet Cove pool, the adults only pool. We thoroughly enjoyed the Rainforest Room, which we purchased entrance to on the days we were at sea. Sauna rooms ranging from hot to cool as well as very unique lounge chairs that heat up. This room is incredibly relaxing (so much so that people would fall asleep in those lounge chairs!). This is definitely a must-do for adults who want to relax but don't really want to spend the big bucks on massages and facials on board.