Find Your Beach - The Baths

The Baths 

Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

Are you looking for a unique beach to enjoy during your vacation?  If so, The Baths, on the island of Virgin Gorda among the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean my be just the spot for you.

One of the most famous and popular beach areas in the Caribbean can be found here in the BVI.  Large volcanic boulders populate the sandy beaches, forming natural tidal pools, tunnels, arches and scenic grottoes that are open to the sea.    There's no other place quite like it on earth.  You'll want to spend hours there swimming, snorkeling, and exploring these amazing rock formations.   

Top of The Baths

If you are spending the day there, you'll want to head to the hill overlooking the beach area where you'll find the Top of the Baths Restaurant.  There is also a gift shop and lounge for you to explore while taking in the beauty of this area dotted with unique geometric shapes.

You'll enjoy a panoramic view of the British Virgin Islands from this vantage point.

Be sure to wear proper footwear for the hike to the beach.  Once arriving at the beach you will find some lockers that can be rented.  As you can see from the photo above, there are even some tight spaces that you can attempt to navigate along the way.

With the holidays approaching you might not be able to grab your swimsuit and head to the British Virgin Islands, so until you can go there in person ...  Enjoy your virtual tour of The Baths - Virgin Gorda (31 photos)

Castaway to Your Island Paradise

 Disney Cruise Line

Welcomes You to

Your Island Paradise

Castaway Cay

Hop on the island tram or set off on foot to explore the tropical paradise that awaits you as you leave your ship behind for the day. Follow in our footsteps or blaze your own trail.

Adventure is a Short Walk Away

Descending the gangway from the ship, you stop for a photo with one of your favorite characters and head along the pier to the entrance of Castaway Cay.   Along the way you get the full view of your ship laying there at anchor next to the pier.  It really looks a lot bigger from this vantage point.

It's not a long walk, so before you know it you have reached the entrance sign.   Our group split up at this point.  Part of us got on the tram and the rest started walking along the paved pathway.

For those that decide to walk, you will have the opportunity to get some iconic ship pictures from various vantage points.  You can see some of those pictures in our full Castaway Cay 2012 photo album on Facebook.

Your Private Paradise

Reserved exclusively for Guests on Disney Cruise Line Bahamian and Caribbean cruise vacations, Castaway Cay is Disney's private port-of-call paradise. On this island, enjoy tropical leisure activities, such as snorkeling, boating, swimming and sunbathing.

Adults Only Fun

As you can see on this map, there is plenty to do on the island.  Much like a Disney theme park, Castaway Cay is divided into various age-specific areas.

Our initial destination for our adventure was Serenity Bay which is reserved for guests 18 years of age and over. Here you'll find a private beach, umbrellas, lounge chairs of various types, and hammocks for you to camp out in for the day.  Refreshments and lunch are nearby, so you don't even have to leave the area for food or drink.

Getting to Serenity Bay

As mentioned earlier, our group split up when we got to the island, so those that took the tram waited for the rest of the group at Pelican Point. Families that want to spend the day together on the beach will most likely stay in this area of the island (more about that later).  

You are heading to the furthest point on the island.  To get there, you can continue walking or transfer to another tram to the "Kargo Handling" stop.  The beach is a short walk along the path from where the tram stops.

If you are seeking peace and quiet - you are now in Paradise

 More Adventure Awaits

There is so much to do here, that we will devote another blog post "Castaway Cay Things To See and Do" to share more details. As you play in the water or on the beach, you have a great view of Disney Dream which is waiting for you after your island adventure is completed.

Currency on Island - Ship Bucks

When you go to a beach, you don't want to worry about losing cash. Disney Cruise Line solves that problem by only accepting your ship cabin key for payment on the island.

There is free soda and water in fountain machines available in the dining areas. For those wanting adult beverages, you can find local bars or wait staff to assist you much like while onboard the ship in the pool area.

King's Wharf Bermuda

Time to turn the pages on your 2012 Extraordinary Vacations calendar...

This month we feature King's Wharf, Bermuda.  Sail from New York or Boston to this lovely island, whose pink-sand beaches are unlike any others in the Caribbean.  Norwegian Cruise Line offers several cruises to Bermuda.   We loved Bermuda, especially the friendly people.  We invite you to read more about Bermuda and consider that destination for your next Caribbean adventure.

Your NCL cruise will dock at King's Wharf, where you can explore beaches, golf courses, restaurants, shops and historic monuments at your leisure.  Or try out one of the many water sports offered in and around this gorgeous harbor.

After your day of exploring the island, return to your ship for a massage, dinner, relaxing by the pool, or enjoy the evening's entertainment.  Whether you want to dance the night away or simply relax, there's something for you to do either onboard or back onshore.   Your ship is your floating hotel for the week.

Swim With the Fishes

Our favorite excursion was Hartley's Helmet Dive.  The Hartley family invites you to join them on their famous "Undersea Walk".   Here you will don a helmet and and walk among the fishes as they swim up to greet you.   In fact, they might even do some tricks for you.

Read more about this underwater adventure in our blog post: 

NCL Dawn Bermuda - Hartley's Helmet Dive

There's lots of adventure that is reachable from your ship's berth in King's Wharf.  We sailed on Norwegian Dawn when we last visited Bermuda.   Here are some articles detailing our visit.

• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Glass Bottom Boat
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Aquarium

  

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• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Crystal & Fantasy Caves
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Nightlife
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Shopping
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Fort Hamilton
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Underwater Exploration Institute
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Night Snorkeling
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Maritime Museum
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Hartley's Helmet Dive

Dining and Entertainment on your NCL Ship

• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Freestyle Dining
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Evening Activities
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Sea Days
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - El Dorado Spa
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Disembarkation
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Garden Cafe & Other Dining
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Le Bistro French Restaurant
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Impressions Italian Restaurant
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Cagney's Steakhouse

• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Sail Away from NY
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Welcome Aboard
• NCL Dawn Bermuda - Pre-Cruise New York

Fun With Fishes in Bermuda

 

  HARTLEY'S UNDERSEA WALK BERMUDA

Yes folks, that's me in the picture above, displaying the latest fashion in underwater attire, along with one of my new friends, who  has come to visit.   What's that you ask, "Why am I smiling?" 

Those that know me are probably  amazed to see me in this picture at all. You see, I am a non-swimmer and have been afraid of water most of my life.

When we planned our activities for a recent cruise to Bermuda, I found out about Hartley's Helmet Diving and decided to learn more about it.    I first saw the shore excursion listed on the cruise line's website, and then did a search to take a look at Greg Hartley's page.

DO YOU LIKE SNORKELING

 As I mentioned, I'm not a swimmer, but in recent years have gone snorkeling.  We got our own snorkeling gear which included a mask, goggles, mini-fins, and a life-vest for me.  When I'm wearing the life-vest, I feel secure and  can even enter the water from a boat and snorkel.   Before getting our own equipment, the most I would do is walk into shallow water for a quick dip and then go back on the beach.

IF YOU LIKE SNORKELING YOU'LL LOVE
HARTLEY'S UNDERSEA WALK

Reading more about the Hartley's Helmet Diving experience, I decided to suggest the excursion to the rest of my family.  They are all swimmers and thought it was a good idea, so we booked it directly with the Hartleys.

Greg Hartley, one of his children, and another crew member got us loaded onto their boat and we headed to the dive spot.  After some paperwork and safety instructions, we were divided into small groups to await our turn.

Inspired by Jacques Cousteau?

The helmet pictured here looks like something inspired from Jacques Cousteau's equipment locker.  In some respects, Greg Hartely is very much like him, since he too is an undersea explorer, a photographer, an inventor of diving devices, and a writer.   This helmet is your life-line to the surface.   Notice the reflection of the rope in the helmet glass.

Not Just a Fun Walk With the Fishes

Now for the details of the dive ... A few divers at a time donned the helmets, and walked down the boat's ladder, one step at a time, until reaching the sea floor, 10 feet below the surface.   A rope marked the undersea path.  Air hoses connected the divers to the boat's air supply system.

Once the group had settled in on the sea floor, Greg got his underwater camera gear and took photos of those that purchased the photo package.   Before leaving the boat, each of those people had their own CD with stock photos,  individual, and group shots.

This was actually our second experience helmet diving.  Our other experience was in Tahiti.   Greg's undersea walk incorporates an educational element, making it more than just having fun with the fishes.   There is room for fun too as you can see.  Greg has trained these fish and they even did tricks for us.

Greg pointed out various fish and vegetation using a dive stick, which can be seen in the second photo above.   We took our own photos using disposable underwater cameras.   You could also use an underwater digital camera as long as it was good to a depth of at least 10 feet.    Our equipment was no where near the level of sophistication of Greg's, so purchased his photo package to preserve our memories.  We recommend you capture your sea exploration via his camera also.  Watch this video to learn more.




YouTube - Hartley's Helmet Diving, Bermuda review from LookBermuda.TV



For the legal minded, this by no means is an official endorsement of Hartley's Helmet Diving, nor are we being compensated by any means.   We simply had a very enjoyable time, and wanted to share our experience with you, so that you too can include this excursion in your cruise vacation if you so desire.

On our dive, there were people of all ages from young children to an elderly gentleman.  Some of the children were frightened, and Greg was great with them.   He got their siblings to assist in encouraging them to at least give it a try.  When they decided they had enough, he respected that.

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Bermuda is a wonderful cruise destination.   It is very easy to explore on your own using the public transportation, such as the ferry service and buses.  The locals recently have had an uprising about tourists overtaking the bus system, so you'll want to monitor that situation closely.

Cabo San Lucas Returning to Normal After Jimena

Cabo San Lucas

Escapes Hurricane Jimena

Hurricane Jimena had grown to almost category 5 as it beared down on the resort area of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Had the storm not weakened, very serious damage and loss of life might have occured. Fortunately, prayers were answered and this popular cruise destination was spared the wrath of Jimena.

Accoring to the Los Cabos Convention & Visitors Bureau hotels and other tourism services throughout the area have resumed normal operations. “While we were well prepared for the storm, we are obviously very relieved that Hurricane Jimena passed us by,” says Gonzalo Franyutti, President of the Los Cabos Convention & Visitors Bureau, “Now our guests can continue their vacations and enjoy our fine resorts and services without further concern.”

Cabo San Lucas is one of my favorite ports of call in the Mexican Riviera. The beautiful rock formations, such as Lands End pictured above, combined with blue skies and waters are the perfect sight for sore eyes. Several cruise lines include Cabo San Lucas as a port of call on one or more cruise itineraries.

If you like snorkeling, sun-bathing, swimming, kyaking, or simply strolling along a beach, then this destination will satisfy your needs. Catch a water taxi to Lovers Beach and pick your spot on the beach. If you like shopping, you can walk from the ship to the quaint stores along the port. There are plenty of local dining and drinking establishments nearby also if you just want to relax and do some people watching.

I invite you to explore Mexico on a cruise. Click for Itineraries.

Galapagos - Santa Cruz (Day 8 Afternoon)

Back onboard after our morning excursion, we had lunch which consisted of a Mexican buffet. Following lunch there was a video presentation about the Galapagos Islands in Discovery Lounge.

The afternoon activity that we chose was the zodiac ride to Dragon Hill where a wet landing was made. We landed on a small beach which offered access to two different snorkeling spots. I stayed on the beach and took pictures while my husband got into his wet suit for the last time and did some snorkeling.

The water was warm near the beach but as you made your way futher out towards sea, the temperature dropped considerably. This is due to the various currents that run through the Galapagos Islands.

The water was also pretty murky. My husband did manage to see a stingray, a white-tipped shark, and some other fish. The visibility wasn't the best, so he didn't stay in the water very long.

We all boarded the Zodiac for the return to the ship. Since this was the final snorkeling activity for the week, once we got back on deck, we took out our personal belongings from the bag and turned in our gear. It had served us well during the week.

Galapagos - Santiago (Day 8 Morning)

click images to enlarge

Day 8 (Friday, September 5th). Our day began as usual with breakfast in Darwin's Restaurant. The morning excursions began at 8 AM with a Wet landing at James Bay on Santiago Island. This was the high intensity activity. The medium intensity activity consisted of a short Zodiac ride and wet landing at James Bay.

Santiago Island is the fourth largest island found in the Archipelago. In the 1930s a group of people attempted to colonize this island. "The Enchanted Islands" was a book published in 1947 detailing their experiences on the island.

View our albums:  Galapagos - Santiago Island        Galapgos - Snorkeling (Santiago)


Both the high and low activities returned to the landing beach for swimming and snorkeling. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling well and decided to stay onboard the Xpedition. My husband went and had a marvelous time both on the Zodiac and snorkeling.

He joined another couple so that he didn't snorkel alone. It is always best to be with at least one other swimmer while in the water. The fish and other marine life were plentiful along the reef which was an easy swim from the beach.

The highlight for him was the sea turtle that swam right up to him while he was snorkeling. He got pictures of the sea turtle approaching and swimming away from him. At one point he also heard a bull (sea lion) nearby but by the time he turned, it was gone. Apparently he had gotten close enough to the sea lion and it let him know.

If you haven't snorkeled before don't worry. The various snorkeling activities that take place from the beaches are not hard. If you get tired, you can easily get back to an area where you can stand up and rest. I would stay away from the advanced snorkeling if you are a beginner. We have snorkeled quite a lot over the year, but I still consider myself to be a novice and was quite comfortable with the various snorkeling activities we did in the Galapagos.

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Additional Photos can be found on our Exotics Shutterfly page

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Galapagos - Bartolomé Island (Day 6)

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Day 6 (Wednesday, Sept. 3rd) continued with our afternoon activity. This day turned out to be be one I was waiting for all my life. It was the day that I saw penguins in the wild for the first time. I love penguins, but up until now, I'd only seen them in captivity or on the television or movie screen.

Bartolomé Island (Spanish: Isla Bartolomé) is a volcanic islet in the Galápagos Islands just off Isla San Salvador’s Sullivan Bay coast. The tiny islet of Isla Bartolome is among the younger of the Galapagos Islands. With a total land area of just 1.2 sq km, this island offers some of the most beautiful landscapes in the archipelago.



One of the most famous landmarks in the Galapagos can also be found here, Pinnacle Rock, which is among the most frequently photographed vistas of this volcanic island chain.

Shown recently in the Hollywood movie ‘Master & Commander’, this towering rock face is actually an eroded lava formation. Formed when magma was expelled from an underwater volcano; the sea cooled the hot lava, which then exploded, only to come together and form this huge rock made up of many thin layers of basalt. Pinnacle Rock is considered to be the emblem of the Galapagos to many, and is one of the most recognizable sites here.


Tourists can get off on the island opposite Pinnacle Rock and then proceed to climb a 600m trail to Isla Bartolome’s 114m high summit. From here one is treated to some truly stunning views of Sullivan Bay, Isla San Salvador (Santiago), Pinnacle Rock and Islas Daphne.

Though a pretty desolate island with mostly dried shrubbery like candelabra cacti and a few lava lizards running about, what makes this island so special besides Pinnacle Rock is the fact that out here, one can spot the ever playful Galapagos Penguins, which are the second smallest penguin species in the world. They are the only penguin to cross the Northern Hemisphere which means they live more north than any other warm weather penguin.

Found near Pinnacle Rock’s shore or swimming in the waters around the Rock, these penguins are a joy to watch as they can be found nowhere else on earth, especially in such warm climates.
Our afternoon activity was a Zodiac ride along the coast searching for penguins and enjoying the geological formations. We saw several penguins on shore and playing in the water just a short distance away from our Zodiac.

After cruising along the coast we made a wet landing on the beach. We proceeded to cross the Isthmus that separates the two beaches found on Bartolomé. The Blue-Footed Boobies were diving for food on the other side of the beach. It was an amazing site to watch them dive into the water.

Following the hike, we had time for swimming and snorkeling with the penguins, sea lions, and tropical fish. So far, this was the best day of our cruise yet.

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Galapagos - Bachas Beach (Santa Cruz)

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Day 6 (Wed. Sept 3rd) dawns and we are at the mid-point of our Galapagos cruise. We've seen sea lions, iguanas, blue-footed boobies, cormorants, and many other species of birds and local wildlife. We now turn our attention to the sea to get a closer look at the aquatic life.

Bachas Beach (Santa Cruz) is a beautiful beach located on the northern coast of Santa Cruz Island. The name "Las Bachas" comes from the poor English pronunciation of "barges". During the 1950's the WWII barges had broken their moorings and ran aground on the beach.

The morning activity that we chose was a wet landing on Bachas Beach. After a short hike, we had time to snorkel. Pacific Green Sea Turtles nest on the back beach area, so it was off limits. There were various types of tropical fish such as Yellow tailed Surgeon Fish, Parrot Fish, and the small Galapagos Damsel Fish.

We spent about 2 hours at the beach before returning the ship for lunch. View our Galapagos - Bachas Beach photo album.

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