St. Kitts - Mar 12

I missed out on the sunrise as I didn't get out of bed before 7 a.m. But, I did manage to be on Deck 16 forward when we sailed into port at Basseterre, St. Kitts.

First, though, we sailed past Nevis, the sister island of St. Kitts.

I've visited St. Kitt's a few times, but have yet to make a visit to Nevis. I'm sure there would be an excursion to one of the beaches on this small island. Maybe next time.

Early morning in the islands often feature clouds. I assume it must rain at night, because the clouds dissipate and the days are usually sunny and warm/hot. 

However on this day the rain fell on the ship too, sending those of us out on deck scurrying for cover.

After the rain had stopped I went back out on the deck. This bird had decided riding was better than flying and was hitching a ride.

It started to rain again as we were nearing our berth. The Aida Mar was alongside this day too.

My excursion wasn't scheduled until the afternoon, so I had a leisurely breakfast, by this time the rain had stopped, and wandered the ship for a bit. I should mention the server in the aft pool area, Lymon, remembered and brought my English Breakfast tea each morning after just two days of me making the request. 

About 10 a.m., I grabbed some cash, my phone, and ID (not passport) to go ashore. I found a local bar that had free WiFi and deciding it was 5 o'clock somewhere I enjoyed a local Carib beer. I checked in with D, caught up on the curling scores and the news. I was back onboard for lunch at the Salty Dog Grill. My excursion this day was a "Scenic Coastal Cruise" with an opportunity to snorkel. 

When I found my group, I met two women, sisters Sandy and Debbie from Virginia and Ohio. Debbie doesn't snorkel and when I learned that snorkeling would be happening in 15-20 feet of water, neither did I. If I had been able to walk/swim out from the shore, I would have tried, but leaping into water that deep is terrifying to me.

We spent about 30 minutes on the water, before we arrived at the snorkeling site

The shipwreck was out of the snorkeling zone, and the swimmers were advised to stay away from it.

There was no beach, just a rocky shore.

I don't recall if Captain Greg told us if the ship wrecked in this area or was swept in from another location by a hurricane.

I didn't take any photos of the people in the water for their privacy, but a number were back on the catamaran in a short time - a mouthful of salty water or salt water in their eyes were the common complaint. I was just as happy I hadn't gone in.

That didn't mean I missed out on seeing at least some of the fish. One of the crew tossed some food off the side of the catamaran and I was able to get a few photos as the fish gobbled it up!

We were back at the port by 4 p.m., and I was ready for a shower and a short nap. The solo meet-up at Adagio was at 6 p.m., after which I went to the main dining room for dinner. I was at a sharing table with a couple from the Cruise Critic group and three other Canadian couples. That is an incredibly rare occurrence as there are far more Americans than Canadians on the ship. 

Despite the early morning rain, the rest of the day was hot and humid, and still unused to the temperatures, I was ready for an early night. This would become a habit throughout the cruise, as I headed back to my stateroom, watched some television (old episodes of some of my favorite programs were available) and read before turning in for the night. 

Next up - Guadaloupe