Page 10 - Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens - October '19

Page 10, Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens
Cruising The Caribbean

By Don Kiselewski, MCC, of the shoppers’ world. It is no wonder, because there
D.S., Palm Beach Gardens is block after block of stores, approximately 70 percent
Travel Leaders concentrating on jewelry, perfume and other such goodies.
Living here in South And then there is the ever present T-shirt shop. Those
Florida has provided some grandkids have to get something.
unique travel opportunities. Further from here in South Florida are the islands
Perhaps the greatest of and attractions of the Southern or Lower Caribbean.
these is our proximity to Undoubtedly, these are the most interesting because
the world’s finest cruise they offer the greatest diversity of vacation experiences.
ports. The Port of Miami, From South Florida, these cruises are longer, typically 10
Port Everglades and Port to 14 days. First of all, the destinations in the Southern
Canaveral are the most Caribbean receive less than 10 percent of the visitors of the
widely used, and there are times when we have cruise ships other two areas. This sets them apart because they haven’t
(other than the gambling cruises) that call here at the Port been overrun with tourists. On any day of the week, one
of Palm Beach. It’s easy to drive to a port and hop on a ship might find up to a half dozen cruise ships in eastern and
to the Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean, without all western ports. These vessels have emptied their cargo of
the hassle of an airplane and transfer to get us there. fun-loving tourists onto their shores, which in contrast
The cruising community divides the Caribbean into Cruising the Caribbean some of the ports in the lower Caribbean may only have
three of the four compass points. These designations were a ship every other week or so. One need only look at a
established in the early days of cruising. Using Miami One point often overlooked in our speed-oriented world map to discover the obvious reason for this difference in
as the hub, ships sail basically in three directions: west, is the time it takes to sail to various ports of call that are tourist visitation. Simply stated, there are just a lot more
east and south. Sailing to the west, cruises typically visit incorporated into cruise itineraries. At speeds of 20 knots, places to visit in the Lower Caribbean.
ports in Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Belize and Mexico. To very few ports can be reached in a three-night cruise: The Cruises of the eastern portion of the Lower Caribbean
the east, typical ports reached on a seven-night cruise are Bahamas or the end of our Florida peninsula becomes the visit the Lesser Antilles, islands such as Dominica,
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and others close to that destination ports of call. Martinique, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada and Isla de
area. Therefore, everything south of the Eastern Caribbean Because of the close proximity of ports on a Western Margarita. Western destinations of the Southern Caribbean
is referred to as the Southern or Lower Caribbean. Often Caribbean cruise, there are usually more stops on the may include stops on the mainland of South America:
the location of the Bahamas and Bermuda are mistakenly itineraries. Unfortunately, with the exception of Jamaica, Caracas, Venezuela; Cartagena, Columbia; the ABC
identified as being located in the Caribbean. In fact, the which is mountainous, most of the other ports of call have islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaco); and ports in Costa
Bahamas are in the Atlantic Ocean and Bermuda is in the the same basic typography as we do here in South Florida Rica in Central America.
Sargasso Sea in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. (flat land, palm trees and sand beaches). Only the cultures The Panama Canal is a paramount attraction on a
of these ports differ, which is reason enough to take a Caribbean cruise. This work of man joined the two great
Western Caribbean cruise. oceans of the world. It is truly fascinating to just sit back
Plan on spending several days at sea when you sail to and watch as your ship navigates the locks, and then is
the ports of the Eastern Caribbean. Again, because of the gently raised from level to level so that it can sail over the
speed of cruise ships, and the distances involved, it takes continental divide. It’s amazing how the canal operates
two nights to get to the ports. As a result, there are usually without a single water pump, relying simply on gravity.
only three ports of call on these seven-night Eastern Ships that sail the Caribbean are as varied as the cars
Caribbean cruises. These ports differ extensively from we drive. They vary from comfortable large vessels
those of the Western Caribbean. The terrains are typically that hold a large number of passengers to small sporty
more rugged, which greatly changes the splendor of the luxury models with just a few pampered guests. Some
visit. Oh, there are still plenty of palm trees and beaches, are designed for a port-oriented cruise experience, while
but there is another element added to the mix. The vistas others are a destination in and of themselves. The latter
from the hills and mountains that typically tower over provide enough activities that some passengers never get
these islands gives one a chance to appreciate nature’s off the ship at a port of call.
work in cutting small coves and bays around the islands The Caribbean Sea received its name from the warlike
The Panama Canal at the water’s edge, which are commonly accented with Carib Indians of South America. Their origin was believed to
small boats. Of course, one of the purposes of a vacation be the Orinoco River of South America, before spreading to the
cruise is relaxation, and the Eastern Caribbean allows just islands of the Caribbean. These Indians practiced cannibalism,
that with days at sea. and it was from the Spanish word for Carib that cannibal was
One cannot overlook one aspect of cruising in the derived. Luckily today, the Carib and all of the other peoples
Eastern Caribbean – shopping. For some reason unknown of the Caribbean are on very friendly terms with the cruising
to men, the magnetism of this part of the world draws population, from which they receive their greatest income.
shoppers, especially women. The Beretta of Charlotte
Amalie on the island of St. Thomas has become the mecca Cruising The Caribbean on page 11

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