St. Thomas - Day 8

Pulling into St. Thomas is always beautiful. This sunrise was no exception.

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Williams)

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Williams)

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Williams)

We had another early morning - had to make the most of our last day! We went upstairs for breakfast at the cafe, grabbed our stuff and we were deboarding when the ship docked. Our taxi met us right outside security with a sign. That's how it's done!! It was about a half hour drive to Sapphire Beach Marina, where the boat was docked. And it was a beautiful drive. Honestly, I was surprised. So far what I had seen of St. Thomas I had not been impressed with. The first time we came here we shopped in the morning and had a not so great excursion to Buck Island in the afternoon. Last year we went to Coki Beach. Coki Beach is a decent beach with decent snorkeling but it's in a rough area. The rest of what I had seen looks like home, It doesn't look like an island. The views we were treated to today were incredible. Today I finally fell in love with St. Thomas.

Dropped off at the marina the rest of the gang was already there waiting for us. The boat was beautiful. It's 55 years old and meticulously kept. Captain Rick and Deb made up the crew. They could not have been better. Both were extremely personable, loved what they were doing and went out of their way to make sure their passengers had their best day ever. We sure did. 

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Williams)

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Williams)

The others on board was a group from Missouri. Mom & step-dad, son & wife, best friend & wife. Larry was the son. Larry was a funny dude. He was throwing down some Bud Light like it was candy. Every time Deb walked past him he was ready for another one. Just about everything that came out of his mouth made us LOL. He was the epitome of a good old southern boy. I used the word boy loosely. Larry was a big dude. A big teddy bear. We motored out until we hit some wind and they started putting the sails up. They had put all of our bags underneath, had us stuff loose things in pockets and told us to hold on. When the wind hit the sails we started heeling over. Holy crap, what fun that was!!! Larry was laughing his butt off at us because we were the first ones to be able to touch the water. When the tables turned on him it was hilarious!! He was terrified he was going overboard at first. Smh. That boy ain't right. He made that trip. The thing is, he's a really nice guy. He's just a simple, honest, down to earth guy. We accepted him without judgment and just enjoyed him. He appreciated that. 

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Williams)

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Williams)

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Williams)

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Williams)

It felt so good to sail. It's just so peaceful. Our first stop was Honeymoon Beach, St. John. See? We did go to St. John. Jim even swam to the beach and stood on it. So he's really been to St. John. The water felt amazing. It felt quite a bit warmer than Barbados. God it's such a gorgeous shade of turquoise, it's just hard to describe. But I can still see it in my head. The snorkeling was really nice, especially by the small reef was swam to. While we were in the water Deb was busy getting our lunch together. Rick's wife does most of the cooking but Rick said he was up early cooking the chicken this morning. All of it was delicious, and the presentation was beautiful. Deb picks the flowers on her way to the marina in the morning.

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Williams)

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Williams)

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Williams)

After lunch we sailed to our next spot, Christmas Cove, St. Thomas. The sailing in itself is just so peaceful and relaxing. No more heeling, much to our disappointment. When we anchored, Deb showed us where the turtles usually are and the reef we'd swim out to. She said she would be in the water with us so we could go as a group and she could point out different things we may otherwise miss. The water, again, was incredible. I know I keep saying it but it's true. I don't think I'd ever get tired of those views. Deb said swimming the reef was like swimming in an aquarium. Boy was she right. Wow. That was the best snorkeling we've ever done. It was amazing!! We had to have been out there for a good hour and it flew. You're in a whole different world under there. My camera wasn't working and the pictures just don't do this place justice.

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Williams)

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Williams)

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Williams)

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Williams)

None of us were ready to leave this spot but we had to be back on the ship by 4:30 and Rick was trying to get us back to the marina by 3:30 to ensure we had plenty of time for the half hour drive back. It was a sad sight to see the marina in the distance. None of us were ready for this day to end. We'd been admiring Deb's long sleeve Nightwind t-shirt and we happy when Rick said they had some for sale. He only had long sleeves in extra large sizes so we ended up with short sleeves but that's ok.

The taxi ride back to the ship was an experience. It was almost like the St. Lucia ride all over again. This guy (never did get his name) was not a smooth driver. He hit the brakes hard and punched the gas the same way. Add that to the curves and speed ... well let's just say it wasn't a good combination for me. I think part of the reason he was driving so aggressively was to make sure we got back in time, but honestly, I'm not sure he didn't drive that way all the time! Bob and I were in the far back seat (there were three bench seats behind the front seats) and my stomach did not enjoy this ride. I swear if it had been ten minutes longer I may not have recovered. The funniest part of that ride was the speed bump that apparently our driver didn’t see. He went over that thing so fast that Bob and I both went airborne in that back seat. You should’ve seen our faces when we looked at each other. I’m sure our expressions were about the same as finding out we weren’t on St. John. The only difference in being airborne, though, is that I had a lot more room to fly than Bob did. LOL His big ole head made a dent in the roof of that van. It will forever have Bob’s mark on it. I laughed until I couldn’t breathe. It was priceless!! And you know when I get that tickled, everybody is laughing. Bob wanted to go to the sauna. It was all I could do to get back to the cabin. I don't usually get motion sickness but this guy rocked my world - and not in a good way.

We went upstairs to the cafe so I could make some iced mint tea in hopes that would settle my stomach quickly. Between some water, the tea and a piece of pizza I was starting to feel better. Regina had mentioned trying the thermal pool (for whatever reason we hadn't been in there before). That sounded like something I could tolerate (the steam room just wasn't happening for me this afternoon) so we suited up and headed that way. (Thalassotherapy. A mineral rich warm pool with hydrotherapy jets to stimulate and tone tired aching muscles. Excellent for treating cellulite, arthritis and general muscular and joint aches and pains.) When we got there, Regina was in the hot tub soaking it up. The water in the pool felt wonderful - it was warm but not hot. There were curved pipes the release bubbles for lounging. There is also a tall spigot on each corner of the pool for massaging sore muscles. Each one varies a bit in the intensity. I revelled in standing under the strongest one, letting it pound on my neck and shoulders. It felt wonderful! Where the hell have we been for three whole cruises on this ship that we've never tried this pool before? I do not know. But I do know I won't let another one go by without spending time here. Between the pool, the massage spigots and the hot tub? Limp dishrag. Just sayin'.

So after an incredible day in the sun on the water, a challenging ride back to the ship (at least for my stomach - I've learned my lesson on riding in the far back seat), and now lounging in a spa pool, we have to shower and get dressed for our final dinner. (I know, that was a long sentence.) Moving fast was really not an option. Plus I think we were dragging it out a bit. It wasn't my favorite meal in Blu but that really didn't matter. Luis (sommelier) came over to hook us up with his usual smile and wonderful personality. Those are the ones you really remember. Cari asked if he was still there - she and Matt loved him too. There were only two at the table who had packed the first item, DE and Sarah. Show offs. The rest of us dragged our feet back to our cabins like we were going to our executions. It's been such a magical week and it has flown by so fast, almost like we've just blinked and it's over. Hands down, the best one of the three we've done so far. It wasn't the islands. It wasn't the blue skies and turquoise water. It wasn't the best snorkeling we've ever done. It was the people. We just had a ball hanging out with great friends. I haven't laughed this hard, this much in a week since ... well, ever. Thanks guys for taking this trip with us. We really did have the time of our lives.