Going Ashore - - Atlantis Submarine; Grand Cayman's Seven Mile Beach; and Photo Tour of Aruba

I have just returned from three delightful cruises in the Caribbean, all on Princess Cruises. Good weather, good food, nice people and excellent ships. Princess has done a great job in refurbishing the Grand Princess - - she is like a new ship. Crown Princess, I was very pleased to find, still has the sumptuous cosmopolitan atmosphere that I liked so much when she entered service. But the dark horse of the group was Island Princess, a unique blend of Princess’ Sun and Grand classes that was designed to do some unique cruises. If you are looking for something beyond the standard Caribbean itineraries, take a look at Island Princess. But more about these ships in coming weeks.




This week, Beyondships focuses on going ashore. First, we have a new article about cruising on the Atlantis submarines. These subs are submarines with windows through which the passengers can look out at the undersea world. I found it to be an exciting experience as we cruised through the coral heads and in amongst the sea creatures. Atlantis has subs based in several of the most popular Caribbean ports of call and the cruise ships often offer dives on the subs as a shore excursion. The article is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-article---undersea-cruising-on-the-atlantis-submarine.html



The second article is about Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. Seven Mile is a long (actually only about five and a half miles) crescent of white sand bordered by beautiful turquoise waters. It has received much praise and so is a popular attraction on Grand Cayman. The article relates my experience going independently to Seven Mile. It is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-article---a-walk-to-seven-mile-beach.html As with the Atlantis submarine article, this article is illustrated with photos.



In addition, the Beyondships cruise destination photo guide to Aruba has been updated and expanded. New additions include the Butterfly Farm, the Ayo Rock Formation and the Aloe Factory as well as some new photos of the beaches. It begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-Aruba.html



On a more somber note, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the fire that destroyed the ocean liner Normandie. She was perhaps the most beautiful liner of all time and was capable of traveling at sustained speeds that none of today’s ships can match. Her demise was not only a loss to the shipping world but a tragic loss to the Allies in World War II as the fire took place as she was being converted to a troopship. To mark the anniversary, I have re-published a short piece that I wrote about the fire several years ago. It is at http://www.beyondships2.com/cruise-article---the-demise-of-the-normandie.html

Cruising to Grand Cayman/ Constellation Specialty Restaurant Review

This week, we look at one of the ports of call that cruise ships visit, Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. The focus of Beyondships is ships but the ports are part of the cruise experience. Indeed, I am told that some people even come on the ships to travel to the ports. Accordingly, I have attempted to put together some information about the ports and some links along with photos of some of the things that one can do while visiting the port. Consistent with the focus of this website, these profiles are written from a cruise traveler’s perspective.

Grand Cayman is a thriving cruise port. Ships like to stop there because it is in a good geographic location in that it is centrally located in the Western Caribbean. Guests like it primarily for its beaches, opportunities for snorkeling and diving as well as for the shopping. Also, because Grand Cayman is a world financial center, the island is more prosperous and has lower crime rate than many Caribbean ports.

One fact that underscores the attractiveness of Grand Cayman is that there is no place for a modern cruise ship to dock. Consequently, even relatively small cruise ships have to anchor in the harbor and tender guests ashore in their lifeboats or on a commercial tender. Nonetheless, it is not surprising to see four or five ships calling at the port on the same day, which is delightful if one likes looking at ships.

The scenic beauty of the island lies primarily in and by the water. It is a coral-based island with little fresh water and so the interior of the island is flat and dry. Places by the shore such as its internationally famous Seven Mile Beach are delightful. In addition, the coral reefs around the island make for a fascinating undersea world.

Beyondships’ profile and photo tour of Grand Cayman is at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-GrandCayman.html

Also, I have added a review of the Ocean Liners Specialty Restaurant to the Celebrity Constellation section of Beyondships. The restaurant is a gracious fine dining venue and I have concentrated on the value-added by its professional serving staff. The review appears at http://www.beyondships.com/Celebrity-Constellation-review-OceanLiners.html