VOYAGE WITH THE LAST “OCEAN LINER”
PART 3
During our trip, we visited 5 different island states on 5 separate days. It takes 3.5 days to go to the Caribbean from New York and 3.5 days to return. This is actually equal to the total duration of the 7-day UK-US Atlantic crossing. Or in other words, with this trip, you experience what it means to sail continuously without stopping, and you also experience a non-monotonous section between the islands, making a port every day. A cruise plan was made to sail between the islands at night and to reach another island early every morning.
The islands we visited during this trip were; St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Barbados, Dominica and the British Virgin Islands (Tortola), which are 5 Eastern Caribbean Islands. I will not go into detail about each island. However, if I have to say about the whole; they all have the same climate characteristics. You can encounter rain at any time of the day. We did too, but luckily we were always caught in sheltered areas. You can take precautions such as a thin and easy-to-carry raincoat with you.
Again, a nice point we found in common in all of them was that during the 5 days, we did not come across anyone aggressive, fighting, shouting or yelling on any of the 5 islands. On the contrary, we observed smiling people. We did not hear or come across any theft. We felt safe in some way in the places we walked on our own. We saw the joy of life on the faces of the students wearing school uniforms on almost all of the islands. We read in all the expressions of the guides how beautifully they presented the places they lived in, how beautifully they embraced their homeland and loved it.
While we barely experience the summer season above 40 degrees in our country, the hottest place here was Barbados, the southernmost island of our trip. The temperature did not exceed 30-32 degrees there either. Since the islands are generally similar to each other and since they do not have a very historical heritage (we are always open to archaeological good news), they generally have attractive areas and natural beauties. Parallel to this main theme, many daily tours called “excursions” are offered as packages. Since many industrial areas feed on this cycle, prices naturally increase and, the prices offered are perceived as high. However, you are picked up and taken to the most attractive places of the islands, the location you choose, and the address you choose, without much hassle. Arranging a taxi on your own here and going and coming back would be the peak of adventure, of course if you have the courage. After all, there is also not being able to catch the ship. This is the “bogeyman” side of the matter.
Almost all of these types of trips, or rather, away from home, for a long time, free from the internet, maybe it is not nice to say these things, but I must say that it is incredibly beautiful to have a detox period without the torture of daily news that depresses you every day, almost isolated from the toxic area of life. Your soul is cleansed. Anyway…
As we leave Tortola, the last port we visited, you are actually filled with sadness. You observe how many different beauties there are in this part of the planet, how people struggle to survive here, and how they live in harmony and peace with nature despite all this. Perhaps it was impressive to see them continue their daily lives despite everything, without forgetting that they are human, and how valuable the feeling of “respect” they show to each other is. When you leave that place, it is very likely that you will never see those places again, which is also the sad part of it. It is in the nature of humans to want beautiful things to never end.
The return journey has now begun and we are enjoying every moment to absorb all the enjoyable moments that will last for another 3.5 days. Since we will experience the opposite of the climate change we experienced when we arrived, we took advantage of the open air and areas as much as possible on the ship, especially on the first two days of our return. We expected to feel the effects of winter conditions as we approached New York. Finally, on the last day and last night, we were lucky enough to see that even the huge ship that I said was swaying like a lullaby, was swaying considerably. Although it did not affect me, my wife was naturally affected by these oscillations. I can say that it is useful to have pills for seasickness. Because at one point, the wind force reached 10.
Naturally, everything has a beginning and an end. 12 days later, at sunrise, our ship docks at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in New York.
What can I say, being on the Queen Mary 2, which I had dreamed of for years, spending 12 wonderful days, was very good for me. When I think about what was missing, I think it was the scene from Hollywood Movies where all the passengers line up on the deck and throw confetti during the departure from the port. What would happen if it was there? Environmental pollution. In that case, of course, let this much be missing.
I recommend such things, trips that appeal to the curious, of course, with many attractive alternative routes for those interested in this type of travel.
Especially Queen Mary 2.
While taking notes from this voyage in QM2 at that moment, we were not aware if again we might go with Queen Mary 2. But it happened again after 9 months later, also with our close friends together, in QM2. It was another dream to live such splendid moments with QM2. Maybe, I might write about this experience later.
Stay well.
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