St. Maarten: Terra Firma At Last

After six and a half days of seeing nothing but ocean, we were ready for a change of scenery. Our first taste of the Caribbean was St. Maarten, and we couldn't wait to get off the ship and enjoy a little time on land.

St. Maarten is a small island in the northeastern Caribbean, but it has a rather interesting distinction. It is shared by two countries, with the Dutch side known as Sint Maarten and the French side called Saint-Martin. There is no formal border separating the two, so you can travel between them without even realizing you've crossed from one country into another. The island is known for its beautiful beaches, clear turquoise water, and its mix of Caribbean, French and Dutch influences. 

Our ship arrived in port at 7 a.m., and by 8:30 John and I, along with our friends, were off the boat and heading to the beach. After days of looking out at an endless stretch of blue, the thought of spending the morning by the water was just what we needed.

We found beach chairs under umbrellas, settled in, and before long we were in the water. It was glorious! The warm Caribbean sea, the sand beneath our feet, and the sunshine made for a pretty wonderful welcome to the islands.

We spent the morning swimming, relaxing on our chairs, and watching a sea turtle swim by.There was no sightseeing schedule to follow and no list of things we needed to see. We were happy right where we were.

Our time on the island was all too short. We had to be back on board by 1:30 p.m., with the ship scheduled to depart at 2 p.m. so we could make it to our next port of call. It always seems a shame to leave somewhere just as you're getting comfortable. That's part of travelling by cruise ship I don’t like. You get a little taste of a place before it's time to move on.

Our first Caribbean stop may have lasted only a few hours, but it was exactly what we wanted after our days at sea. A beautiful beach, warm water, good company, and sand between our toes.

Short, but very sweet, indeed.