Cruisin’ in the Caribbean!

At Port Lucaya in the Grand Bahamas

We boarded our cruise ship, Discovery Sun, at 6 am the next morning at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. Since neither Llew nor I are too keen on cruises (we like to be in control of where we go and what we do while on vacation), we decided to try a day cruise to the Bahamas to see whether we were really “cruise people” and to find out what the Caribbean Islands were really like. We weren’t sure what to expect but in my mind’s eye, I saw the gorgeous lush landscape of Hawai’i and expected a replica of the South Pacific Islands in the West Indies. I was very much mistaken.

When we did coast into Freeport, the landscape showed gray boulders and skimpy tall pines. There was none of the abundant foliage that I had so loved about Hawai’i. We decided to reserve judgment, however, until we’d seen more of the Grand Bahamas. This, we discovered quickly enough, was a complete misnomer. The island is not grand in any way other than the fact that it is the largest of the group of islands that comprise the Bahamas! After two humongous meals on board (buffet breakfast and lunch that offered every opportunity to indulge) and some serious sun-bathing, we were ready for a dip and elected to take the Beach and Shopping Package that the Cruise Director recommended.

As soon as we disembarked from the ship, we found ourselves in an area that offered absolutely nothing to the visitor. It was necessary to rent a private taxi to get anywhere on the island. Since our package included transportation by air-conditioned vans, we were left stress free, but we did wonder at the fact that in 80 plus degree heat, the taxi drivers were dressed impeccably in long-sleeved shirts and ties!

About twenty minutes later, we were at Taino Beach where we settled into Taino by the Sea Beach Resort and tasted our first sips of the famous cocktail called The Bahama Mama. A really potent libation made with dark rum and fruit juices, we took our drinks in hand and walked out on to our private beach where we were struck by the purity of the white sands. In fact, the sand is so deceptively white that some of it was sold as sugar by unscrupulous dealers during World War II. The white sands were contrasted fiercely by the dark, smiling  faces of the hotel staff and the local people who were gracious and kind and very proud of their island. We enjoyed strolling along the pristine beach but when we dipped our toes tentatively in the water, we discovered that it was much too cold for our liking. This explained why there weren’t too many people frolicking in the waves though there were water scooters a-plenty and other fun ways to enjoy the ocean.

Strolling around our resort (left), we saw water slides and a beautiful kidney-shaped pool with floating mattress for sunbathers and pool-side service for swimmers. The hotel itself was a lovely tropical wooden building painted in bright island colors. Flower arrangements in the hotel featured exotic tropical flowers such as hibiscus and Birds of Paradise.

We did indulge in some sun-bathing and zipping around on a water scooter (left) but soon it was time to get into the “water-taxi” (below right), a large launch, organized by our day trip personnel that took us to Port Lucaya past a picturesque lighthouse and more snazzy resorts.

The Port Lucaya Straw Market consists of a cluster of duty-free shops that offer pricey indulgences in the form of watches and jewelery, perfumes and electronics—the sort of baubles you find at duty-free stores in airports.

However, the Straw Market (left) was by far the more interesting part of the shopping adventure for me, offering locally made handicrafts featuring shells and straw hats, gaily printed skirts and home furnishings such as tablecloths and cushion covers and other cheaper tourist trinkets. Interspersed among the shops were a number of restaurants offering Bahamian cuisine such as conch fritters and bars with every possible fruity libation. Shop fronts were gaily colored and decorated in “island style” characterized by strong geometric patterns.

There was a casino called the Isle of Capri for those looking to woo Lady Luck and a number of cafes and bodegas offering light refreshment. In keeping with its past British colonial heritage, there were red pillar telephone booths in Freeport and Lucaya (right). I was fascinated by the crisp accents of the vendors who spoke exactly as educated Indians in Bombay do—put this down too to the British legacy. Roads were beautifully paved and maintained and there was not a piece of paper tossed on the streets. I did not see the face of poverty anywhere on that sparsely populated island of 45, 000 souls. The people were not well-off, by any means, but they were not in want either. This was our little taste of the Caribbean and far from inducing us to return to the Islands, we think we’ve already had our fill of the West Indies.

Before we knew it, our day of exploration had ended and boarding the vans again, we returned dockside for our cruise back to the Florida mainland. This time, dinner served on board kept us sated as did a wonderful evening of entertainment featuring a Caribbean cabaret singer who did some wonderful soca songs and a hilarious stand-up comedian who kept us in splits. By the time we returned to Fort Lauderdale, after witnessing a spectacular sunset over the ocean, we were ready to call it a day.

Bon Voyage!