Catamaran Cruises & a turtle or two!
The teardrop-shaped island of Barbados has been welcoming visitors to its shores for many years and I have been fortunate to holiday in Barbados twice with my family. On our previous visit we enjoyed a sunset catamaran cruise. Just one hour longer than the evening cruise, we decided to try the lunch cruise on our recent holiday.
We were picked up from our accommodation in St Lawrence Gap at 8.45 and, once we arrived in Bridgetown at the cruise ship terminal, we were awake and ready to enjoy our day on the ocean.
The crew gave us a short safety briefing and we set sail for our first snorkel of the day. We didn't have to venture too far as Carlisle Bay is close to Bridgetown. Being home to several shipwrecks, this is a great location to see marine life. Snorkels and masks adjusted we entered the water where we were rewarded with seeing turtles swimming in the clear crystal waters of this crescent-shaped bay. We went on to explore a shipwreck where you can see schools of tropical fish - there is a spectacular world of underwater life to be discovered.
Once back on board we were presented with some homemade cake and a drink from the open bar. We continued to sail up the west coast of the island enjoying the gentle pace of the catamaran and the warmth of the Caribbean sun. After a while, we anchored up and here you could cool down with a refreshing swim or you could choose to jump off the side of the catamaran if you wish. The water is so clear I just had to give this a try! A delicious buffet lunch was served with flying fish, fried chicken and lots more!
We made friends with Mark, one of the crew members, and he invited my daughter's boyfriend to help raise the sails. Apparently, this is a lot harder than it looks! He made us feel so welcome and created his own cocktail just for us - sadly he wouldn't divulge the recipe. In fact, the whole crew were a very friendly, sociable bunch and enjoyed joking around and making sure everyone had a fun time - especially when we returned to the terminal dancing away on the top deck. Fun for everyone!