Before we start today’s blog, I wanted to back things up a little to last night. We dined for the second time in “The Restaurant”, Silver Spirit’s eponymous dining room, and the desert was well worth writing about.
I don’t normally write about food, simply because I’m a miserable food critic. I’m hideously easy to please: some macaroni and cheese is as good as Foie Gras in my opinion. But the desert I had last evening – the Chocolate Mousse Bombe – was worthy of an award.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
Take a look at this image: if a picture is worth a thousand words, this image surely has to pack on the calories. Besides being visually appealing, it was as tasty as anything I’ve ever had.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
Afterwards, we took in the cast show – an Elton John tribute. The performers all did an excellent job of belting out the Rocket Man’s greatest hits on the somewhat undersized stage – the only real oddity on a ship that is as well thought out as Silver Spirit is. But by offering full-blown production numbers, Silversea essentially has all of the standard venues that mainstream cruisers like myself have come to expect, just on a scaled-down level.
Heck of a good morning: self-serve coffee and pastries in
the Panorama Lounge.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
Fresh coffee, the Silversea Way.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
The Panorama Lounge, all the way aft on Deck 9.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
Today, we’re docked here in Castries, St. Lucia – marking the first time Silver Spirit has called here this year. I was up at 5:30am to catch the beautiful sunrise as we approached the island, and to watch the docking procedures take place. One of the unexpectedly great things about this ship – if you’re a maritime nerd like I am – is that the bridge wings are exposed aboard Silver Spirit. That means you can watch and hear the entire process from the forward deck space on Deck 11.
The Captain and Staff Captain confer on final docking procedures.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
The Staff Captain and local pilot make their mooring selection.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
Meanwhile, the pool is warm, empty and inviting.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
Breakfast on the La Terrazza Terrace again.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
The capital of St. Lucia, Castries has been inhabited since the mid 1600’s when it was founded by the French – surprise, surprise. As with many Caribbean islands, you can guess what happened next: the British decided they’d had enough, and claimed St. Lucia as their own by storming the small fort that still stands at Pigeon Bay. Originally, it was known as Carenage, meaning ‘Safe Anchorage.’ Which may have surprised crew aboard two allied ships that were sunk here by German U-Boats during World War II.
It’s hard to imagine U-Boats lurking in the azure-blue seas. Today, Castries gives off the look and feel of an idyllic island paradise. Besides the famous tourist hot-spots of Soufrière and The Pitons, the main draw here is the abundance of white-sand beaches nestled amongst the crystal-blue waters.
St. Lucia. Eventually, this land will become home to
condos and mansions that are now in development.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
Despite being hammered by Hurricane Tomas just a few weeks ago, very little remains in the way of visible damage. Indeed, we had to look very hard to find signs of felled trees and pothole-stricken roads, though there are still areas of the island where extensive rebuilding continues.
The impressive views, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
We did our own thing today, and hired a local driver to take us around the island. The farther away you get from the main commerce center of Castries, the more beautiful the island becomes. Ironically, St. Lucia at its higher altitudes reminded me a lot of Northern Ireland – lush, rolling and green.
Some excellent beaches can be found on St. Lucia.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
The town itself didn’t leave as much of an impression on me as Bequia or St. George’s. There’s nothing wrong with that though, and many guests I talked to today opted to take the excursions provided by Silversea, with the Aerial Tram & Zipline excursion being one of the most popular.
Silver Spirit tied up at Castries, St. Lucia - stern first.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
Back on board, a good lunch and plenty of relaxation were the order of the afternoon until sail away at 4:30PM AST. Sunset tonight was equally impressive.
Even more relaxing: the view from our Silver Suite
Balcony as we depart St. Lucia.
Back on board, a good lunch and plenty of relaxation were the order of the afternoon until sail away at 4:30PM AST. Sunset tonight was equally impressive.
Sunset as we sail towards Philipsburg, St. Maarten.
After a fantastic dinner in La Terrazza, I headed off to the Connoisseur Club for a quick cognac. The Silver Spirit’s casual, buffet-dining venue during breakfast and lunch, La Terrazza is transformed in the evenings into an Italian restaurant, where the pasta (both long and short) is made fresh daily.
Enjoying a small amount of Cognac in the Connoisseur Club.
Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders
The Connoisseur Club is a modern throwback to the so-called “Smoking Rooms” of the legendary Transatlantic liners. It boasts a wide selection of free-pour and for-purchase, vintage cognacs, in addition to a wide selection of cigars and cigarillos. As I don’t smoke, this portion of the room is lost on me – but it’s such a fantastic space that I feel compelled to enjoy a little drink there every now and then. Non-smokers, take note: the Connoisseur Club has its own dedicated ventilation system to remove the vast majority of the offending scent.
As we wrap up another evening aboard Silver Spirit, I can finally start to feel a bit of a swaying motion in the ship for the first time this cruise. This means I will sleep like a baby tonight, with the Caribbean Sea rocking me to sleep.
And that’s just the way I like it.
Be sure to tune in tomorrow as From the Deck Chair reports live from Silversea’s Silver Spirit, docked in Philipsburg, St. Maarten. And since we’re on the subject, don’t forget: the line is set to release their 2012 Voyages today!
1 comments:
Great photos - I live in St. Lucia so it's interesting to get a good view from one of the cruise ships!
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