Mother/Daughter Cruise to Tortola, May 23rd, Lots of pics! COMPLETE 7/14

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Hi Lessa! I was on your cruise too. Wasn't it fantastic?!?! It was my first cruise and I loved it! My DH and I also did this origami class...I found it to be a little tough too! Love your report so far...I am not very far into it...have to keep reading!

It was fantastic, I am so glad that I went Disney for my first cruise. I bet I am never going to want to sail with anybody else now.

Stupid origami. It wasn't real origami anyways, real origami doesn't involve glue, or scissors and is only supposed to be made from one piece of paper.

Just looked through all your pics of the baths...wasn't it amazing?? We opted to do it on our own to save some money. Pictures really do not do it justice...I loved it. My boys loved exploring and climbing the boulders...but I, Like you, was a little afraid my klutziness would get me in trouble!! I enjoy your trip report...since I was on this cruise I feel like I am reliving it!!

I loved The Baths, I hope I get to go back some day. I was telling my Mom that St Thomas seems to be the perfect island to stay on when visiting the Virgin Islands as it is a short boat ride away to everything you might want to see like The Baths, Trunk Bay.

I think I would have been a bit more adventurous if I had been willing to put down the camera and if I had been feeling a bit better than I was. I am a huge klutz though so probably best I didn't test my limits. Last thing you want is to injure yourself on a cruise vacation $$$$$

 

[msmith07101]

I feel the same way about sailing with anyone else...I know I would be thinking the whole time...it's not Disney!!
And I was the same way at the baths...I had my camera in my hand the whole time, so I was a little afraid to climb too high...plus I am a chicken anyway!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

We didn't stay at Devil's Bay for too long, I could have stayed all day if we had the time. We talked about which path to take back to the top, the one we came down on or the more difficult Devil's Bay path. Mom felt more comfortable going back up the way we came which meant going back through the caves.

So back we went, before we left Devil's Bay though I stubbed my toe on a rock that was hidden under the sand. That is one thing you have to be very careful of at The Baths. It hurt like the devil, luckily it wasn't bleeding but it sure did hurt!

Our trip back through the caves was quick as we were not stopping for pictures and we did not encounter many people in the narrow passages. Once back at the Baths beach we headed over to the bathroom to rinse our feet and so that I could put my shorts and sneakers on. The bathrooms were disgusting! So gross!

This was also one of only two places on the trip where I saw any sign that the swine flu was a concern. There was a simple sign posted reminding people to wash their hands with a picture of a pig on it. I should hope people were washing there hands before the whole swine flu issue came about anyways.

Mom had started the climb back up ahead of me, I caught up with her halfway up the trail.





At the top there is a restaurant and a cluster of shops called "Top of the Baths". Included in our excursion was a meal at the restaurant, silly me thought we would be ordering off the menu, nope the tour provider had set up a buffet. The food was nothing to write home about. When we entered the restaurant they clipped off our wristbands that had been given to us on the ship.

I was starting to feel really awful at this point, headache, sore throat, sore neck and very chilled even though it was nice and warm. You'll remember that my throat has started to hurt the night before.

I put a little bit of mac and cheese on my plate and mom got me a coke (included with our meal).


The restaurant has a pool that you can use if you want, a couple of the kids were splashing around.







After we finished eating we wandered into the little shops but didn't see anything that caught our interest. We had time to kill before we were due to depart so we just went over to a covered seating area to wait.

I really wish we had just skipped the lunch like I had originally planned when booking the excursion. We would have had an extra hour down on the beach and that would have been really nice.

So we sat there and waited for the trucks to arrive to take us back. I was feeling absolutely miserable though, I was shivering so had one of the dry towels wrapped around me and I was chugging water hoping that that would make me feel better.

After sitting around for 20-30 minutes it was time to leave and they packed us all back up on the trucks and we made our way back to the boat dock.







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[Lifelong_Dreamer]

When we got back to the boat dock they left us standing around for the longest time. We couldn't figure out what was going on. The boat that was supposed to take us back was sitting there so I figure something must have been wrong with it as they brought in a second boat and docked it alongside the first one. We then had to climb onto the supposedly broken boat and then cross from that one to the one taking us back.....

Mom and I were some of the first on the boat so we grabbed some seats up top in the open air.

Luckily for me on the trip back I started to feel better and only my sore throat remained. Maybe all that water I drank helped after all. We chatted with the lady who shared the bench with us and had a nice pleasant trip back. The sun was partially out which was nice as well.







Once again we docked right next to the cruise ship, very convenient.

Excursion Summary:

The Baths: Loved it! Absolutely beautiful place. I definitely want to go here again someday. If all you want is a day at the beach then I say you should probably skip it and stay on Tortola. If however you are looking for something a little more adventurous and you want some beach time then this is the place for you. It is definitely a place you need to see in person to really appreciate the beauty, pictures just do not do it justice! We were also very lucky that The Magic was the only cruise ship in port that day. The Baths are a very popular destination and would probably have been very crowded if there had been another ship in port.

Transportation: I really liked that the Speedy's boat docked right next to the Magic. I thought that the ride over to Virgin Gorda was very enjoyable. I heard from other passengers that were sitting inside the boat that it was very hot and stuffy and that they could not hear the tour guide very well. So if you can try and sit outside, you get the best views that way anyways.

The taxis/trucks that transport you once you get to Virgin Gorda were fine as well. You do have to step up and pull yourself into them though so that could be difficult for some people.

Food provided: Not worth the time! Trust me, the food was nothing special, take that hour allotted for lunch and stay down at the beach. You are going to be back at the ship in no time anyways and you can get much better food onboard.

Time - The excursion felt very short, we didn't get to spend nearly as much time as we would have liked down on the beach. Again this was partly our fault as we went up for lunch. The ship is docked in Tortola until 6pm and we were back by I think 1:30pm.

Overall Experience: Very good! If we were more seasoned cruisers I would have tried to do this on my own though. It would have been cheaper and we would have had a lot more time to enjoy The Baths. As it was it was our first cruise and we did not feel comfortable doing it on our own since it involved traveling to a different island than the one the cruise ship was docked at.

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[jbm02]

Lessa,
Awesome reports!! And you have me hooked - I've been searching each night for your latest "installment"! As someone who is on one of the later Tortola trips, all the information you are providing is so appreciated. And your pictures are great. Keep 'em coming!!!!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Lessa,
Awesome reports!! And you have me hooked - I've been searching each night for your latest "installment"! As someone who is on one of the later Tortola trips, all the information you are providing is so appreciated. And your pictures are great. Keep 'em coming!!!!

I am so glad that you are finding this TR helpful. That is the exact reason that I am "rushing" it. Usually I don't write my TR's this fast but I wanted to be able to provide info for the future Tortola cruisers as I know there isn't too much info out there right now.

 

[goofygal1975]

These are just a sampling of my pictures, I took tons more but did not want to bog this down by posting every single photo from the party.

I hope you can see the pictures in this post...it is the last one on the third page. The two pictures you posted of the crowd on Deck 9 have my family in it!! LOL I have a brown shirt on with a bright PINK back on my right side, DS has a red Tampa Bay Bucs Jersey on with the # 99, and Dh has a Grey Goofy Shirt on!! Pretty cool to see us in your pictures!!!

I'm just getting started reading your trip report...just ready to start page 4!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I hope you can see the pictures in this post...it is the last one on the third page. The two pictures you posted of the crowd on Deck 9 have my family in it!! LOL I have a brown shirt on with a bright PINK back on my right side, DS has a red Tampa Bay Bucs Jersey on with the # 99, and Dh has a Grey Goofy Shirt on!! Pretty cool to see us in your pictures!!!

I'm just getting started reading your trip report...just ready to start page 4!

Very cool, it is funny how that happens, I also have two of my dinnermates in the picture.

 

[tink too]

Just caught up again - lovin' your photos and TR.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Just caught up again - lovin' your photos and TR.

Thanks!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

After the excursion dropped us off at the ship we decided to head up to our room to change and then we would head into Road Town to explore a bit and to track down a drugstore for me so I could get some cough drops for my sore throat.

Before boarding the ship we dropped our used towels in a pile by the gangway, very convenient that they had that set up out there.

They swiped our cards, didn't even glance at our photo ids thanks to the security picture they now take and then we were back on board. They didn't even pass our bag through the security scanner which I thought was a bit odd as the people in the other line had to have their bags scanned.

Up in the room we quickly changed and cleaned ourselves up a bit and then we were off!

Road Town was clearly not a well-developed tourist area, it was very evident that this was an island that is just "earning its ears" in the cruise industry. There was a tent city set up on one side of the road where you could buy your typical touristy junk. Mom and I didn't really venture into there.

We had to pass through island security where they had us show that we had out cruise and photo id. The one guard joked that I should be careful not to lose it or I would have to stay on the island. What a hardship that would be! lol Mom also asked them for directions to a drugstore. I think she asked every person we came across. lol



We found one store but it looked more like a place where you would pick up a prescription than a drug store. Mom asked the shopkeeper where another store might be located and she directed us towards the post office.






The post office was located two streets back from the main drag so we had to walk along the narrow little roads and the cars passed very close to you. Mom stopped several times to ask people where the store was and to make sure we were heading in the right direction. We found the drug store easy enough and I was able to get a bag of cough drops for $2. I popped one in my mouth right away and we made our way back to the main road to check out some of the shops.






There was an area with some brightly coloured little shops that sold some local craftwork and other touristy ware.







We also walked through the emerald store and looked at all the pretty jewelry.




Other than the cough drops Mom and I didn't make any purchases. It was nice to walk around the town though and take in all the colourful buildings.

As we were walking back to the ship there was a rooster standing in some bushes on the side of the road that would crow every 30 second it seemed. It had me in stitches, don't know why I found it so funny. It sort of reminded me of my cat, Amber, who mews constantly like she is trying to talk to you.

We made it back to the ship with lots of time to spare.

Coming up; Pirate Night on the Magic!

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[dato63]

Our trip is still very far away, so it's wonderful seeing all the pics in your report. Even of the stateroom - I liked seeing the category 6 pics!!

Can't wait to read/see more!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Our trip is still very far away, so it's wonderful seeing all the pics in your report. Even of the stateroom - I liked seeing the category 6 pics!!

Can't wait to read/see more!

I'm so glad you are enjoying it. It will probably be a few years before we cruise again and it will feel like a lifetime I am sure.

 

[GOS]

We made it back to the ship with lots of time to spare.

Coming up; Pirate Night on the Magic![/SIZE][/COLOR]

You trip report and photos are wonderful, especially this one.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

You trip report and photos are wonderful, especially this one.

Thank You! That is one of my favourites as well.

 

[lwilliam]

More, more, please.....

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

More, more, please.....

I should have more posted tonight. I have to load some video onto YouTube first, hopefully that won't take too long.

 

[Mulan2]

Lessa
Thank you so much for sharing your TR. Your pictures are wonderful! We'll be going to Tortola as well and glad to see what is ahead.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Lessa
Thank you so much for sharing your TR. Your pictures are wonderful! We'll be going to Tortola as well and glad to see what is ahead.

I love sharing my trips and I am always happy to hear that people are enjoying the read.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Sorry guys, got distracted by the family tonight. All the pics and video are uploaded so I just need to type up the update. I'll post it sometime tomorrow morning.