Gaither Homecoming Cruise

February 26 was the beginning of a very different trip for these intrepid travelers.  We joined Margaret’s brother Wayne and his wife Linda on the Gaither Homecoming Caribbean Cruise on Holland America’s ms Westerdam.  For the uninitiated, the Gaither family and friends are southern gospel singers and musicians, led by Bill and Gloria Gaither.  Other performers included Ken Davis, the Gaither Vocal Band, Buddy Green, the Hoppers, the Isaacs, the Martins, Gene McDonald, Gordon Mote, Charlotte and Greg Ritchie, Reggie and Lady Love Smith, Russ Taff, Jeff Taylor, and Kevin Williams.  These folks have a huge following of dedicated fans (including Wayne and Linda, shown here with Bill and Gloria) who know the words to every verse of every song.

Besides the usual array of shipboard activities, the Gaithers  offered concerts galore.  There were two Homecoming Concerts every day, as well as other events – big band concerts, blue grass and country concerts, comedy shows, harmonica lessons, and ‘special concert events’ that featured different members of the troupe.  Even for those unfamiliar with the Gaithers, it was quite a show – all day and half the night - talented musicians and incredible harmony.

The cruise was filled with concerts and endless opportunities to eat, but we did find time to enjoy the four ports of call:  Nassau, St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, and Half Moon Cay. 

Nassau, The Bahamas

The Bahamas is a chain of 700 islands and over 1,000 cays, islets and rocks stretching from Florida to Haiti.  Surrounded by warm, shallow water, coral reefs, and colorful fish - if this isn't paradise, it must be nearby.

Columbus made his first landfall in The Bahamas; Ponce de Leon also traveled here looking for the Fountain of Youth.  The Spanish claimed the islands and pretty much wiped out the native population.  The English came later, planting cotton, tobacco, and sugarcane.  The promising agricultural economy was short-lived, and the islands became a refuge for English, Dutch, and French pirates who plundered the ships of Spain, the country that controlled the seas.  British rule continued until 1972, though The Bahamas remains a member of the British Commonwealth. 


Our ship made a short stop in historic Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas, located on New Providence Island.  A laid-back tropical atmosphere pervades the city, with a nice touch of colonial charm. In spite of overdevelopment of modern hotels and resorts, it's not hard to find stately homes and streets lined with tropical foliage.  We walked around the old part of town, starting at Rawson Square - home of lots of flowers and a statue of Sir Milo Butler, a shopkeeper who became the first governor of The Bahamas after Great Britain granted its independence in 1973.

Over to Parliament Square, where a statue of a youthful Queen Victoria sits in front of the buildings that house the House of Assembly - the New World's oldest governing body in continuous session.

Behind the House of Assembly stands the Supreme Court building.

The Nassau Public Library building was erected in 1797 to house the jail; it became the public library in 1873.  Inside, the small prison cells are lined with books.

Prospect Ridge was the old dividing line between Nassau's rich and poor.  The rich folks lived along the waterfront, and the poor people lived on the other side and came over the hill to work during the day - returning to their homes at night.  This tunnel, known as Gregory Arch was cut through the hill in 1850 and working class people could pass through instead of climbing the steep hill. 

St.  Andrews Presbyterian Kirk (Church) dates from 1810, but in 1864, it was enlarged and a bell tower was added.  This was the first non-Anglican church in The Bahamas.

The Straw Market was our last stop.  In a new structure replacing the old building destroyed by fire in 2001.  Here we found all sorts of straw products, as well as assorted souvenirs and gift items.  This Bahamian woman had a display of traditional baskets that she had made.

And then, it was time to get back to the ship - wouldn't want to be late for dinner ...

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands were visited by Columbus, but the Spanish never made a serious attempt to settle or defend them.  As a result, the islands were settled by a motley crew of various Europeans and became a favorite hangout for pirates.  The Danish government acquired the Virgin Islands in 1733 and developed St. Thomas as a trading center.  The U.S purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917. 


We stopped on the island of St. Thomas, which has been forever altered by the cruise-ship industry.  It is the busiest of all cruise ship destinations in this area and is known as the most un-virgin of the Virgin Islands.  We landed in Charlotte Amalie, the capital of St. Thomas and the shopping hub of the Caribbean.  Its overcrowded main street is virtually a 5-block-long shopping center and too crowded to be enjoyable. 


We heard that more remote parts of the island are still beautiful -- beaches with white sand, calm turquoise waters, etc.  -- so we took one of the ship excursions to see the island.   From the hilltop, we had a panoramic view of the city and the harbor below.  We also got a distant view of Magen's Bay, named by National Geographic as one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world. 

Otherwise, much of the trip was occupied by stops for shopping – and we occupied ourselves with wandering around admiring the flora and fauna.  Bougainvillea was blooming all over the place and bananas were plentiful, too.

We did see a green-throated carib hummingbird and a pearly-eyed thrasher, who was hoping we’d drop a crumb or two.  

And back at the harbor, we enjoyed watching hundreds of iguanas sunning on the rocks.  Next time, maybe we'll sign up for bird-watching or a wildlife safari ...

 

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico has been receiving visitors for over five centuries – ever since 1493, when Christopher Columbus set foot on the island’s west coast.  The first settlement here was established by Ponce de Leon in 1508.  By 1521, construction began on thick walls and several forts built to protect the harbor of San Juan, the capital.  Spain controlled the island until 1897, and shortly thereafter, Puerto Rico passed into U.S. hands.  Today it is recognized as a U.S. territory; most public buildings fly the U.S. flag and the Puerto Rico flag.

Fort San Cristobal was built by Spain to protect against land-based attacks.  It is the largest Spanish-built fort in the New World and today is part of the San Juan National Historic Site.

Nearby is the state capitol building.
















The most interesting part of the city is Old San Juan, a 465-year-old neighborhood covering a seven block area near the harbor.  The streets are paved with bluish-colored adoquine stones that arrived as ballast Spanish ships.  Narrow streets and alleys are lined with colorful buildings.  

There are four plazas in the old city, including the Plaza del Quincentenial, site of the 500th anniversary celebration (in 1992) of Columbus' discovery of the Americas.

The city wall dates from the 1630's.  It was built by the Spanish along the shore, providing picturesque vantage points over the old city and the sea. 

The San Juan Cathedral has been restored many times since it was first built with a thatched roof in 1540.  Today it is considered a rare example of medieval American style. 

Ponce de Leon's remains are buried in the crypt here.  Paintings, sculptures and stained glass make the building’s interior an interesting place to spend some time.

The front entrance of the church faces Caleta San Juan, which may be one of the most charming streets in the city.  This narrow street leads to the San Juan Gate, a well-fortified entrance to the city – and our path to visit the rum factory (free samples) and then back to the ship.

Half Moon Cay

Heading north again, we reached Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s private island located about 100 miles southeast of Nassau.  This is just one of the 700 islands that make up the archipelago of the Bahamas – it is used by the cruise line as a one-day stop (port of call). 

Half Moon Cay is considered by many to be the most beautiful of the cruise lines’ private islands. Nine miles of beach stretch along the vibrant blue waters in a crescent shape. Coconut palms dot the landscape. We don’t have any comparisons from other cruise line, but there’s no denying that this one is a beauty.


The island, first known as Little San Salvador Island, was purchased by the cruise line in 1996 for $6 Million.  About 50 acres of the 2400-acre island have been developed, and Holland America is maintaining the remainder for birds and other wildlife.  There is no deep water docking, so we used tenders to travel back and forth from the island to our ship.

There’s no shortage of things to do here, although some excursions (e.g., snorkeling) were canceled due to high winds and waves.  Activities offered on the island include swimming, sunning, scuba diving, jet-skiing, cycling, and snorkeling.  Deep-sea fishing, parasailing, glass-bottom boat rides, and nature walks also are available. A variety of water toys are available for rent, including Hobie catamarans, Sunfish sailboats, windsurfing sailboards and kayaks.  There are volleyball and basketball courts, horsehoes, shuffleboard, a fitness trail with exercise stations, horseback riding, and nature trails for hiking.

The beach was just too inviting – lots of people near the boat landing area, but none at the far end of the island.  We had a nice walk, watched some other folks saddling up for a horseback ride, and then headed over to the barbecue lunch provided by the ship. 

After lunch, we boarded a glass-bottom boat and cruised around the Half Moon Lagoon – across the island from the main beach area.  We learned a bit about the island and its history and got a good look at reefs and sandy bottoms loaded with colorful fish, sea cucumbers, starfish, anemones, sea urchins, sharks and stingrays.  The water was very shallow – too shallow for snorkeling – so this was a good way to get a glimpse of some of the life underwater.


We weren't sure what to expect at this port of call, but it was a very pleasant day on a truly beautiful island.