Check it Out - Our “Why Not?” Cruise

I planned this cruise for “Teachers’ Week,” which is when New Jersey teachers attend the NJEA Convention in Atlantic City the first Thursday and Friday in November, so the schools are closed. The preceding Tuesday is Election Day, and some schools are also closed this day. This week has evolved into a huge travel week for New Jerseyians, as crowds are typically light in the popular vacation spots and the kids miss a minimal amount of school. It’s also the tail end of hurricane season, which runs from June 1st to November 30th, so the chances of a hurricane, while still present, are lower than say, August. We were due to sail from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey on Friday in an open-ended cruise, ending up in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Well, three days before sailing, Hurricane Sandy hit, devastating the New Jersey coastline and New York City. The magnitude and subsequent destruction of this storm was enormous, and we weren't entirely sure that this trip would happen. Also, we felt supremely guilty worrying about vacation when some people had lost everything. However, come Friday, the port was operational and everything was a “go.”

Cape Liberty Cruise Port was still drying out after the storm, and much of the area around the port still didn’t have power. However, check-in at the port was quick and easy, perhaps the quickest I’ve experienced, and we were soon on board Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas. Brilliance is part of the Radiance Class of ships, which have lots of glass and open spaces. There is glass enclosing the nine story atrium, elevators facing the sea, and floor-to-ceiling windows throughout. It is a relatively small ship, holding roughly 2,100 passengers (as compared to Oasis of the Seas, which can carry roughly 6,000 passengers) but that is certainly part of its charm – it is very easy to get around, and it has almost a “cozy” feel. I will say that Brilliance is looking a bit tired in some areas and is due for a much-needed refurbishment in the spring of 2013. The crew was exceptional, and my group agreed that this was probably our favorite cruise in terms of the crew.

It was in the low 50s, windy, and very grey when we sailed at 5 PM. I stayed out on the top deck long enough to sail under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge,

and then hightailed it inside to warmer climates. We had three days at sea right off the bat, and the weather was cool for the first two days. There was a definite advantage to sailing from our home state, as I saved a bunch of money on airfare, but the downside is that we were that much further north and had to sail a bit until I warmed up; my shorts and bathing suit sadly sat untouched until Monday. There was still stuff to do – the rock climbing wall was a hit with my 12-year old and there were pickup soccer and volleyball games on the sports court. My kids even ventured into the pool and hot tub, and had the pool deck pretty much to themselves – I wonder why?

Our first port was the tiny island of St. Kitts. It’s only 69 square miles, but huge in beauty and warmth. I arranged a fishing charter for six in our group and the other three, me included, did a tour of the island using Grey’s Island Excursions:

http://www.thenfordgreytours.com/

Our driver, Sackville Grey, was awesome. He took us through town, filling us in on the history, and then to Palm Court Gardens http://palmscourtgardens.com/home, which features not only an acre of meticulously kept gardens and plants,