Aloha to Royal Caribbean Weekend Cruise - Coco Cay (part 2)

Continuing my visit to Coco Cay ...

... the limestone rock reminds me of the Dragon's Teeth on Maui (link).

I found a friend in the low tide ...

... and another cruiser found live conch.  I suggested he let them live since we could not take any shells off the island.

I returned to my friends camped out on the lounge chairs - here's my view looking up!

This is paradise!

By late afternoon, it was time to return to the Enchantment of the Seas.

The shadows of our tender as we pulled up to the ship.  Do you have a favorite seaside retreat?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's posts wins a book choice from my convention stash. Comments are open through Saturday, November 7, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, November 8, at SOS Aloha.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

The towel monkey in our stateroom

Aloha to Royal Caribbean Weekend Cruise - Queen's Staircase

 

I walked from Fort Fincastle to the cruise ship via the Queen's Staircase. From Bahamas.com,

The Queen's Staircase, commonly referred to as the 66 steps, is a major landmark that is located in the Fort Fincastle Historic Complex in Nassau. It was hewn out of solid limestone rock by slaves between 1793 and 1794 and it is said that it provided a direct route from Fort Fincastle to Nassau City. These steps were later named in honour of Queen Victoria, who reigned in Britain for 64 years from 1837 to 1901.

From the top looking down ...

... and from the bottom looking up.

The staircase creates a topical paradise in the limestone hill.

Mother Nature at her best.

Here's the defense ship ...

... in front of the Enchantment of the Seas!  One randomly selected commenter from this week's posts wins a book choice from my convention stash.  Comments are open through Saturday, November 7, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll publish the winner on Sunday, November 8, at SOS Aloha.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Towel art in our cabin.

Aloha to Royal Caribbean Cruise Weekend - Nassau, Bahamas

 

Our ship, the Enchantment of the Seas, pulled into Nassau, Bahamas, with the help of the pilot boat.  From the Bahamas website (link),

Nassau, the capital city of The Bahamas, is located on 21-mile-long New Providence, our 11th largest island. Nassau’s main harbor is protected by Paradise Island. The harbor attracted settlers in the early days, particularly pirates. In fact, Nassau’s population consisted mainly of pirates until 1718, when The Bahamas first Royal Governor, Woodes Rogers expelled them, restored order and built Fort Nassau. The Bahamas for centuries adopted Rogers’ motto, “Expulsis Piratis, Restituta Commercia,” which means, “Pirates Expelled, Commerce Restored.” Now, 212,000 people call New Providence Island home, with a large portion of them residing in Nassau.

My friends posed in front of our ship before their shopping adventure.

Of course I took time to take a picture of a ship from the Royal Bahamas Defense Force.

My group stopped in the famous Straw Market ...

... where you can find anything made of straw!

Nassau is also home to duty free shopping, including iconic watches from Little Switzerland!

I left my friends to venture into the neighborhoods outside the shopping district ...

... including the Christ Church Cathedral.  From its website (link),

Christ Church Cathedral is the "Mother Church" of all of the Anglican churches in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. In 1670, King Charles II granted the colony (of the Bahamas) to the Lord Proprietors of Carolina. The Proprietors were instructed to "build churches and chapels in furtherance of the Christian Religion." 

The staff was preparing for a wedding but allowed me to snap a few photos.

Again from its website, 

The building is of Gothic architecture. It is made of locally quarried cut lime-stone blocks, which are held together primarily - though not entirely - by their size and the weight of gravity rather than by cement.

I noticed this beautiful mural ...

... en route to the beach.

Next stop:  Junkanoo Beach.

Do you have a favorite souvenir?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's posts win a book choice from my convention stash.  Comments are open through Saturday, October 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, November 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City