Dates:   Sunday, June 16 ~ June 23, 1996

Ports:    Aruba, Curacao, Grenada, 
                Barbados, St. Lucia

Prior to embarkation: Flights on US Air and Air Aruba were on time and went smoothly. LOCK YOUR LUGGAGE. Clothing and cigarettes disappeared between Savannah, Charlotte, Tampa & Aruba. Between our Travel Agent and Air Aruba, we were furnished with all necessary immigration documents. Immigration was fast and uneventful, and the short transfer to the dock area was comfortable and informative.

Embarkation: At the cruise terminal we obtained our boarding passes and were encouraged to wait in a LONG line to set up our credit line. We bypassed this line and went directly to the ship. As our luggage had not yet been delivered to our cabin, we took a short deck tour, and went back to the terminal when the line was gone to sign the credit slip.

Cabin: Our inside cabin, #489 on the Ocean deck, aft, was small. The two twin beds were up against the walls with a small nightstand between. One desktop had a built-in refrigerator, drawers and the TV. The mirror was generous, but the lighting could have been better. The closet was OK--divided into two sections. Luggage was stored under the beds. The bathroom (shower only) could accommodate only one person at a time, but had adequate storage space for personal accessories. A hair dryer was provided, but adapters were needed for curling irons. Air conditioning was ample. Noise level was very low.

Ship facilities: Deck: If you’re a sunbather, get your chaise early. After formal breakfast, none were available. There were plenty of chairs, but no room in the sun to move them to. Pools: Two seawater pools, were too small for any REAL swimming. Adjacent freshwater showers were better for cooling off.

Dining Room : Here’s where the Seawind Crown shines...The Vasco da Gama Dining Room is classically spacious and attractive, offering a variety of seating arrangements. If you’re traveling with a large party, I recommend booking special table assignments through your Travel Agent. A variety of menus was available; the food was superb and the main seating service in the non-smoking section was excellent. During open seating, however, when seated in the smoking section with people who had already begun their meals, service was not as prompt and as the other people finished eating, their utensils were left untouched (yech). Some buffet meals and tea are served in the Madeira Dining Room. This room is not as impressive, nor is the food. Each tea offered the same selections.

Buffets: Whether out on deck or in the Main Dining Room, the delicately sculptured fruits, vegetables and butter (!) make these meals as wonderful to behold as to consume (definite Kodak moments).

Seawind Showroom: Most of the large group activities and productions take place in this room. Seating is showroom-style with banquettes for couples or groups, every seat having an excellent view (even for the smokers). The entertainment and dance band were very good.

Shops: One gift shop and one duty-free shop--small, but a good selection of souvenirs and other goodies.

Casino: Small but adequate--no craps table.

Excursions: The excursion desk was open with information on tours in all ports. The Welcome Aboard Talk the first night offered a great deal of info on the ports-of-call and shopping and tour recommendations. American currency is welcome everywhere. Take small bills and change.

Aruba: Closed on Sunday. To see this island you need to stay an extra day before or after.

Curacao: Diving, snorkeling, Seaquarium; island, trolley or helicopter tour; very large shopping area.

Grenada: Diving, snorkeling, Rhum Runner, hiking, helicopter or Annadale Falls tour.

Barbados: Diving, snorkeling, Jolly Roger, Island, submarine, horseback or helicopter tour, Harrison’s Caves, Francia Plantation House.

St. Lucia: You absolutely must get up early to see the twin Pitons as you approach the island. This is the most beautiful tropical island on the trip--homes built into hillsides with gorgeous bay views. I recommend hiring a cabbie to show you the island and avoid the touristy stuff. Heard good things about the helicopter tour to the Volcano and the catamaran and Marigot Bay tours.

Ship Activities: Two whole days at sea with plenty to do...or not. Production shows, bingo, horse racing, volleyball, ping pong, water games, newlywed game, ice sculpting demos, bridge tour, dance lessons, gambling, dancing, even daily AA meetings are available to fill your time.

Staff: Steve Leyland, our Cruise Director, was a gem--very knowledgeable, organized, personable and accessible. John, our cabin steward, was superb! He brought us a big pot of coffee at precisely 7 AM, filled the ice bucket and kept our cabin neat and clean all day. Room service requests were attended to immediately and he treated us as if we were his only guests.

Martin, our waiter, was attentive and handled our special requests cheerfully.

Passengers: From Honeymooners to Seniors (and some Seniors who were honeymooning), average age looked to be about 45-50. There were less than 10 children on board, and they were always supervised.

Motion: The stabilizers made the entire trip smooth and comfortable. The slightly perceptible motion was just enough to rock you to sleep at night. Only one night was a little choppy, but no big deal.

Disembarkation: The very well organized colored tag system moves passengers in shifts to avoid crowding, although I could have used an extra 30 minutes in the airport gift shop for that last minute stuff.