Lazy Caribbean Holidays Follow Busy Interlude Back on Land

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Days 1-8, 2025 Caribbean Holiday

Sunday to Sunday, Dec. 21-28, 2025; U.S. Virgin Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and Martinique.

At 6:38 a.m. on Christmas morning, I was the only person in the Crow’s Nest on the MS Volendam. It’s a new cruise on a different ship, and even after three days, I can see the potential for new routines.

For years I’ve started my ship mornings in the Crow’s Nest, Holland America’s forward-facing lounge with a panoramic view. I join a handful of other early risers to greet our friendly baristas who open the coffee bar at 6 a.m. But on the Volendam, the only early morning coffee bar is the Explorations Café on deck 5 near the back of the ship next to the library and game room.

I’ll have to wait a week for the onset of the world cruise to find out where the early crowd gathers, but for now I’m detouring to the Explorations Café for my latte and then heading to the Crow’s Nest. There are only three desk-height tables here (compared to a dozen or so on the larger ships), but thus far I’ve scored one.

Initially I thought I would be sailing alone on this 14-day holiday cruise, but I’ve been joined by my two sisters and one of my nephews. They’ve been busy planning beach time and where to snorkel. Not being a fan of either activity, I’m mostly staying on board and getting ready for the upcoming world cruise. I have lots of port planning still to do and want to close out summaries of activities and expenses for the last five months on the Nieuw Statendam.

While I’ve been to all these Caribbean countries before, this was my first visit to Port of Spain, Trinidad (same country as Scarborough on the nearby island of Tobago). It’s a large city in Caribbean terms, and a mixture of modern and old, benefiting from the oil reserves under the island.

As it was Boxing Day, not much was open, so I settled on a concrete bench and sketched while my family headed off to find local beer. (A policeman directed them to a Chinese restaurant.)

I hadn’t been too pleased with my earlier sketch in St. John, so I redrew it back on the ship.

Afternoons have been spent painting. In Martinique, I didn’t get off the ship, but sketched a large church on the hillside. Later I learned it wasn’t the better-known iconic church I thought I was drawing, but rather the Église Catholique Sainte-Thérèse. Oh well.

We only have four sea days on this 14-day holiday cruise, and one of them landed on Christmas. We had breakfast in the main dining room, exchanging small gifts. A voice from the navigation bridge updated us on an unidentified flying object heading toward the ship. Children were thrilled to hear it was Santa in his sleigh, and they headed to the main stage to collect their gifts. There are fewer children on board than were on my 7-day Christmas cruise last year, but there are still a good number.

One reason my sisters joined me on this cruise was to help celebrate my induction into Holland America’s President’s Club. It’s the top tier of the loyalty program, signifying 1,400 days cruising with the line. My first Holland America cruise was in 1993, and for years it was one or two a year, mostly seven to 10 days. People frequently ask me how many cruises I’ve taken, and I usually don’t keep track, but I went back to see. It’s 43 Holland America cruises; 65 including other lines.

During my three weeks on land between the last cruise and this one, I spent a few days in Dallas, seeing friends and various doctors for annual exams (eyes, teeth, skin, boobs, etc.). I squeezed in five physical therapy sessions to address a painful right hip.

My other challenge was unpacking and repacking for the next five months. I try to keep it uber-organized, packing things I won’t need until the world cruise in a suitcase sitting unopened in my cabin. I altered my plan to fly into Fort Lauderdale two days before this cruise, instead leaving a day earlier to stop in Tampa. A dear friend is recovering there from a stroke, and it was great to visit her.

As usual, we shopped in Fort Lauderdale for bulky items like flocked coat hangers that will come in handy as I’m sharing a cabin with Elaine on the world cruise. I’ve been spoiled by having all the room to myself for the last three years.