The Caribbean is our happy place. A place where we go to escape the cold and depressing Wisconsin winters. Our first international trip together was to the Caribbean and we find ourselves there just about every winter.
When we were given the chance to jump onboard the MS Eurodam with Holland America Line and cruise to 4 Caribbean islands we’ve never been to it was a no brainer. YES!
Our Eastern Caribbean cruise was a 7-night cruise. We boarded in Fort Lauderdale Florida and quickly we waved goodbye to the U.S. from our private balcony as we set sail to our first Caribbean island.
Our home for the week was a Verandah Spa Stateroom on the top floor. We had a spacious room complete with queen bed, private verandah, sitting area, shower & bathtub, TV, and floor to ceiling windows. We unpacked our bags and settled in as we watched the sunset.
Over our week cruising the Caribbean, we visited 4 countries and made countless memories. Here is a recap of our where our ship docked on our Eastern Caribbean cruise with Holland America.
Grand Turk ~ Turks and Caicos
Our first stop was the island of Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos. Our ship docked for the day for us to explore the island. We hopped in a helicopter, to get some of the best views of Grand Turk.
After our helicopter ride, we relaxed an all-inclusive beach, enjoying some adult beverages and local jerk chicken.
San Juan ~ Puerto Rico
We sailed overnight further east to the island of Puerto Rico. We docked right in the historic city of Old San Juan. We decided not to book any excursions for the day, we just wandered around the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan. We walked over 10 miles in San Juan, we loved the architecture and colorful building everywhere.
San Juan was the hottest destination on our cruise, so we made sure to cool down with a mojito made with local rum. The mojitos were really tasty similar to the ones we had in Trinidad Cuba.
Related Article: Americans Guide To Travel To Cuba
We ended our day in San Juan at the Fort watching the sunset. Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the boat. We boarded the cruise ship with 2 minutes to spare.
Philipsburg ~ Saint Maarten
Our visit to Saint Maarten technically had us in two countries. Did you know that Saint Maarten is 60% French and 40% Dutch? Us neither! I will say both the French side & the Dutch side are equally amazing. The island boasts nearly 40 white sand beaches in all.
We spent the day lounging on the French side at Orient Bay as part of the off-shore excursion with Holland America. Orient Bay is 1/2 mile long of a white sand beach, which we walked end to end. As part of our excursion, we had the rum punch and a tasty lunch right on the beach.
Half Moon Cay ~ Bahamas
Our favorite stop hands down was Half Moon Cay! Half Moon Cay is Holland America’s private island, yes I said PRIVATE island. Only cruise ships visit Half Moon Cay. The beaches were to die for. We walked end to end, after a few minutes past the last beach chairs there was barely anyone. We had the entire beach to ourselves.
We were finally able to fly our drone to get the above photo. Not only is Half Moon Cay stunning it has a ton of activities available: jet-skiing, horseback riding, hiking, deepsea fishing, feed stingrays, or just rent a private cabana and relax all afternoon.
We got our adrenaline fix on the jet-skis for an hour and then strolled the beaches until it was time to tender back to the ship.
For More Articles On The Caribbean Check Out
*We were guests of Holland American Line but as always opinions are our own*
