KTLO’s 2017 Caribbean Cruise is now just a beautiful memory. Eighty fun-loving folks from the Twin Lakes area enjoyed a wonderful week of Caribbean sunshine, sparkling blue seas and tons of fun aboard Royal Caribbean’s beautiful Liberty of the Seas. We left Mountain Home January 28 and took two of Mountain Home Charter’s beautiful new motor coaches to Houston, where we spent the night. We took the short drive to the Port of Galveston the next morning and boarded the ship for our Caribbean adventure.
Our first port of call was the lively, colorful Mexican island of Cozumel, where many visited a favorite restaurant or beach. Others took excursions to the Mayan ruins, the botanical gardens, a chocolate factory, had a manatee encounter, rented a Jeep for a private tour of the island or just enjoyed a margarita and some mariachi music.
We next visited Georgetown, Grand Cayman, home to branches of forty of the world’s top fifty banks and more registered businesses than people, as well as some of the world’s most pristine beaches. There we saw the exotic blue iguanas, enjoyed island tours, snorkeled along Coral Gardens Reef and visited the turtle farm, where we learned about the giant sea turtles.
Our last stop was the Colonial port of Falmouth, Jamaica, where some enjoyed high tea at Good Hope Great House, an elegant former sugar plantation, while others sampled jerk chicken and pork and listened to reggae music. There were adventures to Dunn’s River Falls, the Green Grotto Caves and encounters with dolphins and stingrays.
At each port there were adventures for everyone, including helicopter, submarine, walking and buggy tours. There were local foods and drink to sample, interesting people to meet and shopping, shopping, shopping – both in the glitzy duty-free shops and the native markets.
Aboard the ship, we basked by one of the pools, soaked in a whirlpool, read or dozed in the solarium or on our private balcony, sat at a sidewalk café and people-watched, or did some more shopping. The athletic enjoyed the jogging/walking track, basketball court, yoga and tai chi classes and a state of the art fitness center. The adventurous could catch a wave on the FlowRider surf simulator or conquer the rock climbing wall. The Vitality Spa offered a full range of medi-spa services and beauty services. There was mini-golf and shuffleboard, parades along the Royal Promenade, movies in the 3-D movie theater or under the stars, art auctions, Bingo, Trivia and Sudoku, big production shows and fun audience-participation shows. The ice-skating show, with its fabulous costumes and music, was enjoyed by all. The casino was always lively, with many poker, blackjack and slot tournaments. There was a great piano bar, a classical guitarist and live music of every description in the 22 bars and lounges. The many dining venues offered something for everyone; multi-course fine dining in the main dining room; bountiful buffets in the Windjammer; soups and sandwiches at the Café Promenade; specialty coffees; a steakhouse, Italian, Asian-Fusion and Mexican restaurants, and burgers, fries and shakes at Johnny Rocket’s. Plus pizza, ice cream and round-the-clock room service were always available.
We returned home February 5, already looking forward to next year’s cruise. We invite you to join us January 27 – February 4, 2018, as we cruise to Cozumel, Roatan, Honduras and Costa Maya, Mexico. Call Mountain Home Charter and Tours for all the details, 870-508-5331 or 800-844-3214. We’d love to have you join us!
