It definitely ended just a little too soon. Life on the ship was just starting to have a certain routine to it, and not the kind that gets old. We traveled to CocoCay, where I enjoyed a hike through the tropical forest and was amazed to find it was crowded with countless spider-like hermit crab creatures. Next, on St. Thomas, I was relieved to have momentary cell service and we visited a tropical aquarium before riding around a lagoon of coral reef in what was pretty much a glass submarine. The highlight of our island stops, though, was St. Martin. When we debarked at 8am it appeared that my family had the whole island to ourselves. We relaxed in the peace and quiet of a clothing optional beach before heading over to what ought to be the island’s main attraction: a beautiful beach with crystal clear aqua-marine water next to the airport, where planes fly just about 30ft over your head before landing. (Pictures coming up!) When plains took off, onlookers on the beach had to retreat into the ocean from the heat and force of the jet engines, which turned sand into missiles. The chaos looked like… well, the opposite of a Jaws movie. And this of course was half the fun.

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