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Caribbean Thanksgiving Cruise
– Give thanks for sun, sea and sand!
November 18 - 25, 2007 Ask
a question
With cruise fares as
low as $699,
Details
depending on stateroom category
"I shall never forget my
tour with you and your many kindnesses."
– J. G.
This is
your chance to get away from family and celebrate
the holiday with your
tribe in the eastern Caribbean! And a chance to
leave dreary winter weather behind as you travel to
someplace warm and lovely. You’ll visit Tortola, the
Bahamas, St. Maarten and Half Moon Cay. And you will
luxuriate. Relax. Swim. Sunbathe. Read. Do whatever
pleases your heart. And give thanks for the richness
of life.
 Join
us and you'll be joining a small group of gay and
lesbian travelers on a mainstream cruise. This
unique alternative to an all-gay cruise provides an
option for those of us who prefer a more traditional
experience, but want to share it with like-minded
adventurous companions.
Journey
Out brightens your traditional cruise experience
with special touches. An informal reception the
first night, farewell party the last. Introductions.
Pre-arranged times to gather, socialize with the
group and share your experiences during the
cruise. Always an invitation, always an option. Join
your fellow travelers when you feel like it, wander
off on your own when you like . . .
"With Journey Out, we got to experience a cruise
and a 'gay cruise' all in one. It was terrific
seeing familiar faces of our group throughout the
week at activities, meals and while ashore." -
S. H.
Tortola is your first stop on this luscious
Caribbean cruise. It starts with lovely surfing
beaches, reaches up with grazing meadows for cattle
and the shoot straight up about 1,800 feet into
volcanic mountain ridges. Tortola
includes farms, highland Caribbean settlements,
restaurants, and national parks. Traces of primeval
rainforest can be seen on Tortola.
Road Town is the capital of Tortola and home to most
of the island's 20,000 residents. This is the highest point
on Tortola. The second highest point is found at Sky
World. Visitors are afforded breathtaking views of
Tortola and surrounding islands. Tortola's windy and
hilly roads were carved out of what once were foot
trodden dirt trails. These trails were previously
traveled not just by foot, but by donkey as well.
Sometimes it required a full day to get to one's
destination. With horseback tours available,
visitors can get a taste of that once upon a time,
rugged lifestyle. Nothing happens quickly on Tortola.
There is a saying in Tortola, well meant, that when
you arrive, you are on “Island time now." Take you
site seeing as leisurely as you can – just don’t
miss the ship as it departs!
 For those who are intrigued by the islands tropical
flora, a visit to the J. R. O'Neal Botanical Gardens
is a must. This splendid, four-acre garden is
situated in the center of Road Town and displays the
last remaining remnants of the Government
Agricultural Experimentation Facility established at
the turn of the century. It offers a peaceful walk
past pergolas covered with colorful vines, and
along pathways that wind through a miniature rain
forest and fern house. There are many types of cacti
and 62 varieties of palms. Various interesting
species of birds have made the gardens their home.
Between the beauty of the flora, various birds and
the slow moving red legged tortoise, we recommend
you allow yourself ample time to appreciate the full
beauty of the gardens.
St. Maarten is the Dutch side of the St. Martin / St.
Maarten
paradox, under the governance of both France and
Holland. They have maintained a harmonious
co-existence for 350 years. And the islanders
themselves pay little to no attention to the border
between one side and the other. But St. Martin
definitely has a French flavor. The French embrace
comfort and enjoying their lives. Boasting some of
the best food in the Caribbean, the smell of fresh
croissants and pastries mixes everywhere with the
spicy aromas of West Indian cooking.
 Small cafés and
charming bistros add a decidedly Gaelic and
cosmopolitan flair to the place. On the whole the
atmosphere remains very relaxed.
Holland America's private island in the Bahamas,
Half Moon Cay, is as pretty a tropical island as
you're ever likely to see. This full-day stop on
almost all of Holland America's eastern and western
Caribbean cruises is a delight for water sports
enthusiasts, bird watchers, beach bums and for
anyone who likes a day ashore without dealing with
the locals. The only "locals" at Half Moon Cay are
your fellow passengers.
Half Moon Cay is the privately-developed part of
Little Salvador Island, about a hundred miles
southeast of Nassau, and was once a refuge for
pirates. Holland America purchased the island in
1997, and has developed only 45 acres of the
2,400-acre island with the goal of maintaining as
much habitat as possible for wildlife, and the
island is a significant nesting area for waterfowl.
While Half Moon Cay's name could be derived from its
gorgeous, white sand crescent-shaped beach, it
really comes from Henry Hudson's ship, the
Half Moon, which is part of Holland
America's logo. It's almost ironic to note that
Henry Hudson was an Englishman, but on the third of
his four great voyages of exploration, he was
employed by the Dutch, and on that voyage he sailed
up the Hudson River to the present site of Albany,
and claimed the area for Holland. Ten years later,
the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
The six main facilities ashore are within easy, if
hot, walking distance. The "Welcome Plaza" at the
tender landing dock has an orientation kiosk and a
cocktail bar (there are bars everywhere!). Shops and
services are available at the "West Indies Village,"
designed in a Spanish and Bahamian architectural
style. Facilities include an ice cream shop and
frozen drink bar, a casual wear shop, a straw
market, post office, first aid station and a chapel.
The Watersports Center near the Welcome Plaza is the
place to get snorkeling equipment, and arrange for
paddle boats, Banana Boat rides, Sunfish sailboats,
Aqua bikes, wind surfers, Hobie cats, parasailing,
beach floats and beach gear for rent. Children have
a separate playground called "Club HAL," and there's
a sports area where volleyball, basketball,
shuffleboard, horseshoes and tug-of-war contests
take place.
Last but not least, the Food Pavilion features a
buffet-style food center with up to six service
lines and 15 separate open-air dining shelters where
you may enjoy an uncrowded lunch. There'll likely be
entertainment from a steel drum band.
 While all the facilities are reasonably close to
each other and are connected by proper pathways, if
you get tired you can catch the 24-seat passenger
tram which runs continuously on a separate path
between the Welcome Center and the Food Pavilion.
If you want to do more than swimming and snorkeling
(which have separate designated areas), you can rent
equipment, either pre-arranged on board (to avoid
disappointment) or at the Watersports Center.
You can explore the island from marked trails which
have interpretive signs with descriptions of
featured trees and plants, as well as vantage points
for watching the many variety of birds. The trails
are also handy for those wanting to keep fit by
jogging or walking.
Request more information
Details and itinerary |
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