Category: Travel

Beware the Banana Boat…

banana boat ride

My son and I are back from our mother/son Spring Break cruise to St. Thomas and St. Maarten. The weather was beautiful and the Northerners were wearing their blistered sunburns like badges of honor. I hope you don’t mind if I share a little about one of our excursions.

On Princess Cay, Princess Cruise Line’s private island, I thought it would be fun to go on a Banana Boat ride. One would think this would be an enjoyable ride on a bouncy blow up raft…fun for the whole family. Actually, it was a 15-minute express ride to hell and back. I am almost certain that the two locals driving the speedboat were named Hades and Lucifer. The banana boat seats 12 people (6 people sitting directly behind each other on each side). We had two other adult couples along for our ride, so of course the adults decided that the 11-yr old thrill seeker (aka ‘My Son’) should sit in the front and I, as legal chaperone, had to be seated adjacent to him on the other front seat. The seas were rather rough that day as the paddleboarders couldn’t stand at all due to the chop. Hades and Lucifer took off once we made it to open water, maxing out the allowable speed of 25 mph. My death grip on the rubber handle was not going to be enough to keep me on the boat so I adjusted my grip, putting my left arm in a bicep curl position.

The drivers thought it was funny to stop the boat suddenly, sending us flying forward, just to take off again to whip our momentum into reverse. Before we left for the trip, I got shellac put on my fingernails so I wouldn’t have to mess with them on the trip. This was one of my smartest decisions as I still don’t know how my nails stayed on my fingers. I could feel the beds separating as I held on for dear life. I wore a blue wrap around my waist and from shore, I must have looked like Superman flying through the air as my legs were airborne 1-2 feet above my seat 80% of the ride with my “cape” flowing behind me. My bikini bottom did not want to stay on, so the riders behind me got quite a show (insert blushing here) and weren’t afraid to tell me all about it when we got back to shore. Since my left arm was in a bicep curl position for 15-minutes straight, my muscles convulsed rapidly for the remainder of the day, affording me the new nickname “Twitch.” I had bruises on my knuckles and inner thigh, along with a cut on my right ankle…BUT I DID NOT FALL OFF (insert evil grin)!!!

As you can imagine, the banana boat excursion was the highlight of my son’s vacation. When other cruisers heard the story, they told me that I can check it off my bucket list. Really??? Did they think it was right up there with ‘Live in Sorrento, Italy?’

Keep posted for more stories from our Spring Break adventure!

My son and I are back from our mother/son Spring Break cruise to St. Thomas and St. Maarten. The weather was beautiful a...

Read More »

The Jenerous Cruiser

BE JENEROUS ON VACATION

Opportunities for Jenerosity are everywhere, even on Princess Cruises in the middle of the Caribbean.  Here are a few ways to be kind when sailing the seas.

  • See a cute couple or family on the photo wall?  Buy a photo and have it delivered to their stateroom.
  • Share your wine at the communal table.
  • Open up your balcony to make your neighbors’ views that much better.
  • Buy a child a bingo card.
  • Donate your unused internet minutes (as if there is such a thing) to your cabin steward.
  • Give your significant other a card each day that captures your best memory from the prior day’s adventures.  Leave it on their pillow each morning and have the last card delivered with chocolate covered strawberries.
  • Make a vacation playlist on your iPhone/iPad and bring a headphone splitter so that you can share your music while relaxing in the spa or sunbathing.

It is amazing how much more fun vacation can be when your mind is in Jenerosity mode…

BE JENEROUS ON VACATION Opportunities for Jenerosity are everywhere, even on Princess Cruises in the middle of the Carib...

Read More »