18th December 2024

The Nieuw Statendam glided into her berth at Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, one of the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea and a constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands, an unincorporated territory of the United States. By the time we had breakfast, we could see a light rain shower through the restaurant windows, somewhat disappointing.

Earlier, in our cabin, we heard the announcement that passengers could disembark from 7 am. On checking the weather forecast, it predicted light showers until 10 am, followed by sunshine and clouds with a high of 28℃. Two other ships were already in port, another Holland America vessel moored ahead of us and, across the bay, another cruise ship in the distance. As we finished our morning meal, a fourth, larger Norwegian Line ship entered the harbour and docked behind us.

Believing the showers had passed, we left the ship around 9:30 am and made our way to the base of the Skyride to Paradise Point. After queuing and paying $29 each for our tickets, we climbed the steps to board the gondola that would take us upwards. As the ascent began, so did the rain, partially obscuring views of the bay.

The Skyride doesn’t take you to the top of the hill, stopping some distance short. One reviewer on TripAdvisor aptly noted, “Great scenic views of the harbour at Charlotte Amalie and the town. Restaurants and bars at the top are a great place to relax and enjoy an incredible view. You have to decide for yourself if it is worth the fare.”

For a brief period, the rain eased, allowing us to take in the stunning views of the town and harbour. However, persistent passing showers had us darting back to shelter more than once until we felt we had captured enough photos and seen everything there was to see. By the time we descended from the heights above Long Bay, the rain had finally ceased for good.

Our next mission was to visit Fort Christian, named after Christian V of Denmark. Built between 1672 and 1678 on a peninsula with a rocky outcrop in the bay, it is the first and largest fort on the islands. Throughout its history, the building has served various purposes, including a fortress, prison, hospital, church, private residence, and, most recently, a museum.

Reaching the fort required a long, hot trek across the bay. Along the way, we had an extended stop with some fellow cruisers from the Nieuw Statendam, who remarked that they had seen us on the ship several times and were curious about us. They were a couple who, like us, enjoyed travelling. The man was American, and the woman was Russian, and they were eager to learn about the Canary Islands, from where we had arrived just a few weeks earlier.

By the time we reached the fort, Sue was feeling the effects of the heat and decided against exploring the interior. She promised to wait outside in the shade while I ventured inside. After paying the $10 entrance fee, I set off to delve into its history.

To my surprise, there were only a handful of other curious visitors inside, allowing me to roam the prison cells, tunnels, and rooms in solitude. Some of the cells now house displays by local artists, while one has been restored to its original appearance. Climbing up to the ramparts, I took more photos of the bay and harbour before descending to ground level, where Sue was faithfully waiting in the agreed spot.

We spent some time and a few dollars at the small market next to the fort before embarking on the hot, gruelling walk back around the bay to the ship. After refreshing cold showers, we headed up to Deck 9 for lunch, surprised to find it unusually quiet, with far fewer hungry passengers than expected.

In the afternoon, Sue relaxed on deck with her book and watched the sail-away celebrations at 4 pm. Meanwhile, I immersed myself in my new favourite pastime, revisiting and editing past blog entries.

We had dinner with a couple from Florida and a mother and daughter from Alabama. Although it was too dark outside to gauge how rough the sea was, there was considerable movement of the ship in the restaurant, and Sue remarked that she wasn’t feeling too well.

After the meal, we made our way to the theatre and watched a hilarious performance by the comedian from a few nights ago, Kevin Fynn. During his act, he made an awkward reference to the fact that US presidents have traditionally been fair game for jokes. However, he noted that, over the past eight years, political divisions have been so intense that he has steered clear of targeting one particular president. That said, his jokes about the Bushes, Clintons, and Tony Blair had us all roaring with laughter.

After the performance, Sue was feeling quite seasick, so we returned to our cabin.