Norwegian Cruise - December 2019 - Aruba, Curacao, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts

In December of 2019, I went on my first cruise ever. I had never considered going on a cruise before but my husband (bf at the time) promised me that it would be a great experience.

The cruise started from San Juan, PR and the first stop was in Aruba, followed by Curacao, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts, before returning to San Juan.

The reason why I had never considered going on a cruise prior to this trip, was that I had heard from other people that their cruise experience was mediocre, that their cruise was very crowded and the food mostly greasy junk. I'm so glad that wasn't my experience. We picked one that made stops at the specific islands we wanted to visit, the options for excursions were plentiful, the days at sea were very relaxing, there was plenty of entertainment on board and the food was great.

One of the unique things they had on board was an ice bar. The whole thing is made of ice, including the glass that you drink out of, and you are provided with a coat to keep warm.

I think what made the biggest difference in my cruise experience was that we booked our room in the Haven. Not only are the rooms bigger, nicer, and come with a butler, booking a room in the Haven gave us access to an exclusive pool that only Haven guests could use.

The balcony in the Haven is also way better and comes with loungers:

We also had access to an amazing restaurant, that only Haven guests could eat at, which allowed for easier reservations.

Here are the places I got to visit while cruising in the South Caribbean:

1. Aruba

In Aruba, we chose an exclusion that brought us to a lovely beach for snorkeling and cocktails. I also made a new friend who I named Marvin:

2. Curacao

In Curacao, we went on a kayak and snorkeling excursion. Our guide took us to a spot where an old ship was left ages ago and sea life has started to create homes around its base.

3. St. Lucia

A very pretty island. We chose an excursion to Sulfur Springs Park where on the way we got to see the famous twin volcanic spires know as the Pitons.

Once at Sulfur Springs Park, we took a very warm mud bath:

And they had a little spot to body paint with the different shades of mud:

I won't lie, it smelled awful and I had to throw away my swim suit afterwards, but I would definitely do it again.

4. St. Kitts

This island was my favorite. Not only is the island beautiful, we did an ATV tour that was a blast. Our tour guides were two men who had inherited the land from an Uncle and turned a farm into trails to entertain tourists.

Summary:

Did I have a great time? Yes

Would I do the same cruise again? Yes

I would definitely go on the same cruise as long as my room is booked in the Haven. The benefits were worth the cost. The environment in the Haven made me feel relaxed and pampered the whole trip.