It doesn’t happen often that I visit a new place and it’s not what I expected. Of course, there are a million factors that affect one’s experience in a new place. Sometimes the conditions don’t add up to exactly what you had in mind, and most recently, that happened to me on the friendly and beautiful island of St. Maarten! It was the third and final stop on my recent 7-day trip with Princess Cruises. Click here to read about our days in port at Princess Cays and St. Thomas!

When I first heard about the island with a split personality (half of it is Dutch and half of it is French), visiting both capitals sounded absolutely charming to me. Philipsburg, the Dutch side, sounded a little more rugged and saturated with historical culture, while Marigot, the French side, sounded dazzlingly charming and like a good place to tide myself over until I visit Paris for the first time.

Our morning kicked off with a drive-around tour of the island, an experience that was essentially tailored to retired couples, so right away we realized we may have made the wrong decision. Oops! The drive through the Dutch side was quick and painless, which gets the job done if that's the kind of travel you're looking for. I learned several facts about the capital, like when slavery was deemed illegal for both sides (1848 for French and 1863 for Dutch, respectively).

The tour guide for the trek, Jasmine, was friendly and eager to give information about her country, and also eager to single me out as the only person on the bus under 50—she settled on calling me Best Friend for the duration of the drive. But my favorite thing she said was a phrase she used in passing (about a topic I can’t quite remember): “They’re all over, like butterflies.” I was immediately enchanted by the fact that anything in everyday life could be as abundant as the number of butterflies on an island. I don’t see many up in Minnesota, and of course, wish I did, because how wonderfully charming would that be.

They dropped us off downtown to shop and stroll for about an hour, and I found a few charming pockets of Marigot to shoot in. Although I was Paris dreaming, Marigot gave off much more of a New Orleans vibe than the City of Lights. It was a little gritty with a lot going on, and it was definitely a memorable experience.

The beauty of the island can’t be denied—however, there were more houses in shambles and dilapidated buildings lining the streets we drove through than I anticipated. I’ll admit I was a little shocked by the state of most of the houses I saw until I heard that residents don’t have to pay taxes on homes that are deemed “unfinished…” Such a different way of life; I was immediately intrigued.

I love learning about new places and am truly pleased I got to experience The Friendly Island for all it is. There were some lovely sights and moments—I can’t hide my love for island towns! But my experience on St. Maarten is a good reminder to do your research: make sure you find a tour available that is suited to your tastes...and maybe aimed somewhere in the range of your age demographic?

Thank you to Princess Cruises for sponsoring this post, and for the unforgettably fabulous trip through the islands of the Caribbean! I literally miss life on the Regal Princess at least once a day... 

1.     OCEAN BREEZE

It’ll wake you up the second you set foot on the ship. For the long-haired gals and guys out there, you’ll end up wearing a ponytail more often than not, but there’s nothing like the spray of the sea on a warm winter’s day.

2.     FREE ICE CREAM

Do I even need to explain? I basically lived at Swirl on the Lido Deck of the Regal Princess. Especially since they solve the decision of chocolate versus vanilla for you with the crowd-pleasing, combination swirl cone.

3.     PEOPLE WATCHING

One thing I was looking forward to seeing on my first cruise? Cruisers. The people who cruise like it’s their job. We met people from all over the world who have literally gone on ten cruises and more, from Australia to the Panama Canal to the Grecian coastline. They know what they’re doing and they know what they like—even Cruise Ship Santa, a guy we saw around every single day that looked exactly like he sounds. #santaonvacay

4.     LOUNGE CHAIRS

There’s nothing more relaxing than the sight of a row of empty lounge chairs, just waiting for you to lie back and slow down.

5.     FREE ROOM SERVICE

My mom and I ended up ordering breakfast in more than we ventured out. The continental breakfast reminded me of what I’ve had abroad with croissants and delicious yogurts and honestly? The best butter I’ve ever had in my life. Princess, where u get dat butter?

6.     CUTE CREW BOYS

Another one I don’t really need to explain. #uniforms

7.     WHALE WATCHING

It doesn’t happen often, but my mom and I got lucky. Halfway through our voyage, we were turning around to go back inside when a VASTLY GIGANTIC TAIL slid slowly back into the water. We watched him swim a few strokes away before he was gone. One of the more satisfying and humbling moments of my twenty-four year old life.

8.     RESORTWEAR

Who doesn’t want an excuse to buy summer clothes in winter? The shops were just releasing their resort collections when Mom and I were shopping for our cruise ship wardrobes, and I have to say, I’ve never understood the point of resort collections until I went on a cruise. They’re the perfect vibes for both daytime and nighttime events on board.

SHOP RESORTWEAR:

9.     MID-WINTER TAN

We’ve all felt that pang of jealousy when a coworker or friend makes an appearance in mid-February with that perfect, sunkissed glow…which you can get when you sail for a week through the Virgin Islands. Make sure you wear sunscreen though! Do! Not! Forget!

10.  STAR-GAZING

I took a college astronomy class during my last two years of high school and fell in love. With a boy in class, yes, but also with the sky. I’ve felt such a connection to the stars since then, but living in the city, I rarely get to see them. Out in the middle of nowhere on the only ship around for miles? I got to reintroduce myself to some of my favorite constellations.

11.  MULTIPLE DESTINATIONS AT ONCE

My goal in life is to hit as many towns and countries as I can, and thanks to Princess Cruises, I can check four off of my list, (Ft. Lauderdale, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and Princess Cays) not to mention cruising the eastern Caribbean Atlantic Ocean, all in a week’s time.

12.  CRUISE SHIP LINGO

Port. Stateroom. Bridge. Lido. Starboard. Ahoy. Berth. Aboard. Ashore. Tender. The Loveboat. Come on, when else do you get to surround yourself with things you never get to say?

13.  WORLD-CLASS DESSERTS

If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll have heard everything about this already. From casual dinners to formal nights to the pièce de résistance, the Chef’s Table Lumiere, you’ll never have chocolate like you have aboard the Regal Princess. Even if you’re not a chocolate fan, there’s plenty to choose from between the fresh sorbets, crème brulet, hazelnut bars, fruit tarts, cheesecakes, and more…

14.  WINE-TASTING

There are a ton of different activities on board (seriously, I can’t even name them all), but one thing I’ve always been interested in and never got around to doing is wine tasting. I’ve just started getting into wine over the last year, and it was awesome to learn more about reds (I’m currently not a fan, but I’m developing a taste!), alongside some tapas before dinner. I’m still daydreaming about the cabernet blend!

15.  THE VOICE OF THE OCEAN

This one is Princess specific, but if you’ve ever watched The Voice, prepare to have your mind blown attending this show on board. They hold passenger auditions early on the ship and pull together three judges to participate in the finale show on the last night of your voyage. It was absolutely adorable hearing the maître d'hotel, a ship performer, and comedian giving thoughtful and sometimes hilarious commentary to the contestants. If you’re into a lot of laughs and some fun, redone classic tunes, you’ll probably laugh and cheer as much as my mom and I did.

16.  A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

The number one thing I miss after coming back to the mainland is the constant and calming rock of the boat. Although a little strong for my taste once in awhile, the movement was quite effective in lulling me back to sleep. The first night back in my own bed, I could still feel it even though I was back on solid ground!

17.  ZUMBA LIKE NO ONE’S WATCHING

I’ll be honest, I didn’t get to participate in any of the exercise classes (our time was pretty full of pre-scheduled blogger events and spa appointments), but I thought of this later…you’re never going to see these cruise people again, so let loose! There are a ton of fun fitness activities on the top deck of the ship, besides just gym equipment, so take advantage…even if you’re like me and feel a little sheepish shaking your thing in front of strangers.

18.  BETTER THAN AN ALL-INCLUSIVE

Sailing with Princess, you get the convenience of an all-inclusive resort with the benefit of exciting sea life! Seriously it adds a whole new element to the experience. I’ll never tire of waking up anchored in the port of a new island every day.

19.  EMBARKATION DAY EXCITEMENT

There’s nothing like it. You have to see it to believe it. The ship’s horn is blaring, music is playing, everyone is cheering and waving from both the shore and the ship…Mom and I were so moved by the ordeal that we got a little choked up pulling away from Florida into the open sea.

20.  SOME OF THE BEST FOOD YOU’LL EVER EAT

And that is no exaggeration. I still remember the espresso brûlée and the manicotti I had on the first night, to the Chef’s Table Lumiere eggplant main dish and chocolate dessert concoction. The galley staff (the entire crew, really!) takes so much pride in their work and it’s clear when it hits the table.

21.  THE WAKE

There were a lot of great moments on board the Regal Princess during my 7-day Caribbean cruise, but none really moved my soul like standing at the aft (the back) of the ship and staring at the waves the ship left behind as we glided through the waters. It’s quiet back there, protected from the wind, and you just can’t believe the blue of the sea and the sky unless you’re standing there staring at it. And I promise you will be, because it’s impossible to make yourself look anywhere else.

Thanks a million to Princess Cruises for sponsoring this post!

A SKEPTIC START

I live in Minnesota, and therefore daydream about lying on a beach in Bali approximately two or three times a day. However, I'm more of a land traveler, so I was pretty nervous when I found out I was going on a week-long cruise in collaboration with Princess. As great as my awe for the ocean is, I also have great fear of its vastness and depth. It's easy to fear the unknown, especially when you consider that

UNDER 5% OF THE UNDERWATER WORLD HAS BEEN EXPLORED.

Under 5%! Whaaaaat. Consider all of the scuba diving, submarine dunking, and deep sea excursion-ing that has gone down in our oceans. That is barely a hair or a whisper of what the waters of Mother Earth have to offer. Just let that sit. Let that blow your mind.

I was so thirsty for information after the trip had been planned that I read everything I could get my hands on about cruises. This vacation was different for me in this way. Usually, the first thing I do is I look up coffee shops or tourist sights or start planning my outfits, but this time? I just wanted to make sure I would make it off the boat alive in case we capsized (disclaimer: highly unlikely, but this is the fear I live with.)

But then I woke up on a Monday morning anchored in front of a beautiful and vibrant beach, (privately owned by Princess) and it changed the game.

FROM SEA TO SHORE

I'll talk about this more in an upcoming post, but I'll be honest about my initial attitude toward cruising—it sounded pretty corny. I may have rolled my eyes when I found out our first port day was basically "Princess Island." I'm usually on the lookout for adventure and unique experiences when I travel, and being taken care of 24/7 is not usually on the schedule.

But it really took me being there to change my mind. Things switched for me as soon as I met the crew on board, and Princess Cays turned out to be one of the highlights of the voyage. The crew that works the island is the same crew onboard the Regal Princess, so the island is essentially deserted unless there's a Princess ship present. They brought boxes of food and coolers of drinks ashore and put together a big buffet lunch, and the rest of the day was spent lying on the beach, enjoying the sun and the shade, and living for a few sprinkles of rain that came out to play in the afternoon.

GET THERE FAST, TAKE IT SLOW

I've mentioned it in a past post, but generally, most of my trips are unplanned. An opportunity arises and I'm all, "Let's do it!" and I never realize how much I love island life until I'm there, sand stuck to my skin and the smell of sunscreen in the air. Taking 1,000 photos didn't even feel like work as my mom and I strolled the sandy sidewalks back and forth, poked at hermit crabs in the rocks, and waded just far enough into the waves. It was late evening when we finally packed up and headed back to the boat in one of the ship's tenders, bringing the bustle of the island back with us and leaving the wind breezing through empty bungalows.

Thank you to Princess Cruises for sponsoring this post! I have 3 more Caribbean updates coming up this month, so stay tuned.