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Anthem of the Seas – Port Day Adventures
First Cruise Travels Series Part 2 – What we did on port days during our 10 day Bermuda and Caribbean itinerary!
I loved my first cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas this past June. You can read more about the ship itself in my last post. I also liked all our ports! We did so much during our stops at Bermuda, St. Martin, Puerto Rico, and Haiti! Here are some easy-to-find things to do in each port I highly recommend.
Port Day Adventures
Bermuda
We reserved a snorkeling excursion in Bermuda through Royal Caribbean’s Website pre-trip. TIP: Prices are better for excursions if you book them before your cruise. We booked the snorkeling for the afternoon so we had that whole morning to squeeze in something else beforehand. We chose to hop on a shuttle and look for some of Bermuda’s famous pink sand. Shuttles were available right at the end of our pier for only $7 per person one-way. We chose Horseshoe Bay Beach. Horseshoe Bay is a popular spot for tourists to see the pink sands, and explore shallow water coves.
Side note:
This photo won first place in a local fair a month after we got back! It is available to purchase as a fine art print on my Etsy Shop!
If you happen to venture off the beach you may come across walking paths just behind it! They were filled with lush greenery, flowers, and wildlife!
As for our snorkleing excursion, we chose a trip that afternoon that lasted for several hours. We left from our pier in a small boat with about 30 people. On the way to our snorkeling spot we stopped near an old shipwreck where the guides let us take photos and see some neat fish. Once we arrived where we would don snorkeling gear, we were given some instructions and set free to swim around the area. It was my first time snorkeling anywhere, and I was nervous. The guides were very helpful and after a few minutes I got used to my mask.
I was really on a mission to see a live sea turtle in it’s natural habitat. I saw several types of fish while I was swimming around, but did not catch a glimpse of a sea turtle until our last 5 minutes in the water! Unfortunately, I did not catch any footage of it. It was quick, and I was happy to be able to see it with my own eyes rather than a lens. I highly suggest getting a good waterproof, action camera before embarking on a cruise.
What we would do if we returned:
Visit some of the museums and take in the cool architecture around King’s Wharf! We noticed buildings in Bermuda are full of color and design, especially closer to the pier.
St. Martin
At our next port we planned to have a beach day at Maho Beach. Maho Beach is famous for being right behind an airport where planes take off and come in for a landing right over your head! We took a shuttle from the shuttle terminal located right outside of our pier/shopping area. We again only paid $7 per person to be taken to Maho Beach. You can see a video from our experience over on my Youtube channel!
The water was very nice, and filled with pretty shades of blue and turquoise. I brought along my Sand Cloud Towel which was a big help to have on this trip. It dries super fast after using, and folds up very small. You can purchase one using my discount for 25% off by using code jbreneman25 at sandcloudtowels.com! Read more about them in this post.
Since the shopping center was easily accessible, right at the end of our pier, we decided to do some souvenir shopping while at this port.
What we would do if we returned:
If we returned to St. Martin I would like to explore bigger beaches since the water was great to swim in, but Maho was an extremely narrow beach.
Puerto Rico
There is so much to do in Puerto Rico, even without any close beach areas you will keep busy! We first headed to 1 of 2 forts that are close to the pier. We chose Fort Castillo San Cristóbal since it was an easy walk almost straight up the road from our pier. It was the largest fortification built by the Spanish in the New World. Admission is affordable, and there is as much covered areas to explore as there is outdoor parts so you do not have to be out in the bright sun the whole time. We enjoyed walking around the upper walls, gates, rooms, dungeon, and tunnels throughout this huge fort. I am sure families with kids would highly enjoy it too! It also had really good views overlooking the city.
After we felt we took in enough of the fort, we set off to find the “Umbrella Street” towards the western part of San Juan. It was a longer walk away, but since the streets there are lined with fun shops and scenery time passed quickly. The colorful, hanging umbrellas are located on Fortaleza Street. You are able to walk right under them and take photos!
After completing our mission to find the colorful umbrellas, we had time to spare. We ended up exploring around on our way back to the ship. We found some gardens, a big fountain, and shops to check out along the way.
(Raices Fountain in San Juan)
What we would do if we returned:
So much! I could have spent more time in the souvenir shops and city itself. We felt very safe there, and locals leave you alone. I would also go to the other parts to the fort across the city, and in that area there is supposedly a castle! So many options for port day adventures whether you want to hangout outside or indoors!
Haiti (Labadee – RC’s private part of Haiti)
Labadee is Royal Caribbean’s own private part of Haiti. It even is divided from the rest of Haiti by a high border wall so you are safe. Only Royal Caribbean employees and approved work force are allowed in besides the cruise ship guests. As soon as we hit land we explored around for a bit before trying to find a beach.
There are many footpaths around Labadee. We found this really neat path that lead to a currently unused outdoor massage area. Being a massage therapist this had me easily imagining working with such a view! After some hiking around we took a shuttle (there are several that go back and forth through Labadee) to the furthest beach hoping it would be the least crowded. It was not too bad, but not as spacious as I would have preferred. Still a pretty view though! We noticed on most of the beaches there was hardly any shaded areas. Be sure to bring a lot of sunscreen!
The absolute best part and possibly largest draw to Labadee is the “world’s longest zipline over water.” We had also booked this excursion ahead through the Royal Caribbean website. There are actually 2 ziplines right next to each other. On “Dragon’s Flight” you can lay on your belly and go down head first! I opted for the less crazy “Dragon’s breath” where you sit in the harness. Before you are taken way up on a mountain for the big ziplines, the nice instructors have you practice on a “practice zipline.” Thank goodness! Here is a video of the practice zipline: https://youtu.be/WoNkM3twhHw
After you survive that (it wasn’t too bad) you are shuttled up the mountain to the real thing. Here is the video from my flight down the famous Dragon’s breath zipline: https://youtu.be/C2yT6Ft-nD4
What we would do if we returned:
Go down the zipline again! And maybe brave the dragon’s flight too! I loved it!
If you ever plan on voyaging Anthem of the Seas Bermuda/Caribbean itinerary, I hope these ideas and tips help you have some enjoyable port day adventures too!
Thanks for reading,
Jillian
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