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OK, I’ll admit the title is a little deceiving. I went for a 2-tank scuba dive where I went searching for reefs and shipwrecks while Margaret went “diving” into the famous shopping areas around St. Thomas searching for those diamond drop earrings that have eluded her for the last 60+ days.
We arrived in St. Thomas under a number of large gray and white clouds with bright blue skies peaking out from time to time. For a while it looked the gray clouds might win out and we’d get some rain but it passed and left us with a beautiful day with azure and turquoise colored waters, glorious blue skies and bearable heat.
The Mariner was docked next to the Havensight shopping area in front of a Royal Caribbean monster ship which was in turn parked in front of our sister ship the Seven Seas Navigator. The Navigator had to make a detour to St. Thomas, apparently to pick up some fresh water, as they had planned on being in St. Barts. A lot of crew members were happy about that, including John, our head sommelier who got the chance to see his girlfriend who is the Destination Manager on the Navigator.
My scuba diving tour left early, so after my usual Coffee Connection breakfast I headed down to the gangway where like-minded Regentians met up with the the tour operator, a local scuba shop just outside the port’s security gates and started with the legal release paperwork. To make a long story short (and to be nice), let’s just say that they could use some “process improvement” on the whole sign-up system, both at the dock and at their store. Eventually, our 8 Regent guests and 16 or so from the other cruise ships were on the flat, dual hulled dive “party” boat heading out of the harbor to a small island about 4 miles offshore. Scuba tanks lined the outside perimeter of the ship, which had a sun shade covering about 75% of the boat.
The water was spectacular, the wind mild and the swells a modest 2-3 feet . Occasionally, a strong swell would send some spray over the brave souls who chose the “front row” seats. After the 20 minute ride the boat was anchored about 300 feet from shore in a nice semi-protected anchorage. We were split into two groups, the experienced PADI certified divers (that’s my group) and the Discover Scuba group who were doing a crash course that would enable them to dive for the first time. This is the kind of course that I had taken on our first stop in Cozumel so that I could get a dive under my belt (dive belt that is!). It took another 20 minutes to get everyone hooked up with their bouyancy compensators (BC’s), tanks, fins and masks. After we were fully prepped we took the diver’s leap off the steps at the back of the boat.
The PADI certified divers (like me) were also split into groups of six with a guide for each. Our first dive to a reef where we would descend approx. 60 feet. The water was very clear, the fish colorful and plentiful and the water warm. I was the only one that didn’t opt for the $10 wetsuit as the water was near 80 degrees. It turned out that the wetsuit wasn’t necessary as even at 60 feet the water was wonderful! There were parrot fish, a couple grouper, barracuda, some large crabs, moray eels, many different sizes and colors of assorted fish and a wide assortment of huge tube-like structures (some over three feet tall). Unfortunately, I didn’t have an underwater camera but I am planning on getting one – so there aren’t any pictures on my dive this time – stay tuned for our next “Travel with Dale & Margaret” adventure as we head to Tonga in mid-April where we will dive AND have an underwater camera!
After completing the first dive we had a brief rest and then jumped back in the water with a fresh tank to explore a nearby shipwreck. This wrecked steel ship was broken into many pieces and we explored each one in turn. The sea had taken it over with coral and many other forms of underwater life masking every part of the superstructure. Hydraulic lines and other miscellaneous parts sticking out haphazardly as the happy tenants (or their ancestors) who had moved in years ago swam in and out of the nooks and crannies that had been left for them, and us, to explore. One of the sections had a huge engine room where two massive engines looked strangely silent and out of place at the bottom of the ocean. We were also able to swim into a medium sized room and up through a hatch as the instructor stayed above us keeping our regulator hoses from getting tangled or caught. When my pressure fell to 750 psi I headed back to the dive boat, took off the BC backpack and relaxed in the warm sun. So we ended up with two very nice dives with the only problem being a slightly plugged-up left ear (now cleared)
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The trip back was uneventful and beautiful with the waters an incredible blue. After a brief stop at another harbor to drop off the Ruby Princess divers we headed back to Havensight and took the short walk to the Mariner. When I got to the ship I heard Margaret calling my name and I looked up to see her waving to me from our veranda! A nice welcome home.
Canon D10 underwater and drop-proof camera
After lunch we went out to explore the shopping area that Margaret had canvassed in the morning looking for the elusive (soon to be yellow) diamond drop earrings she has been in search of the entire trip. St. Thomas is one of those great tourist destinations where they have lots of jewelry stores and good deals to be negotiated. After spending a few hours we found what we were looking for and Margaret got some very nice earrings that more than met her specs and even a bonus necklace (don’t even think of asking me about this!). I also got a couple necklaces and bracelets (yes, for me) as market research for my new men’s jewelry company. It was nice to see that the concept of “men’s jewelry” is catching on as we found two stores that had some very tasteful and cost effective pieces. I also got a couple lenses (Micro Nikkor 105 and 70-300 ED VR) and a Canon D10 underwater camera, which works down to 33 feet and can be safely dropped from five feet. No more having to deal with plastic dry bags with my Canon S90 on Belize Cave Tubing trips! There are several other competent cameras in this category including brand new ones from Panasonic and Olympus. Now I only need a pressurized case for either that camera or my S90 so I can go down to 133 feet. I am going to research that some more before I make a decision.
The ship pulled out on a beautiful evening behind the huge Royal Caribbean ship. As we left we passed alongside the Regent Seven Seas Navigator which had huge crowds on all decks and a band playing Dixieland music. As we passed by them we waved joyfully to our fellow Regent cruisers. Both ships traded horn blasts until they faded from view amid a beautiful sunset. I have to admit that Margaret and I shed a few tears as we passed the Navigator, a combination of remembering our previous cruises on the smaller, more intimate ship while at the same time realizing that we would be departing the Mariner in a couple days, leaving behind our newly adapted lifestyle and all the friends we have made over the past 60+ days.
That night we had our 2nd reserve wine paired dinner put on by John our head Sommelier. We had a great time and the wines were fantastic. In this picture you’ll see us with Mike and Cheryl (right), Ron and Marcia (left), and Florian and John (middle). Thanks guys!
A Brief St. Thomas History
St. Thomas was originally settled around 1500 BC by the Ciboneys and later replaced by the Arawaks followed by the Carib tribe. In 1493 Columbus sighted the island on his second voyage but it wasn’t until 1657 that the Dutch established a settlement here. Like many of these islands, the revolving door of countries continued with the Danish taking over and establishing plantations and sugar cane production. By 1865, along with the neighboring island of St. John and St. Croix this area developed the now unfavorable reputation of being the slave auction capital of the world.
In 1691, the main harbor area was renamed Charlotte Amalie (still the name of the port city where we docked) in honor of the Danish king’s wife at the time. In 1848 slavery was abolished and, in the 1860’s, due to the strategic location and excellent fortified harbor (the stone shelters are still visible), the US considered buying St. Thomas from the Danes for $7.5 million. The deal fell through due to lack of legislative support from the public in the US. Finally, in 1915, a local islander named David Hamilton Jackson convinced the King of Denmark to sell all three of the local islands to the US and the package deal was done for $25 million in gold in 1917. A true bargain by any standards! This had the additional benefits of giving the US control over the entire Caribbean and the Panama Canal during WWI. An annual celebration takes place in Hamilton’s name to this day.
The three islands are now US Territories and the local citizens are US citizens in addition to having their own local government. It appears that the cars still drive on the left side of the road despite most of the cars having steering wheels on the left, a holdover from the Brits. The main industry is tourism with whatever is in second place far, far behind. We helped support the local economy as did many of our friends!
St. Thomas Picture Gallery: http://travelwithdm.smugmug.com/Travel/South-America/St-Thomas-Mar-13-2010/25179952_m2nbDp#!i=2065362487&k=Zqb6LtL
Marlene Shirley - Interesting history! The description of your diving trip was fascinating. I can’t wait to see the pictures. At first I said to myself, “I think I would have gone shopping with Margaret”. But after reading of your experiences, you had me ready to give up the diamonds!!! But then again, it sounds like maybe one could have had the best of both worlds. I bet it’s going to be hard for you to say good -bye to everyone. Love, Marlene