03.01. - British Virgin Islands 🇵🇳

Beep, beep... oh no, were the sun, beach, and sea just a dream?! No, the stupid alarm really rang during the vacation. Stephan opened the curtains and we saw the sun slowly fighting its way to the surface. Completely exhausted with our packed belongings, we walked to the breakfast buffet, where there was already a lot of activity. I couldn't eat much. The Zebra Bar was the meeting point and many people had already gathered there. Schwägi and Danny arrived a bit late. Just before 8 o'clock, the crowd started moving towards the tender boats. The provided lifeboats could hold 120 people, and to transport everyone, two boats were needed. However, according to the others, it seemed to go quite smoothly and orderly compared to the Aida in South America. It took us about 20 minutes to reach the main island Tortola with the capital Roadtown. There, directly at the pier, were the NCL Epic and the Disney Fantasy, which were even bigger than our ship. I would have liked to try the slides on the Disney ship. They were glass tubes that you could pass through with inflatable tubes. Unfortunately, our tender boat didn't have much space, and we were all very happy when we could get off. After a few difficulties with docking, everyone was able to step onto the pier with a big stride. Next, we were guided onto the speedboat, which took us to Virgin Gorda. We were lucky and got the last seats in the shade on the sun deck. The crossing took just under half an hour. During that time, we passed our cruise ship, which majestically towered in the water. Once we arrived on the island, we were loaded into trucks with seating structures. Luckily, the ride wasn't too long through the green forest and the bad roads. Before the national park, you could choose between relaxing on the beach and taking a tour through the 'Devils Cave'. The large smooth rock formations on the beach are called 'The Baths'. We chose the more strenuous part and followed the guide to the Devil's Cave. The roadside was densely populated with cacti, palm trees, aloe vera, and many other green plants. It led steadily downhill and was sometimes very slippery. An older lady even slipped and Stephan caught her. The Stuttgart couple behind us also helped her, but she reluctantly accepted their help. Once we reached the bottom, the four of us separated from the group and posed in front of the rocks. The view over the sea and the beach bays is fantastic. It's no wonder that this section of the island is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. Now we were ready for the tour through the rocks. We had to balance between the rocks, go up and down stairs, and most of the time we had water up to our knees. Danny took a lot of pictures during our little hike. Since we also had to carry our bags, it sometimes looked like I was on a shopping spree. So next time, I should bring a backpack. Once we arrived at 'The Baths', we continued our photo shoot with Danny as the photographer, and time flew by once again. After less than 2 hours of stay, the MSC lady waved our tour group number 20. We headed back. That's when we spotted a lizard observing us intently from the roadside. Many people were already waiting at the meeting point. We made a detour to the souvenir shop and the restaurant. The restaurant had a beautiful view of the sea and the food looked good too. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to stop by. We had to go back the same way we came. But this time, we didn't get a spot on the sun deck. However, there was a fruity rum punch in the lower area. Slightly tipsy, we switched boats and arrived back at our ship around 1:30 PM. This gave us the opportunity to try the lunch at the restaurant. It was surprisingly good. Afterwards, we went to the crowded sun deck. I dozed off for a short while, but the wind was very cold and when the Italian woman started playing bingo, we fled. Stephan had already escaped to the room earlier. The three of us laid by the hot tub and enjoyed the remaining sun. Just as I was about to go back to the room, Stephan came towards me. Together, we got ready for the gym. Schwägi was already waiting for us in sports clothes, but he changed his mind at the last minute. We diligently completed our exercises. On the way back to the room, we ran into Danny, who was already slightly tipsy due to the captain's dinner. Tonight was the night when my chic dress came into play. We posed for almost all the photographers on board and had a cocktail in the casino. Once again, the two Englishmen (father and son) were gambling there. A bit later than usual, we returned to the table with Gudrun and Nello and enjoyed the gala dinner. Before going to bed, we stopped by the bag store because of the discounts. But I didn't buy anything, much to Stephan's delight. We said our goodbyes and went to sleep.