Bare Necessities Mid-Winter Cruise
Catalina Island, Dominican Republic
As sunset approached, St Martin disappeared astern. With the sunrise, the Dominican Republic was visible. Shortly we were anchoring off shore from Catalina Island, a cruise line owned island off of the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic. Much to our disappointment, even though Costa had gone to some lengths to ensure that ours was the only cruise ship using the island this day, we were informed that local officials had stated that public nudity was illegal in the Dominican Republic and they considered Catalina Island public. Topless sunbathing was OK, but full nudity was a no-no.
For our excursion, Tom, Regina, Rich, Margette, Becky and I choose the Eco-Tour. The highlight of this excursion was a dugout canoe tour of a mangrove forest in a secluded National Park. Getting there was not an insignificant undertaking. We started our adventure with a 45-minute tender boat ride to the main island of the Dominican Republic. Arriving at the dock, we walked to the waiting buses to ride another 45 minutes to a distant beach where two large speedboats were waiting. A high speed run for thirty miles down the Dominican coast followed. Finally we arrived at the mangroves. We were treated to a close-up view of a frigate bird rookery. Frigate birds are tropical sea birds with a large wingspan and forked tails. They are noted for the great distances that they can fly. Though many white down covered hatchlings were present, the breeding season was in full swing. The adult males would inflate bright red sacks on their throats to attract eligible females. Dozens of frigate birds floated on the breezes over the mangroves.
After watching these beautiful birds for several minutes, our boat captains took us deeper into the mangroves where two dugout canoes awaited us. After transferring from speedboat to canoe, we took a leisurely tour of the mangroves. The dugouts were equipped with small electric motors allowing us to glide effortlessly and silently through the crystal clear water. In fact, we surprised a sea turtle feeding in the shallow water. After a curious circle of the canoes he streaked toward the open ocean. Transferring back to the speedboats, we reversed our course back to the boat. On the return trip, our boat captains did anchor on a sandbar long enough to take a quick dip while our guides served up the requisite Caribbean rum and coke.
Our excursion ended early enough for us to visit Catalina Island and enjoy a buffet lunch and stroll on the beach before returning to the ship.
La Romana, Dominican Republic
That same evening, the Mediterranea weighed anchor and moved to the dock in the town of La Romana. Our excursion for this evening included a trip to the Casa de Campo resort and the Kandela show. The evening’s entertainment included a stroll through Altos de Chavon, a replica 16th century Mediterranean Village perched high on the cliffs overlooking the Chavon River.
The Kandela show was a high-energy song and dance review presented in an open-air stone amphitheater built into a hillside. Elaborate and colorful costumes, Caribbean rhythms, and well-staged choreography thoroughly entertained the audience.
Nassau, Bahamas
After a long day in the Dominican Republic, the next day at sea was a welcome respite. Relaxed sunbathing was the order of the day. We needed this slow day to re-energize before our last port of call — Nassau.
We arrived in Nassau in mid-morning, slightly ahead of schedule. We used the few extra hours in port to do some quick souvenir shopping before setting out on our last excursion, a catamaran ride to an offshore reef for some clothing optional snorkeling. Unfortunately, the day was cool (for the Bahamas) and cloudy with a steady breeze blowing, not optimum conditions for a nude adventure. Regardless, once anchored at our destination reef, most of us jumped in. We were greeted by clear but admittedly cool water. But the many tropical fish made it all worthwhile. Actually, once your body became acclimated, it was easy to relax and enjoy the undersea beauty.
The theme for our last night at sea was a toga party. It seemed fitting that our last night aboard the Italian based ship would be spent in ancient Roman attire. Sheets…er…togas were provided by the ship, which was really pretty nice since most of us had already packed our luggage for the next days debarkation. We would-be Romans partied well into the night.
Back to Ft Lauderdale
As with all good things, all too soon our cruise was over. After leaving Nassau, we awoke next morning with the ship already docked in the port at Ft Lauderdale. All that remained was to say our good-byes to old and new friends before disembarking and going our own ways back to the real world. It had been an outstanding eight days with memories that would last a lifetime. A mid-winter cruise was indeed just the cure for the common winter blues.
