Great Stirrup Caye
Off the balcony, we had a great view of Great Stirrup Caye. Norwegian Cruise Line purchased this island in 1977 and has spent years developing it as a port stop. From our cabin, we could see that there were several seating areas. The farther one walks, the less crowded...
Just off the tender, we were greeted by this sculpture. Off to the left were organized games and straight ahead... the beach!
The first seating area was crowded. It seemed no one wanted to venture far into the island. Each seating section was equipped with bathrooms, cabanas and bars. A few bartenders from the ship had duty on land. Sunshine and beautiful blue waters made this a perfect day!
From the second seating area, we could look across the bay. So many cruise guests frolicked on the beach. Kiosks were set up to rent stand up paddle boards and snorkel equipment.
From the shore, we could see our ship, the Norwegian Escape. Seagulls flying about, families interacting without technology and the sound of laughter, lots of laughter. Norwegian has really created a special environment. With the ship as a backdrop, a carefree day on land really made up for missing Grand Cayman.
In an attempt to get away from the crowds, we happened upon Lighthouse Bar. A fun shack on the beach with a patio of tables.
The best part about our day... Vincent from the Vibe was the bartender! Not only does he pour a mean drink, he was nonstop jokes! Not sure if it was the drinks or he was actually funny... nah... he was hilarious!
This is part of Vincent's repetoire... no words needed!
We had stopped by the island's bar-b-que and had burgers... big, fat burgers before heading to the outdoor bar. The sun, beach, palm trees... just got us in the Bahama Mama mood! After a couple, cocktails, Vincent started to pour them faster... and stronger! It was the floats on top that got us in a "tropical" mood :-)
After the jokes and the drinks, all that was left to do was enjoy the view! People watching is the great American pasttime.
All good things must come to an end. All aboard was 5pm. We wanted to beat the rush, so we headed back to the tender about 4. It was nice being on the water, even for a short time.
