Stardust Dance Cruise
It’s as if this were tailor made for me. I checked six countries off my list, did tons of dancing and it didn’t break the bank. Given this was only my second trip, I also appreciated the all-inclusive feature of a cruise so there was much less planning to do.
In addition to all the lessons and social dancing, Stardust also has dance contests. Now, I'm not bragging or anything but . . . I won first place in the Hustle contest! Yes I did!! I suppose I had a slight advantage because I'd already done the Hustle in the late '70s . . . and . . . well . . . there was only one other couple.
Remember the Hustle?
One issue with partner dancing is that there are always more women than men. I was a little worried I'd spend a lot of time on the sidelines, but ladies you don't need a partner to enjoy this cruise. Stardust solved this issue with male "dance hosts" (I like to call them "spare men.") to dance with women without partners. These men are good dancers, willing teachers and great fun! Which reminds me of a money-saving tip for men. Guys, if you’re a good dancer, you can often get discounted cruises by being a “spare man”.
The Cruise
Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas
Charlotte-Amalie is the most visited port in the Caribbean and has one of the most beautiful harbors in the world. There are more than 40 beautiful white sand beaches with turquoise waters.
St. Thomas is also world renowned for its duty-free shopping. Many people say they've gotten good shopping deals there, particularly on jewelry. I was pretty skeptical about that until I found a $80,000 Rolex watch for only $64,000!
St. Thomas from Drake's Seat
When we finished shopping, we returned to the ship just in time for that evening's entertainment -- an ice show! On a Caribbean cruise! The venue was small enough to get really close-up views of the skaters. I had wanted to see live skating ever since I saw Scott Hamilton give a captivating inspirational speech. He's a very charismatic man who is considered to be one of the greatest male skaters of all time. His story of survival reminded me of my brother Paul. Here he is two years after his diagnosis of testicular cancer in 1997.
I met him backstage where he signed my copy of "The Great Eight: How to Be Happy (even when you have every reason to be miserable)". He's a true inspiration.
Here's Scott 2 years after his diagnosis of testicular cancer in 1997.
Basseterre, St. Kitts
We had a fun experience with two vervet monkeys. I loved their soft little monkey hands and their big funny ears. We later learned that monkeys outnumber Kittitians almost 2 to 1.
Kitt with "Choco" or is that "Chip"?
We visited the island named after Kitt (although I openly questioned her "saint" status). All kidding aside, Kitt is a dear friend that I've known for over 30 years. She's a great travel companion, and it was because of her that my inaugural trip was so much fun.
St. Kitts has large peaks covered by rain forest which is ideal for zip-lining! It was one of the highlights of our trip. Check it out. The Sky Safari tour guides were endlessly entertaining. Their names were "Mel Gibson", "Jack Sparrow" and "Bongo Boy".
Sick at Sea
After the entertainment one night, I morphed into "G.I. Karen" and was quarantined at sea for three days! I was too sick to be tempted to escape, but there were frequent calls to see how "Madame" was doing to ensure my captivity. Kitt entertained herself with ship activities like food sculpting and she explored the last two islands on her own.
Oranjestad, Aruba
Aruba is a Dutch country within the Kingdom of Netherlands. Like other Caribbean islands it has beautiful beaches but the climate is dry and arid with cactus-strewn landscape. It's a pretty reliable vacation destination because the year-round temperature is about 80 degrees with cooling trade winds and it's located outside the Hurricane Belt. Kitt took some great photos.
`Willemsted, Curacao
UNESCO World Heritage site
My quarantine ended just in time to see Curacao from the ship's dining room windows. It's gorgeous and I wished I could've been there. It's a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the buildings are like those you'd find in Holland except they're painted in beautiful Caribbean colors. Like Aruba, it offers a dependable vacation because of its year-round beautiful weather and it's not in the hurricane belt.
Kitt and Karen's Big Adventure
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Our cruise ended here, and with time to spare, we headed for the beach where we met the handsome surfer we re-named "Diego". (He’s in the video above.) He and his buddy were sitting in the sand beside their surf boards so I asked them how the surf was in my broken, painful-to-listen-to Spanish. They listened very intently as I struggled to express myself. When I finished talking, they said, "We're from West Virginia".
Apparently Puerto Rico has some of the best surfing in the Caribbean. Several World Championships have been held there.
Flamenco and Sevillanas
Kitt and I went to a flamenco performance at Bar Gitano in San Juan. The food was excellent and the music and dancing were authentic. Between flamenco sets, a few couples danced Sevillanas. This was a special treat because many years ago I learned Sevillanas in Spain. Check out the video above.
Bar Gitano
Bachata
On the left: My humble attempt at Bachata. On the right: La Alemana and Ataca Jorgie, one of the best Bachata couples. Sergio is doing his best to teach me the “ragdoll” move. The song is “Corazon sin Cara” by Prince Royce.
Bachata originated in Dominican Republic, not the countries on my cruise, but I chose to do for this post. I had trouble recording my video while on the ship, so I recorded this in the “placita” near El Burrito Mercado (an authentic restaurant/grocery store/gift store) in West St. Paul, MN.
My partner is Sergio Peredia who studies dance at Minnesota State University Mankato Dance Program. At the end of this video, Sergio is trying to teach me the "rag doll" dance move. At one point, he suggested it might be easier if I wrapped my leg around his . . . . "Well, if you insist . . . " (You say Cougar like it's a bad thing.)