The Bahamas

Bahamas The world's biggest cruise company, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and American, with more than 12 ships ploughing the Caribbean every week, decided to lease one of its islands from the sovereign state of the Bahamas, so that one of its ships passes through there every day, in turn. The island is called CocoCay; it's small, let's say 1 km by 1, but with every comfort to host a daily contingent of more than 3000 passengers from one of their ships. The other Bahamian islands are right there nearby, easily reached by speedboat.

The day is basically spent ashore and consists of sun, beach and scuba diving or snorkelling - the classic - or games and entertainment of every kind: volleyball, five-a-side, parasailing, jet skis, beach aerobics and more. Some free, some paid for. But not the food; that's included in the cruise price - and yes, since here at CocoCay only passengers of Royal Caribbean ships have access. Private boats can't dock. Anyway, in the evening, after a splendid day on the Caribbean island, dead tired, we go back on board and from the highest deck of our ship, the Voyager of the Seas, we wave goodbye to CocoCay. Bye