Reminder for all first time cruisers ...

A 'tender' from the Sun Princess shuttling passengers to St. Georges

This past week I had the opportunity to visit Carriacou; a small island 'Parish' of Grenada, W.I., and I did so via ferry.

This image is of a 'tender' (taken from my vantage point on the inter-island ferry) from the Sun Princess, and is seen ferrying passengers from the ship to St. Georges (the port city and capital of Grenada) and back. This, to remind all cruisers - but first timers in particular - that not all disembarkation is done on a gang plank, even if the itinerary has called for it.

St. Georges has a perfectly modern cruise ship docking pier, but on this day, the wind and waves made it impossible to dock the ship in safety. Therefore all those looking to see the island from the Sun Princess -and as it happens, the Celebrity Millennium - were shuttled to and fro via these bi-hulled diesel powered life craft.

The moral: always be prepared for the unexpected, even on the best and most attentive of cruise lines. Mother nature trumps all ... a good pair of non-slip soled walking shoes is a must.