Team Cocktail Cruise 2011

Who doesn't love the warmth of the sun on your face with your toes in the sand and a cocktail in hand? Jim joined the Team Cocktail team in 2010 as the Sales Manager, Awesome Stuff and Distribution therefore we were "required" to join the Team for their annual Caribbean cruise. This was Jim's first cruise, but it was my fourth cruise. I was looking forward to a week of fun in the sun with a great group of people! We left the cold Midwest on an early January only to land in the warm, sunny skies of San Juan, Puerto Rico!!

Our first night included a visit to Old San Juan for great food and the famous mojito at Parrott Club. It's a great place with covered outdoor seating!

On Saturday, all 31Team Cocktail members boarded the Celebrity Summit cruiseline for seven days at sea.

Our first day was at sea, so we all settled into our staterooms and of course enjoyed our first cocktail on the top deck! Celebrity offers a drink package which for Team Cocktail was golden!

Our first port call was St. Croix, USVI, the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our day started off with a two-tank dive in the beautiful waters of St. Croix. The dive was fun and a great opportunity to get our "fins" wet! After our dive, we cleaned up our equipment and made our way to meet the rest of the crew at Rhythm's Beach Bar at Rainbow Beach. It was a beautiful beach, with chairs available to rent and plenty of cold drinks near by! Rhythm's Beach Bar offers great service and my favorite beach drink "Lime in the Coconut". For you key lime pie lovers I highly recommend ordering one or two of "Lime in the Coconut"!

A tip I might offer for those with loose fit rings - leave it in your safe! As Jim and I took a nice walk along the beach he looked down at his hand and ask me "Have you seen my wedding ring?" which of course I said "no". As you can guess, he managed to donate his wedding ring to the sea life of St. Croix, months before our second wedding anniversary! I guess he owes me a new ring for losing his! ;)

Our second port of call was St. Kitts, an island in the West Indies. Jim and Steve decided to swing the clubs at Royals St. Kitts Golf Course.

The rest of the team made our way to Reggae Beach Bar and Grill, a favorite for Team Cocktail. The downpours didn't spoil our fun as we just moved under the roof of Reggae Beach Bar and Grill for delicious cocktails!

Another early morning as we headed out for our second dive on the beautiful and lush island of Dominica. Dominica’s Soufriere Scotts Head Marine Reserve is located in the south west of the island. A vast submerged volcanic crater, it has some amazing dive sites; dramatic drop-offs and walls, huge pinnacles rising from the sea bed, active underwater fumaroles, expansive coral reefs, all full of life. 



Our second dive included a popular snorkeling spot "Champagne" as there are tiny crystal bubbles that continuously rise from small volcanic geothermal fissures in the sea floor. Swimming in the bubbles is like swimming in a glass of champagne!!  



So what island stop was next? The beautiful island of Grenada. Grenada is known as the "island of spice" due to the production of nutmeg and mace crops. The beaches are soft and beautiful.

We enjoyed the warm water, soft beaches and great food and beverages at Umbrella's Beach Bar on Grand Anse beach.

After a fun day at the beach, we headed back to the cruise to enjoy happy hour at sail away and Dancing with the Stripes. Lyndsey and I signed up to show of our amazing dance moves! Sadly we both were beat out by professional dancers but we had a great time and many laughs!

A little liquid courage!

Our last official stop was Tobago. Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The one fact about this island I like the most is that it lies outside the hurricane belt!! The water and beaches reminded me a lot of those in Fiji. Crystal clear water with soft, white sandy beaches. We headed off to Pigeon Point Beach for a day of relaxation on a warm, sunny day! Pigeon Point is considered Tobago's most beautiful beach and I can see why. The beach includes a long stretch of white sand beach with warm aqua waters. There are many beach facilities such as bathrooms, showers and beach-chair rentals. There is an entry fee so be sure to bring cash along - small denominations and U.S. dollar is accepted.

We enjoyed a short boat trip out Bucco Reef for some snorkeling. Bucco Reef is protected marine park between Pigeon Park and Bucco Point. There are daily tours by glass-bottomed boats with snorkeling and a stop at the Nylon Pools. The Nylon Pool is a warm, shallow area in the middle (yes the middle) of the reef lagoon and is amazing!

Our final day was a day at sea which was just what the doctor ordered! A beautiful day to relax and soak up the sun for one last day!

#1 bartender ~ Dr. Feelgood

Team Cocktail 2011



If you are looking for an opportunity to get away from old man winter I highly recommend a cruise with Team Cocktail! The next cruise is scheduled for the week of January 15th on Carnival Victory with stops in St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, and St. Maarten. Cheers!!