[12/31/2015 Thursday]
City: Basseterre Island: St. Kitts (Leeward Islands)
Air/ water temperature: 27 degrees/ 27 degrees
On the last day of 2015 we have to get up pretty early, because the booked excursion “Typically St. Kitts” requires meeting point at 7:45 a.m. with the group.Therefore Harry and I get up 6 a.m., have to wait shortly before 7 a.m. at the restaurant with other guests for the opening to have breakfast, provide ourselves with drinking water in the fitness area and are on time at the agreed meeting point.
An open safari bus drives us around the island, we drive through the city and into the mountains and get all kinds of information from the local tour guide. The engine in the buses is very noisy, but it is good to take pictures and get to know the nature. On the 350 meter high mountain there is a fantastic view of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, the AIDA is just visible from up here. The area on which the three small safari buses are located is huge, it is private property and is used with permission for AIDA excursions. A local tells us interesting facts about the history of the island and then shows us native plants and herbs on the large area, which is reminiscent of a botanical garden.
On the way back we stop at a sandy beach with 90 minutes bathing. Unfortunately, there are many stones and also shells in the water, but we still go to cool off.
After a very late lunch on the ship, I lie down again for two hours and then study the New Year’s Eve program. What I have not considered when planning the trip that you need an elegant outfit for New Year’s Eve, most guests are pretty dressed up, we have at least jeans and shirt;-)
The restaurants are very nicely decorated with champagne bottles and streamers, the food is really delicious because of New Year’s Eve: porcini mushroom soup, fillet of beef with beans wrapped in bacon, giant shrimp skewers, fish in different varieties, etc.. At 7 pm (in Germany it is now midnight) we watch “Dinner for One” as a play in the Theatrium, the actors act out the play one to one and are great!
There follows a live connection to the AIDAmar which is located in front of the island of Madeira, here we see 20 o’clock our time the largest and most impressive fireworks in the world.
In the room we drink some rum and coke with good music and go to the pool deck at 10 pm to watch the New Year’s Eve show. A fire show and then live music round out the program, but it is extremely crowded, people have set up chairs everywhere and it is a bit chaotic. There is a lot of drinking and partying, at midnight there is a short fireworks display on St. Kitts and the captain dances the New Year’s waltz. We look for a quieter corner on the ship, have another drink and toast to the new year 2016. Fortunately, tomorrow is a sea day and we can sleep inJ