Our Star Clippers cruise adventure has begun!
Yesterday, the eight of us flew to Barbados and we all arrived safely, with all of our luggage, within a couple of hours of each other. As we came from San Diego, Michigan and Florida, that was pretty remarkable.
On this trip with us are several relatives. There are our daughter Paula Palazzolo and her husband Sam, my sister Beth Brewer and her partner Tim Wilbur, my husband’s brother Carl Janssens and his wife Vicki, and Chet and I. Oh yes, and Bob, the traveling SATW bear is with us, too. So it is going to be a fun group.
We had decided to come into Barbados a couple of days early so that we could all “decompress” a bit for beginning our cruise. So we booked two nights at the White Sands Beach Villas (www.wsbvillas.com) in St. Lawrence Gap and are we pleased! The units are luxurious and are located right on the beach. I mean, right on the beach…how perfect. I have already been swimming twice today.
We came upon this place when we were seeking alternatives to the very expensive hotel rooms in Barbados (single rooms in season often cost $400 and up per night). We discovered that two couples sharing the expense of a condo was a much better deal. We have big balconies overlooking the beach, large living areas with flat-screen TVs, fully appointed kitchens with granite counters and nice bathrooms.
There is also free wireless internet, a lovely swimming pool and free local phone calls. It is really a nice way for a group to be able to socialize together.
Because these villas are only a couple of years old (there are only 22 units in the building), they are not well known. So to boost their rentals, they are now listed with hotels.com, Expedia and soon with Travelocity. You can also book directly through their website.
We also really enjoy being in the small, funky community of St. Lawrence Gap where we can walk to lots of shops, markets and restaurants. Tomorrow I will post more about this fun little area that is reminiscent of Key West.
Heidi, Editor-In-Chief
