Dominica

Friday, March 7, 2025

Dominica was one of the ports I was most looking forward to on this cruise. I had such wonderful memories of our visit in 2013 and basically wanted to re-create that day so that Jon and Michelle could experience and get a taste of what made Dominica special to us. That didn't happen. In fact the day couldn't have turned out any more different than what I had planned and I learned a valuable lesson...I have aged a lot in the last dozen years. Things that were easy back then have gotten more difficult. And what was difficult back then has become impossible. But let's start at the beginning...

The guide we had used in 2013 was no longer leading tours but with a little research I was able to find a company that had a very similar island tour and would visit some of the same places we had enjoyed previously. Booking the tour required full payment up front and without even knowing too many details, Jon and Michelle agreed to go based on my recommendation.

The Eurodam docked right downtown in Roseau, Dominica and our tour met just across the street from the dock. The four of us were part of a bigger group that were picked up in a large van. The all day tour was to visit multiple places but we were to begin by snorkeling at a place called Champagne Reef. As we were driving to where we would get into the water I started to remember what a hard time I had snorkeling there before. 

On our way to Champagne Reef.

We each had brought our masks and snorkels but used fins that the tour guide provided. We were also required to wear a snorkel vest which I find very uncomfortable. There was a bit of a walk from the road down a hill to the rocky beach. I held onto Bob to keep my balance with my bad knee. After taking off my shoes, it was very painful to walk across the stones barefoot but I made it to the water's edge where Bob helped me get my fins on and walk backwards into the water so I didn't trip over the fins. This was when I started remembering how stressful it was to get OUT of the water the last time. The waves had pushed me up into the rocks to the point I couldn't stand up and when I could, it was so painful I couldn't get across the stony beach to find my shoes. My anxiety started to build.

The tour guides were pointing out some fish and coral as we got into the deeper water and then we started swimming. I hate being in a large group of snorkelers because it is so easy to get kicked in the face so I hung back a little...but then I was always too far away to see or hear what the guides were talking about.

I did get close enough to see a turtle swimming by but missed a puffer fish the guide grabbed. I caught up with the group to see the "champagne bubbles" which are caused by volcanic gasses leaking up through the ocean floor and I enjoyed floating above the area for some time. The guide swam down and captured some of the bubbles in a tube and then would pour it out into our hands so we could feel how warm the water was. Luckily Bob was willing to use the GoPro camera to get some photos and video.

Sea urchin and coral.

The "champagne bubbles" coming up from the rocks below.

Fan coral

Puffer fish.

Good bye little puffer!

Sea turtle

There was one guy who was struggling and had gotten way behind the group so when the guide offered to go back to shore with him I asked to follow along. My mask was leaking a bit and I was starting to get that claustrophobic feeling from the mask and snorkel. Michelle was nearby and decided to also join us. It was interesting to experience a drastic drop in the temperature of the water as we left the "bubbles"!

I was leisurely swimming (mostly on my back) when I started to get strong leg cramps. The guide told Michelle and I to just grab onto the life preserver he had and he would pull us. I felt like the guide was pulling dead weight so I tried to help by kicking but when I did, the cramping got worse. 

At that point the extra exertion caused me to struggle to breathe and then I started coughing. By the time we got close to the shore I had begun to panic and couldn't get my breath. Getting out of the water proved to be just as hard as I remembered from the last time and my anxiety grew even greater. 

The guide offered to go up the steep hill to get me a drink of water. There was a small food tent on the beach and some very kind man told the lady to just get me a bottle of water and he would pay for it. I sat down at a picnic table to drink the water, but the coughing and shortness of breath continued. I was having a full blown panic attack.

Michelle sat with me until Bob returned and helped me up the steps to where the minibus was parked. Several times in the relatively short distance I had to stop to catch my breath. I have had panic attacks in the past, but never to that extent and it was scary. Bob is a retired paramedic and was able to check my pulse and was convinced it was just anxiety causing my symptoms. 

When one of the guides offered to take me back to the ship I agreed. I had started to breath a little easier by then, but felt like I was in no shape to go on with the tour. We insisted Jon and Michelle continue but I just felt bad that I had made such a mess of the day...and Bob returned with me to the ship so he missed out on everything.

When the van dropped us off right at the ship, a gal from the tour company was there to meet us as well as a staff person from the ship shore excursions department. Even though we weren't on a Holland America tour, he insisted that I ride in a wheel chair back to our room. I think by that point I could have walked OK, but I didn't protest. He asked if I wanted to be taken to the medical center but I declined.

When I got back to our cabin, I showered and changed out of my swimsuit and then crawled into bed for about an hour. Bob was getting hungry and suggested we go get something to eat at the buffet. I chose a bowl of ginger chicken vegetable soup that was so good and really hit the spot. But by the time I finished I was so tired I could hardly wait to get back to our room. I fell asleep while Bob was watched a movie.

When I woke up I was feeling pretty good and I encouraged Bob to go out and explore the city for awhile. I felt bad that he had missed out on the tour and wanted him to see at least a small part of Dominica. The botanical garden was one of the stops we should have gone to on the tour (and J & M did go there) and it was close enough Bob made it on foot. Here are some of the photos he took there:

Jon and Michelle didn't get back until just a few minutes before all aboard time. Besides the botanical garden, they had gone to Titou Gorge (where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed), Trafalgar Falls, and some sulfur hot springs. From their description of the tour, I think I made the right decision by going back to the ship. Michelle said there were lots of stairs to climb and the swimming in the gorge was very difficult. I really should have gotten some of their photos, but I didn't.

The captain made an announcement just before sail away saying that they were going to do an anchor test right after the ship left the dock. He said they were going to drop the port side anchor and then pull it back up immediately. Bob and I heard a loud clanking noise so I'm sure it was the anchor being retrieved. The distance to the next port of St. Kitts is fairly short and the captain said we would only be traveling at 11 knots. This cruise continues to be the smoothest we have ever done.

Bob was tall enough to see over the top of the lifeboat in front of our window and snap this photo of a rainbow over the island.

Bob and I went down to deck 3 and watched as the ship sailed away from Dominica. 

The four of us had dinner at the buffet and then played cards in the Crow's Nest. I was feeling very tired, but otherwise fine. I was hoping after a good night's sleep I would wake up feeling rested and back to normal. I do know that going forward my snorkeling days are probably over. That helpless feeling I had in the water was frightening and something I don't want to experience again.