Part 3
The Princess Cruise ship set sail with some precious cargo, a group of Golden Age Seniors who don’t know how to act or look their age. Every person we met on the cruise couldn’t believe we were celebrating 75 years of life, especially on the dance floor. But you already heard about those shenanigans in Part 2. Now we’ve got to talk about our island adventures, (Don’t expect any zip lining, hiking, or anything requiring copious exertion). What?!
Sint Maarten/St. Martin
Our first stop was Sint Maarten/St. Martin. Most of you know I lived there for four (4) years, so rather than touring, I went to connect with old friends. I had my own adventure while living there—a four-year separation from my husband. I wanted to connect with my sister friends who embraced and nurtured me during that period.
My quest began when I met my bestie, Karina Castillo, at the dock, and she chauffeured me to where I used to work, Divi Little Bay Resort, then to my daughter’s other mother, Barbara Cannigieter. Afterward, we were off to the French side (Marigot, St. Martin) to meet sisters Alyce and Rosalind Charville at the boulangerie. We reminisced about our ventures too quickly until I finally had to go back to the Dutch side for a late lunch with Dianna Johnson. No tourist sites for me. Funny, Karina, Barbara, Dianna, and I all lived on Sugar Hill Drive, an uphill climb for the kids and me, before we had a car. And they seldom connected with each other. Our goodbye was with a promise that they would at least meet for coffee from time to time.
In the meantime, my Golden girlfriends were on a crowded van tour that took them to the Ace Hardware store and pointed out the sites on both the Dutch and French sides. They also shopped in Marigot before returning to the cruise port to board the ship. Here’s the thing: the walk from the port to the boat was treacherous for tired knees. Me? As soon as I was driven to the Port of Entry, I begged the guard, “Please, please…may I have a cart to ride back to the boat?” I plopped my behind on a bench until my prince arrived. However, my friends had to walk a country mile until they got a cart. What?! #hurtknees,backs
Barbados
I love Rihanna, but I swore I would never go back to Barbados. I didn’t care for the way folks treated Black Americans. Y’all know I’m all about the people, and I vowed not to tour the island. After our walk in Sint Maarten, Indria and I decided to leisurely stroll to the Port Mall. Thank God, there was a bus that was packed to the hilt, but we squeezed in and rode on. What?!
As soon as we entered the mall, we came across a kiosk featuring an artist who redeemed my feelings about Barbados: Azizah Onifa of Aziphos Creations. Azizah was so warm and welcoming. She was so engaging, and her jewelry was so lovely that I asked to feature her in an article for Garden Spices Magazine.
We also met Dale Montague, an activist, model, and warm spirit, and the Sales Assistant at Grudge Mode Boutique. Beyond the stunning clothes, this beauty gave us the full lowdown on the island and the Caribbean in general. My positive sentiments about Barbados were restored.
The Truth About Islands
“All islands are the same.” The truth is that each island has its own flavor.
Antigua – known for its shipyards, which Indria and I didn’t want to visit- also has a fine arts gallery that collaborates with artists throughout the Caribbean. Beautiful fashions too.
Dominica – Waterfalls, Sulfur ponds, an Ancient Tree, Beautiful panoramas, and a tour guide who needed Indria to interpret him. We met a lovely African couple, Ibou and Jeelan Falls, who looked after us as we got on and off the bus at each stop. By the time the trip was over, I had adopted them.
St. Thomas – America personified in an island. This was said to be the island for shopping. Why did we end up in a mall that had a Marianne’s and a Kmart?! What?! After three tour guides, we never did find the quaint area we were searching for, but the bus ride had us clinging to our seats for dear life. What?! We ended up buying ice cream and went back to the ship.
Events
Our Guide Maggie and her team planned several events for us Jubilee celebrants. We wore a different dress attire for each day, including African attire. On our “all-white” day, we gathered for a lively game of Guess Who? We all submitted baby pictures, and those who weren’t 1950 babies had to guess who each one belonged to. We also had a T-shirt event with everyone wearing an identifying T-shirt. Of course, I had on my Project Say Something shirt, but, as usual, I couldn’t find where the event was held. (Indria wasn’t with me). What?!
Memories
With a penchant for exploring during my travels, I’m not much for cruises, but I was thrilled to spend time with this fabulous group and ended up on a never-to-forget, memorable trip.
See for yourself:
The Jubilee Celebration Cruise
You will meet the young sommelier, J’nai Gaither in Garden Spices Magazine.She and her mom were an active part of our cruise.
ONE LAST THING…
In Dominica, we were walking to the ship when a group of women rushed up to us, saying they could twist our hair in 10 minutes for $20. Pat and I said yes, and 15 minutes later, this is what my hair looked like:
Joy Juice
Guess what? We took this trip in November, and now it’s February 9th. My memory takes me right back to the joy of our wonderful celebration. That’s what we cherish, our memories, but isn’t it wonderful that no matter what the world looks like, we are creating new ones.
These years are valuable. We should love ourselves enough to pursue our passions in our own ways. On that cruise, some of us used wheelchairs or canes, but we were still living our lives! I am grateful to be here, and I express my gratitude daily. Thank you for traveling along with me and my shenanigans.
“It’s all good/love/God” – Victorine
© 2026 Vicki Goldston, All rights reserved.
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Author of Be S.A.F.E., StillAware, Faithful, Excellent, now available on Kindle Amazon as an e-book.
“…the book title and its content are intended to be a whisper, reminding us that by connecting with our spiritual self, we can center through anything and that we are forever within the bubble of God’s protection.”
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