If you want to explore the Caribbean Islands, the best way to do so is to take a Cruise.

A Cruise helps you to rest up and prepare for the more energetic activities involved when you go ashore to explore the places of interest you want to see. It is also a great way to spend quality time with family or friends. In my case, it was an excellent opportunity to reconnect with my extended family of friends, the Azcona family.

I was privileged to be invited to join the Azconas this past week (Friday, April 26 – Friday, May 3) for a cruise through the Western Caribbean aboard the Royal Caribbean, Navigator of the Seas. Everything was perfectly organized down to the last detail by the ship’s planners, naturally. In our particular case, because of the personal nature of our Jubilee celebrations, Eric Azcona, assisted by Antoinette Azcona, had to come up with separate plans of our own. Nothing was left to chance by Eric and Antoinette on this Cruise which made it very pleasurable for people like myself. All I had to do was turn up. I was picked up by car at the door of my home by Eric and his parents ( who were celebrating their 50th wedding Anniversary ) when they were driving to the Port of Miami to join the Cruise, and I was dropped safely off at my door after the Cruise.

This entire family was celebrating the 50th Wedding Anniversary of Dr. and Mrs Azcona whom I’ve had the privilege of knowing for twenty-eight years. It was heartwarming to see all five children and spouses, and their five children too gathered together with their grateful parents/grandparents for this celebration of a lifetime.

In addition to the Azconas, there were four others in the group: two Philippine ladies who flew in for the event from London; another lady who flew in from the Philippines for the event; and myself who was picked up at the door of my home by Eric and the two Jubilarians, Dr. and Mrs Azcona. In all, we were a party of eighteen.

The first two days were days of sailing and relaxation from the Port of Miami to Honduras. We had plenty of time to bond over breakfast, lunch and dinner every day in a variety of restaurants that provided formal, casual or buffet dining. There was more than enough to do for the rest of the day as well. You could read and lounge in the sun, you could swim or enjoy the whirlpool, you could attend the daily theater shows, you could work out in the gym, and you could sleep a lot.

The second day of the Cruise was a day of formal dress as well as formal dining. That’s when we had our group photos taken in different parts of the ship before we proceeded to evening dinner.

The food on board was rich and plentiful and omni-present. The ship was a floating barge of tempting and gaping restaurants. Wherever you might cast a glance there was food for the taking. I promised myself that I’d be careful to pick and chose my food lightly and wisely. But, it was a hard promise to keep.

Island of Roatan, Honduras

Our first shore experience, on the third day, was on the Island of Roatan, Honduras, where we were driven to a little Church to celebrate mass and the Renewal of marriage vows of Dr. and Mrs Azcona. This little Church on this colorful Island provided an idyllic setting for this Jubilee Ceremony.

The Little Church of St. Joseph was tastefully decorated for the occasion. Two of the grandchildren, Altan and Jedin, were altar servers at the mass, and their father, Roger, was the Lector or Reader. The same three performed the same function a few years ago in Cape May, New Jersey, when I celebrated my 50th Anniversary of Priesthood. So, they were experienced at doing this.

It was a special and unique family celebration, simple and solemn and heartwarming.

A bunch of tourists accidentally showed up for mass. I spoke with them after the ceremony. They were all Dubliners from Ireland. They were a jolly bunch and were thrilled to meet “one of their own,” as they put it. I bumped into them on several occasions afterwards aboard ship when they were sprawled out on deck, red-faced and scalding from the sun which they hoped to take back with them to Dublin, Ireland.

We left the Little Church by bus for dinner in a secluded and private part of Roatan. This Island is home to the World’s second-largest coral reef. It is a diver’s paradise and is teeming with colorful marine life. Roger, an avid scuba diver and lover of snorkeling, couldn’t wait to jump into the sea with his two boys to snorkel and explore the reefs. These three were the most adventurous of our group, and never passed up an opportunity to experience the thrill of nature in the wild and to explore new things or hidden places.

There was an archery contest aboard ship one day and Roger competed in the contest. The archery Professional on board competed, as well, to show the others how it should be done. Roger won the exciting contest, hands down, beating the ship’s Professional. If Roger ever needed another job, he could apply for a post on a Cruise Ship as an archery expert.

The beach we went to was beyond beautiful, and right there, laid out on the edge of the shore, were rows of tables and chairs and buntings for the celebration of the 50th Anniversary Banquet after the mass. The cuisine of food and drinks, prepared by native, legendary chef, Johnny Barefoot, was traditional, wholesome and organic. It was unforgettable, not just for the excellent cuisine that was served, but for the brilliant atmosphere. We were all laid back without a care in the world on this secluded beach.

In the old days, Roatan, an Island State of Honduras situated about 65 kilometers off the northern coast, depended on fishing to sustain its people. Today, fishing accounts for only three per cent of its economy. Tourism accounts for the rest: 97 per cent. Roatan is now the wealthiest State in Honduras, thanks to tourism.

Animal Reserve in Roatan, Honduras.

After lunch, we visited the famous Island, Animal Reserve in Roatan. This Island is known for its biodiversity in plant, animal, and marine life.

While we toured the Animal Reserve, we were allowed to play with capuchin monkeys, rare birds, and even a real sloth. I never saw a sloth before. I was familiar with the sin of sloth from my knowledge of the seven capital or deadly sins, but to see and touch a real, live sloth was an experience, never to be forgotten. Everybody in our group wanted to hold this gentle, slow-motion creature that slept twenty hours per day.

This is why the animal is called a Sloth, which means indolence or laziness. It is easy to see how this word, Sloth, would be used to indicate spiritual apathy and inactivity. Having held this little animal in my arms, I was surprised at its gentleness and good nature.

All these creatures of the wild are relatively free in Roatan and are allowed to roam about and mix with people without being caged or locked up in a zoo. That’s why the habitat for these animals is called an Animal Reserve, rather than a zoo.

Costa Maya, Mexico

Our next shore excursion, on the fourth day, was to Costa Maya, Mexico. It rained buckets when we arrived, and we had to buy raincoats at the tourist center to keep us dry. The rain was only temporary. It soon cleared up, the sun came out again, and we had an adventurous time.

This area in Costa Maya, Mexico, borders Belize, and is renowned for its jungles, lagoons, beaches and, especially, the Mayan pyramids and the ruins of its famous cities. The photo below shows a piece of rock with the original red painting, still visible to my left. The Mayan pyramids were originally decorated with different colors. With the passage of time and the fact that these pyramids were abandoned and neglected, the colors simply faded away.

The Mayan pyramids ( I was happy to climb one of them ) had a threefold purpose:

1. They were built above the trees as a lookout for approaching enemies.
2. They were erected as temples to the Deity where human sacrifices, sadly, were in order.
3. They enabled Mayan astronomers to predict the rainy season so crops could be grown and harvested, in a timely manner.

This, once-proud and cruel culture, depicted in Mel Gibson’s movie, Apocalypto, came to an end as a result of climate change, mainly, when drought destroyed the harvest, and caused the collapse of the ruling elite’s power to predict the rainy season and maintain its civilization.

The stairs to the top of the pyramids were several feet high, making it difficult for the ordinary person to climb them. I found the pyramid difficult to climb, and I asked the guide why the steps were so high when the people were so small in stature. She explained that, since the pyramid was a temple, the people had to climb in a bending posture of reverence, as if on hands and knees, pulling themselves up to the top that way. This made sense to me.

Perhaps, there’s a lesson here, if not a warning about the collapse of the civilization of the Pyramids. Climate change has brought down many civilizations, including the civilization of the Pyramids, in the past. It could do so again today, if we’re not careful. Climate change, which is endangering our planet, is a clear and present danger.

Cozumel, Mexico

On the fifth day, after sailing through the night, the ship docked at Cozumel. I’ve been to Cozumel before on another cruise, and I did not need to see it again. So, I chose another kind of adventure. I stayed on the ship and read a good book, Delia Owen’s first novel, ‘Where the Crawdads Sing.’

Taking a break from reading, I decided to change into my swimming trunks and to go into the whirlpool. I asked for a towel at the desk, and inquired from the person in charge where I could safely leave my wallet and towel. He pointed to several open cubicles along a wall, saying:
“Your belongings are safe there.”

I didn’t feel my belongings were safe, so I placed them in the highest cubicle along the wall and sat in the whirlpool, directly opposite where they were, keeping my eyes focused on them while in the whirlpool. As if on cue, a man sauntered along the wall, very casually. He looked harmless enough, and seemed to pass my cubicle. Then, a quick turn and with rapid arm-movements he attempted to grab my towel and wallet. I jumped up instantaneously and shouted: “leave my belongings alone!”

He panicked! Everybody in the whirlpool now had their eyes on him, so he pushed my belongings back in place, and kept moving along, nonchalantly, through an unsuspecting crowd into the adjoining room. He was one cool customer. I took my wallet back to my room, locked it in the safe for the duration of the trip, and reported the incident. Several ladies, who were in the whirlpool, removed their handbags from their cubicles after this incident.

At dinner that evening, we had a lot of adventures to talk about.

Georgetown, Grand Cayman Island

The cruise ship docked at Georgetown, Grand Cayman Island, on the sixth day of the voyage. Grand Cayman is the largest of three Islands that form a self-governed colony under Britain. It is a wealthy colony with over six hundred banks, several major industrial plants, and a thriving tourist economy. It is also known to be a place where the wealthy can hide their money.

There were three other cruise ships docked in Georgetown when we arrived. Getting from one place to another was difficult in this busy town where traffic jams and tourists made movement somewhat hazardous. We had a native guide and driver, however, who was able to wriggle through all obstacles, by ways unknown to most. We were taken to the famous seven-mile beach where we spent the day sunning and swimming and reading.

The Island of Grand Cayman is famous for iguanas and stingrays. It is also famous for turtles, but you have to go to Hell to see them. That’s the name given to the turtle farm on the Island.

Final Day at Sea

The final and seventh day of the cruise was spent at sea as we sailed back to the Port of Miami. There was never a dull moment for me even as this cruise was ending. As I was relaxing at the Promenade cafe on Deck 4 and was listening to a melodious, Jamaican band, I detected an Irish accent from a lady nearby.

“Where are you from in Ireland?” I asked, excitedly.

“Kilkenny,” she responded, glad to make my acquaintance.

“Do you know the town of Freshford?” I continued.

“Indeed I do,” she said, “and why do you ask?”

“I did a job there years ago for Sr. Patricia, building homes for seniors.”

“You’re talking about Prague House,” she hastened to say with a knowing shrug of the shoulders.

“The very place,” I added.

“Then, you must be Father Duffy!” she cried in amazement, staring at me like I was a ghost.

She, quickly, got over the shock of meeting me in the flesh and we had a good time, chatting about old times in Freshford, and discussing the people I knew and worked with back then. I was delighted to learn that her uncle serves on the board of Prague House, the home for seniors we built there forty five years ago without a budget when we began, and without a debt when we finished. Everything: materials, professional expertise, labor, and lodging for the volunteers by the local residents of Freshford, were all donated making it possible to build the homes without a budget and without a debt. I’m always amazed at how much people can do and sacrifice for love of one another when they are given a chance.

They say it is a small world, and indeed it is. On the way to my room to settle down for the last night, a man who had a cabin two doors down from mine, was picking up some shampoo containers from a cart on the corridor. As he was doing this, he asked me, apprehensively, since I saw what he was doing:

“Can we take these, do ye think?”

I saw nothing wrong in it and replied:
“I think so!”

I recognized the accent. He told me he was from Aranmore Island in County Donegal, Ireland. As we talked, it transpired he knew some of my family in my hometown of Letterkenny in Donegal. What a coincidence!

This happened on the last day of the cruise where every day, for that brief period of time, was simply a special day.

—Fr. Hugh Duffy

NOTE: Fr. Hugh Duffy will be accompanying a tour of the Holy Land and Jordan scheduled for October 30 to November 9, 2019. For more information and reservations, contact Ligia Estrada (KLC) in the U.S. at 305-842-9896.