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| The Disney Magic at Castaway Cay. Photo: Nesoff |
Special to Cruising Squared
Editor's Note: Bob & Sandy Nesoff are an award winning team of journalists who have written about travel for more than 40 years. They've covered the world from Africa to Tahiti to countries throughout Europe. Their articles encompass everything from adventure travel to luxury travel. They were among the first journalists to visit Croatia just after the shooting stopped. Bob has been listed for more than a decade in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the Media and Communications. Sandy is in Who's Who in the East. Bob's book, "Spyder Hole," is available at http://sbpra.com/bobnesoff/ , Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble at BN.com. Also available through RedRoom.com.
New York City was once the premier cruise center of the United States. Until recently anyone driving along the West Side Highway could easily see the dilapidated and rotting piers where once the great liners of days gone by would ingest and disgorge tens of thousands of vacation bound passengers.
Miami moved in to fill the gap for Caribbean cruising and trans-Atlantic voyages from the Big Apple existed only in fond memory.
Not any more.
The New York/New Jersey corridor has once again come into its own with regularly scheduled, year-round cruises from Bayonne and the West Side terminals. While Celebrity Cruises has made Bayonne its port, Disney and others have brought their floating cities in to New York.
There are itineraries that head north to Nova Scotia and a handful going east to Southampton, England. But by far the most popular are the week-long trips to a variety of Caribbean islands.
Disney’s family friendly liners have gobbled up a major share of the travel market that is enhanced by the fact that these ships are not only geared for families with children, but also provide a quality experience for couples or those who eschew vacations with kids.
The Disney Magic will host 20 voyages from New York, primarily to the islands and then will be replaced by another of the line’s ships. One of the prime destinations is St. Thomas. Not only is St. Thomas arguably the best shopping island in the Caribbean, it also offers some quality heritage visits.
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| St. Thomas Synagogue Photo: Nesoff |
Officially named The Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas, the shul is the second oldest synagogue building and the longest in continuous use under the American flag. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. The building was constructed in 1833 and serves a congregation founded in 1796 with permission from the king of Denmark by a group of Sephardic Jewish merchants.
A British naval officer, Admiral Rodney, could claim credit-in a perverse way-for the establishment of the Jewish community on St. Thomas. Most of the Jews at the time lived on St. Eustatius under Dutch rule. The Dutch were sympathetic to the American Revolution and supported the British blockade bringing guns and ammunition to the rebels.
Rodney blasted them saying: “Had it not been for this nest of vipers, this infamous island (St. Eustatius) the American rebellion could not have subsisted.” He bombarded the island and the Jewish merchants fled with many settling in St. Thomas. They were welcomed by the tolerant islanders, a cohesiveness that continues to this day.
Many people who visit the synagogue are struck not as much by the unique items it possesses, but by the fact that the floor is covered in sand. There are two theories as to why this feature exists. One contends that it represents the Israelites journey through the desert while a second insists that Conversos (those forced to convert to Catholicism during the Inquisition) continued to be observant Jews. Sand on the floor helped to muffle the prayers and chants, masking the services and protecting the congregants from being burned at the stake.
Much of the interior wooden features-benches, ark and bimah-are made from mahogany. The menorah dates back to 11th century Spain while the chandeliers are European and presumed to be Dutch.
There are four pillars in the building representing Sarah, Rachel, Rebecca and Leah, the four matriarchs of the Jewish people.
On a day that the Disney Magic made port in St. Thomas a small group of people is sitting in the sanctuary facing a young woman who is detailing the history of the synagogue. Diane Becker Krasnick serves the dual role of cantor and docent regaling visitors with details of the site’s history.
She has been cantorial soloist since 2007 and, as a part-timer, works services on Friday night and some holidays. Erev Shabbos services are conducted weekly and there is a Shabbos dinner monthly. Saturday services are conducted if a minyan attends.
During high tourist season many guests attend services and with a number of ships in the harbor Saturday morning services are also conducted. These are officiated by Rabbi Shimon Moch who is full-time.
While the Jewish population of many of the Caribbean islands was plentiful in the early days, that has diminished over the centuries. Today the shul has about 90 full members and more than 2,000 Chai members from around the world who support the institution with dues amounting to double chai.
A Philadelphia native, Cantor Krasnick and her husband, Marc moved to St. Thomas about a half dozen years ago when they became empty nesters. One of the more pleasant duties for her is performing weddings for both full-time residents and those who visit the island. www.StThomasJewishweddings.com
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Rabbi Moch, a Connecticut native, served congregations in a variety of locations from Guatemala toArkansas and has been in St. Thomas for about five years. His time here could be numbered, however.
“I assumed we would want to stay here until retirement,” Rabbi Moch commented with a smile. “The appearance of a first grandchild in Denver added a factor I could not have predicted and there is a strong desire to see my grandson grow up. I’ll have to see how it feels with frequent Skyping and the occasional visit.”
The walk back down from the synagogue is far more pleasant than the uphill climb to get there, but it gives you an appreciation for the deft footwork of mountain goats.
St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, has been for many years one of the top destinations in theCaribbean. While the main city of Charlotte Amalie is a warren of shops, craft stalls and some heavy traffic, there are also beautiful beaches, some fine restaurants and a friendly atmosphere from the residents who are well aware that much of the island’s income is derived from cruise ship passengers and other tourists. The island is safe and well maintained.
On cruise ship day Charlotte Amalie can take on the atmosphere of Times Square on New Year’s Eve. The place is alive and jumping with a virtual tent city of local merchants selling everything from carved wooden souvenirs to tee shirts. But the big sellers are more often liquor and jewelry. If you are flying home from New York, don’t buy booze because it will be confiscated at airport security as it exceeds the liquid limit permitted.
Jewelry is one of the mainstays and we found a small shop on Raadets Gade and did our best to help the local economy. Our homeward bound collection from Gil Jewelry Center included several unique silver pieces mounted with colorful Australian opals, a stone we had not seen before. Many of the pieces were unique to Gil.
Bargaining is part of the fun in many places and the back and forth with the sales representative was enjoyed by both sides and a price that all could live with was reached. (www.ghjewelrycenter.com).
Late that afternoon the Magic slipped its moorings and headed out to sea for a leisurely run to Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. The main these here is relaxation.
There are a number of beaches with several fairly well secluded. Lounges and thatched umbrellas are available at no cost as is the huge covered dining hall with food flowing in abundance. The water is as blue as you could imagine and activities range from snorkeling to paddle boats. For the kids there is an area for sting ray encounters where they (and the adults too if they are so inclined) can feed the rays. These timid fish belie their Hollywood reputation and will swim up and eat from your hands.
On board the Magic the most notable exclusion was a gambling casino. They note that this is primarily a family outing and they felt they would rather give up the substantial income generated by slots and table games and opt for a more family-friendly atmosphere.
A Disney representative commented that they found too often one parent or the other would spend an inordinate amount of time in the casino, leaving spouse and children alone. There are more than sufficient activities to keep kids of all ages entertained. Night time shows are decidedly Disney-themed but adults flocked to the theater for both early and late shows.
At night there are movies broadcast onto one of the huge funnels providing great outdoor entertainment. One of the most popular activities is the water chute that swings around the perimeter of the ship and thrillingly out over the ocean.
Throughout the day Disney characters-in character and costume-range throughout the ship, stopping to chat with and entertain children and adults. Dining rooms are available for elegant meals (with other arrangements made for the younger set) and themed areas with animatronic entertainment for the amusement of all.
Amazingly dining room staff appears to remember both the names of all guests after the first seating as well as what table they are seated at. Guests will rotate among the several eateries in order to sample all available fare. The staff follows along and before the cruise is over, has formed a bond with the guests.
With the move to the New York cruise piers, Disney has tapped into a huge market. But more than that, it has made a Caribbean cruise more easily available to the area as well as cutting costs by negating the need for ever increasing air fares.
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