Grenada > Fort Frederick on Grenada

We have breakfast in the large Weite Welt restaurant on deck seven. In fact, it doesn't really matter which restaurant we choose—each offers a similar selection. When we enter the restaurant at 7:30, the doors have just opened, so everyone is crowding around the buffet at the same time. After breakfast, we report to the pier for our excursion. We’re relatively early and are able to join the first bus. Nick is our driver today. He apologizes for not speaking German. There are only a few German-speaking guides available on the island. He promises to speak English slowly. As we drive through the capital, Nick tells us about St. George’s, the island, and its people. Meanwhile, the bus winds its way into the lush mountains. Grenada was formed by a volcano, so the island is quite mountainous. “The road is narrow,” Nick sighs. Sometimes we pass with only centimeters to spare. “Just trust me,” he says. “I know what I’m doing.” We arrive at the Annandale Waterfalls without any problems. Unfortunately, it’s not just our bus that arrives, but also other buses full of cruise passengers, along with dozens of taxis offering day trips. A large stream of tourists heads down the path to the waterfall. Various vendors try to sell their goods—this is probably their peak moment of the day. An older man climbs barefoot to the top of the waterfall and takes a dramatic dive into the pool below.

Grenada - The port of Saint George’s

On shore, he hopes for a tip. Back at the parking lot, traffic has come to a standstill. “And that’s with only one cruise ship today,” says Nick. “Sometimes we have three docked here.” The solution seems simple: leave ten minutes earlier or later, and the problem is solved. The convoy of vans continues toward Fort Frederick, a fort built in the 17th century by the French to defend the island from the British. Expecting an attack by land rather than by sea, they pointed the cannons inland. From the fort, we have a view of the capital, the bay, and the AIDA ship. Our final stop is Grand Anse Beach. According to Nick, this is the most beautiful beach in the Caribbean—a claim made by several islands. Upon arrival, we’re offered a rum punch and walk to the beach with our drinks. Sun loungers are not included today but look quite inviting. For five dollars, we rent a lounger under a tree. We take a dip in the sea. The water is lovely, and the bay is indeed stunning. While we’re swimming, new guests arrive from the ship by water taxi. Back on shore, I let myself dry in the sun. Around noon, we return to the bus. The ride back to the ship is slower. Traffic occasionally comes to a complete standstill, especially in downtown St.

Grenada - The church is being restored after storm damage

George’s, where the streets are narrow and steep. As we descend toward the ship, Nick welcomes us to the “San Francisco of Grenada,” as he carefully maneuvers the bus down a narrow, steep road. We disembark at the harbor. This is where the shopping center begins, through which we have to walk to return to the ship. It feels a bit strange to pass so many shops. They’ve gone a little overboard with the number of stores. Back on board, we drop off our swim gear in the cabin—we won’t need it again on this trip. After lunch, we head into St. George’s on foot. The heat is oppressive, and the weather app shows a temperature of 30°C. We spot a church on top of the hill. A staircase leads up to it, but in this heat, that doesn’t seem appealing. We assume we can reach it more gradually from the other side of town. We walk through the Sendall Tunnel. The 100-meter-long tunnel was built by the French in 1894. Traffic is at a standstill, so we can walk safely along the side, though we are exposed to car exhaust. On the other side of the tunnel, we arrive at the harbor. Along the waterfront are several historic buildings, some of which are in dire need of renovation. Luxury yachts are docked next to dilapidated fishing boats. From the harbor, we walk to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Grenada - The sun sets for the final time during this cruise

Cars are parked tightly along the sides of the road, leaving us no choice but to walk in the street, as the locals do. As we turn onto the final street toward the church, dozens of schoolchildren in uniform pass by. School has just ended. The church is closed. Across from it stands the former parliament building, destroyed by the hurricane in 2004—only the outer walls remain. A little further on, a new parliament building has since been constructed. We continue to St. George’s Parish Church, which is also closed. Via Church Street, we eventually reach St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church—the church we saw above the Sendall Tunnel. Construction workers are working on it, which allows us to go inside. The church was also heavily damaged by the hurricane. Only the tower still stands. A new, modern nave has been built onto it. Via the stairs next to the church, we descend back to the city center and the cruise terminal. We reboard and order a drink. As the sun sets in the late afternoon, the AIDA Perla departs the harbor. In the evening, we dine at the buffet restaurant one last time. The waiters greet us warmly. We receive a thank-you card from Christian and Lihmarc, both from the Philippines—a nice gift. In the theater, the AIDA Stars perform one more time. Tonight, they sing mainly rock songs. After that, we really need to pack our suitcase. We leave it outside our cabin. The suitcases will be brought to the terminal building during the night, where we can check them in tomorrow morning. We go to bed.