After months of anticipation, my family of ten departed from Logan Airport in Boston for St. Thomas to begin a week onboard Just Enough. The build up for all of us, ranging in age from five to seventy five, was a tad scary for me as I was afraid the reality of the week on the water could never meet the imaginations of everyone, especially my four grandkids.
When we landed in St. Thomas we were met warmly by the Captain and first mate of the boat and headed to our transport to the boat - about 15 minutes away from the airport. When we got to the transportation center where the boat was docked, we walked to the boat and that is when “awesome” began. Having only seen pictures online of Just Enough, to see her in person was amazing - 141 feet of beauty and the crew members (all eight of them) waiting to greet us and make us feel like we were royalty gave us all a hint of what was to come.
A tour of the boat had everyone grinning like the Cheshire Cat, continuing through finding staterooms, the hot tub, the hidden TV’s, the living room, dining tables (in and out), the tender and for the kids the bridge where they eventually would get turns “driving” the boat! Shortly after our tour the first of the remarkable culinary delights emerged from the kitchen. Chef, a five star wonder, treated us to creative, delicious, varied dishes all the while catering to some crazy dietary restrictions - and all done with a smile, ending dinners with fabulous deserts!
Tables were always dressed to perfection and depending on the theme for the day, i.e. Mexican - special items added for the kids - ponchos, Hawaiian - leis and hula skirts which led to lots of dancing. The care and pride in the presentation was remarkable…..
The cruising in the BVI was gorgeous and everyday offered something different, the baths in Virgin Gorda, playing pickle ball, basketball and swimming on Peter Island, lobster barbecue on the beach, fishing from the tender or off the back of the boat, swimming to the beach to collect shells, terrapin everywhere, jet skis, water skiing, the crazy huge slide and so much more! Every day was a new adventure. Cannot leave out Karaoke night - what a blast!
The best part of the week was getting to know the fantastic crew - no ask was too big and most days they anticipated our requests before we asked. Led by the Chief Stew-whose composure, sense of humor, professionalism and respect for all crew members was remarkable. Her team were nonstop with smiles on their faces all the time including paying Twister with the kids!
The deck crew pitched in when needed kept the water toys available, fishing rods at the ready, life vests handy and the tender gassed up and ready for jaunts with the kids at a moments notice. Not to mention keeping outside couches covered when the five minute shower would crop up and then wiping all surfaces to keep them free of water- a remarkable feat and some days done many times!
I cannot think of a better crew who laughed with us, shared stories of their lives in South Africa, Great Britain, Florida, Colorado and on the many boats that they have worked on before Just Enough.
And finally a great big shout out to The Captain who mapped out a great week to include the many treasures of the BVI. His patience with the kids (and adults) was tremendous and appreciated. Everything went off without a hitch and when looking around at our family, smiles were the first thing that everyone saw.
To say that this was a trip of a lifetime is an understatement! At the trip's end there were tears that it was over - that we were saying goodbye to our new friends and fortunately we now have memories for a lifetime! Just sensational…..
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Location: British Virgin Islands
