Country Cruisin' -- Stars Savor Sea, Sand & Sun
As the luxury liner S.S. Norway slices through the glassy Atlantic
heading away from Miami, a small musical group on the ship's upper
deck cranks out a jaunty calypso beat.
But thanks to Tracy Byrd, Mindy McCready, The Wilkinsons and Mark
Wills, this cruise is going country.
"This is a country music themed cruise and we're all performing,"
explains Tracy, gazing at the emerald ocean as the 1,000-foot ship
eases out to the open sea. "What a magnificent setting to do our
shows
? a beautiful ship, historic port cities to visit and breathtaking
beaches."
The Norway's 900-member crew is bustling and the 2,000 passengers
are
settling in for a multi-island adventure.
A few hours later, seagulls dance on the wind above bikini-clad
Mindy
as she stretches out on a lounge chair. "I'm getting a lot of sun
and
rest," she confesses. "This is an awesome way to recharge the
batteries!"
The ship's first port is Philipsburg on the island of St. Maarten.
One
half of the island's inhabitants are Dutch, and the other half are
tres, tres French.
Mark disembarks, joined by his 11 2-year-old daughter Mally, wife
Kelly, her mom and stepdad, and her aunt and uncle. They stroll,
shop
and sample the mouthwatering Dutch foods.
On the French side, The Wilkinsons visit the capitol city of
Marigot.
Dad Steve, daughter Amanda and son Tyler are joined by mom Chris,
and
little sister Kiaya as they explore the area.
"We hiked up to this amazing old abandoned fort," exclaims Amanda.
"The view was fantastic ? a stunning coastline and breathtaking
expanse of ocean."
At the end of the day, everyone scrambles aboard, toting bags of
island souvenir goodies. Next stop: St. John in the Virgin Islands.
On the way, The Wilkinsons play deck basketball.
"When I was younger, I'd beat Tyler regularly," reveals Amanda, "but
he's a terrific player now. The change happened when he passed my
5-foot-1 with his
5-foot-6 ? and he's still growing! And Dad and the band play when
we're on the road, so Dad's good, too."
On St. John, Tyler takes a hiking tour. He stays on land, but the
island is more famous for the Virgin Islands National Park and its
mile-long nature trail, with signposts pointing out astonishing
sights
and scenic overlooks ? and it's all underwater! Touring the nearby
island of St. Thomas, where Sir Francis Drake set up his base to
plunder the treasure of Spanish galleons, Tracy and his family find
modern treasures among the hundreds of duty-free shops on Market
Square.
"We actually didn't buy a lot," admits Tracy, even though his wife,
Michelle, could have afforded it. "She put $3 in a dollar slot
machine
in the ship's casino," says Tracy, "and on her first pull, she hit
the
jackpot for $1,080! Then she parlayed that at the blackjack tables
into a $2,600 total before walking away. If she'd found something
she
really wanted, she had the bucks."
Making their way through the spiderweb of shop-lined alleyways,
Tracy
hoists his
2-year-old son, Logan, onto his shoulders. The aroma of Caribbean
spices floats on the afternoon breeze. And before the day is done,
Tracy's 5-year-old daughter, Evee, has her hair braided by a native
woman.
The Wilkinsons are understandably dazzled by the myriad of jewelry
shops.
"Mom and I had a great time looking at jewelry," explains Amanda.
"But
it was dad who plunked down money for a diver's watch. I ended up
buying tie-dyed shirts ? the kind I'll never wear unless we go to
another tropical spot."
The next morning, with the ocean-liner steaming toward Great Stirrup
Cay ? the Norwegian Cruise Lines' private island in the Bahamas ?
Mark
seizes a rare opportunity.
"How many folks get to golf on the deck of a ship at sea?" asks the
"Back At One" singer. Eyeing the camera, he tacks on, "I know the
photos may look like I'm driving golf balls into the ocean," he
tells
a photographer. But he's actually hitting them into a big net, which
catches them, explains Mark, "unless you have a wicked slice. And,
of
course ... I don't have a wicked slice." He grins, then backs up his
bravado by hitting the net every time!
The singer is joined on deck by Kelly and Mally.
"A lot of babies don't do well with the ship's motion," beams proud
papa Mark. "But Mally's been walking on a jostling tour bus since
she
started walking. Her 'bus legs' give her an edge with her 'sea
legs.'
"
That night Mindy performs in the pool's deck lounge. After the show,
she's ecstatic. "I've been on 14 cruises, but I've never played one
before," she confides. "That was an extraordinary experience. The
audience clearly loved country music. They were the nicest,
sweetest,
most attentive crowd."
At Great Stirrup Cay, neon-bright fish flash through the sparkling
turquoise lagoons and coral reefs. People leaving the ship are
greeted
with "Hey, Mon!" ? the universal greeting in the Bahamas that means
"life is great."
The country stars now have to make major decisions. Do they snorkel,
sail, kayak, hike, play volleyball, chow down on barbecue, soak up
rays on the beach or do the limbo?
Tracy takes Evee hiking along a volcanic coastline, while the talcum
white sands draw Mark and Mally like a magnet to the beach.
"Mally is having a ball. She absolutely loves the sand," notes Mark,
sitting in an umbrella's shadow. Mally is digging in the sand and
giggling.
A couple of times, when Mark takes off her bathing suit to change a
diaper, Mally jumps up and runs down the beach. "I guess she's
decided
to turn this into a nude beach ? at least, for her," he says,
laughing.
The next morning, Tracy watches the morning sun bob above the
horizon
as the Norway docks in Miami. Leaning on a rail, he sighs.
"What an incredible week!" says Tracy. "Playing country music and
having fun in paradise. It doesn't get any better than this!"