We were up at 6:30 to watch the ship approach and dock. By 7:30, the lines had been made fast and soon they announced that passengers were free to go ashore.
We were not on a tour, so we sat on our veranda and watched them firm up and depart while we had a leisurely breakfast.
We walked through the canyon of ships and the nifty-gifty shops beyond them, exiting the cruise ship terminal and heading to the town. A few light rain showers hit us along the way, a couple of which were heavy enough to make us seek shelter. From the ship to town, it took us about 25 minutes, 15 minutes from when we reached the road. Given the long queue of people waiting for a taxi, we were probably in Phillipsburg, well ahead of many.
Besides the minor mission of finding some reef-safe suntan lotion, we had no specific destination, so we just wandered around. Phillipsburg has always been known for jewelry stores, but even with that knowledge, the number is staggering.
Pam went swimming while I snapped candid pictures of people walking along the promenade. I set up my camera on the table and used a remote to take them. It limited my shooting, but it captures people acting more naturally, whatever that is.
Strangely, we came across a derelict property that must have been valuable real estate. It appeared to have been abandoned for some time, but who knows. It did look like it was the victim of a fire.
We were back aboard the ship and relaxing in a cabana when sailing time came...and went. There were eight passengers still ashore. Eventually, they straggled back. Given the short trip to our next port of call, I can only presume that the captain was benevolent and did not leave them behind.
We were the first ship to leave. We turned east and circled around the island's southern end before turning more southerly. Given the distance to our next port, we maintained a speed of 8 knots, compared to the 17 knots we averaged during our transit from Miami.
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