On a previous cruise to Dominica, we had snorkeled at Champagne, so this time we opted to go on a river tubing ride on the Layou River. It was a great shore excursion for cruisers of all ages. We rode on a small bus for about 45 minutes, following the coastline before turning inland at the mouth of the Layou River. As the bus rode up along the river, we could see the adventure ahead. The Layou could have easily been a Rocky Mountain stream, filled with boulders and rapids. We looked much like pinballs as we bounced and spun in circles down the river. It was a good thing that the guides made us leave our cameras and stuff on the bus, as we were all soaking wet in about 30 seconds!
As we sailed away from Dominica, Captain Delavault spun the Seven Seas Mariner around using the thrusters. This maneuver gave everyone on the all-balconied ship a great view of Dominica in the late afternoon dusk from their own balconies. When asked later why he spun the ship all around, the Captain said that he wasn't a very good dancer with his feet, so he "danced" with the Seven Seas Mariner!
