Bead Cruise 2016 Recap

On Monday, I arrived home after a week of fun on the 2016 bead cruise, hosted by Heather Powers.

Cruise ships in port in St. Maarten

This was my third time attending and this year my husband, Colin came along with me.  He also took all three of Heather Power's  polymer classes!

Coco Cay

Day 1 was boarding the ship and the welcome party at night.  Day 2 was our stop in Coco Cay in the Bahamas.  This was a nice, restful beach day.  I explored and found conch shells, sea urchins and lots of little fish.  

Tango by Beki Haley

Day 3 was our half-day classes.  I chose Tango by Beki Haley.  I struggled with right angle weave at first but Beki is a great teacher and got me on the right track.  I haven't finished the pendant yet but I'm pretty sure I will get this one done!  We also had part 1 of Heather's Van Gogh Sunflowers workshop in the afternoon (more on that below). 

St. Thomas

Day 4 was spent in St. Thomas.  Colin and I were originally going to spend the day at Coki Beach but we caught colds on the airplane and didn't feel up to it.  We decided to take a bus tour of the island instead.  We got to experience some fabulous views, go shopping and I still got to dip my feet in the turquoise water at Coki Beach.  

St. Maarten

Day 5 we docked in St. Maarten.  We walked towards town, found a small local art gallery and then shopped some more.  We lasted a couple hours before the heat got to us and we returned to the ship. After a shower, we spent several hours enjoying the view from the lounge on the ship.  Also, food. There was lots of eating involved...it's a cruise afterall!   

Van Gogh Sunflowers Class

Day 6 was the second part of Heather's Van Gogh Sunflowers class.   This class involved the most intricate polymer canework I've ever done.  It was a bit frustrating for me but it makes me appreciate Heather's work that much more.  You can see a few of the beads Colin and I created in the lower, left hand photo.

Tropical Bon Bon class

Day 7 was the final day and Colin and I signed up for an optional class.  I had so much fun in Heather's Tropical Bon Bon class!  I can see myself making more of these, including them as cabochons!  We had some free time after class and then went to the farewell party.  

Misc. scenes from the trip

On Sunday, we headed back to the hotel in Orlando and enjoyed the pool and some dinner with other cruisers who were flying home on Monday.  It was a nice way to end the trip.  

I just love everything about the bead cruise; the people, the workshops, the ports...  I highly recommend you give the bead cruise a try!  There are still a few spaces left for Bead Cruise 2017!  Click here for all the details and to register for the best bead vacation you will ever take!  You won't regret it!

A big thanks to Heather, all the instructors, sponsors and fellow beaders who made 2016 a wonderful experience!  I look forward to Bead Cruise 2017!