Hoosier Cruiser

March 12 & 16, 2026

My time in the Maldives was spent on board due to an untimely foot injury. The ship physician prescribed rest and ice packs. So no photos of this tropical paradise. The three sea days before the Seychelles helped with my recovery.

Folks who did go ashore in the Maldives could either visit one of the nearby resort islands or venture further out to do some snorkeling. The main island (Male) is extremely crowded. It almost looks like a mini Manhattan from the air. Like all of the island chain, Male is quite flat; the average elevation is about 1.5 meters. Since the Republic of Maldives is a Muslim nation there is no alcohol sold and tourists are not allowed to dress indecently, ie no bikinis. But they have created a legal fiction for the resort islands calling them uninhabited. Only tourists and foreign workers are allowed there. Hence, alcohol and bikinis. Tourism wags the dog.

The Seychelles are quite different from the Maldives in a number of respects. France was the first European power to assert control of the area; shortly thereafter the British were ceded control. But they left the French nomenclature largely intact. While in appearance, one might assume the island is volcanic in origin, it is actually a spinoff from the African continent. Wherever you drive around the island, you can see granite outcrops.

Our tour first took us to the Botanical Gardens in Victoria, the capital. The gardens are dominated by huge palms and other trees, but the tropical plants are also stunning. At the start, our guide showed us the seed of the Coco de Mer, the world’s largest seed (and most provocative)! The gardens also provide a habitat for a flying fox species and the Aldabra Giant Tortoise. We visited an enclosure where we were allowed to feed these amazing reptiles.

We made a brief visit to central Victoria and then a scenic drive to the north coast of the island before returning to the ship.

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