Cruise description

28 Night Cruise sailing from Bridgetown roundtrip aboard Adonia.

28 Night Cruise sailing from Bridgetown roundtrip aboard Adonia.

Cruise Overview:
Imagine island hopping from one gorgeous Caribbean idyll to the next. Throw in an unforgettable adventure up the mighty Amazon river, and you have a cruise holiday with ‘happy’ written all over it.

From bustling Barbados, you’ll make your way to chic Martinique. Onwards to the fragrant botanic garden on St Lucia and spicy cuisine of Tobago. Next, the majestic Amazon river… as you cruise along it towards Santarem. Later, sail past Devil’s Island (once a prison colony) on your way to the spice-filled air of Grenada. Then, the French-Caribbean charms of Guadeloupe, the bright white sands of Tortola, and seven square miles of island beauty on Bequia.

Highlights of this cruise:

Bridgetown
Watching the Atlantic surf crash down on the rugged east coast of this richly diverse island and, for a moment, you may feel you could be on the Cornish coast but the moment you hear the waves of gospel singing emanating from a tiny local church you realise you could not be anywhere else but Barbados.

While, over on the sheltered west coast, the glorious beaches are pure Caribbean. And there are more beaches and a lot more bars, cafés, restaurants and clubs creating a vibrant 24/7 lifestyle on the south coast, too.

In the capital and cruise port, Bridgetown, there are intriguing signs of its British colonial past while, across the island, you are really spoilt for choice. You can enjoy every watersport under the sun; stunning nature walks and bike rides; or maybe a trip to the uniquely magnificent Harrisons Cave underground complex of caverns, waterfalls, stalactites and stalagmites.

St Lucia
St Lucia has a fascinating if bloody history with the French and British spending years fighting over it. One look at this luscious island will show you why.

Cloaked in verdant rainforests, its skyline dominated by the dramatic twin peaks of Les Pitons and its gardens a riot of hibiscus and bougainvillea; St. Lucia is the epitome of a Caribbean paradise.

Here you can watch parrots and hummingbirds skim through the trees, bask on beautiful beaches, visit charming fishing villages, view stunning volcanic scenery and glory in the Caribbean’s best botanical gardens.

If it is your first visit, an island tour to the dramatic Soufriére volcano will show you the island’s full beauty. Boat trips to spot dolphin and whales are also available, as are biking, jeep and hiking tours of the rainforest. But do leave time to explore the shops of Castries, where you can pick up bread, wine and even ketchup made from bananas.

Port of Spain
Port of Spain, capital of Trinidad & Tobago, has an incredibly striking ‘Red House’ parliament building – originally designed in Greek revival style, built in panels and shipped over from England! Independence Square is a popular place to congregate and houses some of the city’s finest architecture including the grand Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Seek refuge in peaceful Woodford Square, with its beautiful gardens and grand Victorian fountain or the city’s largest open space, Queen’s Park Savannah, spanning 260 glorious acres.

Port of Spain occupies Trinidad’s northern coast between the Gulf of Paria, Northern Range and the Caroni Swamp. Northern Range is a string of hills with stark ridges and lush rainforest. The highest peaks are El Cerro del Aripo and El Tucuche, each over 900m tall. The 3278-hectare west coast mangrove area, Caroni Swamp, has 160 native bird species including striking national symbol, the Scarlet Ibis.

Mayreau
A couple of square miles of desert island paradise, Mayreau is home to just 200 people. There are no hotels so chances are you will be the only visitors when you go ashore for some serious sun-worshipping, swimming, snorkelling and just plain chilling out on the mile-long Saline Bay beach.

This is the smallest of the Grenadine islands and you will look in vain for shopping malls, casinos or nightclubs. Mayreau is so exclusive that it is just like being on a private island and is always a highlight of any Caribbean cruise in which it features.

Antigua
With over 365 beaches, there is a slice of white sand heaven for every day of the year - even a leap year - on the idyllic Caribbean holiday island Antigua, which played host to Admiral Horatio Nelson’s fleet in the late 1700’s. Nelson’s Dockyard now bustles with crew and guests from yachts and cruise ships sailing these waters for pleasure rather than for King and Country.

The main port, St John’s, is also the capital and a vibrant hub for shopping as well as being within easy range of some of the best beaches – at Fort James, Deep Bay, Galley Bay and Hawksbill. Almost perfect weather conditions and low humidity, due to the warm prevailing trade winds, allows Antigua to boast of being the sunniest of the Eastern Caribbean islands with the lowest annual rainfall. It is also the largest of the English-speaking Leeward Islands although it is only 14 miles long and 11 miles wide. Still, with a population of less than 70,000, this means there are lots of wide open spaces – especially on those gorgeous beaches.