Cruising around the Caribbean - a travel guide
- rosalindstevenson6
- Dec 11, 2025
- 15 min read
Think cruises are just for the older generation or retirees? Think again. As a group of 30-something year olds, we LOVED our time onboard, in and around the Caribbean. Don't get me wrong, the clientele on the ship was majority at least 50 years old and above (not that I necessarily class that as 'old') but I was pleasantly surprised at how many younger people (teens, 20s and 30s) there were on the ship, bringing the average age down quite significantly I would assume. It was by no means a crazy party, but we weren't looking for that, we were there for the gorgeous Caribbean islands.
We flew to Barbados on a TUI flight, specially chartered by P&O for the cruise passengers, which took us directly from the plane to the ship (no trailing through the airport, queueing for passport control, waiting for bags or rushing to get your transfer). The process of getting on the ship is smooth despite the number of people embarking at one time. Our two weeks in the Caribbean were spent onboard P&O Arvia and visiting eight of the stunning islands that Eastern Caribbean has to offer.
Cruises are an amazing way to see various locations (and even countries) on one trip easily and comfortably. P&O Arvia had it all really: great food and various restaurants to choose from each night, extensive drinks menus and different bars to enjoy them in, nightly entertainment on the ship from singers and dancers to comedians and magicians, sea days to relax on sun loungers and by multiple pools and most importantly beautiful, interesting locations to explore - if that isn't enough to tempt you or change your mind about cruises, read on to hear about each location and what to do there...
What to do and where to go in Martinique
Our first stop, after a restful sea day to start the holiday off, was Martinique, a beautiful French Caribbean island. I've heard that Martinique doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to cruise passengers because the capital city, Fort-de-France, where the cruise docks, isn't the prettiest. However, once you venture out of the capital the island is very, very easy on the eyes. We did an island tour, which we organised by getting off the boat, speaking to one of the many local tour guides waiting at the port and jumping on their bus - easy peasy. I would recommend shopping around a little as we managed to shave about $5-10 per person off the first tour guide's offer.
The tour was advertised as 4 hours but ended up taking around 6 hours, just something to keep in mind. We took off through Fort-de-France to start and drove through some residential areas on the way to our first stop, Sacre Coeur de Balata, a gorgeous church with a viewpoint at the back. We then drove through the rainforest, stopping at the River Alma, the waters of which are said to make you look 20 years younger if you put your head under it. Not going to lie, I dipped my feet in and they felt amazing afterward, so there maybe is some truth to that! On the way to our next stop, we were greeted with views of various angles of the volcano, Montagne Pelée, that towers over the island.
We had a tour of Rhum Depaz distillery and sampled some of the rums and liqueurs made there before heading to the St Pierre ruins, a city completely ruined by the volcano erupting in 1902. The island tour then ended at Le Carbet black beach where we spent an hour soaking up the sun, taking a dip in the sea and enjoying a drink before heading back to the port to re-board the boat. It was a lovely day and I would certainly recommend exploring Martinique outside of Fort-De-France to get a real essence of the island, it's story and its culture.
What to do and where to go in St Kitts & Nevis
The next day, we woke up docked in Basseterre, the capital city of St Kitts & Nevis. We got off the boat; another local island tour was sourced and off we went. Again, this trip was a little longer than planned but it wasn't a problem, other than us wanting time to relax on a sun lounger for a while.
Throughout the tour we stopped at various viewpoints with little stalls where you could buy a drink or some souvenirs. We stopped at Romney Manor (I'll add a photo of the plaque outside giving all the information on the house) and walked around it's gorgeous gardens and heard about how they make the Caribelle Batik products there, there are also plenty of the products for sale if you'd like to purchase any but they come with a high price tag due to the intricate way they are made.
We drove by the Brimstone Hill Fortress (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) high in the mountains but the group on the bus decided as a whole not to actually go up to it, although it offers amazing views and is popular with visitors to the island. Our penultimate stop was the Black Rocks, an impressive coastline where lava from the volcano, Mount Liamuiga, joined with the ocean. The last stop was Timothy Hill viewpoint offering two incredible views from different sides and where you can get a photo with the 'St Kitts' sign if you so please.
We enjoyed this trip but it was our least favourite day for a reason we really can't figure out. We didn't have time to visit a beach here but there are some lovely ones to choose from such as South Friars Bay, Majors Bay and Pinney's Beach, you can even book beach hopping trips to see a few.
What to do and where to go in Tortola, British Virgin Islands
The third stop ended up being one of our favourites, despite having never heard of Tortola until we saw the cruise itinerary. Tortola is the largest and most populated island in the British Virgin Islands, and it is stunning.
We jumped on yet another local island tour - it's the easiest way to see as much of the island as possible in the few hours you've got there. My only issue was that I sat on the wrong side of the bus so I missed the full extent of the incredible views. Our guide stopped at some viewpoints for us to take photos while navigating the rollercoaster like roads (not for the faint hearted) before stopping at Callwood Rum Distillery where we tried five different rums for $1 per person - a bit rough at 11am but it's all about immersing yourself in the culture, right? After the distillery we hopped basically over the road to spend an hour or two on the beach at Cane Garden Bay, offering a lively atmosphere and gorgeous views out across the sea.
A very enjoyable day all round and I would highly recommend looking for a cruise with Tortola on the itinerary or even aiming to spend a few days on the island if the opportunity arises.
What to do and where to go in Sint Maarten / Saint Martin
After another day at sea (celebrating a very important 30th birthday in our group), we docked in Sint Maarten, an island very much of two halves - Dutch (Sint Maarten) and French (St Martin).
You guessed it, island tour time. Starting off much the same, we stopped off at some viewpoints to snap some photos. There were hundreds of butterflies flying around and our guide told us that this is a sign of Christmas on the island, it was so nice to see. Our first proper stop was Maho Beach, a plane spotter's dream. On the Dutch side of the island, right next to the Princess Juliana International Airport, you can spend the whole day sitting at the beach or in the neighbouring bars and restaurants and watch planes of all sizes fly directly (and very closely) over the beach onto the landing strip literally a few meters across the road.
Following this excitement, we got back on our bus and headed for our next stop, Marigot, the capital of the French side of the island. This was a cute little area with a big market selling clothes, accessories and souvenirs and a collection of bars and restaurants. It looked like it would be a great place for lunch or dinner and probably got pretty lively at night. We grabbed a delicious smoothie from a little stall right next to the 'I Love SXM' sign before getting back on our bus for our chosen beach stop. There were a few to choose from, Maho Beach being one of them, but we decided to spend an hour at Orient Bay beach. A vast, white sandy beach with bars and restaurants along one side. This was a beautiful beach and the water was so nice,. If you have time for only one beach on Sint Maarten, like we did, I'd strongly recommend Orient Bay.
What to do and where to go in Antigua & Barbuda
We docked in Antigua and Barbuda for two days. Known for its amazing beaches - and enough to go to a new one every day of the year! - we didn't do an island tour either of the two days we spent here, instead opting to spend each day relaxing on one of the many beaches on offer.
Our first day on Antigua was spent at Valley Church Beach. This was probably the most beautiful beach we visited during our whole two weeks in the Caribbean, although a lot of the others did give it a run for its money! With sun loungers, umbrellas, jet skis, a bar in the middle of the sea and Nest Beach Bar and Restaurant on land, it's easy to spend more than a few hours here. The restaurant, a relaxed beach hut vibe, served traditional grilled food as well as sandwiches so there was something for everyone. The food was quite pricey but the portions were huge so one meal could be shared between two.
The next day we went just a little further round the island to spend the day at Ffryes Beach. Another picturesque stretch of white sand and turquoise sea, ideal for spending the day at. From visiting just these two stunning beaches, I can tell that you are spoiled for choice on what beach you want to spend a glorious, relaxing day at on Antigua.
The port is in the capital city, St John's, where there are numerous shops, bars and restaurants to frequent, especially if your ship is spending the night in port, meaning you can explore the island after dark, if of interest to you. The Rum Runner on the Sea bar is a very lively bar all day and night that you are likely to come across as soon as you get off your ship with music, DJs, drinks and dancing all day and night.
What to do and where to go in Grenada
A day at sea between Antigua and Grenada meant we were rested and recharged for a very fun day. We had pre-booked a party boat trip with Odyssey Cruises on Esta Sea via the "Caribbean Cruise Excursions You Save They Benefit" Facebook group (if you are planning on a cruise to the Caribbean, it is well worthwhile becoming a part of this group). Our most rowdy day of the holiday: the sun was shining, the music was blaring and the rum punches were flowing. The boat was so spacious, especially compared to other overcrowded tours, and well equipped with a bar, bathrooms, loungers and even a waterslide - which was LETHAL and I ended up with whiplash all in the name of having fun, just a word to the wise.
We stopped off at BBC beach, a beautiful half mile, white sandy beach where we could get off the boat to swim or relax on the beach. There was meant to be another beach stop as advertised which never happened but I think most people, if not everyone, were too far gone on the rum punches to care too much about that. On the way back, the music was turned up, the dancing started and the limbo line came out, which called for some friendly competition (I won).
If you've got a visit to Grenada on the horizon then I would 100% urge you to book this trip for a fun day out.
What to do and where to go in St Lucia
Waking up in St Lucia we had our earliest start for a full day trip by land and sea that we had pre-booked through P&O on the online portal. The trip is advertised to start on land, which we would have preferred, but we were escorted to a boat after having checked in with the tour guide.
The first stop on the boat trip was Marigot Bay which was gorgeous and a popular movie filming location. We just sailed into the bay and back out for some photo opportunities. We had a swimming stop at Anse Cochin, a small but relaxing beach with lovely calm waters to swim or float in. From there we sailed toward the Pitons, Gros Piton and Petite Piton, impressive mountainous volcanic peaks right on the coastline. We docked in Soufrière, a fishing town which was the former capital of St Lucia, where the land part of our trip began.
We were ushered on a bus and driven to the Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens, the oldest in St Lucia, where we were given a guided tour and we saw a hummingbird which was pretty cool. There are mineral baths that you can relax in there as well but we were told they weren't included in our tour. After this, we were taken to Mourne Coubaril Estate for lunch, it felt a bit like a school dinner if I'm being honest but the food was nice and we were all starving by this point. Lunch was followed by a visit to the Sulphur Springs in Soufrière also known as the world's only "drive in" volcano - a geothermal area in which you drive right into the centre of the crater of the Qualibou volcano. Just a heads up, it absolutely STINKS. We were met by a guide telling us all about the springs and showing us the steaming vents, bubbling mud pools and boiling rivers. We didn't do this, but there are therapeutic mud baths here that you can bathe in that are great for your skin but not your swimsuit, so if you do this don't wear your favourite one! Lastly, we got back on the bus, stopped at a viewpoint for an amazing view of the Pitons and across the town of Soufrière, before driving back to the port to get back on our ship.
Out of all the island tours we did on this holiday, this was our least favourite. It felt very badly organised: changing the order of the trip, constantly having to wait about for buses and changing bus about 3 or 4 times. It was great to see different aspects of St Lucia but if we were to do it again, we would look for a different tour to see the island.
What to do and where to go in Barbados
Our last stop of the cruise was Barbados and, here, we just wanted to chill. No running around different places, no island tours, no waiting about for others. I would have liked to have seen more of the island (and Rihanna's houses) but I can always go back, we wanted to enjoy one last day one a Caribbean beach.
We got off the boat and headed for the taxi area, where we got a lift to Savvy on the Bay beach club on Carlisle Bay. On this beach there are numerous beach clubs lined up along the shore (including The Boatyard, Copacabana and Lobster Alive) and I didn't see much difference in them other than the sun loungers, which you pay the appropriate beach club for use of for the day.
Many of the beach bars offer snorkelling and boat trips, again I didn't see much difference in them. We spoke with someone on the beach who worked for a couple that ran an independent catamaran trip which looked much nicer and more comfortable than the other boats on the water and I'm glad we did. Snorkelling around shipwrecks and to see turtles was included as well as rum punch. The wrecks were cool to see and all the sea life that lives in and around it - think Disney's "The Little Mermaid". The coolest thing we saw was, when swimming with the turtles, one of the little guys decided to come up for some air right in front of us! It was the perfect last full day of our holiday.
The ship was docked in Barbados overnight but the next day we were sadly flying home so we decided to just relax on the ship for a couple hours, although P&O do offer various day trips that end with you being taken directly to the airport which is handy.
Tips & advice for your Eastern Caribbean Cruise
Some important points to be aware of and to make your holiday run more smoothly:
🧳 Luggage & flights
I'm not sure how it works with other cruise lines but for this cruise with P&O, our flight was specially chartered for cruise passengers (as were all the flights from the chosen UK airports) so we didn't know our flight time or provider (TUI) until a few months after we'd booked - just in case you are a big forward planner and panic that you don't know the flight info right away.
Once you've landed in your destination, you (and whatever hand luggage you have with you) are taken directly from the plane to the ship, you don't go through the airport and security clearance is done when you board the ship. This means that you don't go to baggage claim to get your checked luggage, instead your bag is taken directly to your cabin for you. However, you won't get your bag for a few hours after getting off the plane, so it is wise to pack what you need for the rest of the day or evening in your hand luggage - an outfit change, toiletries for freshening up, any medicines you may need and so on.
When it comes to heading home, you have to put your checked bag out the night before you fly to be taken to the airport and checked on your flight for you. So, again, pack what you need for the next day in your hand luggage - i.e. don't pack all your contact lenses in your checked bag and be blinded by the sun all day like I did, nightmare.
🛏️ Cabins & cruise cards
Our group was made up of my partner and I and two of our friends, who had actually been on the same cruise last year. They were happy with their inside cabin (the smallest on offer) that they had last year but my partner and I opted for a larger room with a window. Upon seeing our room, our friends said they would probably opt for the type of room we had were they to book again, mainly due to the extra space our room offered (almost double the size).
You will be given a cruise card when you arrive at your cabin, this is one of the most important things you need to keep hold of for the duration of your cruise, on and off the ship. This card is your room key, your card for ordering drinks and charging any extras to your room (paid dining, purchases on the boat etc.) and your way of getting on and off the ship - most importantly so that you don't get left behind. Last year our friends noticed that the information on their cards (including the barcode to scan on and off the boat) was fading off the card and ended up needing replacements (as did we this year) so they brought little plastic wallets from lanyards for them and they worked a treat!
📶 Wi-Fi & phone data
You can purchase Wi-Fi through P&O to use while you are on the boat but it is extremely expensive and, of course, only works when you are on the boat. My partner bought the Wi-Fi package as he needed it for work and I bought a maritime eSIM through Red Bull Mobile Data for while we were at sea (in the evenings and on sea days) but it was shocking and barely worked half the time. All of us used Airalo eSIMs for while we were on land and it worked treat, as it always has for me whenever I've used it.
💵 Currency
The best currency to have for almost all the locations on this cruise was US dollars. Martinique does use euros as its main currency, but most places there thankfully accepted US dollars as well. A lot of places we visited in each location took credit/debit card too - I use Monzo when outside of the UK and always charge it in the local currency when given the option.
🆔 Photo ID
In some places (St Kitts & Nevis was the one I remember but other islands may do the same) you needed photo ID to get back into the area where you board your boat. Do not carry your actual document, such as your passport or driver's license, around with you, just have a photo of it on your phone, they accepted this fine.
🏞️ Tours & day trips
You can book excursions via P&O (and I'm sure most, if not all, other cruise operators) for all locations but we didn't want to anchor ourselves to solid plans weeks or months in advance of our holiday. The local tour guides also tend to be cheaper but you need to consider getting back in time for the boat leaving. You may just prefer to book via the cruise line for all round peace of mind such as more accurate timings, making sure you are back in time for the boat and being with a trusted guide. However, we didn't have any issues with any of the local tours we did - most of the tour guides that you'll find at the port are from established companies and carry ID badges. When I looked at excursions on the P&O portal, there were some really fun looking ones, such as quad biking and dirt buggies etc., but they sell out fast. I would assume similar trips would be available with guides at the port but this wasn't something we looked for so I didn't see any specific ones.
If you're going on a cruise any time soon, you are in for a treat. It is such a different way of travelling and I loved visiting eight new countries in one trip, most that I probably wouldn't have made a trip to otherwise.
Bon voyage!
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