Caribbean Island Odyssey - Small Ship Cruise

Fly by scheduled flight. Arrive and transfer to the MS Hebridean Sky in Bridgetown. Enjoy welcome drinks and dinner as we moor overnight.

Enjoy a leisurely morning at sea before arriving in Bequia over lunch. We have the afternoon on this delightful Grenadine Island which is totally unspoilt and a place of pure escapism with a charming old-world atmosphere. Only seven miles by two, it is a long way from the well beaten tourist track, a serene and peaceful island with some of the best beaches in the Caribbean. We will use the Zodiacs to land at Port Elizabeth where there will be some time to explore independently or wander to a nearby beach. Those feeling active may wish to make their way to Fort Hamilton offering views over the bay.

Formerly Fort Royal, Fort de France is today the administrative capital and our base for a day in Martinique. This morning we will head to the Balata Botanical Gardens on the outskirts of the city and during our guided walk will see some of the 3000 varieties of plants and flowers. You may also take a walk across the suspension footbridge offering wonderful views over the gardens and towards the Pitons of Carbet. Return to the ship for lunch and either spend the afternoon at leisure or join a tour to learn about the island’s important industries. The tour will begin at L’Habitation Belfort, a banana plantation where from aboard an open tram we learn about the growing processes from irrigation to harvest of this important export crop. We will continue to the Clement Plantation House which is surrounded by fragrant sugarcane fields and beautiful gardens and is also home to a world famous distillery. After exploring the colonial house we can wander in the 16 acre grounds of tranquil ponds, tropical orchards and many varieties of plants. We end at the distillery where, since 1887, Clement Rum has been made and where we will learn about the traditional techniques and enjoy a tasting.

Known as the ‘papillon’ due to the butterfly shape of the two main islands, Guadeloupe offers a taste of France within the Caribbean. From our berth in Pointe-a-Pitre we will head to mountainous Basse-Terre which is home to the Guadeloupe National Park covering 17,000 hectares of tropical forest. A short walk will take us to the Crayfish Waterfall located in a charming setting in the forest. We continue to the Valombreuse Botanical Gardens, a six hectare site with the largest collection of tropical flowers in Guadeloupe where we will find orchids, palm groves, hoyas, anthuriums and strelitzia also known as the “bird of paradise” due to its unique shape. Return to the ship for lunch and an afternoon at leisure to explore Pointe-a-Pitre independently with its colonial architecture and vibrant market.

In the 18th century the port of Oranjestad was a major player in the trade between Europe and the new world. Today the island of Sint Eustatius maintains a low key existence and has avoided the modernisation and development of its neighbours. We will explore the small town including the 17th century fort and the museum with information on slavery, colonial relics and historical artefacts. Meanwhile, those feeling active may wish to take the strenuous hike to ‘The Quill’, the 600 metre hill that dominates the landscape. This afternoon is at leisure for further independent exploration or maybe to relax on a nearby beach.

We will anchor this morning in picturesque Falmouth Harbour, located on the south coast of the island, and use our Zodiacs to land. We will enjoy the views from Shirley Heights before heading to Nelson’s Dockyard, beautifully located in the English Harbour. Here we will see the impressive collection of restored historic buildings which were occupied by the British Navy from 1707 till 1899. Return to the ship for lunch and spend the afternoon at leisure on board or maybe visit one of the local beaches.

Ask any Caribbean connoisseur about their favourite places and Montserrat will always be high on the list. After a relaxing morning at sea we will arrive at our anchorage at Little Bay over lunch. During our afternoon tour we will learn about the indigenous flora and fauna at the Botanical Gardens before we visit the volcano observatory and see how the islanders coped with the devastation that the volcanic eruptions in 1995 and 2010 caused. From Richmond hill we can see the impact of the eruptions before visiting the buried city of Plymouth itself. We also see some of the untouched areas which are as beautiful as ever.

Stepping back in time, the island of Dominica is still the primitive garden that Columbus first sighted in 1493. An area of tropical rainforests it has flowers of incredible beauty and animals that exist nowhere else in the world. We arrive this morning in the small port of Cabrits, just below the national park and the former British garrison of Fort Shirley, which successfully repelled a French attack during the Trafalgar campaign in 1805. Those feeling active can climb to the fort to explore the ruins, visit the small museum and maybe wander the surrounding trails on the lookout for birds, hermit crabs and lizards. Alternatively for the keen birders we will offer a tour to the Syndicate National Park which is the last remaining habitat for the endemic Sisserou and Jaco parrots of Dominica and where we will enjoy a trek exploring the exotic flora and fauna. The afternoon is at leisure to explore independently and perhaps enjoy some time on one of the beaches.

St Lucia is a splendidly rugged island of towering mountains, lush green valleys and acres of banana plantations. Due to its strategic position, the island was fought over repeatedly by the French and British and changed hands fourteen times. We will anchor in sight of St Lucia’s best-known feature, the twin peaks of the Pitons, which rise dramatically from the sea to more than 2400 feet. In the nearby town of Soufriere we can visit the bubbling sulphur springs, part of a low lying volcano which erupted thousands of years ago. Our tour will also include the splendid botanical gardens.

We return to the Grenadines and the island of Carriacou which is just 13 square miles in size and is characterised by crystal clear waters and enchanting beaches. From our anchorage in Tyrell Bay we will land for an island drive including the viewpoints over the surrounding Grenadine islands and Tobago Cays, as well as a visit to Windward where we find the boat builders who use traditional techniques dating back to the early Scottish settlers. Later we will have a final opportunity to relax on one of the beaches or take a swim before we sail this evening back to Barbados.

Disembark this morning and take a scenic drive along the West Coast with its beautiful beaches, elegant hotels and quaint boutiques to the north of the island where we take in the incredible views of the Atlantic surf, blowholes, caves and shallow pools. Later we will see St John’s Church which stands on a cliff face, 800 feet above sea level, with spectacular views of the east and south-eastern coasts and the Sunbury Plantation which was built in 1660 and today provides an insight into life in bygone years. After lunch we transfer to the airport for our scheduled flight to London.

Arrive this morning.

Itineraries are subject to change.