Tropical Treasures (Heathrow Airport)

Two weeks aboard Ambassador’s Renaissance through the southern Caribbean, linking Barbados with Curacao, Antigua and St Lucia on a relaxed route calling at lesser-known islands as well as regional hubs.

The cruise starts and ends in Bridgetown, Barbados, weaving a path through some of the southern Caribbean’s quieter spectacles. After an initial call at Willemstad, Curacao, known for its colourful Dutch colonial buildings, the ship visits Bonaire, where coral reefs attract snorkellers and divers with a taste for underwater landscapes. The itinerary ticks down through Guadeloupe’s Pointe-à-Pitre, and onto Antigua’s St John’s, where an anchor in the bay means glimpses of the old colonial port and yacht-filled marinas.

Further calls include Basseterre on St Kitts and Roseau on Dominica, the latter often described as the Caribbean’s rainforest island, with trails and waterfalls hidden away from the sea. St Lucia’s capital, Castries, is something of a working harbour, away from the usual resort glare but with hillsides nearby worth a morning walk. Ambassadors Cruise Line’s Renaissance is a moderate-sized ship allowing these slightly off-the-beaten-path stops that larger vessels might skip.

The pace is steady with few back-to-back sea days, making it possible to have time ashore without hurrying. Island life in the southern Caribbean does not rush, and neither does Renaissance. The ship turns up in Willemstad again on the return leg before completing the loop back to Barbados.

Flying fish, and the island that claims the oldest rum

3 min read