Southern Caribbean Adventurer

Choose a beach day or explore Charlotte Amalie

St. Thomas is the busiest of the US Virgin Islands, and ships berth at Havensight or Crown Bay, both a short ride from the capital at Charlotte Amalie. Magens Bay is the beach everyone goes to; the ferry across to St.

Town, sand and sea.

Ships dock at Point Blanche, around the headland from Philipsburg itself, and the boardwalk into town is a pleasant walk or a two-minute water taxi. Front Street and Great Bay beach are the easy day; the French side at Marigot and the beach under the Maho runway need a car or a tour.

A harbour park, local culture, a hilltop view.

St. John's is the easternmost city in North America, a harbour ringed by cliffs with a row of painted houses above it. Signal Hill, where the first transatlantic wireless signal was received, is a walk up from the docks and the view back down is the reason to do it.

Start with your own terminal.

Castries docks right in town at Pointe Seraphine or La Place Carenage, either of which is a short walk or water taxi from the market. The Pitons are the reason to come and they are an hour and a half south, which makes this one of the calls where the ship's tour earns its price.

A town walk or Carlisle Bay.

Bridgetown docks at the Deep Water Harbour, a hot fifteen-minute walk or a short taxi from the centre. Barbados rewards going further than the town: the west coast beaches, Harrison's Cave and the Atlantic surf at Bathsheba are all different islands in effect.

Choose your side of the bay.

Check the pier on your cruise documents before planning a day in San Juan. Royal Caribbean directs embarking guests to the Pan American Pier in Isla Grande, so do not assume your ship boards beside Old San Juan. Arrange transport to the named terminal and allow time for luggage drop-off and check-in.

Keep the island day simple.

Road Town docks in the capital of the British Virgin Islands, a working harbour rather than a resort strip. The day most people want is the ferry to Virgin Gorda and The Baths, which is the boulder-and-grotto swim the BVI is known for, so check the return times before you commit.

At your own pace.

Port Zante puts you in the middle of Basseterre, so the town is a walk and the beaches are a short ride south to Frigate Bay. The scenic railway around the old sugar estates is the excursion that is genuinely hard to arrange independently.

Waterfalls or a waterfront day.

Roseau docks in the capital, a small working town with the Caribbean's greenest interior directly behind it. Dominica is a hiking and waterfall island rather than a beach one: Trafalgar Falls, the Emerald Pool and the boiling lake trail are what the day is for.

Carenage views, national history, or a nutmeg garden.

St. George's is Grenada's capital, a hillside town around a horseshoe harbour. Grenada is known as the Spice Isle for its nutmeg, and Grand Anse beach and rainforest waterfalls are short drives away.

A town walk or Carlisle Bay.

Bridgetown docks at the Deep Water Harbour, a hot fifteen-minute walk or a short taxi from the centre. Barbados rewards going further than the town: the west coast beaches, Harrison's Cave and the Atlantic surf at Bathsheba are all different islands in effect.