Christmas and New Year Caribbean Escape Cruise

Day 1 - Barbados

Arrive: Fri 11 December 2026

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.

Day 2 - Barbados

Depart: Sat 12 December 2026 at 21:00

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.

Day 3 - At Sea

Day 4 - Oranjestad, Aruba

Arrive: Mon 14 December 2026 at 08:00 / Depart: Mon 14 December 2026 at 17:00

Talcum-soft beaches, world class shopping, glitzy casinos, stunning sea views and tracts of desert landscape scattered with giant boulders and exotic cacti are all yours to enjoy when you visit popular Aruba, jewel of the 'deep' Caribbean. And you will find most of Aruba's attractions without straying far from the capital and cruise port, Oranjestad, a waterfront city endowed with a cosmopolitan population - of Portuguese, Spanish, Venezuelan, Indian, Pakistani and African as well as Dutch origin. This cultural mix makes Oranjestad heaven for adventurous foodies and a great place to `shop the world' as you can pick up Delft china, Dutch cheese, Danish silverware and Madeiran embroidery at low prices. For local colour, visit Schooner Harbour, which is crammed with brightly painted boats and craft stalls, and Willemstad, famed for its 16th century Dutch houses. And water babies will love Eagle Beach, Palm Beach and Baby Beach, all a short distance from the port.

Day 5 - Willemstad, Curacao

Arrive: Tue 15 December 2026 at 07:00 / Depart: Tue 15 December 2026 at 17:00

The largest island in the Dutch Antilles, Curaçao is home to more than 50 nationalities. Willemstad is full of 17th, 18th and 19th century Dutch and Spanish Colonial architecture. The two sides of the city are divided by Santa Anna Bay, a narrow channel flanked by pastel-tinted, gabled houses and spanned by the spectacular swing-aside Queen Emma pontoon bridge. On one side you will find the 18th century Fort Amsterdam and Breederstraat, gateway to Willemstads main shopping and restaurant district where you can buy everything from Delft pottery to Italian silk ties, Japanese electrical goods, Indonesian batik clothing, locally-made black coral jewellery and, of course, the sapphire-blue liqueur to which Curaçao has given its name.

Day 6 - At Sea

Day 7 - Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Arrive: Thu 17 December 2026 at 07:00 / Depart: Thu 17 December 2026 at 18:00

Kingstown is the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The port city is known for its Botanical Gardens, founded in 1765 and home to tropical plants and aviaries. On a ridge above the bay, the 1806 Fort Charlotte offers panoramic views of the archipelago. The city center has 19th-century churches such as St. Mary’s Cathedral. The lively Kingstown Market sells local produce. Popular Villa Beach is nearby.

Day 8 - Dominica

Arrive: Fri 18 December 2026 at 07:00 / Depart: Fri 18 December 2026 at 18:00

Divers will relish the reefs and grottoes of Dominica. On dry land, shimmering waterfalls and dense rainforest offer another sort of beauty.

Day 9 - St. Lucia

Arrive: Sat 19 December 2026 at 07:00 / Depart: Sat 19 December 2026 at 18:00

Day 10 - At Sea

Day 11 - Basseterre, St. Kitts

Arrive: Mon 21 December 2026 at 07:00 / Depart: Mon 21 December 2026 at 18:00

Basseterre is the capital of the Caribbean island federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. It’s the gateway to popular Saint Kitts beaches like South Friars Bay. At the city’s heart, Independence Square has an Italian-inspired fountain. Just off the Circus traffic circle, with its Victorian Berkeley Memorial Clock Tower, is the National Museum. In the stately Old Treasury Building, it explores the islands’ colonial past.

Day 12 - Antigua, Leeward Islands

Arrive: Tue 22 December 2026 at 07:00 / Depart: Tue 22 December 2026 at 18:00

Day 13 - Philipsburg, Sint Maarten

Arrive: Wed 23 December 2026 at 07:00 / Depart: Wed 23 December 2026 at 18:00

An island with a split personality, this is one of the few places in the Caribbean where the European powers co-existed peacefully. Hence, this lovely island is a mixture of Dutch, French and Caribbean tastes and delights.

Day 14 - At Sea

Day 15 - Barbados

Arrive: Fri 25 December 2026 at 07:00

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.

Day 16 - Barbados

Depart: Sat 26 December 2026 at 21:00

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.

Day 17 - At Sea

Day 18 - Tortola

Arrive: Mon 28 December 2026 at 07:00 / Depart: Mon 28 December 2026 at 18:00

Here, in the beautiful archipelago of the British Virgin islands, the motto is: “The best thing you can do is do nothing.” The “nothing” that Tortola offers you consists of swimming in opalescent waters, basking in glorious sunshine and strolling along beaches of shimmering white sand.

Day 19 - Antigua, Leeward Islands

Arrive: Tue 29 December 2026 at 07:00 / Depart: Tue 29 December 2026 at 18:00

Day 20 - At Sea

Day 21 - Grand Turk

Arrive: Thu 31 December 2026 at 07:00 / Depart: Thu 31 December 2026 at 18:00

Bursting with turn-of-the-century Caribbean charm, Grand Turk, the historic capital of the Turks and Caicos is best known for its sugary white shores, calm blue waters and rustic colonial charm. And at just six miles long, and just over a mile, wide this small but perfectly formed island is easy to explore.

Day 22 - At Sea

Day 23 - Ocho Rios

Arrive: Sat 02 January 2027 at 09:00 / Depart: Sat 02 January 2027 at 18:00

This fabulous Jamaican resort was once home to James Bond's creator, Ian Fleming, who built his home, Goldeneye at the end of the beach.Luckily you don't have to be a secret agent to discover the charms of Dunn's River Falls or the miles of great beaches.

Day 24 - At Sea

Day 25 - Bonaire

Arrive: Mon 04 January 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Mon 04 January 2027 at 17:00

The least developed of the Caribbean ABC islands (Aruba and Curacao are the others), Bonaire has many good reasons to protect its own extraordinary environment. Bonaires Marine Park, which covers the coral reefs along the islands west coast, has a vast number and variety of fish, and snorkelling and diving amongst these colourful residents is a sheer delight. A more conventional national park spreads across the whole northern part of the island. Originally plantations, this freshwater swampland is now home to pelican, parrots and geese. Pick of the islands beaches is called Pink Beach because of the attractive colour the coral has turned the sand.

Day 26 - At Sea

Day 27 - Tobago

Arrive: Wed 06 January 2027 at 07:00 / Depart: Wed 06 January 2027 at 18:00

Tobago is one of the real Robinson Crusoe islands. There is not much of it - just 26 miles by nine - but around every corner, and it seems like at every turn, you find your jaw dropping open at the sheer beauty of another scene.

Day 28 - Grenadine Islands

Arrive: Thu 07 January 2027 at 07:00 / Depart: Thu 07 January 2027 at 18:00

Sailors through the centuries have rated it one of the worlds prettiest harbours and it is hard to disagree. Horseshoe-shaped and set in a volcanic crater, Grenadas capital and cruise port St Georges is flanked by two forts, with colourful French colonial style buildings ranged along the front. It is the perfect entrance to one of the Caribbean's most scenic islands. Only 12 miles by 21, it is awash with waterfalls, mountain valleys, rainforests, lakes and volcanic craters. The beaches are to die for, especially Grand Anse - a two-mile stretch of pure white sand just around the bay from St Georges. Grenada is also the island you can smell before you can see it. The 'Spice Island' grows more spices per square mile than anywhere else on the planet with nutmeg its signature seasoning. In fact, gentle haggling with spice vendors is part of the fun of cruising to this laid-back Caribbean island.

Day 29 - Barbados

Arrive: Fri 08 January 2027 at 07:00 / Depart: Fri 08 January 2027

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.