As I have said before, cruising in my opinion is one of the best ways to travel. Waking up somewhere new each morning is so exciting and knowing that I don’t have to lug my suitcase around is even better. Booking a cruise allows you to maximize your time on vacation and avoid all the stressful aspects of traveling. As a bonus cursing just so happens to be one of the best ways to see the Caribbean.

In terms of cruise lines, you are spoiled for choice in the Caribbean, all major cruise lines offer different itinerary’s and duration’s, meaning you have lots to choose from which can be slightly overwhelming. I chose to cruise with Carnival for two reasons, firstly it was the most cost effective and secondly they had a great itinerary with only 1 day at sea. Now I must preface this with while it is a cheaper cruise line you certainly get what you pay for, if I had my choice I would have booked with Royal Caribbean but they are usually double or triple the price. That being said I really enjoyed the cruise here are some of the highlights.

Day 1: Puerto Rico

The cruise starts and finishes in Puerto Rico and I would highly recommend spending some time here. There are lots of great things to see on the island including the old town, window cave, snorkeling, and the only Rain Forest in the National Parks System.

The Window Cave - A must see in Puerto Rico $20 entrance fee

Day 2: St. Thomas

The first island you will dock at is St. Thomas one of my favorite islands of the trip. If you are into snorkeling I would highly recommend booking a private tour through That VI Guy (https://www.facebook.com/thatviguide/) the tours are very reasonably priced and it will enable you to see things you won’t if you go snorkeling by yourself. Will was very knowledgeable and even managed to get my friend, who was scared of snorkeling, in the water and loving it.

Day 3: Sailing Day (Day at Sea)

Today is the only day at sea, so sit back relax by the pool and soak in that Caribbean sun!

Day 4: Barbados

The next island you will dock in is Barbados, out of all the islands I visited this was by far the least impressive. I didn’t really like the look of any of the on board excursions so I rented a car on the island which was very easy and cheap to do and took myself on a tour. Be prepared for some crazy driving but I would recommend visiting the Animal Flower Cave, and one of the beaches of course.

Day 5: St. Lucia

I have to say St. Lucia was by far my favorite island, I would love to spend a week here hiking and enjoying the island. As I was short on time I booked a tour through Joy's Adventure Excursion and Coastal Cruises, which takes you on a boat ride around the island, to the mud pits, and finally to the beach to snorkel. The tour was ok, but if I was to do it again I would of just rented a car and explored the island myself.

Day 6: St. Kitts

By day 6 I was in desperate need of a relaxing beach day and St. Kitts is certainly the perfect island for that. When you disembark from the boat there is a number of taxi companies that will take you to and from the beach for a set rate which is very reasonable. There are so many beaches to choose from I headed to Cockleshell Bay which was really nice. You can rent sun beds and umbrellas for a very reasonable price, you will have full food and bar service so be prepared to spend the day lounging.

Day 7: St. Maarten

The last island on the itinerary is St. Marteen also known as the airplane island. You will want to disembark as soon as the boat docks and head to Maho Beach. The best way to get to the beach is by Taxi you can even organize your return journey form the same driver so you don’t have to worry. I would highly recommend renting a sun bed and umbrella, then just sit back and wait for the planes to land. The bar has a surfboard which has all arrival details so you know when to prepare your camera and GoPro.