A Short Eastern Caribbean Cruise Escape
We were so glad we planned an Eastern Caribbean cruise escape. In the midst of RetiredAndTravelling relocating to the west coast of Canada, we took a short break and headed for a cruise in the Caribbean with OceaniaCruises.
We were excited to cruise for the first time on Oceania’s new Vista cruise ship. The cruise started and ended in Miami in Florida. From Miami we cruised south for 2 days before we stopped in our first port in St John’s, Antigua. We revisited ports in St Lucia, Grenada, Barbados and St Barts on this trip. And added a new port stop in Roseau in Dominica. After visiting 6 of the Windward Islands in the Caribbean, we cruised back for 2 days to Miami.
For our cruise, we booked a number of fun outdoor excursions. But we also planned to enjoy this new ship and a little relaxation.
Cruising From Miami
Miami is a regular starting point for Caribbean cruises. We explored Miami on several different trips south. Our original plans had us visiting Florida for 2 weeks before our cruise. We always loved to escape the cold in Canada in the winter. But our relocation plans in Canada caused us to reconsider and we changed our plans to arrive just one day before our cruise started.
We booked one night at the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay. We were close to the cruise port so it was an easy trip to board our ship. And in the heat, we enjoyed the patio dining and outdoor pool.
Our Marriott Elite status ensured we had a lovely start to our Eastern Caribbean cruise escape.
Enjoying Our Time Cruising At Sea
Our Caribbean cruise started with 2 full days at sea and ended with another 2 sea days. Since this was our first trip on Oceania’s new Vista cruise vessel we wanted time to really explore and enjoy the ship.
Our Concierge cabin was big enough for this short Caribbean cruise. And we were always happy we chose a cabin with a patio. Once we hit the warmer Caribbean weather, we often spent time outside.
There was quite a full itinerary provided on the 4 sea days we had on this trip. We generally did not do many of the typical ship activities so we went in search of quiet spots to enjoy. We found many areas around the ship that were great for relaxing. And lots of deck space with sun or shade. It was great to have a Concierge cabin with access to the front Spa deck.
Oceania Cruises was known for its food and this was one thing we looked forward to on our cruises. We found some good new dining venues with some great new healthy and light food options. While there were some changes in the menus, we found some of our favourite foods too. And of course, we made sure to enjoy Afternoon Tea a few times! Travelling as Easter approached even got us a preview glimpse of the chocolate treats for the holiday.
We did not travel with Oceania for the night entertainment. And we knew this was not a strong point for this cruise line. But we were not late night people and we did not travel for big show productions. So we were perfectly happy to enjoy a quiet evening stroll around the pool deck after dinner and settle in for a quiet night.
On this trip, we enjoyed some daytime entertainment when we booked a culinary class. We learned a wide range of seafood dishes and certainly left the class totally stuffed.
We were happy to be back cruising with Oceania Cruises for our Eastern Caribbean cruise escape.
Our First Port In St John’s In Antigua
We visited Antigua many times on Caribbean cruises. We toured the island on one visit. And when we cruised with Windstar Cruises we explored the Falmouth Bay end of Antigua on another cruise. Twice we booked a catamaran excursion with lobster and champagne!
We loved to take helicopter tours when we travelled. For this trip we booked a helicopter tour over Antigua. But cancelled this tour when we looked at the weather forecast. So instead we wandered in St John’s for a short time and then enjoyed the quiet ship while others were all out touring.
It was always nice to re-visit ports on a Caribbean cruise. We knew a lot about Antigua and felt comfortable exploring St. John’s on our own. But we also felt totally ok with taking a break from touring on this port stop on our Eastern Caribbean cruise escape.
Returning To St Lucia
St Lucia was a regular port stop on our Caribbean cruises. On previous trips we explored the island in a small group. And when we cruised with Windstar Cruises we had a fun picnic day on the beach. We also vacationed in St Lucia when we were not cruising. And on another cruise, we left the cruise ship early and stayed in St Lucia for a week.
On this cruise stop in St Lucia, we planned to snorkel at the Marine Park. Scuba diving in St Lucia was always a treat when we were on the island for an extended time. So we wanted to spend some time in the water. We enjoyed the trip and sights as we travelled on the catamaran.
We anchored in a quiet bay and explored the labyrinth of shallow reefs and coral heads for great views of a variety of tropical fish and the colourful coral. It was great to get out in the water on a return visit to St Lucia.
We enjoyed a fun outdoor adventure in St Lucia on our Eastern Caribbean cruise escape.
Enjoy The Water in Grenada
On previous visits to Grenada, we have explored both on land and water. Known as the “Spice Island”, a land tour let us learn more about Grenada. On another visit we went scuba diving in Grenada and explored more of the underwater world.
When we stopped in Grenada on this trip, we booked an excursion to go clear bottom kayaking. Our shuttle took us to the kayak shop and we got outfitted for the excursion before boarding our clear-bottom kayaks.
Our kayak adventure took us over the coral reefs off the shore and took us again over the underwater sculpture garden. We did not really see well through the glass-bottom kayaks but through the water we caught glimpses of the great art below the surface. On a previous visit we snorkelled over the amazing underwater sculptures in Grenada and got a much better view.
Our stop in Grenada offered a relaxing and different way to experience the underwater world on our Eastern Caribbean cruise escape.
New Adventure In Barbados On Our Eastern Caribbean Cruise Escape
Barbados was another familiar cruise port stop for us. We explored the island on one cruise visit. And on another trip we enjoyed exploring underwater in a submarine.
For our visit to Barbados on this trip, we enjoyed exploring Harrison’s Cave Signature Park. We boarded an electric-powered tram and explored Harrison’s Cave. We were fascinated by the bizarrely shaped stalactites, stalagmites and other calcite deposits. They were beautifully illuminated and appeared even more dramatic. We saw pools, streams and waterfalls within the cave.
After the cave we wandered through the adventure park and found lots of other fun things to do on a return visit. We followed the winding trail through the Nature Trail to an aviary full of tropical birds.
We were happy we had a new adventure exploring Harrison’s Cave Signature Park in Barbados on our Eastern Caribbean cruise escape.
A New Port Stop In Dominica
We were excited to visit the island country of Dominica for the first time. There were a lot of exciting adventures to choose from for this stop. We booked a half day to discover waterfalls and rapids in Dominica. Our first stop was at the waterfalls near the village of Trafalgar. From the top, we enjoyed our views of the twin waterfalls on the Morne Trois Piton River flowing from the national park. These were known as the Father Falls and the Mother Falls.
Then we tubed down the Layou River, the longest river in Dominica. Our tube meandered at times and then rushed forward as the river narrowed into bubbling cascades at other points. It was a lot of fun running the rapids in the sunshine and intermittent rain!
We loved our fun adventure to discover waterfalls and rapids in Dominica on our Eastern Caribbean cruise escape.
A Day In St Barts
St Barts was another regular stop on our Caribbean cruises. On our first visit, we explored the island by ATV. On another visit we spent a lazy day enjoying the beaches in St Barts. We also enjoyed a day snorkelling in the waters around St Barts when we visited on our Ritz Carlton Yacht cruise.
For this return visit to St Barts, we did not pre-plan an excursion. We knew we could easily wander around Gustavia or head to one of the many beaches. We were looking for a relaxing day on our Eastern Caribbean cruise escape.
A Great Eastern Caribbean Cruise Escape
We were tempted to cancel our Eastern Caribbean cruise escape when our life got very complicated. But in the end, we were very glad we took a break to cruise in the warm Caribbean. We enjoyed our first look at Oceania’s new Vista cruise ship. And had lots of fun adventures on our different port stops. It was a great mix of outdoor activities and relaxing days. We were all ready to head back and continue our move to the west coast in Canada.
This was our second cruise for the year. We started the year with a Viking Cruises trip in Norway for Northern Lights. And planned a Mediterranean cruise from Lisbon to Barcelona with Silversea Cruises in the Fall. Each cruise was a very different adventure. But they gave us a chance to compare the different cruise lines. Our Oceania Cruises trip the Caribbean was a great addition to our cruising plans for the year.
Did you like our plans for our Eastern Caribbean cruise escape? Would you recommend other excursions for our port stops?
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I was always thinking if a cruise in the Caribbean was worth it, and after reading this article, I am pretty sure it is! Very nice content and it looks like you can do a lot of fun activities and see a beautiful place
We were happy with all the stops we had on this Caribbean cruise. A little bit for everyone.
This is an area of the Caribbean I haven’t fully explored yet. The variety of outdoor activities, from kayaking to snorkeling and scuba, sounds ideal.
We love choosing outdoor activities on our Caribbean cruises. Always so many options for outdoor fun.
I went on a cruise in January in this part of the world with MSC. It was interesting to compare experiences. I also visited Grenada, Barbados, and St Lucia. Your experience seems very rich and makes me want to return to this region. Thanks for sharing!
We have cruised in the Caribbean many times. So each time we look for something new to do. We were happy with some new adventures on this Caribbean cruise.
Gosh, I’m amazed at just how much ya’ll got to do on this short cruise! What a wide variety of excursions. I’d love the chance to go snorkeling and visit the underwater sculpture garden.
It was indeed a busy cruise in the Caribbean. But so many fun options at each port.
Wow you swung through a lot of ports on this cruise! Those caves in Barbados look wild!
Some fun stop on our Caribbean cruise indeed.
so many epic things to do!!! I’d love to plan an Easter Caribbean cruise getaway! I’m especially excited about the idea of tubing down the Layou River…
It was great to be able to add the tubing on the Layou River when we were in Dominica. A fun outing for sure.
That cruise sounds like the perfect mix of relaxation, great food, and exploring beautiful islands. The snorkeling and kayaking look unforgettable. Thanks for sharing your experience—it’s definitely inspiring me to book a Caribbean cruise one day!
We love the great variety of sights and activities we found in our Caribbean cruise.
What a great cruise itinerary! I had no idea that there was an underwater sculpture museum in Grenanda. I’m adding that to my bucket list!
We have enjoyed the underwater sculpture garden in Grenada a few times. Always worth a visit.
I’ve never explored the Caribbean, but after reading your blog post, I think it’s time to add it to my bucket list. And this Concierge cabin looks lovely!
I hope you do get to take a cruise one day to the Caribbean. Our Oceania Cruises Vista trip was well worthwhile.
Great read, with many choices of excursions on different islands. Having visited some of the islands destinations, I particularly enjoyed reading about the caves, and tubing in the island country of Dominica. Great to read, you continued with this Eastern Caribbean Cruise, during a complicated time.
We loved all the different spots we got to visit on this Caribbean cruise. We wanted some different adventures and sure found them!
Wow, that cruise looks like a lot of fun! You stopped at so many places, too!
We picked this Caribbean cruise itinerary for the fun stops if offered. Glad to know if met expectations.
Let me just say I am jealous. Lol. Of those islands you have mentioned, i have only been to Antigua. Cruises are my favorite way of travel and I haven’t been on Oceania yet either. Thanks for some insight into those other islands. It looks like a I need to plan a cruise. Thank
I am glad to have provided you with a view of Oceania Cruises Vista and the lovely Caribbean Islands we visited. Definitely both were great choices.
Great photos!! So colorful. We were stopped in Grenada last year and the underwater sculpture snorkle tour was cancelled. I was so bummed! Next time!!
Visiting the Grenada underwater sculptures by snorkel or scuba diving is a great way to really enjoy them. We liked our kayak trip but it was not a good look at the sculptures.