We Finished The Year With A Luxury Caribbean Vacation
After we started the year in Antarctica, it was so great to finish our busy travel year with a luxury Caribbean vacation. After we booked our first Ritz-Carlton Yacht cruise in the Caribbean we added in luxury hotel stays on both ends of our cruise.
Our cruise from San Juan in Puerto Rico to Fort Lauderdale, Florida started with a short stay in San Juan at the St Regis Bahia Beach Resort. After our 7 day Ritz-Carlton Yacht Evrima cruise, we wanted to extend our time in the warm south so we booked another 5 day stay at the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale.
Over the course of our 15 day vacation, water views and great outdoor adventures provided a relaxing vacation. Colourful art and celebrations added a fun element. We found tasty food and drink every day. Exemplary customer service and luxury accommodations pampered us.
We Got Variable Weather In The Caribbean
We left cold winter weather in Toronto. On our St Regis stay in San Juan, the sunshine and heat warmed us up. We did not change time zones so we had no jet lag to work off. By the time we headed for our Ritz-Carlton Yacht we were all ready to go.
As we cruised, the weather forecast called for worsening weather. We got through our early stops in the British Virgin Islands and Grand Turk with lovely weather.
But the weather caught up with us in the very busy port of Nassau. The skies clouded over. And the rain hit just as we got back onboard.
By the time we finished our cruise and docked in Fort Lauderdale, the full brunt of the storm was upon us. Severe thunderstorms and tornado warnings kept us close to the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale. For 4 days, we watched the storm from our window and were glad we were safely back on land. The cruises that left right after we landed were not so lucky! We finally got sunshine and a little warmth on our final day in Fort Lauderdale. Certainly not the way we wanted to end our luxury Caribbean vacation.
Stunning Water Views
We are water babies and always head for the water on our travels. We enjoyed the pools on our first Ritz-Carlton Yacht cruise. And we found amazing water views on our cruise from San Juan in Puerto Rico to Fort Lauderdale from the water level and from high viewpoints. The sunrise and sunset views were always big draws when we were close to the water.
On our stay in San Juan, the views along the beach at the St Regis Bahia Beach Resort were a big draw when we booked this resort. The sea water was a little rough when we visited. But there were several pools around the resort that were perfect alternatives.
We were disappointed that the weather did not cooperate on our stay in Fort Lauderdale. When the sun finally came out we got a different view of the beach. The hotel pool below us was closed during the storm. But as the winds settled down, we looked down and saw it open back up.
Stunning water views were part of the draw for our luxury Caribbean vacation.
Great Outdoor Experiences
We found so many great outdoor experiences when we headed to the Caribbean for vacation. Staying in San Juan at the St Regis Bahia Beach Resort, we found lots of water sports available. But the seas were too rough on the days we visited.
One day we enjoyed a guided nature tour around the property. We saw good examples of the local flora in the area and learned much from our guide. We stopped by the Rio Espiritu Santo and saw the El Yunque National Forest off in the distance. On another visit to San Juan, we will definitely want to explore this vast biologically diverse tropical rainforest.
On our Ritz-Carlton Yacht cruise, our excursion in Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) took us for a land tour first. We saw the island from various viewpoints. We then boarded the Bell Arose catamaran for a tour around Virgin Gorda at water level.
On another cruise port day in the BVI, we booked a day trip in Jost Van Dyke for snorkelling. We really wanted to go scuba diving. But there were no ship excursions for scuba diving and we did not find a way to set this up ourselves. We found the snorkelling underwater views just “ok”. But it was still awesome to head back underwater.
One of the favourite things we found on our first Ritz-Carlton Yacht experience was the large Marina deck on the back of the ship. There was a variety of non-motorized water craft available from here when the ship was anchored at sea and the weather cooperated. We took out two pedal kayaks and enjoyed being out on the water.
Fort Lauderdale is often referred to as the “Venice of America”. So when we finished our cruise back in Fort Lauderdale, we hoped to take a canal tour. But when the bad weather struck and did not clear until it was almost time to leave, we knew we would not be having any more great outdoor adventures on our luxury Caribbean vacation.
Fun And Colourful Art
We always looked for fun and colourful art when we travelled. And as we travelled around the Caribbean on this vacation, we found many great things to admire. We were amused by the welcome posters at the San Juan airport. And then by the colourful houses on our way to the St Regis Bahia Beach Resort.
When we wandered around the St Regis Bahia Beach Resort on our stay in San Juan, we were intrigued with the interesting art pieces we found around the resort. These views changed in the reflections and throughout the day.
On our Caribbean cruise, several port stops provided fun and colourful stops. We found artistic displays at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville in Grand Turk. And then saw a fun whale statue on the beach.
When we arrived at our final stop in Fort Lauderdale, we were greeted with a fun colourful sight. And then discovered other colourful pieces of art when we wandered around.
On our luxury Caribbean vacation, we were delighted when we found fun and colourful art on our stops.
Fun Celebrations On Our Luxury Caribbean Vacation
We travelled on our luxury Caribbean vacation just before the Christmas holiday season. When we arrived at the St Regis Bahia Beach Resort we immediately knew that the holiday season was coming. Everywhere we looked we saw holiday decorations.
The celebrations at the St Regis Bahia Beach Resort included the traditional sabrage display we found when we visited the St Regis Rome. Every night, the butler team demonstrated sabering off the cork on champagne bottles. And then filled our glasses with bubbly!
Having started in a beautifully decorated St Regis Bahia Beach Resort in San Juan, we were a bit surprised at how little holiday decorations we found onboard the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Evrima. We travelled for the the Christmas season on other cruises and found that the ships decorated very early in the season. But one day we got a little reminder in our coffee cup!
While we found little holiday decorations on the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Evrima, our Caribbean cruise was not without other special celebrations. One night we enjoyed the En Blanc party with a buffet and music with passengers dressed in white. The Havana night was celebrated with much more colourful attire.
Special celebrations, decorations and traditional demonstrations added to the charm on our luxury Caribbean vacation.
Tasty Food And Drink
When we travelled to luxury destinations, we knew the food and drink would be great. Every day started with a broad selection of breakfast options.
On our stay in San Juan, we got to try some local specialties like the sandwich that required two hands to eat. And one day we indulged in an after pizza by the pool!
With several restaurants on the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Evrima we had an amazing variety of tasty meals.
Stuck at the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale for 4 days because of bad weather, we got the opportunity to try the great food at the Burloak Coast restaurant in the hotel many times. And when the sun finally came out we found the perfect summer salad!
On both of our resort stays, a bottle of wine waited in our suites. And onboard the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Evrima, the cruise fare included most drinks. While not big drinkers, we sure did not pass on the bubbly – also known as “Ritz Water”.
On every part of our luxury Caribbean vacation we ate well.
Luxury Accommodations And Great Customer Service
We often chose our resorts for great customer service. And when we stayed at Marriott Bonvoy hotels we were treated with enhanced Elite status experiences. At the St Regis, the butler team knew our special needs and delivered on them. On both our stays at the St Regis Bahia Beach Resort and the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale we got sweet suite upgrades. This gave us lots of room to spread to enjoy on our visits.
Our first Ritz-Carlton Yacht experience provided customer service that exceeded our expectations. The “Ladies and Gentlemen of the Ritz” were proactive in ensuring our satisfaction. The brand new Evrima yacht was elegant and spacious. It truly provided a luxury environment.
Lovely spacious accommodations and a focus on customer service were the hallmarks of our luxury Caribbean vacation.
A Luxury Vacation On A Caribbean Cruise And Two Great Pampering Hotels
Two great resort stays and a luxury yacht cruise in between provided an amazing luxury Caribbean vacation. It was the perfect way to finish a busy year of travel.
The water views and outdoor adventures ensured we had a great Caribbean trip. The different stops added in some colour and fun. It was easy to find tasty food and drink every day. Great customer service wrapped our experiences and ensured we had pampering stays.
Have you booked a luxury vacation on a Caribbean cruise? Did you add in some great hotel stays too?
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We also love luxury Caribbean vacations! The sunsets and snorkeling add to the luxury Caribbean feel. Looking forward to visiting the islands again soon.
As Canadians we love to escape the cold and head to the Caribbean. A great spot for a luxury vacation.
I love all the colors of the Caribbean.. the saboring a cork demonstration looks super unique and fun! I would have gone every night to learn how to do it!
We do love to see the champagne sabrage demonstration whenever we find it. Another of the great luxury experiences on our Caribbean vacation.
Oh how I wish I could go on a luxury vacation to the Caribbean! The journey to El Yunque would be at the top of my list. What a great way to spend the holidays!
Our luxury vacation in the Caribbean was the perfect way to end the year.
You always have the most exciting adventures. I just added a luxury Caribbean vacation to my bucket list! The views, gorgeous rooms and decadent food is what life is all about!
We love to do a mix of vacations. This luxury trip to the Caribbean was a chance to relax and unwind after a busy year. It met all the requirements we had!
Sounds like you had a great time, in spite of the weather at the end of your trip. Nothing better than capping off the year with a luxury cruise!
It was a big of a drag to not get some sunshine and warmth at the end of our luxury Caribbean vacation to warm us up before we headed home to Toronto. But overall we had an amazing trip and it ended our travel year perfectly.
Oh wow! This is my kind of trip! The views, the food, the champagne! Everything looked fabulous. So sorry the weather didn’t cooperate at the end
We had a great luxury Caribbean vacation and sure wish it lasted forever!
The food!!!! It looks amazing! This looks like a dream vacation!
A Caribbean luxury vacation was a great way to finish our year.
I had no idea the famous 5* hotel chain Ritz-Carlton owned a cruise line and I’m glad to know that they have managed to transfer the highest level of hotel service to the sea! Thanks for sharing your experience – sounds like an epic holiday plan!
We were glad we finally got to try the Ritz-Carlton yacht. Definitely a great part of our luxury Caribbean vacation.
You two definitely know how to travel in style!
We love to mix up our travel and add in some great luxury trips.
The Ritz Carlton yacht looks like it has excellent dining options and amenities, a great combination for an enjoyable cruise.
Our Ritz-Carlton yacht cruise was a great addition to our luxury Caribbean vacation. It was worth waiting for!
Gosh, I’m glad you were back on land when the storm hit. Not fun to be on a ship for that!
We love a Caribbean getaway for R&R. We spent some time in San Juan before our first Viking cruise this January.
We were indeed glad we missed that storm when cruising. So glad we got so much to see and do before that on our luxury Caribbean vacation.
I love seeing your cruises. I’m not sure I will take one since I don’t like rocky water. Well done on the bubbly. And aren’t you lucky you weren’t at sea for that storm!
We have been pretty lucky with smooth sailing on our cruises. It sure does make a difference. But we will risk it for the great spots we get to visit on our Caribbean vacations.
The luxury Caribbean vacation looks colorful and a nice way to do some fun activities and relax. And the food looks tempting.
Food and sunshine were plentiful on our luxury Caribbean vacation. A great way to finish our travel year.
It’s a shame about the weather but at least you made it to land! I’d hate to be stuck on a cruise ship in a storm. Looks like it was a great trip other than that though.
We had a great luxury Caribbean vacation for most of our trip and it was all that we wanted it to be. Definitely disappointing to have bad weather when we finally made it to Fort Lauderdale. But at least we were on land!
Great review and great luxury Caribbean vacation! I am sorry about the weather but at least you managed to enjoyed all the fun activities! The kayaking looks so much fun and the food so tasty!
We loved all the opportunities to get out on the water on our Caribbean trip.
All this looks so gorgeous. Is there any particular island or country you would recommend – especially for swimming and watersports? I have never really been to the Caribbean (guess Florida doesn’t count) and it is really high on my wish list.
As scuba divers, we loved Curacau. Bahamas has lots of different islands that range from touristy to quiet. We have visited St Lucia several times and the water sports are always great.
Wow! You certainly know how to travel in style. Shame about some of the weather, but it didn’t seem to restrict you too much. I love seeing your pictures as they remind me of a sailing trip we did over Christmas and New Year in the Caribbean and BVI years ago. Happy memories!
Glad to bring back happy memories. Heading to the warm and sunny Caribbean always is a great adventure for us.
This sounds like it was a lovely trip, after the bad weather passed! I’m not much of a cruise person, but I could definitely handle a stay at the St. Regis haha. So many fun activities and it looks beautiful!
We were glad we mixed up this trip with some great hotel stays and a cruise in the middle. But it was disappointing to have the weather crap out at the end.
Did my first cruise in the North Sea last December and loved it and now you making me want to do one in the carribean 😍
We loved cruising in the North Sea for the views. But we sure loved the water and sun cruising in the Caribbean.
What a wonderful trip (except for the storm!). San Juan looks beautiful, and the food you had looks delicious. I hope to visit one day!
This was a great luxury Caribbean vacation. Each stop was a little different and added to the enjoyment. And oh what good food!
How I’d love to go on a luxury Caribbean vacation! I need to save this for my 40th birthday. Thanks for the lovely article. Great photos too.
We sure had a great luxury Caribbean vacation. A great splurge for a birthday celebration.
I love a good, luxurious vacation! I feel like the Caribbean has so many great luxurious activities. One of my favorites you mentioned is being in nature. There’s something special about enjoying it but also getting to do so in a fun way like with water sports.
We love all the outdoor fun we can find on a Caribbean vacation. And anywhere close to water works for us.