Caribbean Islands
Rates & Dates
Prices: Starting at $3,955
2009 Dates:
Jan 17
Feb 21
Mar 14
2010 Dates:
Jan 16
Feb 20
Mar 13
Dec 25 (Caribbean Islands New Years)
Ships: Pearl Seas Ship
8 Days ~ 7 Nights
St. Martin
Partitioned between two different nations, St. Martin/St. Maarten has been shared by the French and the Dutch for almost 350 years. The French tend to emphasize comfort and elegance; the beaches are secluded, and the latest French fashions can be found in many of the shops. Three different cultures can be experienced in one day; the remnants of Dutch colonialism in Philipsburg and French chic in Marigot, both infused with Caribbean flair.
Antigua
Antigua was discovered by accident in 1493 by Christopher Columbus. It remained, however, virtually uninhabited until 1632, when a body of English settlers took possession of it. The expansive, winding coastline that made Antigua difficult for outsiders to navigate is where today's trekkers encounter a tremendous wealth of secluded, powdery soft beaches. The fascinating little island of Barbuda, her sister island, once a scavenger's paradise because so many ships wrecked on its reefs, is now home to one of the region's most significant bird sanctuaries.
Iles des Saintes
Also known as simply Les Saintes, these islands off of the Southwest corner of Guadeloupe are comprised of two inhabited islands and six smaller islands. The population of the islands is made up mostly of skilled fishermen or sailors descended from Breton corsairs (pirates.) Iles des Saintes is home to what some call one the most beautiful bays in the world-a small Rio de Janeiro with a Sugarloaf. If one is looking for unspoiled, laid-back Caribbean islands, these off-the-beaten path islands certainly fit the bill.
Nevis
Like no other island in the Caribbean, St. Kitts seems to embody a kind of lush tropical paradise usually associated with the South Pacific. It is an intoxicating blend of sunlight, sea, air, and fantastically abundant vegetation. In Basseterre's Historic District there are excellent examples of Creole and West Indian architecture. Artists of St. Kitts and Nevis create works inspired by their own native traditions, life on the islands, and African roots. Pottery is especially notable, both red clay pieces and pieces fired with colorful glazes and indigenous designs. Dutch cultures have sculpted the island's motif. This can be observed while shopping for island specialties such as needlework, silkscreened fabrics, and beachwear from the artisan's foundation.
St. Barts
St. Bart's is a tiny Eden of green mountains and miniature valleys overlooking two-dozen white-sand beaches and turquoise water. Having the distinction of being the only Caribbean island the Swedes ever possessed (and then sold back to the French), St. Bart's was too dry and rocky to become a sugar plantation like its neighboring islands. Rather, it has become a remnant of ancient France, with neat little villages surrounded with centuries-old stone fences and fair-skinned farmers speaking a 17th-century Norman dialect that even Frenchmen can't understand.
St. Kitts
Like no other island in the Caribbean, St. Kitts seems to embody a kind of lush tropical paradise usually associated with the South Pacific. It is an intoxicating blend of sunlight, sea, air, and fantastically abundant vegetation. In Basseterre's Historic District there are excellent examples of Creole and West Indian architecture. Artists of St. Kitts and Nevis create works inspired by their own native traditions, life on the islands, and African roots. Pottery is especially notable, both red clay pieces and pieces fired with colorful glazes and indigenous designs. Dutch cultures have sculpted the island's motif. This can be observed while shopping for island specialties such as needlework, silkscreened fabrics, and beachwear from the artisan's foundation.
Anguilla
Anguilla is noted for its spectacular and ecologically important coral reefs, while beach buffs consider Shoal Bay East to be the island's premier strand. Shoal Bay East, broad and long with radiant white sands and clear turquoise waters, is ideal for swimming and soaking up the sun. But there are jewels to be unearthed, such as the historical displays of the Anguilla National Trust Museum, the exterior of Wallblake House, and the design of the adjacent church which has a unique decorative stone front, open-air sides and a ceiling shaped like the hull of a ship.
St. Martin
Partitioned between two different nations, St. Martin/St. Maarten has been shared by the French and the Dutch for almost 350 years. The French tend to emphasize comfort and elegance; the beaches are secluded, and the latest French fashions can be found in many of the shops. Three different cultures can be experienced in one day; the remnants of Dutch colonialism in Philipsburg and French chic in Marigot, both infused with Caribbean flair.
