Silversea Cruises

Bridgetown to Bridgetown - Caribbean Isles

Itinerary

Sunday - Bridgetown, Barbados
The most easterly of the Caribbean Islands, Barbados stands as a welcoming sentinel at the gateway to the West Indies. The island has for centuries been the first landfall for any sailors venturing westward, beginning with Spanish and Portuguese adventurers who came to Barbados in the 1500s in search of gold and riches. Instead they found a densely vegetated island inhabited by a small population of Amerindians, some of whom were captured and taken to other islands as slaves. Although the Iberians opted not to settle on the island, they did give it a name, Los Barbados (the "bearded ones"), which is generally believed to have derived from the aerial roots of the Bearded Fig Tree.

Europeans did not begin settling on Barbados until the English arrived in 1625. The island presented an ideal opportunity to acquire a colony with considerable scope for agricultural development. The English landed at the site of today’s Holetown and claimed the island in the name of the Crown. They began cultivating the land with the first 80 settlers and a number of slaves they had captured from a trading vessel. With the planting of tropical crops, particularly sugar cane, they found a flourishing commodity that was in high demand in Europe and provided the base for English rule during the next 300 years.

A strong British atmosphere prevails to this day, despite independence achieved from Britain in 1966. Judges and barristers still wear robes and wigs, cricket remains a national passion and traffic operates on the left. Genuinely proud of their island, the quarter-million Bajans welcome visitors as privileged guests. Tourism and off-shore finance are major sources of income, providing a healthy existence for the island’s population.

Barbados draws scores of visitors thanks to its great natural beauty, varied terrain and historic monuments. There are 900 miles of pristine beaches, a rugged Atlantic coastline, fertile valleys, distinguished plantation houses, stalactite-studded caves, a wildlife preserve and attractive tropical gardens. The island’s capital, Bridgetown, is one of the Caribbean's major free ports, bustling with activity.

Visitors looking for outdoor activities such as golf, tennis, boating, fishing and swimming will find plenty of opportunities on Barbados. Fine dining is available around Bridgetown and in restaurants and hotels around the island.

Monday - Day At Sea
While we're at sea, enjoy wine tastings, designer boutiques, language and dance classes. Take in a matinee movie, check the market or your e-mail in the Internet Point, slip away with a novel from the library to a sunny chaise or with a movie to your suite. Or just take in the sun pool side. The choice is yours.

Tuesday - Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda, B.V.I.
Silversea is excited to offer this port as part of our itineraries. Information for this port is not yet available. Please check back.

Wednesday - St. Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles
Silversea is excited to offer this port as part of our itineraries. Information for this port is not yet available. Please check back.

Thursday - St. John's, Antigua
Silversea is excited to offer this port as part of our itineraries. Information for this port is not yet available. Please check back.

Friday - Roseau, Dominica
The 290 square mile island located between Martinique and Guadeloupe is the largest and most mountainous of the Anglophone Windward Islands. The highest peak on Dominica is the 4,747-foot Morne Diablotin, often covered in mist. The untamed, ruggedly beautiful island is laced with numerous rivers and a luxuriant rain forest covers most of the interior. Here one can find the sisserou parrot and the red-necked parrot; both are indigenous to Dominica.

The island is also home to the last remnants of Carib Indians, whose ancestors came from South America over a thousand years ago. Christopher Columbus tried to set foot here on a Sunday in November of 1493, but departed in a hurry when the fierce Carib offered a hostile welcome. During the following centuries, the French and British tried to subdue the Indians and colonize the island. Finally in 1805 Dominica became an English possession and remained British until 1967 when the island gained self-government. In 1978, full independence was achieved and the island named officially Republic of the Commonwealth of Dominica.

With the island’s colonial background, the capital Roseau features both historic and modern buildings. Situated above town, on the slopes of Morne Bruce, are the beautiful Botanic Gardens with rare native and imported plants. The prominent 18th-century Fort Young is now part of the Fort Young Hotel complex. A recent face-lift of the Roseau waterfront was carried out with the intention to improve facilities for cruise ship passengers.

To fully appreciate the island’s unspoiled beauty, a trip into the interior is a must. A good part of Dominica's mountainous terrain is covered with dense evergreen rain forest, where rare plants and animals are still found that have long been extinct on neighboring islands. The Smithsonian Institute called the island a giant plant laboratory, unchanged for 10,000 years. Numerous hot springs bear witness to continuing volcanic activity. Dominica is truly a place to discover nature in all her splendor. But it is not an island for those looking for white sand beaches. Around the mouth of rivers and in sheltered bays, the beaches are pebbly and of dark color.

Saturday - Castries, St. Lucia
There are islands in the Caribbean that are more popular than St. Lucia, though they may be far less beautiful. This island has been one of the Caribbean’s best-kept secrets. Visitors who have had unforgettable vacations on green-clad St. Lucia are pleased that the crowds are gathering elsewhere. However, increased building of resorts and villas will escalate tourism in the near future.

The shoreline of St. Lucia is nothing short of spectacular with its hidden coves and unspoiled beaches. The two sugarloaf-shaped cones, known as the Pitons, are the island’s highest peaks and its most impressive landmarks.

The capital, Castries, is attractively situated in a sheltered bay against a backdrop of mountains. The strategic importance of its excellent natural harbor was recognized from the earliest days of European settlement; for years Britain and France fought bitterly for possession of the island. At the end of the 19th-century, a boom in shipping put Castries in 14th place among the world’s ports in terms of freight handled.

Numerous earthquakes, hurricanes and fires destroyed any remnants of Castries' colonial charm, leaving a modern town. There are only a few 19th and early 20th-century French-style wooden buildings that were spared from destruction. The duty-free Pointe Seraphine shopping complex at the cruise terminal stands in stark contrast to the local market and the activities in lively downtown Castries.

Without a doubt, the island’s spectacular scenery, unspoiled beaches and luxuriant vegetation make St. Lucia one of the Caribbean's great destinations.

Sunday - Bridgetown, Barbados
Disembark for your trip home.

Cost of This Itinerary

The least expensive cabin costs:
$322 per person per night

The most expensive stateroom costs:
$1064 per person per night