Alison Webster
P&O Cruises - Port Presenter, Shoreside
Have you ever thought the Caribbean was all beaches, rum punch and steel drums? Perhaps you should take a look at our A-Z guide and find out just how much the Caribbean really has to offer…
ATV is the abbreviation for an 'All Terrain Vehicle', or quad bike to you and me! A piece of advice; if you book a quad biking excursion, leave your best clothes on-board. This trip can involve getting pretty muddy and dirty!
ATV Beach Adventure – St Lucia
BEACHES are abundant on every island, but which one is the best? Well that’s almost an impossible question to answer as everyone has their own idea of paradise. To help you out though, beach breaks can transport you directly to one of the beaches that are recommended by our local agents. We love Cane Garden Bay on Tortola’s North Shore, Dickinson Bay and Coconut Grove in Antigua and Reduit Beach in St Lucia.
Views, Cane Garden Beach and Lunch – Tortola
Beach Break, Dickenson Bay and Beach Break, Coconut Grove – Antigua
Beach Break – St Lucia
CATAMARAN TRIPS epitomise the Caribbean way of life. Basking on the deck and sitting in the nets, skimming the sparkling turquoise blue waters, swimming and snorkelling in temperatures akin to bath water. And let’s not forget the friendly boat crews with infectious personalities, lively music to tap your feet and dance to, and the endless supply of liquid refreshments! What’s not to love?
Caribbean Delight – Antigua
Golden Eagle – St Maarten
DIVING the depths of the ocean is an incredible experience. The fish life is colourful and plentiful, the reef is healthy, and a multitude of shipwrecks rest on the ocean floor. In fact there’s almost as much sightseeing under the water line as there is above it. If you’re already qualified remember to bring your certification, and if you’ve never tried it before why not give it a go. Reef or wreck… what will it be?
Discover Scuba – Tortola
Coral Restoration Dive Experience – Bonaire
EXCURSIONS are not compulsory, but they will make each destination that you visit memorable. Let’s face it, if you step ashore for a rum punch or a paddle on every island you’ll probably have a nice time - but you might also find that 8 islands later they all blend into one memory. Try a new activity or experience something different though, and that very same cruise can create memories that last a lifetime.
FORTS abound in this part of the world. Not surprising really when you learn that the French, Dutch, Spanish and English have all fought for their pieces of land. Grenada, St Kitts and St Vincent are just three of the many islands where you can take a step back in time and visit a fantastic fort.
Fort George and Beach Club – Grenada
The Best of St Kitts – St Kitts
Best of St Vincent – St Vincent
GARDENS galore! If you’re a keen gardener, the Caribbean is full of gardens bursting with the brightest floral life that you can imagine. Some of our favourites include Sunnyside Gardens in Grenada, the Botanical Gardens in St Vincent and Orchid World in Barbados.
Mrs Renwicks garden – Grenada
Gardens of St Vincent – St Vincent
Anthony Hunte Gardens and Orchid World – Barbados
HIKING is an absolute joy in the Caribbean. You can delve feet first into tricky rainforest tracks, ramble through the countryside or follow designated nature trails. Join an expert guide for a bit of local flavour and learn about the flora, fauna and local life along the way.
Middleham Falls Hike – Dominica
Vermont Nature Hike – St Vincent
Jaquot Trail Hike – St Lucia
INDIANS lived on these islands long before the Europeans came along. Join a tour and your guide might educate you about the gentle Siboney, Arawak and the fiercer Caribs who once inhabited this part of the world. Head for the East Coast of Dominica (known as Carib Territory) if you want to see where the largest settlement of Carib Indian descendants reside.
Dominica, Falls and Carib Indians – Dominica
Trail of the Arawak Indians – Bonaire
JEEP TOURS provide exciting adventures. This type of transport enables you to drive through places that minibuses can’t reach, the drivers have great personalities and you get to travel in small groups. Stops are usually made along the way for photographs, and they often spend time at a local beach too. This is Indiana Jones style touring at its best...
St Lucia by Jeep – St Lucia
Jeep Adventure and Beach – Antigua
Dominica by 4x4 - Dominica
KAYAKING is a rewarding and eco friendly way to sightsee outdoors in the fresh air, and some even have glass bottoms so that you can view the fish life! Will you choose to paddle through the mangroves, on the sea or the river?
River to Ocean Kayaking – Dominica
Clear Kayak – Grenada
Mangrove Kayaking - Bonaire
LIMBO DANCING is all part of the fun on Grenada’s popular Rhum Runner. Think you’re too shy to give it a go? After a couple of rum punches you might not feel quite so inhibited...
MOUNTAINS can be viewed and climbed. This might not be Norway but there are still some pretty impressive peaks. Volcanic eruptions created many of the Eastern Caribbean Islands so mosey on up to Mount Sage in Tortola or perhaps take a peek at St Lucia’s famous Pitons, in one of several different ways.
Sage Mountain trail and Beach – Tortola
Cruise to the Pitons – St Lucia
Pitons Snorkel – St Lucia
NEW TOURS are always being added to the shore excursion programme. So if you’ve been to the Caribbean before, and think you’ve seen and done it all, you might want to think again. Check out some of these exciting new options for this season.
Bonaire Tuk Tuk – Boniare
Helicopter Flight over St Kitts – St Kitts
Saltan Falls by Safari Bus - Dominica
OFFSHORE ISLANDS beckon. Yes your main destination for the day will have a lot to offer, but there’s a lot to be said for hopping from one island to the shores of another. Escape the crowds, discover the lesser known islands of the Caribbean and enjoy a boat ride too. Why stick to one island when you can visit two?
Escape to Jost Van Dyke – Tortola
Escape to Bequia – St Vincent
Discover Nevis Island – St Kitts
PIRATES swash buckled their way around the Caribbean looking for treasure in the 17th Century, as anyone who watched the Pirates of the Caribbean movies will know. Much of the movie making took place in California, but ‘real’ scenes were shot in Dominica and the Grenadines. Head to Wallilabou Bay, on the west coast of St Vincent to see ‘Port Royal’ harbour. Ahoy shipmates, will you follow in the footsteps of Blackbeard or Captain Jack Sparrow?
Trolley Roger – Grand Cayman
Coastal Cruise and Pirate Treasure Hunt – St Vincent
QUAYSIDES can be pretty long and busy in the Caribbean. Do ensure that you allow plenty of time to meet for your excursions, by following the advice provided by the Explorers Team onboard.
RUM is to the Caribbean what Guinness is to the Irish. You can tour a distillery and try a few quirky flavours, or join a trip that includes rum punch refreshments. In fact many trips in the Caribbean offer you the chance to try a rum punch cocktail... or three...
It may be tempting to have ‘one or two more’, but if you do it can make your head sore!
What a terrible rhyme! But the point is that a Rum Punch cocktail certainly packs a ‘punch’!
Highlights and Rum - St Lucia
Rhum Runner – Grenada
Rum, Sunbury and Medford Mahogany – Barbados
SUBMARINES are the coolest way to explore the undersea world of the Caribbean! Imagine sitting in air conditioned comfort, in front of your very own porthole. The pilot starts the engine and submerges the vessel. Shoals of fabulous fish float before you and spectacular sponge gardens are just behind them, you’re so close to it all. As you dive deeper the ocean gets darker and the scenery gets sparser - the clock says you’re 100 feet below the surface - you know that very soon you’ll be right at the bottom of the ocean... WOW what an experience. This thrilling adventure is like an aquarium in reverse. It’s a voyage of a lifetime!
Atlantis Sub Experience – Aruba, Grand Cayman and Barbados
If you don’t fancy the idea of being fully submerged, why not try a semi-submarine instead? Here you simply descend into the hull of a vessel that stays atop the water, and you view the fish life through large windows.
Semi Sub and Sights – Curacao
Nautilus Adventure – Grand Turk
TUBING is a river based activity that is highly addictive! Basically the concept is quite simple. You sit in a rubber tube that has a reinforced bottom to protect your bottom, you gently float downstream possibly negotiating the odd rapid along the way, and you will have lots of fun, you will laugh out loud and you will want to do it again, and again and again!
River Tubing Experience – Grenada
River Tubing and Hibiscus Falls – Dominica
UNDERWATER life can be viewed in many different ways in the Caribbean including snorkelling and scuba diving. But for something totally different why not try Seatrek? Donning a watertight helmet, you’ll experience the peculiar sensation of walking along the seabed at depths of 20 feet, while your face and hair stays completely dry. Sounds bizarre? It is, but it’s also brilliant fun and one of the Caribbean’s more unique experiences!
Seatrek and De Palm Island – Aruba
Seatrek – St Lucia
Another quirky alternative is Snuba. As its name suggests this is a cross between snorkelling and scuba diving. On this activity you’re free to swim about as you please though. Your personal air supply comes from extremely long hoses where one end is attached to you (via a diving regulator) and the other end is hooked up to a tank above the waterline.
Snuba Adventure – St Lucia
VIEWPOINTS or photo stops will feature on many land based excursions. There are far too many to mention but some of our favourites include Shirley Heights overlooking English Harbour in Antigua, Skyworld in Tortola and Paradise Point in St Thomas. What will be your favourite viewpoint of the Caribbean?
Antigua Island Sights – Antigua
Views of St Thomas – St Thomas
Scenic Tortola – Tortola
WHALES AND DOLPHINS (and turtles) can be spotted in Caribbean waters. Dominica is considered to be the whale watching capital of the Caribbean and January to March is the best time to spot them breaching.
Whale and Dolphin Watching by RIB - Dominica
Dolphin Watch – St Lucia
Turtle Snorkel - Barbados
eXHILARATING, eXCITING, eXOTIC. Ok slightly cheating with this one, but days out in the Caribbean can be all of the above!
YACHTS can be seen sailing the smooth waters of the Caribbean Seas, and we can all dream of winning the lottery and living that lifestyle. But did you know that you can join an activity trip that allows you to be part of a yacht crew? For this ‘hands on’ opportunity no sailing experience is necessary but you need to be fairly fit and active, have a competitive nature, and crave a bit of fun and adventure...
America’s Cup – St Maarten
Yacht Race Antigua – Antigua
ZIPLINING is the ultimate way to meet the rainforest face to face. Play at being Tarzan or Jane for a while (in a safe way) as you zip from point to point through the forest canopy.
Sky Safari Ziplining – St Kitts
Zipline Adventure and Beach by Safari Bus – Antigua
St Lucia Ziplining Adventure – St Lucia
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P&O Cruises - Port Presenter, Shoreside
Have you ever thought the Caribbean was all beaches, rum punch and steel drums? Perhaps you should take a look at our A-Z guide and find out just how much the Caribbean really has to offer…
ATV is the abbreviation for an 'All Terrain Vehicle', or quad bike to you and me! A piece of advice; if you book a quad biking excursion, leave your best clothes on-board. This trip can involve getting pretty muddy and dirty!
ATV Beach Adventure – St Lucia
BEACHES are abundant on every island, but which one is the best? Well that’s almost an impossible question to answer as everyone has their own idea of paradise. To help you out though, beach breaks can transport you directly to one of the beaches that are recommended by our local agents. We love Cane Garden Bay on Tortola’s North Shore, Dickinson Bay and Coconut Grove in Antigua and Reduit Beach in St Lucia.
Views, Cane Garden Beach and Lunch – Tortola
Beach Break, Dickenson Bay and Beach Break, Coconut Grove – Antigua
Beach Break – St Lucia
CATAMARAN TRIPS epitomise the Caribbean way of life. Basking on the deck and sitting in the nets, skimming the sparkling turquoise blue waters, swimming and snorkelling in temperatures akin to bath water. And let’s not forget the friendly boat crews with infectious personalities, lively music to tap your feet and dance to, and the endless supply of liquid refreshments! What’s not to love?
Caribbean Delight – Antigua
Golden Eagle – St Maarten
DIVING the depths of the ocean is an incredible experience. The fish life is colourful and plentiful, the reef is healthy, and a multitude of shipwrecks rest on the ocean floor. In fact there’s almost as much sightseeing under the water line as there is above it. If you’re already qualified remember to bring your certification, and if you’ve never tried it before why not give it a go. Reef or wreck… what will it be?
Discover Scuba – Tortola
Coral Restoration Dive Experience – Bonaire
EXCURSIONS are not compulsory, but they will make each destination that you visit memorable. Let’s face it, if you step ashore for a rum punch or a paddle on every island you’ll probably have a nice time - but you might also find that 8 islands later they all blend into one memory. Try a new activity or experience something different though, and that very same cruise can create memories that last a lifetime.
FORTS abound in this part of the world. Not surprising really when you learn that the French, Dutch, Spanish and English have all fought for their pieces of land. Grenada, St Kitts and St Vincent are just three of the many islands where you can take a step back in time and visit a fantastic fort.
Fort George and Beach Club – Grenada
The Best of St Kitts – St Kitts
Best of St Vincent – St Vincent
GARDENS galore! If you’re a keen gardener, the Caribbean is full of gardens bursting with the brightest floral life that you can imagine. Some of our favourites include Sunnyside Gardens in Grenada, the Botanical Gardens in St Vincent and Orchid World in Barbados.
Mrs Renwicks garden – Grenada
Gardens of St Vincent – St Vincent
Anthony Hunte Gardens and Orchid World – Barbados
HIKING is an absolute joy in the Caribbean. You can delve feet first into tricky rainforest tracks, ramble through the countryside or follow designated nature trails. Join an expert guide for a bit of local flavour and learn about the flora, fauna and local life along the way.
Middleham Falls Hike – Dominica
Vermont Nature Hike – St Vincent
Jaquot Trail Hike – St Lucia
INDIANS lived on these islands long before the Europeans came along. Join a tour and your guide might educate you about the gentle Siboney, Arawak and the fiercer Caribs who once inhabited this part of the world. Head for the East Coast of Dominica (known as Carib Territory) if you want to see where the largest settlement of Carib Indian descendants reside.
Dominica, Falls and Carib Indians – Dominica
Trail of the Arawak Indians – Bonaire
JEEP TOURS provide exciting adventures. This type of transport enables you to drive through places that minibuses can’t reach, the drivers have great personalities and you get to travel in small groups. Stops are usually made along the way for photographs, and they often spend time at a local beach too. This is Indiana Jones style touring at its best...
St Lucia by Jeep – St Lucia
Jeep Adventure and Beach – Antigua
Dominica by 4x4 - Dominica
KAYAKING is a rewarding and eco friendly way to sightsee outdoors in the fresh air, and some even have glass bottoms so that you can view the fish life! Will you choose to paddle through the mangroves, on the sea or the river?
River to Ocean Kayaking – Dominica
Clear Kayak – Grenada
Mangrove Kayaking - Bonaire
LIMBO DANCING is all part of the fun on Grenada’s popular Rhum Runner. Think you’re too shy to give it a go? After a couple of rum punches you might not feel quite so inhibited...
MOUNTAINS can be viewed and climbed. This might not be Norway but there are still some pretty impressive peaks. Volcanic eruptions created many of the Eastern Caribbean Islands so mosey on up to Mount Sage in Tortola or perhaps take a peek at St Lucia’s famous Pitons, in one of several different ways.
Sage Mountain trail and Beach – Tortola
Cruise to the Pitons – St Lucia
Pitons Snorkel – St Lucia
NEW TOURS are always being added to the shore excursion programme. So if you’ve been to the Caribbean before, and think you’ve seen and done it all, you might want to think again. Check out some of these exciting new options for this season.
Bonaire Tuk Tuk – Boniare
Helicopter Flight over St Kitts – St Kitts
Saltan Falls by Safari Bus - Dominica
OFFSHORE ISLANDS beckon. Yes your main destination for the day will have a lot to offer, but there’s a lot to be said for hopping from one island to the shores of another. Escape the crowds, discover the lesser known islands of the Caribbean and enjoy a boat ride too. Why stick to one island when you can visit two?
Escape to Jost Van Dyke – Tortola
Escape to Bequia – St Vincent
Discover Nevis Island – St Kitts
PIRATES swash buckled their way around the Caribbean looking for treasure in the 17th Century, as anyone who watched the Pirates of the Caribbean movies will know. Much of the movie making took place in California, but ‘real’ scenes were shot in Dominica and the Grenadines. Head to Wallilabou Bay, on the west coast of St Vincent to see ‘Port Royal’ harbour. Ahoy shipmates, will you follow in the footsteps of Blackbeard or Captain Jack Sparrow?
Trolley Roger – Grand Cayman
Coastal Cruise and Pirate Treasure Hunt – St Vincent
QUAYSIDES can be pretty long and busy in the Caribbean. Do ensure that you allow plenty of time to meet for your excursions, by following the advice provided by the Explorers Team onboard.
RUM is to the Caribbean what Guinness is to the Irish. You can tour a distillery and try a few quirky flavours, or join a trip that includes rum punch refreshments. In fact many trips in the Caribbean offer you the chance to try a rum punch cocktail... or three...
It may be tempting to have ‘one or two more’, but if you do it can make your head sore!
What a terrible rhyme! But the point is that a Rum Punch cocktail certainly packs a ‘punch’!
Highlights and Rum - St Lucia
Rhum Runner – Grenada
Rum, Sunbury and Medford Mahogany – Barbados
SUBMARINES are the coolest way to explore the undersea world of the Caribbean! Imagine sitting in air conditioned comfort, in front of your very own porthole. The pilot starts the engine and submerges the vessel. Shoals of fabulous fish float before you and spectacular sponge gardens are just behind them, you’re so close to it all. As you dive deeper the ocean gets darker and the scenery gets sparser - the clock says you’re 100 feet below the surface - you know that very soon you’ll be right at the bottom of the ocean... WOW what an experience. This thrilling adventure is like an aquarium in reverse. It’s a voyage of a lifetime!
Atlantis Sub Experience – Aruba, Grand Cayman and Barbados
If you don’t fancy the idea of being fully submerged, why not try a semi-submarine instead? Here you simply descend into the hull of a vessel that stays atop the water, and you view the fish life through large windows.
Semi Sub and Sights – Curacao
Nautilus Adventure – Grand Turk
TUBING is a river based activity that is highly addictive! Basically the concept is quite simple. You sit in a rubber tube that has a reinforced bottom to protect your bottom, you gently float downstream possibly negotiating the odd rapid along the way, and you will have lots of fun, you will laugh out loud and you will want to do it again, and again and again!
River Tubing Experience – Grenada
River Tubing and Hibiscus Falls – Dominica
UNDERWATER life can be viewed in many different ways in the Caribbean including snorkelling and scuba diving. But for something totally different why not try Seatrek? Donning a watertight helmet, you’ll experience the peculiar sensation of walking along the seabed at depths of 20 feet, while your face and hair stays completely dry. Sounds bizarre? It is, but it’s also brilliant fun and one of the Caribbean’s more unique experiences!
Seatrek and De Palm Island – Aruba
Seatrek – St Lucia
Another quirky alternative is Snuba. As its name suggests this is a cross between snorkelling and scuba diving. On this activity you’re free to swim about as you please though. Your personal air supply comes from extremely long hoses where one end is attached to you (via a diving regulator) and the other end is hooked up to a tank above the waterline.
Snuba Adventure – St Lucia
VIEWPOINTS or photo stops will feature on many land based excursions. There are far too many to mention but some of our favourites include Shirley Heights overlooking English Harbour in Antigua, Skyworld in Tortola and Paradise Point in St Thomas. What will be your favourite viewpoint of the Caribbean?
Antigua Island Sights – Antigua
Views of St Thomas – St Thomas
Scenic Tortola – Tortola
WHALES AND DOLPHINS (and turtles) can be spotted in Caribbean waters. Dominica is considered to be the whale watching capital of the Caribbean and January to March is the best time to spot them breaching.
Whale and Dolphin Watching by RIB - Dominica
Dolphin Watch – St Lucia
Turtle Snorkel - Barbados
eXHILARATING, eXCITING, eXOTIC. Ok slightly cheating with this one, but days out in the Caribbean can be all of the above!
YACHTS can be seen sailing the smooth waters of the Caribbean Seas, and we can all dream of winning the lottery and living that lifestyle. But did you know that you can join an activity trip that allows you to be part of a yacht crew? For this ‘hands on’ opportunity no sailing experience is necessary but you need to be fairly fit and active, have a competitive nature, and crave a bit of fun and adventure...
America’s Cup – St Maarten
Yacht Race Antigua – Antigua
ZIPLINING is the ultimate way to meet the rainforest face to face. Play at being Tarzan or Jane for a while (in a safe way) as you zip from point to point through the forest canopy.
Sky Safari Ziplining – St Kitts
Zipline Adventure and Beach by Safari Bus – Antigua
St Lucia Ziplining Adventure – St Lucia
Stay up-to-date with P&O Cruises on...
YouTube