Cruise the Caribbean and Antilles on a modern ship

Itinerary

1. Day

   1

   Arrive in Bridgetown, Barbados

   Bridgetown, Barbados

   Depart London Gatwick on your flight to Barbados, where you'll arrive at approximately 4.50 pm local time. You'll board MSC Seaside and check into your comfortable cabin, ready for a day at sea tomorrow.

   Meals - Dinner
2. Day

   2

   Day at sea

   At sea Caribbean, Barbados

   Today you'll spend the full day on MSC Seaside as you sail towards St Vincent and the Grenadines. Take this opportunity to familiarise yourself with the ship's extensive facilities, like the unique Miami Beach Pool on deck 16, the MSC Aurea Spa, or the state-of-the-art fitness centre.

   It's also a good opportunity to acquaint yourself with the ship's nine excellent restaurants, from Ocean Cay Restaurant, with its sophisticated seafood dishes, to Butcher's Cut, an American-style steakhouse.

   There are enriching indoor and outdoor activities to enjoy during the day and a magical schedule of entertainment at night. You'll have no trouble filling your day at sea.

   Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
3. Day

   3

   Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines

   Kingstown, St. Vincent & Grenadines

   

   Today's port is Kingstown in St Vincent and the Grenadines. With its yacht-filled harbours, stunning beaches, volcanic backdrops and crystalline turquoise waters, it's easy to see why the unparalleled natural beauty of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has long attracted sailors, adventurers and the rich and famous.

   While here, you'll visit Fort Charlotte, a British garrison named in honour of the wife of King George III. Built in 1806, it housed 600 troops in its heyday. Some 30 cannons are still visible today at the fort, where a number of paintings charting the history of Black Carib people are showcased.

   Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
4. Day

   4

   Saint George's cruise, Grenada

   Saint George's, Grenada

   Scents of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg waft through the air as you arrive in St. George's, the capital of the island of Grenada. Nicknamed 'Spice Island' for its agriculture, Grenada's symbol is the nutmeg, the island's most famous product, which also makes an appearance on the nation's flag.

   Originally colonised by the French in the 1600s, Grenada was captured by the British in 1762 and remained under British rule until its independence in 1974.

   St. George's has many attractions starting with its beautiful views, botanical gardens, parks and heavenly beaches, most notably the Grand Anse Beach nearby.

   Begin your exploration of the island with a guided walk through the capital's winding maze of streets from the Carenage, the horseshoe-shaped harbour, with its lively waterfront promenade.

   Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
5. Day

   5

   Fort de France, Martinique

   Fort-de-France, Martinique

   Martinique is a lush, mountainous island in the Lesser Antilles with its dormant Mount Pelée volcano as a backdrop. Thanks to its French and West Indian influences, Martinique exudes a cosmopolitan flair with a sophisticated culinary and cultural scene.

   While French is the official language, most islanders also speak Antillean Creole. As part of the European Union, the island uses the euro as its currency.

   You'll immediately notice the island's steep hills, colourful colonial architecture, ornate balconies and tropical flowers, and beautiful beaches. You can book an MSC excursion to the Balata Cathedral, a miniature replica of the Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre, Paris, which offers a spectacular view of Fort-de-France and the bay.

   Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
6. Day

   6

   Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe

   Pointe-, Guadeloupe

   Guadeloupe is a real French gem in the Southern Caribbean. The island's native inhabitants called Guadeloupe 'Karukera,' or the 'island of beautiful waters.' Guadeloupe's Creole culture and cuisine are a mix of many influences, including French, African, Indian and East Asian.

   You can join an MSC excursion to the Guadeloupe National Park, which is designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. Located in the south of Basse-Terre, the park has one of the most beautiful forests in the Caribbean and the highest peak on the island, the Soufrière volcano.

   Make your way to the three impressive waterfalls of Carbet on the lower slopes of La Soufrière. The second waterfall, about 360 feet in height, can be admired from a suspended bridge.

   Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
7. Day

   7

   Roseau, Dominica

   Roseau, Dominica

   Today you'll discover Roseau, Dominica's pretty capital. A French outpost founded in the 16th century, it offers captivating landscapes with spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea, botanical gardens, colonial-style architecture and the impressive St. Patrick's cathedral.
   
   In Dominica, nature reigns. Called the island of 365 rivers, the sound of water is everywhere, beginning with the thermal springs around Roseau. Lush in vegetation, the volcanic origin of the island has created waterfalls, rivers and bubbling pools of hot water rich in minerals flowing from deep within the earth.
   
   You can join an excursion to Hibiscus Falls, where you'll find an enchanting waterfall and beautiful pool where you can take a dip amid breath-taking nature. From there, your tour continues on through the central rainforest reserve to the Hibiscus eco-village, followed by a river tubing experience through some of the last and only remaining Carib Indian territory.

   Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
8. Day

   8

   Philipsburg, St. Maarten

   Philipsburg, Sint Maarten

   St. Maarten is the smallest inhabited island in the world shared by two nations - France in the north and the Netherlands in the south. Dubbed the true melting pot of the Caribbean, the 37-square-mile island is home to people of 47 different nationalities and more than 400 restaurants, featuring a hugely diverse variety of cuisine.

   The island also has two capitals: Philipsburg on the Dutch side, and Marigot in the French part. Today you can explore how the two cultures have blended their very distinct characters.

   Your ship will dock in Philipsburg, with its pastel-coloured West Indian houses, its duty-free shopping along Front Street, the Great Salt Pond and Fort Willem, built in 1801, with magnificent views of the bay and the surrounding islands.

   Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
9. Day

   9

   St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda

   Saint John's, Antigua and Barbuda

   

   'One beach a day,' Antigua's motto, refers to the island's 365 beautiful beaches, ranging from secret coves to famous stretches of white sand and even beaches set in volcanic craters.
   
   When you arrive in the port of St John's, the capital and commercial centre of Antigua and Barbuda, embrace the city's colourful houses dating to its British colonial period, along with the white baroque towers of St. John's Cathedral, and the Fort James and Barrington fortresses. The laid-back cosmopolitan city, with its distinctly British flair, is renowned for its shopping at luxury boutiques and high-end shopping malls.
   
   If you want to explore beyond the city you can book an excursion to the historic Nelson's Dockyard in English Harbour, dedicated to Admiral Horatio Nelson.

   Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
10. Day

    10

    Day at sea

    At sea Caribbean, Barbados

    Today you'll have another full day at sea to make the most of the fabulous facilities on board MSC Seaside.

    Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
11. Day

    11

    Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis

    Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis

    A day spent in St Kitts and Nevis will introduce you to these intriguing sister volcanic islands, which have been a premier destination for tourists for more than 200 years and served as a haven for European nobility in the 19th and 20th centuries.
    
    Basseterre, founded by the French in 1625, became the capital of St Kitts in 1727, when the English took over the island. It remained under British rule until the islands declared their independence in 1983.

    Throughout the city's long history, natural disasters and conflicts have afflicted Basseterre; most buildings date from the latter part of the 1800s. A visit to the city's two cathedrals, St. George's Anglican Church and the Catholic Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, will appeal to those with a love of history and architecture. On South Square Street, visit Georgian House, one of the better-preserved examples of local 18th-century architecture.

    Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
12. Day

    12

    Fort de France, Martinique

    Fort-de-France, Martinique

    Today you'll dock on Martinque, where you can visit some of the island's best rum distilleries and taste their rum. These include the Depaz Distillery, in business since 1651, and the St James Rum Distillery & Museum, where you will learn about the process of making rum and taste the traditional Rhum Agricole.
    
    Afterwards, visit the ruins of the theatre in St Pierre, the former cultural capital of Martinique that was tragically destroyed by the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée. The modern-day town of St Pierre is France's 101st 'City of Art and History.'

    Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
13. Day

    13

    Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe

    Pointe-, Guadeloupe

    Today you'll arrive in Guadeloupe, where the Valombreuse botanical garden is a must-see for those who love gardens. With 500 species in its collection, not many other gardens in the world can compare. Tucked in between the mountains and the sea, it is a riot of tropical plants and flowers and home to many birds, including flower-loving hummingbirds and peacocks.
    
    Head along the southern coast of Grande Terre on a sightseeing trip to St. Anne, a lovely fishing village with seafront promenade, then continue to visit the much-photographed Pointe des Châteaux, an incredible rock formation sculpted by the wind, followed by a stop in Morne-à-L'Eau, a town noted for its artistic cemetery with black-and-white checkerboard tombs.
    
    You can also slip away on a catamaran on another excursion from Pointe-à-Pitre to the uninhabited islet of Gosier, a tiny gem calling out to you with its lush foliage, white sandy shores, a charming diminutive lighthouse and the intense blue of the sea.

    Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
14. Day

    14

    Castries, St Lucia

    Castries, Saint Lucia

    Today's island is the wonderful St. Lucia, where you'll be greeted by magnificent white-sand beaches, lush rainforests and the prized Pitons. These are spectacular twin volcanic peaks that are protected as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and appear as symbols on the nation's flag.
    
    From architecture to cuisine, you'll still find hints of French and British inspired heritage throughout the island, which declared its independence in 1979. This is particularly evident in Castries, its capital.
    
    Among the optional excursions on offer today is a trolley tour through the busy streets of the city of Castries and a cruise by catamaran to the Pitons for scenic views of these fascinating peaks.

    Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
15. Day

    15

    Depart Bridgetown, Barbados

    Bridgetown, Barbados

    Today you'll arrive back in Bridgetown, Barbados, where you'll catch your flight back to London Gatwick as your Caribbean adventure draws to an end.

    Meals - Breakfast
16. Day

    16

    Arrive home

    London, United Kingdom