7 Night Cruise sailing from Bridgetown roundtrip aboard Star Pride.

Highlights of this cruise:

Bridgetown
Barbados is an ideal Caribbean destination, whether you want to bake in the sun or spend your time discovering island life and culture.

The beaches along the West and South coasts are lovely. Because they're open to the public, though, they lack the privacy some visitors may seek. Elsewhere on the island, linked by almost 900 miles of good roads, are small villages, historic plantation houses, stalactite-studded caves, a wildlife preserve, and the Andromeda Gardens, one of the most attractive small tropical gardens in the world. Culturally, Barbados has retained a very British atmosphere: Afternoon tea is a ritual, cricket is the national passion, and a few luxury hotels request a jacket and tie at dinner.

But Barbados is true blue Caribbean as well, with classic sand beaches, and wild monkeys in the jungle.

Roseau
Roseau is the capital city of Dominica, a small island nation that is known for its pristine beauty and unspoiled nature. It is the largest and most mountainous of the Windward Islands, with volcanic peaks, mountain streams and rivers, beaches of both black (volcanic) and golden sands, dense forests, quiet lakes, waterfalls, geysers and boiling volcanic pools.

Roseau is small, ramshackle and friendly, with a surprising number of pretty old buildings still intact. Some houses look a bit tatty, but there is still some attractive gingerbread fretwork in the traditional style on streets like Castle Street.

Pigeon Island
St. Lucia is an island in the Windward chain, between Martinique and St. Vincent, and (160 km) due west of Barbados. Pigeon Island, at the very northwest tip of St. Lucia has beautiful white-sand beaches and offers a variety of water sports.

Once home to a group of Carib Indians and later a pirate hideout, today Pigeon island is part of the St. Lucia National Trust, with beaches, a restaurant, and the historic remains of the barracks and garrisons where the French and English once fought for control of St. Lucia. The history of the island can be discovered at the Museum and Interpretive Centre, housed in the restored British officers' mess building. A hike up to the hilltop ruins of Fort Rodney gives sweeping views of the sea and the mainland.