As the world began to get back to normal after Covid, we decided to have a look at some of the islands of the Caribbean, leaving the port of Bridgetown in Barbados on the Grandeur of the Seas.

Checking in required us to travel 200m by bus from the terminal to the testing facility where we had to do a lateral flow Covid test and then wait for the results.

There was supposed to be Wi-Fi so that we could get the email regarding the test results, but it was a little patchy so we ended up going up to the desk after 25 minutes and they pulled up our results, allowing us to proceed.

The Grandeur of the Seas was just outside the testing station, tantalisingly close while we were waiting for the results…

And then we were allowed on board. Our room cards were in an envelope on the door. Our cabin was the cheapest they had: on the second floor, with no windows. The mirrors were partly to make the room appear larger!

Having said that, the room did have a couch. Which was the perfect size for Ange.

My favourite was Channel 3 which featured a feed from the camera on the bridge looking out over the front right of the ship. Handy for figuring out whether we’d docked yet. The feed rotated through maps of where we were including such data as our depth, course, speed, time of sunrise and sunset etc.

There was a compulsory safety briefing which meant we had to go up to our muster station and check in.

But that was it – time to explore the ship! The top level featured a running track.

A big screen TV for watching movies. Sounds great. But the soundtrack for the movies would cut out randomly for 30-60 seconds every 5-10 minutes, replaced with random music. Nothing ruins immersion quicker!

The view down to the Windjammer buffet restaurant.

The Solarium was an adults only area under glass with a deep pool (and lifeguard) and two Jacuzzis.

The main restaurant was Art Deco’s finest Great Gatsby.

The Centrum was a central atrium with live music at the base of the elevators. Which was a terrible design as the Customer Service desk, Next Cruise desk and Excursions desks were all on the fifth floor, so the music drowned out any attempts at communications.

A climbing wall was at the stern of the ship. Looking down from the top would be 200ft from the water’s surface.

There was a slight shifting of our destinations due to Covid but we ended up going to:

Kingstown in St Vincent and the Grenadines

Basseterre in St Kitts and Nevis

Philipsburg in Sint Maarten

St John’s in Antigua

St George’s in Grenada

before returning to Bridgetown in Barbados.

The post Royal Caribbean Cruise: Grandeur of the Seas appeared first on etrip.tips.

Animal Flower Cave

Starting off at the northern most point of the island is the Animal Flower Cave, so called because the initial discoverers of the sea-anemones which resided in the pools thought that they were flowers. But when they touched them and the “flowers” reacted, they changed their opinion!

It’s cheap to go down into the cave – we only saw one sea-anemone, but the real star of the show are the pools. They’re fed from the ocean and periodically a large wave will crash in from the Atlantic and replenish the water – make sure you keep your wits about you!

Keep an eye on their FaceBook page because that’s where they post if its closed due to the waves being too rough. A long way to go only to discover that it’s closed! BB$25 per adult which is about £9 for a unique swimming experience, I thought was worth the money.

Barbados Wildlife Reserve

Feeding time is at 2pm and if you go anytime other than that you can expect to be disappointed. Sure the rest of the animals will still be around, but there’s something about the concentrated chaos of all the animals getting fed at once plus the wild monkeys joining in which makes this place fun. At a US$15 (£11) entrance fee for adults, it won’t break the bank either.

Bathsheba Beach

The wild Atlantic east coast of Barbados is the rough side – ok for surfing, less so for swimming. Bathsheba is a fishing village with a typical east coast beach. It’s known for it’s unusual rock formations and the largest one is just close enough to the beach for exploring. Take your shoes and be careful of the sea urchins, surf and coral.

Harrison’s Cave

They’ve got big plans! The entrance hall has a map of what it will look like soon: a slide down the hill, zip lines and suspension bridge. But what brings people here is the train trip through the caves. Harrison’s Cave isn’t cheap (adults US$57/£42), but the other worldliness certainly contributes to the uniqueness of the experience.

Crane Beach and Ginger Bay

While the East Coast is best avoided unless you have a surfboard under your arm, there are the odd exceptions – beaches enjoying a little bit of protection from headlands making them swimmable. We went to Ginger Bay first but it was deserted – never a good sign when swimming.

Around the corner to Crane Bay and there were a lot of people in the water and umbrellas and sun lounges. So even if we did get swept away, there were other people around who might see/hear and raise the alarm.

Snorkelling

We booked an excursion with Tranquillity Cruises who took us out to Carlisle Bay where six shipwrecks just off the shore allow for an interesting snorkel. They also stop and feed the turtles so you get to swim with them as well.

And if that wasn’t enough fun, there is also a slide from the top deck of the boat. You get 90 minutes and a free drink for your US$28 ticket and they’ll pick you up from your hotel for a fee as well.

Rockley Beach

Rockley Beach is nice – its got a gentle set of waves which you can just body surf on and its protected being on the south coast. It also has some great sunsets and is well served by restaurants and bars, featuring a lovely boardwalk.

Worthing Beach

Also on the south coast, Worthing Beach is a tiny strip of sand between the ocean and the properties bordering it. More interesting than awesome.

Oistin’s Fish Fry

Only on a Friday night. This is the place to party, its got a lot of independent BBQ grillers and all offering an interesting array of fish and fish alternatives. We had swordfish, dolphinfish, billfish and chicken. It’s all cooked fresh in front of you and served with some healthy sides.

The post Barbados from North to South appeared first on etrip.tips.