What turned out to be our final stop onshore was the Ecotrek to the Bamboo Falls. It’s not on Google Maps but it’s close to the Seven Sisters Waterfalls in the Grand Etang National Park.

We started off with the usual collection by our tour guides, and then we were split into more manageable bus-load sized groups and taken aboard our “King Elvis” buses.

After our first outing on St Vincent, everything else was easy going in so far as exercise went. So even though there was a bit of a hill getting down to the river (and therefore that same hill after our swim on the way back), it was all very doable.

The way down the hill was interrupted periodically by our guides showing us one or other of the spices and fruit trees growing along the path. Grenada is the Spice Island after all, so it was interesting learning how some of the spices are prepared and what they were used for.

The river crossing was supported by a rope strung across the river and this was apparently rated for 100kgs (220lbs). As it was totally optional to use the rope and really it was just there for assistance, I hoped nobody had been put off the excursion because of the weight limit.

As it was I ended up carrying Ange on my back for the middle section of the river (about three steps) and the rest was able to be done on the rocks in the water, so a little bit of overkill there!

On the way back (with feet wet from the swim) a couple of people slipped on the rocks and sat rather heavily on one or other of the stones, damaging ego more than body.

There were two river crossings, the second one not supported by a rope but very near jumpable, being so narrow. This one was a little more dangerous because it was a little less exposed and so the rocks had a little layer of lichen on them – making them that much more slippery underfoot.

But after that it was plain sailing.

And the prize! A gorgeous pool at the base of a thunderous waterfall. Even more slippery getting down to the water’s edge, but well worth it after you did so. Cool rather than bracing.

On the way back we stopped off for a few minutes at the Visitors Centre where we could buy knick-knacks, spices or fruit. But most people just used the toilets and free Wi-Fi.

The tour continued on the way back with the guides pointing out the painted eucalyptus tree and talking a bit about the history and touching on “the intervention” back in the 1980s when US and Caribbean forces invaded the country.

This was our last port of call, we then spent a night at sea puttering around off the shore of Grenada at two knots before returning to Barbados.

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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.

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