The trip
Overview
Southern Caribbean sailings are the connoisseur's version of the region. Departing from deep-south home ports — most often Bridgetown in Barbados or San Juan — they reach islands the Florida loops cannot: St Lucia with its Pitons, Grenada's spice markets, Antigua's 365 beaches, sometimes Aruba or Curaçao in the Dutch south. Because the islands sit close together, many routings manage a port nearly every day. Which islands make your week depends on the sailing, and the itinerary we confirm always matches the actual route.
The character ashore is quieter than the eastern Caribbean: rainforest interiors, botanical gardens, rum distilleries and beach bars rather than duty-free malls. Ships on these routes skew mid-size, which suits couples and seasoned cruisers more than waterslide-hunting children — though families who prefer beaches to arcades do very well here.
From the UAE, fly via London — Barbados is well served from the UK — and consider a Bridgetown night before boarding. This is a pure winter-sun product for the December-to-April window.
Highlights
- ✦Possible calls at St Lucia, Grenada, Antigua, St Kitts and the Grenadines
- ✦Port-intensive routings with few sea days
- ✦The Pitons of St Lucia seen from the water
- ✦Spice markets and rum estates ashore in Grenada and Barbados
- ✦A quieter, greener Caribbean than the Florida-based loops
Who it suits
- ●Couples and friends who want islands, not arcades
- ●Repeat Caribbean cruisers who have done the eastern loop
- ●Winter-sun travellers happy to fly via London for better islands
Why this journey works
- ✓Deep-south home ports unlock islands Florida routings cannot reach in a week
- ✓Close-set islands mean near-daily ports and little dead sea time
- ✓The UAE winter is precisely the southern Caribbean's dry season
Day by day
Days 1–2
Fly south and board
Fly from the UAE via London into Bridgetown or San Juan depending on the sailing's home port. With the time difference working in your favour, you land in the afternoon; a pre-cruise night on the beach is a sensible buffer before boarding on day two.
Days 3–8
Island mornings, one after another
The heart of the cruise is a run of southern-island calls whose exact list depends on the selected sailing: Castries or Soufrière for St Lucia's Pitons and sulphur springs, St George's in Grenada with its Carenage harbour and nutmeg stalls, St John's in Antigua, Basseterre in St Kitts with its scenic railway, Kingstown for the Grenadines, or the Dutch ABC islands further west. Days ashore split naturally between a morning excursion — rainforest, catamaran, distillery — and an afternoon beach. Sea time is short; this is a route for people who want to be somewhere new most mornings.
Day 9
Disembark and homeward
Back at the home port after breakfast. Fly to London and onward to the UAE, or add beach nights in Barbados before the long haul — many clients treat the cruise as the first half and a resort stay as the second.
Possible ports of call
Route inspiration — line, ship and island list are matched to the actual sailing before anything is confirmed.
When to go
December to April is the season that matters here: dry, breezy and reliably warm, aligned with UAE winter holidays. May to November brings heat, humidity and hurricane exposure — southern islands sit at the edge of the main storm belt but are not immune, and itineraries can change when weather demands. Book Christmas and February sailings several months out.
Planning around seasons, regions and style? Read the full Caribbean destination guide →
What’s included
- ✓Cruise fare for the selected sailing and cabin category
- ✓Return flights from Dubai or Abu Dhabi via London to the departure island
- ✓Transfers between airport and the cruise port
- ✓Main-restaurant dining on board
- ✓PCT travel consultant support before and during travel
Not included
- —Shore excursions
- —Drinks packages unless quoted
- —Gratuities where the cruise line charges them
- —Travel insurance
- —Visas where required
Ways to extend it
- +Three post-cruise nights at a Barbados beach resort
- +Add two London nights on the outbound connection
- +Upgrade to a small-ship sailing that anchors off the Grenadines
Gallery
