14 Exciting Caribbean Shore Excursions

Jun 27, 2022 | Caribbean, Experiences Around the World

Two exciting shore excursions you can experience on each of the 7 islands visited on the Viva Christmas Caribbean Cruise

14 Exciting Caribbean Shore Excursions

Jun 27, 2022 | Caribbean, Experiences Around the World

You've booked (or you're thinking of booking) a Caribbean Cruise on board Norwegian's Viva for Christmas 2023. You know you'll be visiting 7 beautiful islands in the Eastern Caribbean—Puerto Rico (where your cruise starts and ends), Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, Antigua, Saint Lucia, Barbados, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. Now you're wondering which shore excursions to pick for when the cruise ship arrives at each port of call. Below I share two shore excursions for each island you'll visit to ensure you satisfy your thirst for adventure and get a taste of each island.

If you’ve booked (or you’re considering booking) the 7-Day Christmas 2023 Caribbean Cruise on NCL’s newest ship, the Norwegian Viva, there will be no days at sea. On this 7-day Caribbean cruise, there will be a port of call every single day. This means, once you depart San Juan, Puerto Rico, you’ll be visiting six more beautiful islands in the Eastern Caribbean—starting with Tortola (BVI), Antigua, Saint Lucia, Barbados, St Maarten and St. Thomas (USVI), then returning back to Puerto Rico.

When you arrive at each port of call, you’ll have the opportunity to explore each island on an excursion with NCL. By booking an excursion organized by NCL, you are guaranteed to arrive back at the ship before it departs for its next port of call. You’ll also be one of the first to leave the ship in the morning for your day’s adventure.

At the time of writing this post, there were 93 excursions to choose from. To help you narrow down your selection, I’m sharing two for each island that will not only satisfy your thirst for adventure, but will also give you a taste of each island, its history, culture, personality, and of course its cuisine. Since there are 93 shore excursions to choose from, if the ones I’ve picked don’t appeal to you, I’d be glad to help you arrange a different one.

Prefer to discover Tortola’s marine life or explore the island in a 4×4?

Snorkel Virgin Gorda Baths, Tortola, BVI

Snorkel & Swim Virgin Gorda Baths

This 3½ hour shore excursion on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands is ideal for marine lovers. You’ll cruise to The Virgin Gorda Baths, then swim in the crystal-clear waters of the eastern Caribbean. You can choose to snorkel and discover the abundant marine life, relax on the beautiful white sand beach or just rest on the boat’s sun deck.

4x4 exploration and beach in Tortola BVI

4x4 exploration and beach

If you love both a land and marine adventure, then this 3½ hour shore excursion may be ideal for you. You’ll experience a fun and exciting drive on an off-road jeep safari with wonderful views of Tortola and the surrounding islands. A scenic drive around the island will take you through villages, on and off-roads and along the coast. You’ll also have time to swim and/or relax on a beach

Does swimming with stingrays or zipping through Antigua’s canopy appeal to you?

Stingray Swim in Antigua

Stingray Swim & Snorkel

Imagine the magical feeling as you step into calm crystal-clear waters to play with gentle stingrays. During this 3ÂĽ hour shore excursion in Antigua, you can choose to snorkel with the rays or wade in the shallow water habitat where you’ll fall in love with these graceful creatures. This is a unique experience even non-swimmers can enjoy.

Canopy Tour in Antigua

Antigua Canopy Tour

On this 3½ shore excursion, be prepared to get your adrenaline pumping as you cross your first suspension bridge, then step off your first platform to zip through Antigua’s rainforest! Just take a deep breath and the’ Leap of Faith’ will lead you to magical tree houses and the Stairway to Heaven.

Is Saint Lucia’s history or its scenery calling you on this port of call?

Historical Island Tour Saint Lucia

Historical Island Tour

On this 3ÂĽ hour historical tour of Saint Lucia, you’ll be driven through the capital, Castries, up to the La Toc Battery. You’ll pass the official residence of the Governor General before driving through the historic Morne complex to view the Inniskilling Monument. Travelling on, you’ll pass banana plantations in the valley before stopping in Anse la Raye, a typical fishing village.
Soufriere by Land & Sea, Saint Lucia

Soufriere by Land & Sea

Alternatively, enjoy a scenic tour of Saint Lucia by land and sea on this 6½ hour shore excursion. During your tour you’ll see amazing views of The Pitons – a UNESCO World Heritage site. At lunchtime, you’ll savour a typical Creole meal at the enchanting Morne Coubaril Estate, then board a catamaran to cruise along the island’s west coast.

Is adventure with monkey encounters or coast to coast scenery in Barbados calling you?

Green Monkey Encounter in Barbados

4X4 Adventure & Green Monkey Encounter

If you love to go “wild” on vacation, this 3½ hour shore excursion on your Barbados port of call will likely be calling your name. On this adventure, you’ll discover what Barbados has to offer as your convoy of 4×4’s explores the Scotland District. At the wildlife reserve, you’ll have the opportunity to experience wild monkeys in their natural habitat.

Scenic Drive Coast to Coast in Barbados

Coast to Coast Scenic Drive

On this 3½ hour shore excursion in Barbados, you’ll discover the island’s most scenic sights, such as the National Heroes Square and the Parliament buildings in Bridgetown. As you drive across the island, you’ll pass through peaceful villages, eventually reaching St. John’s Church (pictured), where you can enjoy the beautiful views.

Experience aerial tranquility or watch planes on St Maarten’s icon beach?

Aerial Sky Explorer & 360° Views

Aerial Sky Explorer & 360° Views

On this 3ÂĽ excursion, you’ll have the opportunity to experience St. Maarten’s newest attraction, the Soualiga Sky Explorer chairlifts. You’ll take a tranquil ride up two lifts spanning a total of 2,997 ft. as the island’s stunning landscape unfolds below.

Maho Beach Transfer

Maho Beach Transfer

Maho Beach on St. Maarten, has become the number one place in the world to experience the up close sensation of watching planes, including wide-bodied, taking off and landing. Be part of that experience on this 4½ shore excursion. Of course, you’ll have time to swim and relax on the beach too.

Experience a cornucopia of St Thomas highlights or enjoy the scenery from two vantage points?

Discover St. Thomas & Magens Bay

Discover St. Thomas & Magens Bay

Everything you’d want to, and should, experience in St. Thomas all conveniently packed into one complete tour – a cornucopia of beaches, spectacular down island views, historical locations and ultimate shopping experiences encompassing all the best highlights of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ most popular island. This shore excursion lasts 5¼ hours.

Drake's Seat, Magens Bay & Skyride

Drake's Seat, Magens Bay & Skyride

On this 4ÂĽ hour excursion, you’ll take in St. Thomas’ stunning natural beauty from two unique vantage points and spend hours relaxing at the island’s most celebrated beach. As you ascend the verdant hills behind the capital city of Charlotte Amalie, the sights will become all the more magnificent.

End your cruise in Puerto Rico with a rainforest drive or a city tour?

El Yunque Rainforest Drive in Puerto Rico

El Yunque Rainforest Drive

At the end of your 7-day cruise, before flying home from San Juan, Puerto Rico, if you love nature, you can spend several delightful hours enjoying the natural beauty and serenity of El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System. This shore excursion lasts 4ÂĽ hours so be sure you have enough time before your flight home.

San Juan City Tour

City Tour with Airport Transfer

For those who love a little culture (and if you’re short on time before flying home), enjoy an enlightening tour of Old San Juan and an affluent neighbourhood of newer residences and designer shops before heading to the airport for your flight home. This excursion lasts 2½ hours.

All shore excursions are subject to change. Limited availability so be sure to book early. Can be added to your cruise booking at time of booking or final payment.

Related Posts

When is the best time to visit Iceland?

When is the best time to visit Iceland?

Popular all year, the best time to visit Iceland is literally any time. It really depends on your travel goals and what you want to see, do and experience while in the land of fire and ice.

For instance, if your goal is to see the Northern Lights, the best time to visit is during the winter months when the nights are long and, on a clear night, the Aurora Borealis puts on a show. If you want to explore the entire island, then the summer months are the best. But what if you want to avoid crowds? Read on…

read more
Ten things about the Caribbean you may not know

Ten things about the Caribbean you may not know

For anyone planning a trip to the Caribbean, whether that’s a stand-alone vacation, an island-hopping cruise or a mix of both, in this post, I share 10 things you may not already know about this tropical region. Read on to see if you knew them…plus find answers to questions and a couple of extra tidbits at the end.

read more
Why Cruise Alaska in May or October

Why Cruise Alaska in May or October

Cruise Alaska in May or October to avoid crowds, for a chance to see Whales or Northern Lights, & to see beautiful landscapes blooming with spring flowers or stunning fall colours.

read more
Top Destinations & Escorted Tours for Canadians (2023)

Top Destinations & Escorted Tours for Canadians (2023)

If you’re looking for travel inspiration for your next solo female adventure check out these top destinations and escorted tours for Canadians available with low single supplements in 2023 (and 2024). Offered by one of my preferred tour operators, as a solo traveller, the single pricing on most of their escorted tours is low to very low (as low as 20% above the price per person for double occupancy).

read more
Jardin du Luxembourg – a must-see garden in Paris

Jardin du Luxembourg – a must-see garden in Paris

Just about anyone who’s had Paris on their bucket list has heard of the Jardin des Tuilleries, the landmark gardens that run alongside the Seine between Le MusĂ©e du Louvre and the Place de la Concorde. A perhaps lesser-known (unless you’re familiar with all things Paris), but equally splendid garden, is the Jardin du Luxembourg. A must-see in Paris, especially for solo female travellers who love visiting gardens, people watching or both.

read more
Most peaceful countries in the world in 2022

Most peaceful countries in the world in 2022

If you’re a new solo female traveller, you’ll likely want to start your solo travels in one of the safest and most peaceful countries in the world. Each year the Global Peace Index (GPI) ranks 163 countries around the world using 23 qualitative and quantitative criteria to measure how peaceful, and thus how safe they are. In this post I share the 20 most peaceful countries in the world according to the GPI 2022 report.

read more

CATEGORIES

Archives

Loading...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This