When ss Azure Sea anchors off Porvenir Island in the San Blas Archipelago, Kuna

Indians paddle their dugout canoes to meet you and sell their fabulously coloured Mola, (textile art forms), which depict different events in the lives and life of the Kuna people.  ~  Island Card (visiting Island T-126) Continue reading →

When mv Riviera docks in St.Martin a visit to the Marina Port La Royale is always in

order: With a variety of restaurants to provide refreshments, you may stroll around the galleries with their fine examples of Caribbean oils and watercolours alongside wood carvings and sculptures in a variety of media. Don’t miss the small museum which traces St.Martin’s history back in time.  ~  Ship Card (visiting Island L-84) Continue reading →

After arriving in Miami to begin your cruise on board ss Magellan to the island of

Hispaniola and the Western Caribbean, you rent a dive boat at Miami Beach Marina and snorkel the schooner wreck near Bear Cut in Biscayne National Park. ~  Ship Card (visiting Islands A-1, A-2 & F-47) Continue reading →

While ss Caribbean Star sails over the reefs to the eastern side of Isla del Maiz, you

dive close to the ocean Drop-Off and find a lobster hole ~ a small cave full of lobsters. After catching a dozen of these delicacies you give them to the Executive Chef on board to cook for everyone at your dinner table this evening. ~  Island Card (visiting Island U-131) Continue reading →

While you are ashore from Indigo Sails on the island of St.Vincent, wander through

Kingstown and choose some souvenirs to take home: Try the boutiques which stock locally made, hand painted dresses in brightly colored flowing fabrics; or the, again hand painted, cotton t-shirts. Arts and crafts are highly valued here with ancient techniques being revived by local artists.  ~  Island Card (visiting Island N-103) Continue reading →

When the ss Mayan Sun visits Jost Van Dyke (rhymes with toast), you confirm your

experiences of the other British Virgin Islands: The landscapes are breathtakingly beautiful; the beaches are some of the finest (check out White Bay); and the inhabitants of the islands are extremely gracious and unfailingly hospitable.  ~  Ship Card (visiting Island H-56) Continue reading →

When Indigo Sails docks close by Cancun and the Riviera Maya, the first order of the

day is an authentic Mexican culinary feast: You are invited into Maria’s kitchen and admire terra-cotta Coahuila pavers on the floor and hand painted ceramic tile on the walls, alongside locally produced copper pans and glazed clay pots; all of which, together with other traditional cooking utensils and locally sourced fruit, vegetables and produce, are … Continue reading →

The ss Neptune anchors off Georgetown, Grand Cayman, and even if you don’t scuba

dive check out the ship’s underwater photography gallery where you are sure to find a fabulous multi-coloured photo showing the inhabitants of the local reef in all their glory. This picture will decorate one of your walls back in the real world.  ~  Ship Card (visiting Island Y-150) Continue reading →

Kingstown, St.Vincent, has its skyline broken by church towers: Firstly, St.George’s

Anglican Cathedral with clock tower and stained glass windows; then St.Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral School and Presbytery, a mix of Roman, Baroque, Gothic and Moorish architectural styles; also, the large Methodist Church and steeple.  ~  Island Card (visiting Island N-103) Continue reading →

The Captain of sv Tradewinds anchors off an unnamed beach on Marie

Galante island; the gangway is lowered into crystal-clear turquoise waters and you spend the afternoon sunbathing on deck and snorkeling amid the coral reefs. ~  Ship Card (visiting Island L-85) Continue reading →

While Christopher Columbus sheltered his ships, a nearby Spanish treasure fleet was

destroyed by hurricane in the year 1502. This year you run from Hurricane Juliette and sail directly to Pembroke Parish, Bermuda, where you must stay until you roll a dice combination of 8 or over.  ~  Hurricane Card Continue reading →

On board ssc Island Dancer your visit to Antigua is highlighted by a Shore Excursion

to Nelson’s Dockyard National Park in English Harbour. This was once home base for Admiral Nelson and the British fleet, circa 1785; the area now includes restored colonial naval buildings, beaches, archeological sites and nature trails. Later in the day head for Shirley Heights for steel pan bands, barbecue and wonderful sunset views. ~  Ship … Continue reading →

If you moor Indigo Sails in Baleine Bay when arriving at St.Vincent you may be able to

finish a long day of hiking up to the Crater Lake and lave dome of La Soufrière volcano with a visit to the Falls of Baleine – a 60 feet high waterfall with a rock enclosed fresh water pool underneath. ~  Ship Card (visiting Island N-103) Continue reading →

While Indigo Sails is moored in view of Petit Nevis, you play a leisurely three sets of

tennis then relax in the “swing seats” on the gorgeous white sands of Friendship Bay, Bequia. In the evening enjoy a lobster barbecue with dasheen, plantains and peas’n’rice, all part of the Tuesday night “Jump-Up” celebrations.  ~  Ship Card (visiting Islands M-87 & M-94) Continue reading →

When ssc Island Dancer moors at Spot Bay off Cayman Brac (Gaelic for bluff), climb the

140 feet high limestone plateau and treasure hunt for pirates loot in the caves. While exploring, enjoy the more than 150 species of birds who call these cliffs home, including white barn owls, frigatebirds and the fearsome peregrine falcon.  ~  Island Card (visiting Island Y-153) Continue reading →

Your visit to the Miccosukee Indian Reservation in the Florida Everglades shows the

flag of that Nation with its four bands of colour ~ yellow, red, black and white. This flag signifies the circle of life and the universe spinning around us: Yellow indicates the East with sunrise and life’s beginning: Red points to North and middle age: Black denotes the West and death; White conveys South, the … Continue reading →

A stopover on Antigua while aboard ss Caribbean Star allows you to spend the day at

the beach … one of the 365 or so on this island. Try either the powder pink sands of Half Moon Bay, the coconut-palm-shaded Long Bay or perhaps Dickenson Bay’s long, long stretch of white sand. On the way back to the ship, stop and catch the last overs of a local cricket match along … Continue reading →

Visiting St.Croix on board ss Neptune, the best way to become acquainted with the

reefs and those who dwell there is by a Shore Excursion to the St.Croix Aquarium and Marine Education Center with its series of changing aquaria and the super staff who explain all about the creation of the reefs from polyps and the importance of mangrove swamps to the marine environment. ~  Ship Card (visiting Island … Continue reading →

Surprise … Surprise … You are the 100,000th passenger to sail aboard the ss Mayan

Sun, so the Captain upgrades your cabin to the “Owner’s Suite” for your seven day cruise to Chimana Grande, Isla de Baru and the Cayos Holandes.  ~  Island Card (visiting Islands Q-114, S-123 & T-128) Continue reading →

Get away for the day on Anegada. Moor Indigo Sails off-shore and do what comes best

in the Caribbean, and especially the Virgin Islands: Walk along a deserted beach, become a very relaxed beachcomber, snorkel in the crystal-clear waters, fall in and out of the water, sit on the sand and contemplate life, make peace with your world. Enjoy. ~  Ship Card (visiting Island H-55) Continue reading →

mv Riviera arrives at Guanaja, one of the Bay Islands of Honduras, and you dive the

North Reef System at Black Rock with its series of walled canyons that lace together forming a maze of swim-throughs. In the afternoon visit the South Coast and the wreck of the Jado Trader, with its varied marine population of turtles, eagle rays, small bait fish, groupers and moray eels. ~  Island Card (visiting Island … Continue reading →

Part of the fun aboard sv Tradewinds and her sister Clipper Ships are the sailing lessons

and navigation classes that are given by the ship’s officers. This translates to you being high up in the rigging when you spy Mustique and Canouan on the horizon. ~  Ship Card (visiting Islands M-91 & M-95) Continue reading →

You spend the morning trolling for fish (your lunch) over the side of sv Tradewinds

before dropping anchor off Isla Contoy; then take the ship’s tender and explore the nature trails of this wild island, trying to see as many of the over 70 resident species of birds as possible: You find orioles, pelican, brown boobies, frigate birds, blue heron, ibis, kingfishers, egrets, flamingo, terns, cormorants and black vultures. ~ … Continue reading →

The water is clear and the fish are tame off the island of Mayreau, so you are in a great

position to test your new underwater camera and win some great prizes in the “Underwater Shootout” competition on board mv Riviera: On the first day, shooting pictures of tiny corals with a macro set-up; the next day trying to record the most fish of all the competitors; and on the last day trying to find the more … Continue reading →

When sv Tradewinds sails from Devil’s Island you travel north along the Guianas

coastline which stretches from the mouth of the River Amazon up to the Orinoco River Basin. You sail to Surinam and Guyana on your voyage and visit with the Indian tribes who inhabit the endangered rain forests alongside the exotic animals, birds, plants and trees. ~  Island Card (visiting Caribbean destinations P-108, P-109 & P-110) Continue reading →

The Tobago Cays are protected by Horseshoe Reef and offer wonderful snorkeling,

beautiful sandy beaches and constant sea breezes for wind surfers. To keep these islands beautiful, please carry out all your debris and litter.  ~  Ship Card (visiting Islands M-98) Continue reading →

Sailing northwards through the Florida Keys on board sv Tradewinds you spend the

day at Bahia Honda State Park’s famous beach; then cycle up to see what the fishermen have caught on Seven Mile Bridge; all before you contemplate upon a stunning sunset viewed from the old “Ghost Bridge” amid the ruins of the overseas railroad. ~  Island Card (visiting Island Z-156) Continue reading →

ssc Island Dancer visits St.Barts in time for the annual Caribbean Film Festival, where

you make a vow to return to this fantasy playground of white sand beaches and aquamarine waters early next year to re-visit the two-week-long Music Festival which features classical and chamber music, also opera and jazz: Or, try to find the time to indulge in St.Barts Festival Gastronomique which celebrates the joys of French cuisine … Continue reading →

While aboard ss Mayan Sun your Shore Excursion on the island of Petit Nevis takes

you to explore the old whale rendering facilities; when you are back on board, use a new rod and lure to catch your own version of a whale ~ an eight pound snapper, which the executive chef on board teaches you how to gut and clean, and which is served at your dinner table this … Continue reading →

While visiting Pembroke Parish, Bermuda, on board ss Neptune, try to find one of the

extremely rare postage stamps named after the island’s first Postmaster, William Bennett Perot. A good place to start would be the Perot Post Office in the capital, Hamilton.  ~  Ship Card (visiting Island Parish G-51) Continue reading →

sv Tradewinds moors off Isla de Baru after sailing from San Andrés island. Isla Baru

is the gem of Colombia’s Rosary Islands; here you relax in your hammock, frolic in the water and wish to never leave this funky beach paradise. ~  Island Card (visiting Islands S-123 & S-124) Continue reading →