Which Caribbean route to choose

[ISLANDS LOVER]

Looking to try Windstar our first time sailing cruise (4 times with Star Clippers) we are very unsure to choose for March-2023

YACHTSMANS St.Maarten to St. Maarten or

JEWELS OF THE WINDWARD Bridgetown to Bridgetown

Should we consider the Grenadines with Royal Clipper instead? …some last negative comments regards to Royal Clipper made us change our mind

We plan a future Tahiti cruise with Windstar, so think that a Caribbean route is a good chance to try the cruise line.

[CruiserBruce]

Without providing the route/islands stopped at, we can't help you, without us having to look up the itinerary.

[LHT28]

Pick the one  for the itinerary that  you would enjoy the most

 

[crystalspin]

So I looked up the itineraries and I would vote for Jewels -- leaving and returning to Barbados!

[ISLANDS LOVER]

Thank you all of you for the answers! 

 

CRUISERBRUCE Sorry for my mistake, my ignorance of the Caribbean made me think that the routes name was enough, apologies please 😐

Here it is:

 

WINDSTAR JEWELS OF THE WINDWARD

Day 1 BRIDGETOWN Barbados

Day 2 PIGEON Sta Lucia

Day 3 PIGEON Sta Lucia

Day 3 CASTRIES Sta Lucia

Day 3 PITONS Sta Lucia

Day 4 ANSE MITAN (Martinique)

Day 5 MAYREAU Grenadines (?)

Day 6 ST. GEORGES Grenada

Day 7 BEQUIA Grenadines (?)

Day 8 BRIDGETOWN 

 

WINDSTAR YACHTSMANS 

Day 1 St MAARTEN

Day 2 FALMOUTH HARBOUR Antigua

Day 3 navigation

Day 4 SOPER’S HOLE Tortola

Day 4 JOST VAN DYKE

Day 5 JOST VAN DYKE

Day 5 VIRGIN GORDA

Day 6 VIRGIN GORDA

Day 7 GUSTAVA St. Barts

Day 8 St MAARTEN 

 

This will be my first time Caribbean and our interest is a mix of natural untouched beauty (good level Snorkeling and beautiful uncrowded beaches) with some popular islands in the Caribbean 

Of course there are lots of options but SAILING SHIP is our preference and these two routes seems to offer a mix of we are looking for. 

 

LHT 18

Difficult to know if I have never been there, but thank you for your answer.

 

CRYSTALSPIN

Apologies again for my mistake and thank you to look up for the itineraries by yourself, sorry🙏🏼

THANK YOU for your vote for the Windward islands route!

As explained there are too many choices for a first timer Caribbean that your comments and opinions are really valuable to me.

 

Open mind for suggestions! 

 

 

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

My vote is for Jewels.

[Essiesmom]

I think my vote would go for jewels, too.  However I would be much more practical.  I would choose the one that is the least difficult/complicated to reach by air.  EM

[Joebucks]

They are both fantastic routes. I know a lot of people are leaning towards the Jewel, it is definitely a good route. I would probably want to start and end at Barbados more than St Maarten (I wonder what's the different in flights). However, I would advise that the Virgin Islands are no slouch when it comes to beautiful beaches.

[ISLANDS LOVER]

Once again BIG THANKS all of you!

 

CRUISER BRUCE, thanks for your vote!

 

ESSIESMOM, yours is 3rd for Jewels! 

Really the flight route does not make difference at the moment as traveling from Barcelona unfortunately we need to transfer in Paris or Amsterdam with AIR FRANCE/KLM which are on the same group too. 

 

JOEBUCKS Thank you for your opinion, really the several stops at the BVI makes us think twice for the choice also bacause longer stops than at Tobago Cays islands.  

Helpful to know that Barbados would be better than St. Maarten because we want to make 3/4 days pre and post cruise too! 

Edited November 12, 2022 by ISLANDS LOVER

[LHT28]

You may be disappoint if looking for untouched  islands

 Most of them are quite  nice  & touristy

Hoping there are no big ships in port with you

 

Enjoy

[ISLANDS LOVER]

Thanks for your advise LHT28 

We’ll take this in consideration, of course.

One of the reasons to choose Windstar/Clippers is because under our experience (Thailand and Indonesia routes) these small ships use to stop in islands/bays where big ships can’t, however I can guess the Caribbean is one of the more cruised route in the world.

BVI and Grenadines seems to be the less uncrowned/populated islands but again open mind for better suggestions.

We still reading and looking for our best choice! 

BIG THANKS!