I have just completed my first cruise and Caribbean Cruise with TUI Cruises and I wanted to share with you what we got up to docked on the 5 Caribbean islands we visited to help you plan your Caribbean cruise no matter which company you are cruising with!
Departing from Barbados we visited the Dutch Islands of Curacao and Aruba and then onto Grenada and St Lucia, ending back in Barbados!
1 Week Caribbean Cruise
I have written a full TUI Cruise Review here if you want to know what it’s like specifically cruising with TUI aka Marella Cruises including what the food and facilities were like, internet availability, value of prices etc.
If you’re thinking about visiting the Caribbean in the summer months, check out my post on the Best Places to Visit in the Caribbean in July and August!
Before we get into how we spent our time on each island and what I recommend, I want to highlight that there are a few ways to see the island and I’ll give you some tips on each way:
- Exploring yourself by walking, taxis and buses
- Booking an excursion with the cruise company
- Booking an independent tour with a local company
Booking a Cruise Excursion vs Independent Tour
I knew I wanted to support the local economy on my Caribbean cruise but I was also worried about getting picked up and getting dropped back at the ship on time when booking independently.
On this cruise over the 3 islands, we spent 2 days doing our own thing, walking around and getting taxis to nearby beaches.. I decided to do this in Aruba and Curacao as both were not new countries to me and they kicked off our trip so spending the day on the beach seemed like a nice idea.
Then, I did 3 excursions that I booked with TUI in St Lucia, Grenada and Barbados and although we missed out on beach time here, I did love seeing so many places in the island with a guide.
Independent Travel Tips
CRUISE TIP: When planning an independent day, I recommend doing research before your cruise starts as you can get internet on the cruise ship but its expensive, and you can get wifi in most ports but its not guaranteed and don’t want to get off the shop at 9:00am with no idea what to do and do research in the port with wifi right then and there.
It’s good to plan some places to go, like looking at my below ways to spend one day in each Caribbean island on a cruise, make notes, pin places to your maps and download offline maps of the island.
All ports had taxi’s outside and the drivers are used to cruise tourists so they usually know where they want to go. Some islands have fixed taxi prices like Aruba, many don’t. It’s a good idea to share taxis with other passengers to save costs and ensure you have cash on you to pay. We paid $20-30 USD per 20 minute journey to a beach.
Independent Tour Tips
One of the big things to note with booking an independent tour, on Viator or Get Your Guide is that again, you will probably have limited wifi so do your bookings whilst at home and ensure you know all of the meeting places and times.
In terms of being worried about timings, the guides know how the ships work and it’s very unlikely they’ll get you back late but it’s important to book a Caribbean tour that’s designed for cruise ship passengers so it will finish on time!
Find independent tours in the Caribbean perfect for cruise passengers on Viator here!
I did think we’d see more independent companies by the port offering us a trip, in a way, we saw a few like the fun colourful buses and some people offering a full day tour, but at this point, you’re unsure of prices, locations and don’t want to get ripped off.. I personally don’t know if they might rip you off or they are trust worthy, but in the end, I’m glad I booked the cruise excursions which used local guides for peace of mind and ease… especially as I was travelling with my mum.
1 Week Caribbean Cruise Itinerary and Tips
Now, I’m going to get into our itinerary and how we spent our days on each island with tips to help you also plan one day in Curacao on a cruise, one day in Aruba on a cruise, one day in Grenda on a cruise, one day in St Lucia on a cruise, one day in Barbados on a cruise etc and even if your cruise itinerary is different which it probably will be, I hope a few of my cruise days will help you plan yours!
Day 1 – Arriving in Barbados
Flying from Manchester, UK to Barbados direct with TUI we landed at 14:10 local time.
I was super surprised and impressed because we didn’t have to go into the airport at all to go through customs. We got picked up by buses right outside the plane and taken to Bridgetown Cruise Terminal which was about a 30 minute drive through the island.
We had a quick check-in process at the port and before we knew it we were on the ship and in our room!
CRUISE TIP: We had a room on the Starboard side which we didn’t book but I’m so glad we were on this side. It meant when docked, we always had a view of the sea rather than being docked alongside the port with a view of the port!
CRUISE TIP: Our bags didn’t arrive at our room until until a few hours later, with some still arriving at 8pm. We noticed many people were up by the pool in swimwear even though they had just arrived and we realised that if you’ve cruised before, you’ll know to pack extra clothes in hang luggage, especially swimwear and nice clothing for the restaurants in case your bags don’t come until later!
Day 2 – Sea Day
To read more about what our TUI ship was like for a sea day, click here to read my TUI Cruise Review.
No matter what ship you’re on, it’s nice to spend the first sea day relaxing (jet lag will probably wake you up very early!), getting to know the ship, booking a massage or treatment and booking into one of the nicer restaurants onboard.
CRUISE TIP: Make sure you make these bookings in advance as they go quickly on sea days!
Day 3 – Curacao
One Day in Curacao
This was the first Caribbean Island of the trip we really got to see! Curacao is not as famous as its Dutch sister island of Aruba which makes it a unique, and colourful stop!
Compared to some of the other ports we docked at on the cruise, Curacao port is very small making it a first nice stop. Once off the ship, it’s a short walk to where the buses for excursions leave and the taxis and then just a short walk into Willemstad.
The Curacao Cruise Terminal had wifi!
Things to do in Curacao in one day from a cruise ship:
- Hire a car and explore the island yourself (independent)
- Book a snorkelling excursion (book with cruise or book independently here)
- Full island tour (book with cruise or book independently here)
- Walk around colourful Willemstad (independent)
- Willemstad Trolley Train (book with cruise or book independently here)
- Visit the popular Mambo Beach (independent)
- Visit Jan Thiel Beach (independent)
Popular tours in Curacao you can book through local operators:
There are many cruise excursions you can book with your cruise including being taken to beaches on the island, snorkelling, kayaking, the Willemstad Trolley Train.
At Curacao Pier there are also companies offering day trips if you’d rather book locally, especially full day island trips and the Willemstad Trolley Train to see the city on a colourful train!
We decided to have an independent day. We went into Willemstad first and to the beach later (although if you’re a beach fan, I’d maybe recommend doing this the other way round, I’ll explain why soon).
Willemstad is a nice port city to walk around, it’s really colourful with a bridge connecting the cruise port side to Punda on the other side. The bridge, Queen Emma Bridge is actually really cool as it swings open to allow vessels through and you can sit at one of the water cafes and watch it happen.
There are many shops in Willemstad which are brightly coloured and great for Instagram photos, but most are very touristy and a bit tacky. You can find the Curacao sign though and enjoy a cafe as we did.
After on, around 12:00, we went to Mambo Beach using a taxi outside of the ship. Because everyone had dispersed from the ship, there was no one else waiting for a taxi so we got the taxi by ourselves paying $30 USD in cash.
CRUISE TIP: Many cruises this week told us they meet people on the cruise and get taxis together to save on costs or share taxis if lots of people are waiting and going to the same place to reduce the pp cost.
Mambo Beach was extremely busy when we arrived at lunchtime, there were no beds available at all and no where to go on the beach. In fact, the beach was much smaller than I thought too, it’s basically covered in beds.
We walked right to the end and as we couldn’t see any free beds we got lunch at Olas & Copas who had a nice view of the water and entry into the water so I still got to swim from there after having lunch.
At about 3:00pm we left that cafe and found beds available, and at this time, the restaurant owning the beds didn’t seem to mind about ordering anything so we didn’t pay for these beds or order any drinks/food.
If you are keen to get a bed and spend a good chunk of time on the beach. I’d recommend going to Mambo Beach straight away in the morning, or later on, not arriving at lunchtime as we did.
I’ll also warn you that as Mambo Beach is the closest beach to the port, it is extremely busy and it’s a beach resort in its own right for holiday-makers. The water is beautiful but if you want a more off-the-beaten-path Caribbean beach experience, I wouldn’t go here.
The problem I guess I found with beaches on a Caribbean cruise is that if you want a quieter beach in Curacao, it will cost to get there. It cost us $30 USD one way to Mambo Beach which is just 15 minutes from the pier so I imagine going to a beach further away will cost a lot more in a taxi, unless you hire a car, or share with a few people!
On the plus side, we went to the Mambo Beach Taxi rank where a shared bus was waiting and it cost is €8 USD pp in cash to get back from beach in a joint taxi bus. At this time, around 4:00-5:00pm, lots of cruise passengers are going from Mambo Beach to Willemstad Cruise Port.
Day 4 – Aruba
One Day in Aruba
Aruba was the island I was really excited about visiting as I’d seen and heard a lot!
Aruba Cruise Terminal was nice and small too. We walked straight off the ship into the inside terminal which had some shops and then it’s onto where the taxi’s and tour buses wait.
The Aruba Cruise Terminal had wifi!
Things to do in Aruba in one day from a cruise ship:
- Rent a car and drive yourself around the island (independent)
- Island Tour (book with cruise or book independently here)
- Go to Eagle or Palm Beach (independent)
- Go to Palm Island (book with cruise or book independently)
- Snorkelling / Diving Tour (book with cruise or book independently here)
- Book the Atlantis Submarine (book with cruise or book independently here)
- ATV Adventure (book independently here)
- Shopping in Oranjestad
Popular tours in Aruba you can book through a local operator:
One of the great things about Aruba’s port taxis is that they are regulated with set prices on a sign (see below photo).
The bus system in Aruba is really good and I recommend checking that out for cheaper transport. The Oranjestad bus terminal is across the road from the cruise terminal and there is a bus that runs all the way from the Oranjestad up the North of the island right along the beach so you can get to any Northern Beach easily and cheaply.
Eagle beach & Palm beach are most popular beaches with big hotels backing the beaches, however they are the easiest beaches to get to from the port.
We went to Eagle Beach getting a taxi to the famous ‘Fofoti Tree’ there. The beach by this section is very busy with beds and again, you need to get there early in the morning to get a bed as it’s not only cruise tourists but hotel residents too.
However, a tip if you’re going to Eagle Beach is that the Southern part of the beach (closer to the port) is much quieter with no sunbeds so it was more enjoyable for us.
If I was to do this day again, I’d take the bus further North up the island to a beach there instead like Arashi Beach, or try to work out how to get to Baby Beach in the South as it’s said they are much quieter beaches in Aruba.
It was a Sunday when I was in Aruba so unfortunately much of Oranjestad was closed however if you’re looking for shopping in the Caribbean with nice branded shops, Oranjestad Mall is the place to go!
I also liked Oranjestad Flea Market opposite the cruise terminal pier with lots of stalls selling tourist stuff but with some local food and smoothie stalls too! Perfect for enjoying before getting back on the ship!
Day 5 – Sea Day
Using the day between islands to chill, get a massage, book dining in one of the nicer restaurants onboard is a great idea. Just be sure to book these things way in advance as everyone has the same idea!
Day 6 – St Lucia
One Day in St Lucia
There are 2 ports within the capital city of St Lucia – Castries, so double check which one you are docking at. There Pointe Seraphine Cruise Port Terminal on the North side of the bay and La Place Carenage Cruise Port Terminal in downtown which is ferry terminal we docked at and is closest to the city which was a big help.
Castries is one of the few Caribbean ports that is a working port and working city rather than being tourist centred. There are some nice buildings to see in Castries and there’s a local market within walking distance from the ship, but even as a keen traveller, I’d recommend not planning time in Castries, unlike Willemstad in Curaçao and Oranjestad in Aruba for example.
There is a small inside shopping area inside the terminal with some places to get food and drinks. The St Lucia Cruise Terminal had wifi!
Something I read on a Caribbean travel blog which I took onboard and I’m so glad I did was to wake up early to see Pitons as you’re sailing in. The Pitons are iconic to St Lucia and seeing them come into view is really impressive… although I was up anyway as on day 6, I still had lingering jet lag waking me up early.. which I was ok with!
Things to do in St Lucia in one day from a cruise ship:
- Sailing Catamaran Tour to see the Pitons (book with cruise or book independently here)
- Aerial Tram above the Rainforest (book with cruise or book independently here)
- Snorkel and Swim at Pigeon Island (book with cruise or book independently here)
- Whale and Dolphin Watching (book with cruise or book independently here)
- St Lucia Fun Bus (book with cruise)
- Volcanic Mud Bath Experience (book with cruise or book independently here)
- Island Tour with Guide (book with cruise or book independently here)
- Horse Riding on the Beach (book with cruise or book independently here)
- Segway Tour (book with cruise or book independently here)
- Treetop Canopy Adventure (book with cruise or book independently here)
- Castries Trolley Train Tour (book with cruise)
- Vigie Beach or La Toc Beach (independent)
Popular tours you can book in St Lucia through a local operator:
Most people won’t want to visit St Lucia without witnessing the Pitons whether that’s from land or sea. The Pitons are lava domes created 250,000 years ago from the eruption of the volcano.
Although St Lucia has many beautiful beaches close to the cruise port like Vigie Beach, La Toc Beach, Choc Beach, Reduit Beach and Pigeon Island Beach, St Lucia also offers a huge range of excursions, tours and activities that are hard to miss out on!
I had booked a catamaran tour to see the Pitons from the water and visit a few beaches, unfortunately this was cancelled because of the weather (I went in January) so I changed to the West Coast and Volcano Tour which took us to a Pitons Viewpoint, the Sulphur Springs near Soufriere and for a lovely local lunch in an old sugar cane factory.
Whilst this tour was great for an adventurer like me and my mum did enjoy it. The roads around St Lucia are mountainous and bumpy so they aren’t for the fainthearted.
Your cruise ship will offer you so many St Lucia excursions that you will have trouble deciding and you can also book ones like this with local operators:
There are some nice buildings to see in Castries and there’s a local market within walking distance from the ship, but even as a keen traveller, I’d recommend not planning time in Castries.
Day 7 – Grenada
One Day in Grenada
Grenada was my favourite island of the cruise, I loved the vibe of the spice island!
The cruise terminal is located in St Georges which again, isn’t a major touristy city and is instead a working city but it’s in a good location to easily walk into St Georges.
There are a few shops inside the cruise terminal building and Grenada Cruise Terminal had wifi!
Things to do in Grenada in one day from a cruise ship:
- Full Spice Island Tour (book with cruise or book independently here)
- Snorkelling (book with cruise)
- Rhum Runner (book with cruise)
- River Tubing (book with cruise or book independently here)
- Grand Anse Beach or Morne Rouge Bay (independent)
Popular tours in Grenada you can book through a local operator:
I did a Full Day Spice Island Tour with TUI which was really great and a highlight of my cruise! We circled the whole way around the island stopping at Annandale Waterfall, Grand Etang National Park, Belmont Estate for a local lunch, Lake Antoine and Dimond Chocolate Factory giving us a good look at this wonderful island.
The Rhum Runner is one of the most unique activities in Grenada, it’s a party boat offering a good time!
If you’re looking for beaches near St Lucia Cruise port, the most popular one due to it’s close location is Grand Anse Beach however many people recommend Morne Rough Bay if you want a quieter beach which is a bit further but still accessible from the port.
Day 8 – Leaving Barbados
One Day in Barbados
Our flight back to the UK wasn’t until the evening which many flights were, this meant we got the morning and lunchtime in Barbados before heading to the airport.
Whilst you can stay on the ship and use the facilities, you have to check out your room at 9:00am so it is nice to book an excursion from Bridgetown.
Bridgetown cruise port is quite large. On departing, it took us 10 minutes to walk from the ship to the inside terminal to then get our excursion bus and it’s a further walk into the centre of Bridgetown, despite it being central.
This is where the ship refuels on everything, switches staff, gets new guests etc so it’s a big working port for the cruise liners.
Things to do in Barbados in one day from a cruise ship:
- Departing Barbados Half Day Tour (book with cruise)
- Carlisle Beach (independent or book independent tour here)
- Scenic Railway Tour (book with cruise)
- Atlantis Submarine (book with cruise)
- Local food tour (book independent tour here)
- Harrison’s Cave (book with cruise or book independent tour here)
- Finding Turtles (book with cruise or book independent tour here)
- 4×4 Tour (book with cruise)
Popular tours in Barbados you can book through a local operator:
TUI had 2 excursions aimed at people departing meaning the timings worked well for us getting to the airport and they dropped us at the airport.
If you are doing an independent Barbados day tour, keep in mind your flight time.
CRUISE TIP: Before you go to sleep on your last night onboard, you’ll need to leave your big suitcases outside the door. Therefore, bringing a small carry on case on the trip is great as you can use this for a change of clothes, plus pjs, toiletries etc to carry around and home on the last day.
TUI did allow guests to leave hand luggage on the ship whilst they explored Barbados for a few hours but you’ll need to go back to the ship to get it, then, get the transfer bus from the ship. For us, it was easy as we put this small case onto our tour bus and then went straight to the airport with it afterwards.
I really enjoyed the half day tour of Barbados visiting Gun Hill Signal Station. St John’s Parish Church and having a relaxed lunch at the beautiful and interesting Sunbury Plantation Great House.
You could spend your final few Caribbean hours at the beach, there are many beaches near the Barbados cruise port like Carlisle Beach, however be mindful of getting back to the ship on time, collecting your hand luggage and perhaps getting changed.
On our cruise, many passengers were on a 2 week Caribbean cruise so they had a full day to spend in Barbados whilst new passengers arrived and there are lots of full day tours on offer in Barbados for those guests.
I hope this post has helped give you tips of what to do in Curacao, Aruba, St Lucia, Grenada and Barbados with one day on a cruise!
- For more of my posts see:
- 17 BEST Places to Visit in the Caribbean in July & August!
- What To Pack For A Caribbean Holiday! Caribbean Packing List!
- 6 Dominica Day Tours For Cruise Ship Tourists To Avoid The Crowds!
- 10 Unique & Fun Things To Do in Dominica That You Have To Do!
- 12 Fun Things To Do in Antigua and Barbuda Away From Your Resort!