From the roar of the Big Apple to the gentle sounds of azure waves lapping ashore on the white beaches of quiet Caribbean island paradises, this 11-day New York to Bridgetown cruise is a voyage of true extremes. Bid farewell to New York’s skyscrapers and head south to the tropics. Two full days at sea make this journey the perfect adventure for everyone who loves the idea of islands—you’ll call at eight of them.
To make this journey even more of a dream trip, Silversea is extending a Caribbean - Air Offer. Book by September 30 and enjoy Free Economy Class Air Roundtrip. Members of Silversea’s Venetian Society enjoy an additional 5 percent savings on the cruise fare.
Your home for this journey will be the Silver Spirit which has never looked better, nor felt cosier. Fully refurbished for a superlative onboard adventure, she retains Silversea’s world-famous standards of service and home away from home feel.
With one of the highest space to guest ratios in the business and eight superlative luxury dining options, Silver Spirit offers its guests one of the most complete cruise experiences available. Spacious decks leave plenty of room for relaxation, yet the variety of common areas mean there is something for everyone. Meet like-minded friends; enjoy first-class dining, and relax in what is possibly the best cruise ship at sea.
Itinerary / 11 DAYS
PLAN YOUR TRIP
DAY 1New York City
You’ll start your journey in one of the most captivating islands in the world, Manhattan. From Wall Street’s skyscrapers to the neon lights of Times Square, New York City pulses with an irrepressible energy. History meets hipness in this global center of entertainment, fashion, media, and finance. World-class museums like MoMA and unforgettable icons like the Statue of Liberty beckon, but discovering the subtler strains of New York is equally rewarding: ethnic enclaves and shops, historic streets of dignified brownstones, and trendy bars and eateries all add to the urban buzz. After you have had a taste of big-city life, board Silver Spirit for a 5 p.m. departure.
DAY 2Day at Sea
The next day gives you time to bask in life aboard Silver Spirit. Perhaps you’ll want to enjoy a lecture with one of the onboard speakers or choose from less cerebral activities like wine tastings, spa treatments, or borrowing a DVD from the library to watch in your suite.
PHOTO BY ALESSIO BRAGADINI
DAYS 3 AND 4Hamilton, Bermuda
With a permanent resident population of only some 1,500 households, Hamilton doesn’t qualify as a major metropolis. Yet it has enough stores, restaurants, and commercial life to amp up the island’s energy level. Moreover, it has a thriving international business community, which lends it a degree of sophistication that may surprise you if you expected Bermuda to be a sleepy island. The central parishes cover the large area of Paget, Warwick, and Devonshire.
Silversea excursions will let you visit the highlights on the island by day: its famous pink-sand beaches and manicured towns, its historic sites and beautiful reefs. Golfers can play one of the island’s famous courses—Silversea will assist with reserving a tee time and all the other details. With an overnight in port, you’ll also be able to enjoy a sunset cocktail and dinner in town if you’d like before returning to Silver Spirit.
Silversea excursions will let you visit the highlights on the island by day: its famous pink-sand beaches and manicured towns, its historic sites and beautiful reefs. Golfers can play one of the island’s famous courses—Silversea will assist with reserving a tee time and all the other details. With an overnight in port, you’ll also be able to enjoy a sunset cocktail and dinner in town if you’d like before returning to Silver Spirit.
DAY 5Sail to the Caribbean
A second day at sea provides a perfect opportunity to relax, unwind, and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. Whether that is watching the blue waters of the Atlantic from the Observatory Lounge, reading a good book on deck, or simply working on your tan by the pool, blue sea days are the perfect balance to others spent exploring the islands you will call at on this journey.
DAY 6Road Town, British Virgin Islands
You’ll arrive this morning in Road Town, the capital of the BVI (that is, the British Virgin Islands), which looks out over Road Harbour. It takes only an hour or so to stroll down Main Street and along the waterfront, checking out the traditional West Indian buildings painted in pastel colors and with corrugated-tin roofs, bright shutters, and delicate fretwork trim. Silversea’s excursions team can help you choose activities to make the most of your time in this corner of the Caribbean, or you can head out and explore on your own. Sightseeing brochures and the latest information on everything from taxi rates to ferry schedules is available at the BVI Tourist Board office.
PHOTO BY PRAYITNO
DAY 7St. Kitts (Basseterre)
Mountainous St. Kitts, the first English settlement in the Leeward Islands, manages to fit an impressive amount of stunning scenery into a mere 65 square miles. Vast, brilliant green fields of sugarcane run to the water’s edge. The fertile, lush island has some fascinating natural and historical attractions: a rain forest replete with waterfalls, thick vines, and secret trails; a central mountain range dominated by the 3,792-foot Mt. Liamuiga, whose crater has long been dormant; and Brimstone Hill, known in the 18th century as the Gibraltar of the West Indies.
PHOTO BY STEFAN KRASOWSKI
DAY 8Gustavia, St. Barthelemy
St. Barthelemy, or popularly St. Bart’s, is perhaps the most famous of the islands in the French Caribbean. If you associate it with Hollywood stars and corporate moguls, however, you may be surprised by how low-key and welcoming the island and its residents are.
Silver Spirit will dock in Gustavia, the largest town on the island, which you can easily explore during a two-hour stroll. Some shops close from noon to 3 or 4 in the afternoon—as if you needed another reason to enjoy a long lunch by the sea, dining on French dishes with Caribbean ingredients, paired with the best French wines. You have a full day in port with a departure at 6 p.m., so there is time to visit some of the island’s beaches, each with its own particular character.
Silver Spirit will dock in Gustavia, the largest town on the island, which you can easily explore during a two-hour stroll. Some shops close from noon to 3 or 4 in the afternoon—as if you needed another reason to enjoy a long lunch by the sea, dining on French dishes with Caribbean ingredients, paired with the best French wines. You have a full day in port with a departure at 6 p.m., so there is time to visit some of the island’s beaches, each with its own particular character.
PHOTO BY ROGER W
DAY 9Roseau, Dominica
Although it’s one of the smallest capitals in the Caribbean, Roseau is the most densely populated town in the eastern Caribbean. It makes for a lively experience, where Caribbean vernacular architecture and a bustling marketplace transport visitors back in time. Although you can walk the entire town in about an hour, you’ll get a much better feel for the place on a leisurely stroll. For some years now, the Society for Historical Architectural Preservation and Enhancement (SHAPE) has organized programs and projects to preserve the city’s architectural heritage.
If you want to venture beyond Roseau, Silversea excursions include visit to the island’s historic estates, its rain forest, and even one to a cacao plantation where you can learn about its cultivation and how it is transformed into cocoa and chocolate. Your adventure in the Caribbean will become even sweeter.
If you want to venture beyond Roseau, Silversea excursions include visit to the island’s historic estates, its rain forest, and even one to a cacao plantation where you can learn about its cultivation and how it is transformed into cocoa and chocolate. Your adventure in the Caribbean will become even sweeter.
PHOTO BY TONY HISGETT
DAY 10St. George’s, Grenada
Nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and cocoa are some of the heady aromas that fill the air in Grenada, the spice island of the Caribbean. Only 21 miles long and 12 miles wide, Grenada is a tropical gem of lush rain forests, white-sand beaches, secluded coves, exotic flowers, and enough locally grown spices to fill anyone’s kitchen cabinet. St. George’s is one of the most picturesque capital cities in the Caribbean, with a fine harbor and one of the region’s most beautiful beaches, Grand Anse, nearby.
Whether you want to sample the island’s spices or its rums, snorkel to an underwater sculpture park or explore a rain forest, Silversea’s excursions provide a variety of introductions to this captivating island.
Whether you want to sample the island’s spices or its rums, snorkel to an underwater sculpture park or explore a rain forest, Silversea’s excursions provide a variety of introductions to this captivating island.
DAY 11Bridgetown, Barbados
Sitting to the south of the Caribbean, Barbados has a different feel than its neighbors to the north. It was long the most important British territory in the region, a fact reflected in its many stately and historic Georgian buildings, both civic ones and private plantations, some in ruins and others meticulously restored. The bustling capital city is a major duty-free port with a compact shopping area. The principal thoroughfare is Broad Street, which leads west from National Heroes Square. Among the top attractions here, the Pelican Villagea cluster of workshops is located halfway between the cruise-ship terminal and downtown Bridgetown where craftspeople create and sell locally made leather goods, batik, basketry, carvings, jewelry, glass art, paintings, pottery, and other items. It’s open weekdays from 9 to 5 and Saturdays from 9 to 2.
While Bridgetown is the last stop on your island hopping itinerary, Silversea offers two excursions that provide overviews of the entire island before you transfer to your flight home.
While Bridgetown is the last stop on your island hopping itinerary, Silversea offers two excursions that provide overviews of the entire island before you transfer to your flight home.