Arrive in Bridgetown and board the Sea Cloud II. Settle in to your cabin and attend a welcome dinner as the ship sets sail.

Enjoy this day offshore, relaxing and taking in the smell of the fresh ocean breeze up on deck.

Man-O-War Bay Cottages stand amid colorful landscaped grounds - a tropical garden of beautiful shrubs, flowers, and trees laden with papaya, breadfruit, and almonds. Step off your veranda and walk a few steps right onto a beach of soft, inviting sand stretching 3/4 of a mile long. Coral reefs that start at the shoreline are home to countless tropical fish species and are a true joy to snorkeling enthusiasts. Around the cottages guests can enjoy birdwatching as blue tanagers and hummingbirds dart from flower to flower.

Enjoy beautiful beaches, aromatic spice plantations, dense rainforests, waterfalls, and a volcano that has long been extinct, picturesquely towering over this stunningly beautiful island. For many people, Grenada is the incarnation of a tropical paradise and St George's the most beautiful little port in the Grenadines. All around the horseshoe-shaped bay there are numerous houses that remind you of colonial times. There is good reason why nutmeg is immortalized on the national flag. Alongside cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, it is one of the island's biggest exports.

Two famous volcanic cones are indisputably the emblem of St Lucia and have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Gros and Petit Piton tower over the southern, windward side of the island and, in Soufrière, seem close enough to touch. The volcanoes have in fact long been extinct, but the sulphur springs demonstrate the power of the earth's core and still bubble up. In the Botanical Gardens, natural abundance is combined with artistic arrangements to create a colorful tropical paradise. Some people claim that Josephine, who later became Napoleon's wife, used to bathe in the little pool in the garden.

Right in the south of the Grenadines are Union Island and the Tobago Cays. Union Island was given the evocative name "the Tahiti of the West Indies" thanks to its volcanic silhouette. Four small uninhabited islands, surrounded by a protective horseshoe-shaped coral reef, form the Tobago Cays. The Horseshoe Reef holds the Atlantic swell at bay and its unique animal and plant life make it an ideal place for snorkeling. The lagoon between the islets shimmers in all shades from turquoise through to emerald green and invites you to take a dip at the fantastic beaches.

Bequia is actually the largest island in the Grenadines, but still small and tranquil at just 18 square kilometers (87 square miles) in size. Elegant sailing yachts sway in the natural shelter of Admiralty Bay, while in lovely Port Elizabeth, with its attractive beach bars, you are right in the heart of a lifestyle that likes to take things easy. You can find Princess Margaret Beach nearby, named because it was once visited by the British royal. On the eastern coast you can find the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary which focuses on rearing and caring for endangered turtles.

Bequia is a very special gem in the picture-perfect island chain that is the Grenadines. For many years the island was known only to sailors and adventurers, which preserved much of its original, old Caribbean charm. With its colorful wooden houses, free-roaming hens, and sailing yachts that span the full range of ages and prices, it is hard not to get swept up in the relaxing and uplifting atmosphere felt all over the island.

Return to Bridgetown and disembark after breakfast for your continued independent journeys.