Disco Inferno 3 is staying in the Mediterranean for winter 2011/12, if you are interested in Caribbean Cruise please contact us and we'll find you another suitable boat. If you're unsure which area or island to pick, read a little about the islands, see which take your fancy and decide how much sailing you want to do, then let us know and we can create the perfect week itinerary for you and your friends.
We've included a few sample itineraries for 1 week & 2 week charters, click links at the bottom of this page to get a taster of what's available to you.
Islands are listed from the North West going East & South
British Virgin Islands - This collection of Islands are, what has become, the most popular cruising waters of the Caribbean. The Sir Frances Drake Channel offers flat sailing waters and trade winds slighty lighter than the rest of the Caribbean, this gets the vote from most people for a relaxed cruising holiday. The short sails from Island to Island take only a few hours, this means you can see one place for lunch and another for the night or get in early leaving you with the rest of the day to enjoy what the new destination has on offer. The BVI's have some truly unmissable sights, The Baths are without a doubt the best snorkeling waters in the BVIs or perhaps the whole Caribbean, the RMS Rhone is a must do dive for the SCUBA enthusiast, the caves in Norman Island offer something to the more adventurous swimmers & snorkellers, Anegada is a truly beautiful coral island that has to be seen, The Willy T floating bar will undoubtedly bring out your wild side, then there are the legendary Full Moon parties at Bomba's or Trellis Bay. You can easily pass a week or two here island hopping.
St Martin - The Friendly Island! Half French & Half Dutch, it really is something quite different. With the Dutch Side housing a giant lagoon that has some 7 marinas in it that dock some of the largest mega yachts in the World is a sight in itself. Being the big Duty Free Island in the West Indies, Philipsburg is where to do all your souvenir and tax-free shopping. The Island boasts many great restaurants with plenty of entertainment. There is also the famous Sunset Beach Bar which at the end of the runway and is as close to a 747 takeoff & landing you'll ever get! Who needs a spa when you can get sand blasted down the beach, one of the funniest things you'll see. The water around St Martin is stunning and the beauty of it still fascinates me now as we pass over the rocks & reefs only meters below us. Then only 15 miles away is the beautiful Island of St Barths.
St Barths - Where the beautiful people are. Open any gossip mag after the New Year period and you'll see a list of celebs spotted in St Barths, it is THE spot in the Caribbean where the famous are most frequently spotted. St Barths is French and this is obvious not only by the French style of Gustavia but also in the cuisine. With several beautiful anchorages that offer crystal clear waters and great snorkeling, a turtle sighting is never far away. There is also a great dive on a large motor yacht that was wrecked in a hurricane.
Antigua & Barbuda - Boasts 365 beaches, one for everyday of the year, this Island has enough wonderful anchorages you could cruise here for a month without going to the same place twice. A favourite spot has to be the beautiful untouched Island of Barbuda that has a beach 11 miles long! Princess Diana used to holiday in one of the two very exclusive hotels here. Nelson's Dockyard in English Harbour is full of history, Admiral Nelson actually based himself here. Shirley Heights Lookout and it's famous Sunday night Steel Band & Jump Up is an absolute must, if you're lucky enough you might even get to see the active Volcano Montserrat smoking on the horizon. There is certainly a lot to fit in here.
Nevis, St Kitts, Statia & Saba - Four separate Islands that are described in one of the guide books as 'Islands that touch the Clouds'. These four Islands offer true Caribbean life and are still hardly touched by tourism and expats. The diving on Saba is rated as the best in the Caribbean although the anchorage is only for a few boats so you have to hope to be lucky or take a dive boat over from St Martin. St Kitts is home to several Plantation Houses and it also has the Caribbean's only steam train that runs across the Island for tourists. Nevis is home to the famous Four Seasons Resort, you can buy day passes to use the facilities which is popular with the big power boats, or just chill at Sunshine’s beach bar next door.
Guadeloupe - This large, very French Island encompasses the smaller islands of The Saintes & Marie Galiante all within easy day-sail distance. My favourite has to be The Saintes which are several islands with hardly any inhabitants and if you're lucky an anchorage that you can have to yourself. On Guadeloupe the main marina is in Point a Pitre is where the Route de Rhum solo ocean race finishes and you often get to see a large triamaran or two docked there. Guadeloupe also boasts the tallest peak in the West Indies.
Dominica - Popular with cruise ship tourists for it’s rainforest and eco friendly Island ways, parts of Pirates of The Caribbean 2 were shot here and if you're lucky the dozing whale that we often pass, might just pop in our path. Best seen in passing as you can only fill a day or two but its worth it.
Martinique - Another French Island, and the famous Volcano Mount Pele, that when it erupted in the early 1900s it wiped out the entire town below other than the one prisoner they had in jail who was found still alive in his cell. As an island it offers many safe anchorages and beautiful beaches. Scenes from the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair with Pierce Brosnan were shot there.
St Lucia - Home of the Pitons, surrounded in rainforests, it is a very lush Island. Marigot Bay is a fabulous hurricane hole with a new marina and a new resort called Discovery Bay, that boasts some amazing new restaurants, The Rainforest Hideaway is definitely worth a visit if not for dinner then just to it's ambient champagne cocktail bar. Rodney Bay is a large safe marina and hosts the finish of the ARC rally in December welcoming some 225 boats that have sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to reach the Caribbean, StLucia being their first sighting of land.
St Vincent & The Grenadines - This group of Islands is for the more adventurous sailors, the trade winds blow harder and the seas between islands are full on Atlantic swells, they don't have the same protection as the BVIs but they are a real taste of a Robinson Crusoe Caribbean Island. These Islands really are un spoilt, the Tobago Cays have the best snorkeling and a perfect horseshoe reef, you can get a local guy to cook you fresh lobster on the beach, To windward just outside the reef lies Jack Sparrow's Island, from the 1st Pirates of the Caribbean, if you get a calm day a visit by RIB is just possible. Mustique is a stunning celebrity clad island, you can party in Basil's Bar or enjoy a sundowner up at the Firefly and watch the sunset over the anchorage or wander round the island trying to spot the Jaggers & the Hilfigers. On St Vincent part of the set from Pirates of Caribbean still stands and the local boat boys all claim to have been extras. The Grenadines are, for me, the Caribbean you dream of, the palm trees lining the white sand beaches, balmy trade winds and turquoise blue seas.
Grenada - Known as Spice Island, Grenada was devastated by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 but has seen huge investments since, there is still evidence of the devastation but the island has recovered well and the locals have welcomed the new money coming in with new resorts and marinas being built down the west coast. Trips to the rainforest and waterfalls are very enjoyable and good tour guides are wildly available, one of the waterfalls featured in the film Cocktail with Tom Cruise. Take your swimwear for a refreshing dip while being watched by the monkeys!
I've just picked out some of the things that I think make the Caribbean special, there is plenty more to see and do.........
