An area previously known for colonization, pirates, and slavery, the Caribbean is now synonymous with paradise. A short flight away from most places in North and South America, you can be laying on a tranquil beach sipping on a cold Mojito in no time.

Having peaked at the beaches during my last Central America trip, I was excited to see more. Our upcoming family vacation cruise was the perfect opportunity to check off some of those isolated island states on my mission to see all the countries in the world.

We booked the Carnival Victory departing from Puerto Rico. This is the cruise itinerary.
Day 1: Saint Thomas – A US Virgin Island.
Day 2: Full day on the boat, sailing to the next destination.
Day 3: Barbados, an independent nation and country 43.
Day 4: Saint Lucia, another independent nation and country 44.
Day 5: Saint Kitts and Nevis, the last independent nation of our trip and country 45.
Day 6: Saint Martin, a Dutch and French shared island.
Day 7: Back to Puerto Rico, a US territory island.

Surprisingly, a cruise is a convenient mode of speed tourism. A day in each country… just the way I like it.

We also had a couple of days to explore Puerto Rico before the cruise and one day after. All in all, traveling with a large group of 9 on such an extensive itinerary was going to be challenging. I can’t wait!

Follow along for the trip experience!