Thursday Feb. 24 – San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

If you associate Puerto Rico's capital with the colonial streets of Old San Juan, then you know only part of the picture. San Juan is a major metropolis, radiating out from the bay on the Atlantic Ocean that was discovered by Juan Ponce de León. More than a third of the island's nearly 4 million citizens proudly call themselves sanjuaneros. The city may be rooted in the past, but it has its eye on the future. Locals go about their business surrounded by colonial architecture and towering modern structures. By 1508 the explorer Juan Ponce de León had established a colony in an area now known as Caparra, southeast of present-day San Juan..

Saturday Feb. 25 – Gustavia, St. Barthelemy, Guadeloupe, French West Indies. 

Hilly St. Barthélemy, popularly known as St. Barth (or St. Barts) is just 8 square miles (21 square km), but the island has at least 20 good beaches. What draws visitors is its sophisticated but unstudied approach to relaxation: the finest food, excellent wine, high-end shopping, and lack of large-scale commercial development. A favorite among upscale cruise-ship passengers, who also appreciate the shopping opportunities and fine dining, St. Barth isn't really equipped for mega-ship visits, which is why most ships calling here are from smaller premium lines. This is one place where you don't need to take the ship's shore excursions to have a good time. 

Sunday Feb. 26 – St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.

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Antigua’s capital, with some 45,000 inhabitants (approx half the island’s population), lies at sea level at the inland end of a sheltered northwestern bay. Although it has been seen better days, a couple of notable historic sights and some good waterfront shopping areas make it worth a visit.  At the far south end of town, where Market Street forks into Valley and All Saints roads, haggling goes on every Friday and Saturday, when locals jam the Public Market to buy and sell fruits, vegetables, fish and spices. Ask before you aim a camera; your subject may expect a tip. This is old-time Caribbean shopping, a jambalaya of sights, sounds and smells. 

Monday Feb. 27 – Roseau, Dominica.  

Although its one of the smallest capitals in the Caribbean, Roseau has the highest concentration of inhabitants of any town in the eastern Caribbean. Caribbean vernacular architecture and a bustling marketplace transport visitors back in time. Although you can walk the entire town in about an hour, you will 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. Several interesting buildings have already been restored.

Tuesday Feb. 28 – Bequia, St. Vincent and Grenadines.

Bequia is a Carib word meaning “island of the cloud”. Hilly and green with several golden-sand beaches, Bequia is 9 miles south of St. Vincent’s southwestern shore; with a population of 5,000, it's the largest of the Grenadines. Although boatbuilding, whaling and fishing have been the predominant industries here, sailing has now become almost synonymous with Bequia. Admiralty Bay is favored anchorage for both privately owned and chartered yachts. Lodgings range from comfortable resorts and villas to cozy West Indian style inns. Bequia’s airport and the frequent ferry service from St. Vincent make this a favorite destination for day-trippers.

Wednesday Mar. 1 - Bridgetown, Barbados

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This 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.

Thursday Mar. 2 - St. George’s, Grenada

Nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa those heady aromas fill the air in Grenada. Only 21 miles long and 12 miles wide, the Isle of Spice is a tropical gem of lush rain forest, 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, St. George’s Harbour is one of the most picturesque harbours and Grenada’s Grand Anse Beach is one of the finest beaches. The island has friendly, hospitable people and enough good shopping, restaurants, historic sites, and natural wonders to make it a popular port of call.

Friday Mar. 3 - Castries, St. Lucia, West Indies

With a lush interior featuring towering mountains, dense rain forest, fertile valleys, and acres of banana plantations, St. Lucia is mostly distinguishable by the Pitons - twin peaks that soar high above the ocean floor on the southwest coast. Whether you stay in Soufrière, in the north in or around Rodney Bay Village, or even farther north at Cap Estate, exploring the iconic natural sights and local history in Soufrière is a day well spent. Except for a small area in the extreme northeast, one main highway circles all of St. Lucia. The road snakes along the coast, cuts across mountains, makes hairpin turns and sheer drops and reaches dizzying heights. It takes at least four hours to drive the whole loop.

Saturday Mar. 4 - Les Saintes, Guadeloupe, French West Indies

This small group of islands lies opposite the western part of Guadeloupe. They were discovered in November 1493 by Columbus who named them Los Santos. French settlers established themselves in 1648 and changed the name to Iles des Saintes, commonly known as Les Saintes. Since then the islands have been closely connected with Guadeloupe. Until a recent influx of tourism, Les Saintes were among the Caribbean’s most unspoiled destinations. Only two of the eight islands are inhabited: Terre-des-Bas and
Terre-de-Haut. The latter is known for its impressive Fort Napoleon built in the early 19th century to replace an earlier 17th century fort.

Sunday Mar. 5 - Basseterre, St. Kitts, St. Kitts and Nevis

Mountainous St. Kitts, the first English settlement in the Leeward Islands, crams some stunning scenery into its 65 square miles (168 square km). Vast, brilliant green fields of sugarcane (the former cash crop, now slowly being replanted) run to the shore. 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. St. Kitts and Nevis, along with Anguilla, achieved self-government as an associated state of Great Britain in 1967.

Monday Mar. 6 - Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

The bustling capital of the BVI 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. For sightseeing brochures and the latest information on everything from taxi rates to ferry schedules, stop in at the BVI Tourist Board office. Or just choose a seat on one of the benches in Sir Olva Georges Square, on Waterfront Drive, and watch the people come and go from the ferry dock and customs office across the street.

Tuesday Mar. 7

Disembarkation and Traveling back to Canada to enjoy the last of our Canadian Winter.