Showtime had arrived on the sparkling Caribbean Sea – and what a joyous performance it was! The pod of playful dolphins were clearly having the time of their lives.
Leaping, somersaulting and riding the waves alongside our catamaran Kata Mambo 2, their ridiculous acrobatic antics drew cries of admiration from a riveted audience.
It was hard to believe this was only the third day of a seven-day cruise around the sun-drenched Caribbean on P&O’s newest ship, Arvia, which is a sister ship to Iona.
Arriving at Martinique, the second port of call on our island-hopping itinerary, we had disembarked from the 5,200-passenger ship for our catamaran cruise off the west coast of this chic French Caribbean isle.
After that show-stopping performance, we sailed on to Saint-Pierre, mooring up to take a stroll around the island’s first capital, once known as “the Paris of the Caribbean”.
In 1887, French painter Paul Gauguin stayed at Anse Turin, a couple of miles out of town, capturing the beauty of the island in more than a dozen paintings – we had to content ourselves with a few camera shots.
On the way back to the mother ship we dropped anchor at Anse Bellemare for a dip in the stunning white-sand bay, sharing the waters with some pelicans, dive-bombing for lunch.
Boat trips are a fun and relaxing way to get a fleeting flavour of the islands, as we discovered on an initial catamaran ride from St Kitts and Nevis, our first port of call. After working up an appetite snorkelling in the turquoise waters of Shitten Bay, an underwater paradise inhabited by parrotfish, sergeant major fish and angelfish on the southern tip of St Kitts, we steered to neighbouring Nevis.
Chilling nicely over a delicious lunch of seared tuna at Chrishi Beach Club, washed down with a cocktail or two, I could have so easily whiled away the rest of the afternoon there.
But at the Windward Island of St Lucia, our third port of call, we went full throttle, shaken not stirred, on an exhilarating speedboat ride round Marigot Bay, described by novelist James A. Michener as “the most beautiful bay in the Caribbean”.
Passing the fishing villages of Anse La Raye and Canaries we raced on to Soufriere Bay and the dramatic twin volcanic Piton peaks. And lunch at Dasheene restaurant at Ladera Resort is highly recommended, not only for its award-winning cuisine but also for the breathtaking views of the UNESCO world heritage-listed Pitons.
There was no danger of getting bored on the one sea day. With a plethora of activities on board it was a delicious dilemma just deciding what to do.
If you’ve got a head for heights there’s the adventurous Altitude Skywalk, the cruise line’s first ever high ropes experience – a dizzying series of rope walks set 177ft above the ocean.
It’s game on in Mission Control, an escape room interactive, immersive experience exclusive to Arvia.
Set in the 3D surroundings of a fictional submarine, guests work together to solve puzzles and overcome “hazards” while encountering an assortment of animated marine creatures.
Designed to sail in sunny climes, Arvia’s SkyDome boasts P&O Cruises’ first retractable glass roof, meaning guests can soak up the tropical rays poolside in the daytime, then it transforms into an entertainment venue for evening shows, DJ sets or a chance to take in a movie on the big Seascreen.
It was a tough decision but I opted for an indulgent day of R&R, making my escape in the morning to the tranquil adults-only haven of The Retreat with its own pool, loungers, day beds, light bites and refreshments on tap.
In the afternoon, tempted by the menu of treatments on offer in the Oasis Spa, I treated myself to a Thai herbal poultice massage, so wonderfully relaxing I almost drifted off.
Passing through the beribboned Grand Atrium, the elegant heart of Arvia, coffee and cake at Vistas called to me. I even squeezed in a little retail therapy trawling high end stores such as Mulberry and Pandora in The Avenue, the ship’s swish shopping area, before returning to my cabin, an airy Conservatory Mini-suite featuring an innovative lounge area between the cabin and balcony, to freshen up for dinner.
With more than 30 dining and drinking venues on board there’s something to tickle every taste bud.
Alongside fleet favourites including the exquisite Epicurean, contemporary Indian restaurant Sindhu, and Jose Pizarro’s tasty tapas menu at the Glass House (with wine pairings by resident expert Olly Smith), new local food hero and queen of Caribbean cooking Shivi Ramoutar reigns in the Beach House, bringing her passion for Caribbean cuisine to succulent dishes such as jerk chicken supreme and Jamaican beef patties.
An exciting new addition, and exclusive to Arvia, speciality restaurant Green & Co featuring sushi bar Mizuhana is a game changer offering a deliciously creative plant-based and fish menu.
Save room for the Chocolate Earth Plate dessert of chocolate and beetroot pebbles, chocolate mushrooms, tarragon jelly, chocolate soil and non-dairy vanilla gelato – a work of art that’s almost too good to eat.
New kid on the block 6th Street Diner is all about the great American food classics. Tuck into waffles, sticky pork ribs and Mississippi mud pie while the jukebox plays your favourite music tracks.
And Brits missing Sunday dinner can get their fix at Roast, served in a jumbo Yorkshire pud, a new option at fast food court The Quays.
At Barbados, our last call, we made the most of the overnight stay before our flight back to the UK the next evening. A morning al fresco yoga session in the picturesque surroundings of the Eco Lifestyle & Lodge on the Bathsheba coastline gently eased us into the day.
Barbados is the birthplace of rum and on a fascinating tour round Mount Gay Rum Distillery, the world’s oldest continuously running rum distillery, we learned how the sugarcane liquor is produced from water, yeast and molasses – and of course we couldn’t leave without a tasting session.
Arvia boasts the first rum distillery at sea, so back on board we headed to Anderson’s Bar next to the still, to continue the tasting and to raise a glass to a truly memorable trip.
Book the holiday
P&O offers a seven-night fly/cruise on Arvia departing Antigua on March 9 for Basseterre (Saint Kitts), Fort de France (Martinique), Castries (Saint Lucia) and Bridgetown (Barbados) starts at £1,348pp in an inside cabin, including flights from Heathrow. Manchester flights available. Find out more at pocruises.com.
You can also find more information at visitstkitts.com; nevisisland.com; martinique.org; stlucia.org; visitbarbados.org.
