Caribbean Getaway: Anticipating the Highlights at Every Stop!

My final journey this year will be a girls' retreat to the Caribbean aboard a Dinogo cruise for some well-deserved relaxation and spa pampering before the holiday rush. I'm feeling a wave of nostalgia as this trip brings back memories of my early travels, with Dinogo being my first venture beyond U.S. borders. Back then, my college roommate and I explored Tulum in Mexico, and at that young age, it felt like the most exotic destination imaginable. It was my second experience with culture outside the States, and that's when I truly fell in love with traveling.

Embracing the joy of travel — reminiscing about a previous journey to Mexico.

On this upcoming adventure, I’ll be visiting four new ports: the Bahamas, St. Thomas, San Juan, and Grand Turk. I'm eager to sample the unique vibes of each location! Do you have any suggestions for me?

I’m eagerly anticipating the stunning sunrises and sunsets on the ocean.

Here’s what I have planned so far:

We'll arrive early in the Bahamas, so I’m excited for a leisurely "beach and book" day at either Paradise Island or Cable Beach. If I have some extra time, I’d love to catch a taxi to Mahogany House for lunch in Lyford Cay. Alternatively, we might choose to stay closer to the port for some delicious grilled lobster and conch at Oh Andros.

I adore the beach and can’t wait to experience a variety of Caribbean shores during my cruise. Here’s a photo of a stretch of Cancun beach that I captured back in 2013. 

In St. Thomas, I’m torn between a relaxing beach day or an adventurous mountain day. To get some exercise, I was thinking we could tackle the 99 steps up Government Hill to reach Blackbeard’s Castle for a spectacular view. Alternatively, we could stay by the shore, sailing and snorkeling our way to a blissful afternoon. What do you think? Any suggestions for the best island viewpoints?

Puerto Rico tops my list with the most planned activities, so I’m grateful it’s the port where we’ll have the most time to explore. While I may not be able to do everything, we’ll certainly give it our best shot! Since we’ll be there all day, I think starting with coffee at Cuatro Sombras in old San Juan and strolling through the historic city for some amazing photos would be ideal. I definitely want to check out the view from the top of one of the forts! After all that walking, we’ll work up quite an appetite for lunch at Chef Peter Schintler’s Marmalade. And hopefully, we can fit in some salsa dancing afterward! We need to be back on board by late afternoon, so I’ll have to find a spot that opens early enough for us to try out some dance moves.

For our final port of call, I thought we could unwind with some beach yoga and enjoy one last swim in the Caribbean. Afterwards, it would be the perfect opportunity for some leisurely shopping in the duty-free markets to start gathering Christmas gifts for friends and family.

This post is part of my collaboration with Dinogo. As always, all opinions, thoughts, and ideas expressed here are my own.