This lens will give an overview of this destination, feature some of the shore excursions, offer a traveler's toolbox to help your pre-cruise planning, and give you photos and videos to help you see in advance some of the sights you will enjoy in Barbados.
This lens is one of a series that the author is providing on over twenty cruise destinations in the Caribbean. Each lens will include general information on the destination, suggested shore excursions, and video and photographic illustrations where appropriate.
Welcome To Barbados
The port is right next to the entrance to the city, making it convenient to do a walking tour if you so desire. Once you get off the ship you will enter through the Cruise Terminal building which houses a market area. Some "shoppers" have a hard time getting out of this area.
Cruise Terminal Shops
The tour buses and cruise excursions start just outside the Cruise Terminal building. If you already have your excursion destinations chosen and are ticketed you will go straight to your transportation and leave on the excursion.If you choose, you can also purchase shore excursions on your own. There is never a lack of vendors. You need a little bit more of an adventuresome spirit to go out on your own, but I find it gratifying.
A Brief Review of Barbados
Barbados (), situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent West Indian Continental Island-nation in the western Atlantic Ocean. For over three centuries Barbados was under British rule and maintains Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. Located at roughly 13° North of the equator and 59° West of the prime meridian, it is considered a part of the Lesser Antilles. Its closest island neighbours are Saint Vincent & the Grenadines and Saint Lucia to the west. To the south lies Trinidad and Tobago?with which Barbados now shares a fixed official maritime boundary?and also the South American mainland. Barbados's total land area is about 430 square kilometres (166 square miles), and is primarily low-lying, with some higher in the country's interior. The highest point in Barbados is Mount Hillaby in the parish of Saint Andrew.
The geological composition of Barbados is of non-volcanic origin, predominantly limestone-coral. After the break of South America from Africa in the Mesozoic, a reef formed; and during the Cenozoic, as the Caribbean plate kept pushing the South American plate westward, the two plates pushed up the reef.J Rajj, Barbados Geology, at Geo World
The island's climate is tropical, with constant trade winds off the Atlantic Ocean serving to keep temperatures mild. Some less developed areas of the country contain tropical woodland and mangroves. Other parts of the interior which contribute to the agriculture industry are dotted with large sugarcane estates and wide, gently sloping pastures, with panoramic views down to the coast also.
Barbados's Human Development Index ranking is consistently among the top 75 countries in the world. For example, in 2006, it was ranked 31st in the world, and third in the Americas, behind Canada and the United States.
Local Tour Bus
Map of Barbados
Carnival Destiny
When we made the stop in Barbados, I was cruising on the Carnival Destiny. However, as I looked around the dock area, it was filled with ships from many different cruise lines, attesting to the popularity of this cruise destination.There was the Ocean Village Two, The Freewinds, The Norgwegian Jewel, one of the Celebrity ships and a Pulmantur Cruises ship. In addition there were a number of smaller, lesser known ships.
You can see the Ocean Village Two at the rear and to the left side of the Carnival Destiny.
Suggested Shore Excursions
Remember that you can always see the rest on your NEXT cruise to Barbados. I am listing a few of the shore excursions listed by Carnival cruise lines below. The full list of over twenty excursions can be found HERE.
- A Flavor of Barbados: 3.5 hours New! Get a fantastic overview of Barbados with this combination tour visiting the rum distillery, the Sunbury Plantation House, and a mahogany-carving factory.
- Aerial Trek Zipline Adventure: 2.75 hours Feel the exhilaration as you soar throught the treetops of Barbados. Your adventure begins with a scenic motor coach ride to the home base where you'll be outfitted with saftey gear.
Atlantis Submarine: 2.5 hours Experience an up close and personal view of the waters surrounding Barbados in a 48-person submarine called the Atlantis.- Harrison's Cave Tour: 2.5 hours Explore this unique natural phenomenon known as Harrison's Cave. PLEASE NOTE: CLOSED JULY-NOVEMBER.
- Mountain Bike Adventure & Swim: 4 hours Biking, sightseeing and swimming . . . this combination excursion has it all!
Tiami Sunset Catamaran: 3 hours Sail along Barbados' Picturesque west coast and experience one of the world's most beautiful sunsets. Step aboard a luxury Tiami catamaran amid the sound of steel drums and island rhythms. Enjoy tropical cocktails from the open bar along with tasty hors d'oeuvres. Feel pampered as you relax and enjoy the gentle evening breeze with the backdrop of a colorful tropical sunset and watch the stars of the night sky begin to twinkle.
Ocean Village Two cruise ship.
Barbados Tourism Commercial
Barbados Tourism Commercial
Gorgeous Barbados. It truly is authentic
Runtime: 2:55
82993 views
10 Comments:
Cruise Trip Toolbox
"Know Before You Go"
- Universal Currency Converter
- Check out the current exchange rates before you sail.
- Latest Customs Restrictions & General Information
- Get the latest Customs warnings, regulations, etc.
- Foreign Entry Requirements
- Different situations require different documents. Please become familiar with the specific document requirements for the country(s) you are visiting. More information on these documents can be found here.
- Travel Advisories
- Travel documentation requirements and international travel reminders.
- U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings
- Get the latest U.S. Department of State travel warnings at this site.
Barbado's Coat of Arms
History of Barbados
===Etymology===
According to accounts by descendants of the aboriginal Arawak tribes on other local islands, the original name for Barbados was Ichirouganaim.
The origin of the name "Barbados" is controversial. The Portuguese, en route to Brazil are credited as the first European nation to discover and name the island. They dubbed the island Los Barbados, which was Portuguese for the Bearded Ones. It is a matter of conjecture whether the word "bearded" refers to the long, hanging roots of the bearded fig-tree (Ficus citrifolia), indigenous to the island, to bearded Caribs inhabiting the island, or to the foam spraying over the outlying reefs giving the impression of a beard. In 1519, a map produced by the Genoese mapmaker Vesconte de Maggiola showed and named Barbados in its correct position north of the island of Tobago. On some historic maps the island has also been spelled as Barbadoes."Note Barbados was already inhabited thousands of years before the europeans came.Some of the oldest documented
remains were found in St Lucy the northern part of the island,
which dates back over 3000 years.
Further Helpful Sources For Barbados Information
Frommer's Caribbean Ports of Call (Frommer's Complete)
The ship is only half of the cruise experience--the other half is the time you spend ashore. Frommer's Caribbean Ports of Call offers the most complete guide to all the ports, with a critical, insider's look at all the organized shore excursions offered by the cruise lines themselves, Since it usually makes more sense to explore on your own, we'll take you to all the best beaches, golf, water sports, shopping, dining, and casinos--the attractions and activities that can easily fit into your limited time, starting from the cruise docks. You may only have a few hours, but we'll make sure you know exactly how to hit the highlights on your own. You'll also get a complete rundown of all the major ports of embarkation and maps of each destination.
Amazon Price: $12.23 (as of 07/06/2009) 
Barbados: Meeting the Challenge of Competitiveness in the 21st Century
Indicators point to the need for Barbados to reverse recent losses in competitiveness in international markets, a challenge that the country is fortunately well positioned to meet. In this book, experts discuss the different aspects of the issue and advance specific proposals for addressing the competitiveness challenge facing Barbados.
Amazon Price: $18.00 (as of 07/06/2009)
Behind the Smile: The Working Lives of Caribbean Tourism
Behind the Smile is an inside look at the world of Caribbean tourism as seen through the working lives of 21 men and women who work in the tourist industry in Barbados. The workers come from every level of tourism, from maid to hotel manager, beach gigolo to taxi driver, red cap to diving instructor. Moving through the various sites in which "hosts" and "guests" meet-airport, hotel, beach, and tourist attractions-these highly personal accounts offer insight into complex questions surrounding tourism. The narratives touch on issues such as how race shapes interactions between tourists and workers, how tourists may become agents of cultural change, the meaning of sexual encounters between locals and tourists, and the real economic and ecological costs of development through tourism. George Gmelch offers an engaging introduction to the history of tourism in the Caribbean and recent research on tourism, development, and cross-cultural communication. This lively book will intrigue students, scholars, and all readers interested in the social and cultural aspects of travel. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Amazon Price: $17.95 (as of 07/06/2009)
The Parish Behind God's Back: The Changing of Rural Barbados
In the eastern Caribbean the expression "behind God's back" refers to a place that is remote or far away. In this book, the authors look at the changing face of village life in St. Lucy, Barbados' northern and most rural parish. What they find are people whose lives are fully connected to the outside world. One of the first things any visitor to the island notices are youths in baseball caps and T-shirts sporting the names and logos of American teams. Switching on the television, it is easier to find an American sitcom than a Caribbean program. In conversation, it soon becomes apparent that nearly every villager has a relative living overseas and that many have themselves traveled to New York, Toronto, and London. And all Barbadians are aware that the health of their economy depends on decisions made beyond their shores. The Parish Behind God's Back is informed by the authors' research and experiences directing an anthropology field school in Barbados since 1983.
Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 07/06/2009)
Natural Rebels: A Social History of Enslaved Black Women in Barbados
Amazon Price: $23.95 (as of 07/06/2009)
Other Caribbean Destinations
-
Caribbean Cruise Destinations: U.S. Virgin Islands
-
If you plan to take an Eastern Caribbean cruise on any of the Cruise Lines, you will probably be visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands. St. Thomas seems to be a primary stop for all of these cruises. This island is noted for its duty free shopping and man...
-
Caribbean Cruise Destinations: Saint Lucia
-
The entrance to the cruise ship docks in St. Lucia is one of the most beautiful in the Caribbean. To the left of the cruise ship as it enters the harbor, you see a jetty of land with the airport runway literally ending at a precipice adjoining the s...
-
Caribbean Cruise Destinations: Antigua and Barbuda
-
The tourism videos emphasize that Antigua and Barbuda are like twin gems in a turquoise sea. This is one cruise destination you don't want to miss, especially if you like the beaches. The seas around the islands are perfect for sailing and once a ye...
-
Caribbean Cruise Destinations: Jamaica
-
Jamaica is one of the largest Caribbean Islands, lying South of Cuba and Southwest of Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic). It was inhabited by the Arawak Indians at the time of Columbus' first visit. by Columbus. The Spanish controlled the isla...
-
Caribbean Cruise Destinations: St. Kitts and Nevis
-
Historically, St. Kitts is noted as being the first successful British colony in the West Indies, having been settled in 1624. [For perspective, this is the same year that many of the Dutch were settling New Amsterdam (New York) in the U.S. area]. Th...
It's Your Turn Now!
I intend to continue adding more material to this lens. Any suggestions as to items of information that would benefit you that I do not have already, let me know with a brief comment here.
WorldVisionary wrote...
Nice lens - thanks for joining the Everything Caribbean Group!
Posted September 26, 2008
by anthropos
Hello, My name is Lamar
(better known as "anthropos" on Squidoo).
I am certified by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)as a "Master Cr...
