On a Caribbean high
Embarks on a whistle-stop tour of the islands from the comfort of P&O cruise ship Britannia
“SEAT belt? Check. Microphone headset? Check. Right folks, let’s get this baby in the air.” And in one seamless move Frank, our very dashing pilot, left terra firma behind and we were soon swooping 500ft above the Caribbean island of Antigua in a four-seater helicopter.
From here it was a bird’s eye view of paradise: blush-coloured beaches, dancing palm trees, topaz waters and houses painted pink, blue, jade and sunshine yellow.
My husband Teorin and I were on day five of a 14-night P&O eastern Caribbean cruise trip flying into St Lucia and visiting 10 different ports, celebrating 25 years together.
Most travel guides mention Antigua’s 365 beaches. We didn’t count them but skimming the coast, soaking up the diverse natural beauty with secluded coves, tiny inlets and some beaches only accessible by boat, I’d bet my last bottle of rum there were 365 of them – at least.
It was an exhilarating history lesson from on high on the island discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493. In the hilly, far south the pilot pointed out the old colonial structures, turrets and cannons at Nelson’s Dockyard in English Harbour, the home of Admiral Nelson from 1784 to 1787 and since 2016 a Unesco World Heritage site.
We fluttered over Eric Clapton’s stunning villa at Standfast Point – sitting on a jutting headland (among the noise of the rattling rotor blades, did I really hear Frank say you can rent it for $25,000 a week?)
Towers and chimneys from former sugar plantations dotted the terrain. We swooped over Devil’s Bridge on the east, where the choppy Atlantic Ocean waves crashed through natural limestone blowholes, the sea spray spouting up into the air.
The bridge is so named because of the poor souls who threw themselves off there rather than submit to a life of slavery.
Our cabin on Britannia had floor to ceiling glass doors leading on to a balcony. We had a tea and coffee tray replenished daily by our attentive steward Romel, English plugs and bags of wardrobe space.
The ship’s extensive entertainment programme – live bands, shows of West End quality, quizzes, casino, cinema – was enough to keep the busiest of passengers engrossed.
But there was always somewhere to go to dip out of the bustle, whether it was the Serenity pool which lived up to its name; the tranquil Crow’s Nest bar or the Sunset bar at the rear of the ship which offered a mesmerising view.
We knew we should have had a better attendance record at the Secrets of a Flatter Stomach class or the Sunset Stretch and Relax session but it was too easy to stay glued to our sun loungers for a while longer.
When we did manage to energise ourselves, the Britannia’s Cookery Club Caribbean Island Roots class proved a hoot.
Under the masterful eye of chef John McManus, we learned how to make authentic jerk chicken and caramelised rum and coconut bananas – all served with a heavy pinch of fun and laughter. One interesting fact we learned: it’s easier to peel a banana from its bottom end. Try it, it really does work.
Most evenings we ate in the Meridian restaurant one of the many dining areas on board. Here you can go posh with pan-fried sea bass fillet and saffron scented mousseline potato; or plain with sirloin steak, thick-cut chips and béarnaise sauce. Every night the menu changed and the food was outstanding.
A small cover charge accessed our taste buds to the Sindhu restaurant where Michelin-star chef Atul Kochhar’s menus of slow-cooked lamb shank with saffron, yogurt and rose water and hand-dived scallops, broccoli couscous and cauliflower purée were divine.
There’s no shortage of choice here. In fact, 280 tons of food was taken on board when we left Barbados. Good job there were 190 chefs handy to cook the 16,000 meals a day for the 3,647 passengers.
Shore trips were easily booked through the ship’s excursions desk