If you’re on a cruise ship calling into Barbados you’ll have at most a day to explore. You can make the most of that time by arranging a hire car at the quayside and heading off into island life.
There are the sights of old Bridgetown with its pastel painted single storey homes, the Parliament buildings and the iconic Mutual Insurance building. For a relaxing afternoon, pull up a chair and order a drink at one of the bars on the Careenage. There, modern leisure facilities sit side by side with colonial architecture.
Barbados Cruise Dock Mini Guide
Why Should I go to Barbados?
Barbados has a great number of things for the tourist to do whilst there, even if you discount the beach. For a change, visit the stalactites and stalagmites in Harrison’s Cave on the cave tram then head inland to Barbados’ mahogany rainforest. If you like rum then you can visit either or both of the island’s main distilleries, Mount Gay or the Malibu Distillery. Malibu is especially unusual in that the distillery is right by a popular sandy beach adding the coconut smell of its liqueur to the scent of sun tan lotion.
How can I get to Barbados?
You can get to Barbados by plane from many destinations worldwide but you may also be very lucky and be enjoying a Caribbean cruise, calling at the island. Most cruise itineraries in the southern Caribbean call there and there is a huge dock, a mile from Bridgetown, just for the liners. Most cruise companies operate tours of different sights on the island so you are bound to have the opportunity to see some of what Barbados has to offer.
What is the Cruise Dock Like?
It’s very clean and well organised. Don’t forget that some expensive cruises call in there. As soon as you disembark, there’s a shopping mall with hundreds of Barbadian products and gifts for you to buy as well as designer labels to tempt you to part with your dollars. Once through the shopping mall you’ll come to the Pelican Craft Centre, another very well organised shopping experience.
If you don’t have a tour organised with your ship – and they can be expensive, you can get a local taxi to take you around or, if you feel confident of your surroundings you can also arrange for a hire car to be ready at the docks so you can explore independently.
Car Rental Cruise Dock (Barbados) Useful Links: