Martinique and Caribbean Cruise – Intro and Planning

Over the next few weeks Christina and I will be creating brand new content related to our latest trip to Martinique and Caribbean cruise in March 2025! This trip had a few unexpected twists and turns that led to a very memorable experience. We will detail the entire adventure, from planning all the way to the unexpected ending.  

Let us jump right into it with how we constructed our trip from the flights to the excursions that we chose.

First, the Cruise:

Christina and I started planning our trip with the intention of going on a Mediterranean cruise sometime around mid-May.  While on board the MSC Seascape last year we booked a cruise on the MSC World Europa for May 2025 (see Travel Tip #1 below).  However, due to some changes at work, we ended up needing to move from the mid-May timeline. We decided to try and find something for the later part of March because we already had a few trips planned in the summer of 2025.

We ended up choosing an itinerary with the MSC Virtuosa that went to a few Caribbean islands that we have not been to. Here is a breakdown of the itinerary:

We initially chose a two-story duplex room with Yacht Club. We were excited to get this room because it came with a separate bedroom and living room area as well as a personal hot tub on the deck.

Sometimes cruise companies will offer the opportunity to bid on upgrades for unsold rooms. We had the opportunity to bid on the Royal Suite. This was a unique opportunity for Christina and I to get an amazing room upgrade, possibly for a discount. We put in our bid and won! We will do a detailed review of the room and ship in the coming weeks.

Flights:

You know what they say about making assumptions, right? Your instincts are probably correct!

Our first misstep of this trip came from the flights. Our cruise left on a Saturday, and we assumed we would fly into Martinique on Friday. We never imagined that flights to the island would be so limited. From the US there are only a handful of flights per day and to Martinique, there are only 3 days per week that you can get on a flight from the US. What we learned later was that there are daily flights from Europe because this is a French island. This caused us to have to leave on the Thursday before, which meant more time off work, increased expenses with lodging, however at least we would have an additional day to spend on the island.

We came upon the same issue for the post cruise flights as well, so we had to stay an extra day at the back end of the cruise. We tend to do this anyway so that was not as big of a deal, at least that is what we thought. More on that later.

We ended up choosing a flight from Cincinnati to Martinique with American Airlines. They had the best flight times, and we were able to get first-class tickets for a reasonable price.

Pre and Post Cruise Lodging:

When we go on a cruise, we like to stay an extra day before and after the cruise. This makes the pre & post cruise days less hectic. At least that is what usually happens.

When choosing a place to stay remember location, location, location. Proximity to the cruise port, dining, and entertainment are all things to take into consideration.

We had never been to Martinique, so we spent a significant amount of time researching and ended up choosing the Simon Hotel in Fort de France. More on the hotel and Fort de France in the coming weeks.

Excursions:

Excursions are an important part of your trip and should be researched prior to booking.  Some of our excursions we booked through the cruise company and some we booked on our own (see Travel Tip #2 below).  Below is a breakdown of what we did at each port.

• Pre-Cruise Fort – de- France, Martinique
  • Martinique Best Secret – Booked with Viator
• Pointe de Pitre, Guadeloupe
  • Botanical Gardens and Beach – Booked with MSC
• Road Town Virgin Islands (BVI)
  • “The Baths” on Virgin Gorda – Booked with MSC
• Phillipsburg, St. Marteen
  • Shopping in Port
• Basseterre, St Kitts &Nevis
  • Sunny Blue Rentals – Direct Booking with company
• St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda
  • Panoramic Antigua & Beach – Booked with MSC

We had some great experiences as well as some truly terrible experiences on this trip. Detailed reviews of each experience will be posted in the coming weeks as well.

Travel Tips:

1. Cruise lines typically have some sort of incentive available if you book another cruise with them while on board. This may include reduced deposits on your next trip, increased onboard spending credits and/or a percentage of the total cost of the cruise. In addition, the cruise ships may offer other rewards while onboard such a raffle for those who have booked a future cruise. These raffles include prizes ranging from free future cruises to free extra onboard credit to spend on the ship. Discussions with the future cruise consultants can be less stressful if you do some preliminary research on a cruise you are interested in before meeting with them. Before our MSC cruise from Martinique we had decided to book a family trip, going on a Mediterranean cruise next June. By booking during our current cruise, we were able to secure a 10% discount, increased on board credit amounts and a reduced deposit.
2. Do your research when booking excursions.  Sometimes the best option is to go through your cruise company. This will ensure the ship will not leave without you behind but beware, these excursions can at times be a bit crowded. Another option is to book an independent provider. The cost can vary with these independently booked excursions, but they can allow you to book a private experience or ensure there are less people on your excursion.  We tend to prefer booking an excursion outside of the cruise company for a variety of reasons including cost, less people, flexible timing, and an overall more enjoyable experience.