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(as of Aug 02, 2024 18:51:21 UTC – Details)
There are many who view the Caribbean as nothing more than a collection of islands with lush vegetation, sandy beaches and warm tropical weather. So many people dream of a vacation in this paradise, but one in which they simply wish to enjoy the sun and sea, eat well in one of the many resorts and simply “chill,” as the expression goes. What so many people tend to either forget or ignore is the fact that these islands are steeped in 500 years of history and they express a combination of cultures, offering a great degree of diversity. The original native inhabitants have all but disappeared, replaced by the descendants of the great European powers who came to exploit the riches of the islands. And they imported slaves from Africa to grow sugar cane, spices and tropical fruits.
Today’s Eastern Caribbean is a matrix of Spanish, French, British, Dutch, Danish and Swedish colonial settlement veneer over a population that descends from the vast numbers of African slaves who worked the land. There are distinct layers of culture that make this a rich land, one offering great color and flavor.
In this book, the Eastern Caribbean is presented from the perspective of what the cruise passenger can experience during one-day port calls on a variety of cruise itineraries. The islands are far flung and it is difficult to visit by air and experience more than a couple of cultures without incurring mounting fares. Few inter island ferries exist and thus aviation makes island hopping possible but at a horrendous cost. The cruise, however, enables you to visit numerous island nations based upon the various lengths of the itineraries.
