A Fine Balance

With a ship this smart, what is a cruise aficionado to do in ports of call? Go ashore or stay onboard? That is the question.

- BY KLARA GLOWCZEWSKA PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDERS OVERGAARD

I knew I was in trouble the moment I boarded Explora II, Explora Journeys’ newest ship, in Bridgetown, Barbados, last March for my onboard reconnaissance. We were setting off that evening on a seven-night, six-day, five-island cruise in the Caribbean. Except on our final day, which would be spent at sea, we would wake every morning in a new port, to a new landscape. The lineup was stellar: Saint Lucia, Martinique, Bequia in the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Grenada, with final disembarkation in San Juan. On two islands our arrival would coincide with Carnival.

In the Caribbean I'm usually a dolce far niente kind of traveler—I decide on an island and let my days there unfold. But here was my chance to go places I hadn’t been, and to explore. So I applied myself somewhat maniacally to the planning of my off-ship adventures. Among the five islands, there were 31 “destination experiences” to consider. And they ran the gamut: arduous or easy, culture or nature, short or long, morning or afternoon. Could I fit two into one day? Should I spring for the private helicopter tour? Or for one with a private vehicle and guide, available at several stops (booked in advance)? Dilemmas resolved, dies cast, I made my reservations.

And then the ship tour began. I noted the four pools; the wide daybeds and curtained cabanas; the indoor and outdoor fitness areas; the six restaurants; 12 bars and lounges; five “infinity whirlpools” (see sidebar below); the chef's kitchen; the running track; the spa and its thermal area (hydrotherapy pool, sauna, steam room, ice fall, salt cave...). The guest-to-crew ratio is 1:1.25, I was told. There is 24-hour in-suite dining.