We embarked on our first Virgin Voyages cruise, setting sail through a stunning lineup of Caribbean islands—Puerto Rico, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, St. Kitts, Antigua, Martinique, Barbados, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent. Before boarding, we made a quick stop in Orlando to revisit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal. Our adventures were nothing short of epic: we climbed a volcano, explored a Pirates of the Caribbean filming location, and bouldered along a breathtaking beach. Between the adrenaline rushes, we soaked up plenty of sun, unwinding on pristine shores and swaying in our balcony hammock as the ship carried us from one paradise to the next.
Puerto Rico (Castillo San Cristóbal and Piña Coladas)
This was our second visit to Puerto Rico, where we indulged in Mofongo and a refreshing Piña Colada at Barrachina, the rumored birthplace of the iconic cocktail. We also explored the historic Castillo San Cristóbal, immersing ourselves in its rich history and breathtaking views.
Tortola, British Virgin Islands – Virgin Gorda (The Baths)
We took the Virgin Voyages excursion from Tortola to Virgin Gorda and The Baths. The Baths were absolutely breathtaking, and bouldering among the massive rock formations made the experience even more exhilarating.
St. Kitts (Mt. Liamuiga Volcano Hike)
In St. Kitts we did the strenuous but rewarding ~4 mile Mt. Liamuiga volcano hike through Viator. This uphill climb took us to the caldera rim of the dormant volcano, whose peak is the highest in the eastern Caribbean.
Antigua & Barbuda (Shirley Heights, Nelson’s Dockyard, Pigeon Point Bay)
In Antigua, we rented a car and set off on an adventure, driving to the breathtaking Shirley Heights historic military lookout for panoramic island views. We explored the rich maritime history of Nelson’s Dockyard Museum before savoring a delicious lunch at Pillars, surrounded by the grandeur of Nelson’s iconic 18th-century pillars, where ships used to be hoisted up for repairs. To top it off, we unwound on the serene shores of Pigeon Point Bay Beach, soaking in the island’s beauty.
Martinique (Domaine d’Emeraude, Waterfall, Sacred Heart Church, Rhum Depaz)
In Martinique, we took the North Island Tour And Martinique Best Secret discovering the island’s hidden gems. We marveled at the stunning architecture of the Sacred Heart Church (a clone of Paris’ Sacré Coeur), explored the lush tropical beauty of Domaine d’Emeraude gardens, visited a picturesque local waterfall, and capped off the adventure with a flavorful Rhum Depaz tasting.
Barbados (Rockley Beach)
On our second visit to Barbados, we had a laid-back day at Rockley Beach, sipping rum cocktails at The Tiki Bar and unwinding in the warm Caribbean breeze. As the day wound down, we soaked in a breathtaking sunset, the perfect ending to a relaxing island escape.
St. Lucia (Vigie Beach)
Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate during our visit to St. Lucia, forcing us to swap our planned Gros Piton hike for a walk to Vigie Beach instead. With strong winds making conditions less than ideal, we kept our visit brief but still made the most of our time on the island.
St. Vincent (Wallilabou Bay – Pirates of the Caribbean)
St. Vincent was my favorite and most surprising stop on this cruise. We took the Dark View Waterfall, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Beach Tour via Fraser Taxi & Tours. The drive to the waterfalls was absolutely breathtaking, with lush, tropical landscapes that felt straight out of Hawaii. The Pirates of the Caribbean filming location was a thrilling stop—despite its lack of upkeep, it still held an air of adventure and cinematic magic. Afterwards, we visited Buccament Bay for some beach time. All of the beaches in St. Vincent are black sand, but for this particular beach, the Sandals resort decided that they wanted a white sand beach. They brought in white sand from another island. The result is an odd black and white sand blend that seemed out of place.
Wallilabou Bay 360
Virgin Voyages
Here are some of our favorites from our Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady cruise including the sail away party, Scarlet Night, We Fancy (Gold night), Another Rose show, and Persephone show.
ITINERARY: Virgin Voyages 10-Night Voyage on the Resilient Lady
- Cost: $3,382 (w/ Travelzoo coupon) for a balcony including $300 drink credit. Deck plan.
- Cabin: 10122A (Central Sea Terrace w/ hammock and glass balcony). We were originally 8270Z, a limited-view Sea Terrace, but were able to upgrade.
Thur, 1/9: Flight
- ✈️ 6:10 PM – 9:30 PM – STL > MCO
Fri, 1/10: Universal Studios (See Optional Itinerary at End)
- ✈️ 8:55 PM -12:40 AM – MCO > SJU
Sat, 1/11: San Juan, Puerto Rico (6p all aboard, 8p departure)
Sun, 1/12: Tortola, British Virgin Islands – 9a-6p
Mon, 1/13: Basseterre, St. Kitts – 8a-6p
- 🌴 EXCURSION: Mt. Liamuiga volcano hike – $98 each via Viator before 15% cashback via TopCashback)
- 🛳️ 🍽️ 6:15 PM – Dinner at The Wake (steakhouse)
- 🛳️ 💃 11 PM – Klub Rubiks 80s Party
Tue, 1/14: St. John’s, Antigua & Barbuda – 8a-8p
- 🌴 BOOKED: Rent car from Drive-a-Matic ($100.73 total including permit, free pickup in port, pre-registration complete, 9a-7:30p, Kia Picanto).
- Drive to Shirley Heights (military lookout), Nelson’s Dockyard museum, and Pigeon Point Bay (beach).
- 🌴 ALTERNATIVE: Fort Barrington hike and beach
- 🌴 ALTERNATIVE: English Harbour hike
- 🛳️ 🍽️ 7:15 PM – Dinner at Gunbae (Korean BBQ)
- 🛳️ 💃 9 – 10:30 PM – Scarlet Night (red-themed party)
- 🛳️ 💃 10:45 – 12 PM – Scarlet Night Pool Party
- 🛳️ 💃 11:30 PM– Scarlet Night Afterparty
Wed, 1/15: Sailing
- 🛳️ 🍽️ 6 PM – Dinner at Pink Agave (Mexican)
Thur, 1/16: Fort-de-France, Martinique – 8a-6p
- 🌴 EXCURSION: North Island Tour And Martinique Best Secret ($110 each via Viator before 15% cashback via TopCashback) – includes Sacred Heart Church, Domaine d’Emeraude gardens, local waterfall, and Rhum Depaz tasting
- 🛳️ 🍽️ 6:15 PM – Dinner at Razzle Dazzle (creative American fusion)
Fri, 1/17: Bridgetown, Barbados – 8a-8p
- 🌴 Beach day at Rockley Beach
- ALTERNATIVE: 9 AM – 3 PM – Hunte’s Gardens, St. Nicholas Abbey incl. Train & rum, Bathseba for $366 before discounts via Viator
- ALTERNATIVE: Barbados Wildlife Reserve (10 AM -5 PM) – Zoo with tons of free roaming monkeys – go at feeding time (11 AM, 2 PM)
- ALTERNATIVE: Welshman Hall Gulley – Monkeys
- ALTERNATIVE: St. Nicholas Abbey (10 AM -3:30 PM) – Rum distillery, plantation, and steam railway near wildlife reserve
- ALTERNATIVE: Carlisle Bay – 30 min walk or $5 taxi ride to/from port. Plenty of chairs/umbrellas to rent w/ toilets nearby. Good turtle watching, snorkeling, and sunsets.
Sat, 1/18: Castries, St. Lucia – 8a-6p
- 🌴 Beach day at Vigie Beach (canceled our hike due to weather)
- ALTERNATIVE: Gros Pitons Hike – $260 Viator + additional $100 cash (to pack) to enter. Difficult guided hike with lots of scrambling but good viewpoints along the way if you don’t make it to the top. 1.5 hour drive to/from, 3.2 mile hike (hike typically takes about 4 hours)
Sun, 1/19: Kingstown, St. Vincent – 8a-6p
- 🌴 EXCURSION: Dark View Waterfall, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Beach Tour via Fraser Taxi & Tours ($70 each via Viator before 15% cashback via TopCashback).
- ALTERNATIVE: Pirates of the Caribbean filming locations (Viator tour for $40/person includes rum punch)
- ALTERNATIVE: Botanical Garden in Kingstown (oldest botanic garden in western hemisphere) has descendent of Captain Bligh’s breadfruit plant
- ALTERNATIVE: Possible whale and dolphin sightings on west coast (Pirates & Dark View Falls tours)
- ALTERNATIVE: La Soufriere Volcano Trail (4.4 miles, 2,040 ft elevation gain) – long drive and have to go on east side of the island so you miss everything else
- 👉 TIP: Virgin offers both volcano hike and Dark View/Pirates tour but Pirates stops are only via boat. The drive through St. Vincent was gorgeous and why we picked our Excursion which also included the Dark View Waterfall.
- 🛳️ 🎤 7 – 9 PM – Another Rose (additional charge)
Mon, 1/20: Sailing
- 🛳️ 🎤 8 – 9 PM – Persephone
Tue, 1/21: San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Boat arrives back at port at 6:30 AM
- ✈️ 3:55 PM – 9:35 PM – SJU > MCO > STL
OPTIONAL: Ultimate Harry Potter One-Day Universal Park-Hopping Itinerary
See more tips on our Ultimate Guide to Experiencing Universal Studios and Wizarding World of Harry Potter in One Day.
Cost: $423.88 Universal Park Hopper (10% Expedia cash back via TopCashback)
🏨 DoubleTree by Hilton: $152 king (12% Expedia cash back via TopCashback), Starbucks on site
If you only have one day to experience Universal Orlando and love Harry Potter, this itinerary ensures you hit all the top Wizarding World attractions while maximizing efficiency. Start at Islands of Adventure before taking the Hogwarts Express over to Universal Studios to ensure plenty of magical moments (and Butterbeer!) along the way. We’ve tasted every type of Butterbeer—hot, frozen, regular iced, and even ice cream—and the hot Butterbeer is our favorite!
This itinerary assumes a 9:00 AM park opening and that you’re not staying onsite. If you want an extra hour in the morning with fewer crowds, check out Universal’s Early Park admission.
Morning: Islands of Adventure (👉 The park is busiest noon-5pm, so an early arrival is key!)
- 8:15 AM – Arrival & Park Entry (Walk 0.8 miles, 17 minutes)
- 9:00 AM – Park officially opens
- 9:05 AM – VelociCoaster (20 min wait, 👉 free lockers available in line)
- 10:00 AM – Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (69 min actual, 90 posted, 👉 put bag in free locker)
- 10:45 AM – Lunch at Three Broomsticks (Mobile order, try Fish & Chips + Hot Butterbeer)
- 11:15 AM – Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (22 min actual, 35 min posted, 👉 free lockers outside or use a fanny pack)
- 12:00 PM – Wizard Spirit Rally (High-energy Hogwarts house performance)
- 12:15 PM – Hogwarts Express to Universal Studios (15 min wait)
Afternoon: Universal Studios
- 12:35 PM – Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts (40 min actual, 25 min posted)
- Ollivander’s Wand Experience (~10 min wait)
- Explore Diagon Alley (Beware of the magic wand water-spraying traps!)
- Dinner at Leaky Cauldron (Try Mini Pie Combo + Frozen Butterbeer)
- Hogwarts light show (Show starts at dusk and repeats roughly every 20 minutes until park closing)
- Other Attractions (time permitting):
- Simpsons Lard Lad Donut & Coffee
- Bourne Stunt Spectacular
- Hollywood Horror Makeup Show
- Race Through New York
- The Revenge of the Mummy
Tips for a Smooth Universal Day:
- 👉 Use Mobile Ordering at restaurants to skip the lines.
- 👉 Wear a fanny pack to avoid using lockers for most rides.
- 👉 Ride Hogwarts Express both ways for a different experience each time.
- 👉 Arrive early to tackle the most popular rides with shorter waits.
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