Bridgetown, Barbados
We explored Barbados while in port with Norwegian Viva, and there’s so much to see across this beautiful eastern Caribbean island, but our MORE AT SEA package with Norwegian cruise lines had us covered!
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For our day in port at Bridgetown, Barbados, we booked Norwegian Cruise Line’s “Let’s Take a Selfie” shore excursion. This four-hour bus tour through some of Barbados’ most popular attractions was listed (at the time of booking) for $109.00 USD/per adult and $89.00 USD/per child. With Norwegian’s More at Sea Package, we received a $50.00 USD shore excursion credit for the first guest on our cruise reservation.
We arrived in port on a beautiful spring day at 7:00 a.m. with Norwegian Cruise Lines. With only one day in Barbados (7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., technically), we wanted to see as many of the sights & historic landmarks as we could, so we knew this was the shore excursion for us. Our excursion was scheduled from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m, (with a meeting time in port of 8:30 a.m.) and here’s a recap of how we spent our day in Barbados as well as everything you can expect from Norwegian’s Let’s Take a Selfie – Barbados shore excursion:
Waterfront Promenade, Bridgetown
For our first stop we visited the heart of Barbados, its capital and largest city and a Historic UNESCO World Heritage site, Bridgetown. Located near the Constitution River, Bridgetown is just a short drive from port.
If you’re into history, then this is a stop you will enjoy. The City’s majestic Parliament Buildings are a striking example of neo-gothic architecture and date back to the 1800’s. Constructed of coral limestone and adorned with green cast-iron railings, this is the oldest Parliament in the Commonwealth Nations and the third oldest in the world. The original Parliament Buildings were built in the 1640’s and sadly burned to the ground as a casualty in the Bridgetown Fire of 1668. Parliament’s current rendition was completed in 1874, and it has been standing ever since.
We honestly felt as if we were somewhere in England and not the Caribbean for a moment. We saw so much of London’s influence on these gorgeous buildings, and they even have their very own “Mini Big Ben” with their lovely clock tower & fortress which were both absolutely magnificent! Beautiful, no doubt in their own right but perhaps The Parliament Buildings stand out even more prominently due to the fact that they are in such strong contrast to their surroundings.
Travel Tip: Tours of The Parliament Buildings are not included with your shore excursion. They cost $10.00 USD/per person, include both houses (Senate and Assembly) and last from 30-40 minutes, and we’ve added this to our must-do on our next visit!
Both the city and the waterfront are very clean and walkable. There are plenty of pedestrian walkways, benches, and shade can be found throughout, and we spent much of our time on this stop walking and photographing the beauty of Bridgetown. We enjoyed exploring the wharf, lined with colorful buildings, monuments and yachts. There is plenty of shopping and dining available as well as free public restrooms.
Bathsheba Beach, Saint Joseph
After we explored the waterfront promenade of Bridgetown, we traveled to the rocky east coast of Barbados known as, “the soup bowl,” Bathsheba Beach. This was our second stop on our Norwegian Cruise Lines excursion.
Bathsheba is a unique destination known for its prime surfing conditions and sparkling white-sand beaches. Here, gigantic waves crash into massive coral rock formations lining the palm tree covered beachfront.
Travel Tip: Restaurants in Bathsheba are closed on Sundays and Mondays, so plan ahead!
Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Bathsheba is a unique destination with strong under currents and not suitable for swimming. We were literally taken back by the roar of the sea. Although swimming may not be on the agenda, this works out to your benefit as there never seem to be many people around. This makes the area perfect for picnics, and there’s nothing like a peaceful walk along Bathsheba’s beaches where you can feel the sea breeze in your hair and the sand in your feet.
This stunning spot is postcard perfect, and a photographers dream! Every photo we took was “screensaver worthy!” We simply couldn’t get enough of the dramatic beachfront & the surrounding fishing village.
Travel Tip: Our guide shared that in the summer, this area is famous for its Rum Punch Parties.
After some time exploring the shoreline and souvenir shopping with local vendors, a storm swiftly rolled in and sadly, they had to drag us away.
Cherry Tree Hill, Saint Andrew
At 850’ above sea level, Cherry Tree Hill is part of the Nicholas Abbey Plantation & it offers spectacular panoramic views of the rolling hills & lush vegetation of the “Scotland District” of Barbados.
We learned from our guide that the drive to this scenic hilltop was once flanked by cherry trees, thus the reason for its name, but that they were replaced with Mahogany Trees after the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763. There is also a lovely train, the St Nicholas Abbey Heritage Railway, that takes visitors to the top of the hill.
Local vendors were present during our visit, so it was another great spot to grab a few souvenirs of our time in Barbados.
Animal Flower Cave, St. Lucy
Our final stop, Animal Flower Cave was the reason we booked this excursion with Norwegian Cruise Lines & had Barbados on our bucket list. Named for its sea anemones, this unique & accessible sea cave is located at the most northern point of Barbados. Here, a guided trek down coral steps takes visitors inside this natural wonder of Barbados.
Travel Tip: Because it is a sea cave, Animal Flower Cave is slippery when wet & not recommended for those with mobility issues.
Animal Flower Cave welcomes visitors Tuesdays through Sundays 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM and features stalactites, stalagmites & unforgettable sea views from inside. Sadly, our Norwegian Cruise Line shore excursion did not include admission to The Cave itself or a guided tour, only the grounds & restaurant, but our time here with this shore excursion simply would not have allowed it due to the crowd levels either. When we arrived & departed, the area to purchase tickets was packed. The only way this would have been possible is if Norwegian had included prepaid/timed-tickets ahead of time.
We explored the grounds on foot for free and followed the pathways right to the edge of the North Point Cliffs where the water was a vibrant blue. The winds whipped and the waves crashed into the rugged coastline, spraying sea mist all around us.
Travel Tip: Humpback Whales can be seen here often in March & April
There is plenty of free parking, restrooms, a gift shop, a children’s playground and an onsite restaurant & bar, both with located at the waters edge in an open-air setting with panoramic views of the sea. Afterwards, we enjoyed a few Banks Beers, an American-Style Lager and the official beer of Barbados, cliff-top.
This natural treasure is an absolute must-see when visiting Barbados and we still enjoyed exploring the grounds – those cliffs are breathtakingly beautiful and we’re so glad the weather cooperated.
Barbados in Pop Culture
On our way back to port & the Norwegian Viva, we cruised along the scenic coastal highway & explored St. James Parish, a posh local where you’ll find the gorgeous Tom Fazio-designed Sandy Lane Resort & Country Club – probably most famous for the site of Tiger Wood’s first wedding, according to our guide. However, the site that our guide was most excited to show us was that of singer Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty’s colorful childhood home, located on Rihanna Drive not far from port. We learned very quickly on our tour that Barbados is very proud of two things: 1. It’s recognition as an independent British Commonwealth nation; and 2. Rihanna. As an official Cultural Ambassador for Barbados, Rihanna is their most famous citizen. One thing’s for sure, Barbados, and everyone we met, is very proud of Rihanna and all that she has accomplished.
Barbados, you left us speechless. There is literally something for everyone here. It was lovely to meet you, and we will be back! Thank you Norwegian Cruise Lines for introducing us to this spectacular country.
Let us know if you’d book this excursion in the comments below & safe travels ♡
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