Cruise destination in focus Barbados

The Caribbean is the most popular cruise destination in the world, because of its sunshine, lovely beaches, great cuisine and laid-back atmosphere, but also because it has a high reputation for its diverse culture, especially art and music.

If you’re taking a Caribbean cruise, try to be in Barbados, when the island's annual jazz festival takes place. Thousands of visitors and some of the world’s most famous jazz musicians make it a truly special occasion. In the past such luminaries as Alicia Keys, Anita Baker, Errol Bradshaw, Herbie Hancock, Dionne Warwick, and Rachelle Ferrell have wowed the crowds. It’s not just the musicians that impress: the venues are superb too. You can enjoy jazz at the open air Farley Hill National Park, which is a perfect place to take along a picnic, and there’s also the historic Sunbury Plantation House and the Cane Pit Amphitheatre at the Foursquare Rum Distillery in Heritage Park. Yes, rum and jazz – a perfect combination.

If you’re visiting the region in the New Year, the festival is held in mid January. Virtually every cruise line visits the Caribbean, so you have a wide range of choices from which to pick, but if you want to take in the jazz festival, you may want to choose a fly-cruise option that begins or ends in Barbados while the event is on, so that you can spend a few extra days enjoying the music. Most cruise lines offer the chance to book a hotel at the same time as your cruise, at advantageous rates.