STRUGGLING for every breath as I tried to pedal propel my bike up a near-vertical slope in the full Caribbean sun, I realised I couldn't have broken more cruise conventions if I'd tried.

Two hours earlier, winding through picture-postcard villages where the people who had packed into churches seemed to be competing to sing the loudest, most beautiful hymn, this had seemed the ideal way to experience St Kitts.

It was only when we stopped for a cold drink at a shack on a stunning beach so beautiful we had to just take it in and marvel for a few moments, and an old man stopped playing draughts with a friend to wish us luck 'on the hills' that I began to worry this wasn't the relaxing outing designed to suit the typically older cruise passenger.

We'd already puffed our way up quite a few slopes and my legs, in shock at being on a real bike for the first time in at least 10 years, were completely unprepared for the series of hills that followed.

Even our intrepid guide from our floating home, ship – our floating home was the Spirit of Adventure, stopped to walk his bike as the climbs got steeper and the sun got hotter.

The descents whizzed past as just a few seconds of bliss to rest our aching muscles. By the time we reached a shady plantation hotel for a break I was definitely looking for a new mode of transport back to the boat.

But somehow after a drink and promises from a waiter that there were only two more hills from our on the way back to the port, we all completed the 50km roundtrip. We were exhausted but for the first time felt justified in heading to afternoon tea.

All the food on board was fantastic, from the gourmet meals with full and efficient service in the formal dining room to outdoor barbecue lunches and breakfast, which ranged from full English to blueberry pancakes cooked while you wait or a great selection of tropical fuit.

Shore excusions

My favourite meal was on our last evening when we booked the table on the top deck. You could imagine you are all alone in the middle of the ocean.

The Spirit of the Eastern Caribbean cruise began at Grenada and spent eight days winding its way through the Caribbean to Antigua before sailing across the Atlantic, calling in at the Cape Verde Islands, Tenerife and finally ending in Malaga.

We joined on the second day in Barbados and left, reluctantly, in Antigua. This Caribbean cruise is one of the few traditional routes for the Adventure of the Seas – this year it will tour the Andes and Galapagos, Brazil, Antarctica and the Falkland Islands.

The ship is much smaller than most other cruise liners, meaning they can visit ports off the tourist trail – with a maximum of 352 passengers – so shore excursions don't feel like an invasion. And a programme of expert lecturers helps you get the best out of your trips ashore, many of which are included in the price of the cruise.
 
One of the best was from the former governor of Turks and Caicos, who was posted to Grenada during the 1983 revolution. Our adventure ended with a fascinating helicopter tour of the nearby island of Montserrat, deserted since 1996 when a previously dormant volcano erupted - destroying the capital, Plymouth.

From the air you can see burnt-out shells of buildings and animals left behind when their owners fled. Scientists constantly monitor the volcano, which is still active, meaning the capital has been left unchanged since it was abandoned more than a decade ago.

On the way back to Antigua we flew close to the waves, spotting turtles sunbathing at the surface.

We arrived on the French island of Martinique to find the French colony in mourning for its former political leader and poet Aimé Césaire. Most of the island was closed in honour of the 94-year-old and in anticipation of a visit from President Nicholas Sarkozy, who attended his funeral the next day.

Clear water

We toured a banana plantation, looking at the plant in all its stages of growth from a stunning purple flower to trees loaded heavy with fruit, which had to be protected with plastic bags from the damp.

The weather was stunning during our week-long stay and we took advantage of it by organising a small boat to drop us off at a secluded beach in Virgin Gorda.

This was the kind of beach you see in every travel brochures but rarely find and we spent several hours soaking up the heat and cooling off in the clear water.

I also took part in an organized snorkeling trip – joining a dozen beginners, who were keen to try out the skills they had learned during onboard lessons.

After a short boat ride to a reef off Tortola, another British Virgin Island, we swam in and out of caves in water teaming with fish of all sizes and colours. Along with most of the ship's passengers we took part in an evening excursion to Pusser's Bar – eating spicy jerk chicken and sampling their legendary Painkiller cocktail.

But my favourite trip ashore was to St Barts, a window shopper's paradise with every designer boutique you can imagine in a picturesque high street.

Take a stroll along the sidewalk – there was a definite American feel though its allegiances are traditionally French – exploring tiny antique stores.

We also took in an unusual tour of the St Barts coastline in a semi-submersible – coming face to face with turtles and some small sharks as well as stunning coral and shoals of fish, which swarmed around the craft's submarine's glass sides.

Spirit of Adventure 2009 Southern Caribbean cruise departs April 14, 2009, starts in Barbados calling at the Grenadines, Tobago, Grenada, St Vincent, St Lucia, Martinique and returning to Bridgetown. Prices start from £1889 per person based on two people sharing an inside cabin. This includes return flights from Gatwick and connections to Manchester. Subject to availability, travel insurance and cancellation cover, all meals, entertainment and gratuities on board, and a choice of included excursions at most ports of call. It is also possible to extend the trip with three nights in Barbados before or after the cruise from £279 per person. For more information see: www.spiritofadventure.co.uk.

Tweet