Sailing the Southern Caribbean on Norwegian Epic

A February escape filled with beautiful beaches, unforgettable excursions, old friends, and plenty of Caribbean sunshine.

In February 2020, we boarded the Norwegian Epic for a Southern Caribbean cruise that would take us to Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Tortola, and St. Thomas. Looking back, the timing is almost hard to believe—we sailed only about four weeks before the world began shutting down because of the global pandemic.

I can still remember the extra scrutiny of certain passports during check-in. At the time, we really didn't understand what was coming. Knowing what we know now, it is remarkable to think about just how close we were to the beginning of a completely different time in travel.

Thankfully, our week aboard the Epic was filled with sunshine, laughter, beautiful islands, and wonderful memories with friends.

Starting Our Vacation in San Juan

We flew into San Juan a day early, something I always recommend before a cruise. We stayed at the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, using Marriott points for our stay. It was a beautiful way to begin the vacation, with views of the beach and a full day to relax and enjoy Puerto Rico before boarding the ship.

The next day, we were ready for the Epic!

I admit I was a little nervous. At the time, Norwegian Epic had some mixed reviews, particularly about the unusual cabin bathroom design, including a sink located outside the bathroom area. Since I had helped plan the trip for several couples, I was hoping everyone would be happy.

As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about. We had a fabulous time.

We were traveling with four couples, and one of the best parts was meeting up with my college friend Kristen, who was traveling with two other couples. Suddenly, we had quite the group!

Barbados: A Little Beach Time

Our first stop was Barbados. The weather wasn't perfect, so some of our friends decided to stay closer to the ship. My husband and I had booked a Resort for a Day pass and decided to head to the beach anyway.

We managed to get a few hours of sand and relaxation before returning to the ship. Even without perfect weather, it was nice to put our feet in the sand and officially feel like our Caribbean vacation had begun.

St. Lucia: The Highlight of the Cruise

St. Lucia turned out to be one of the absolute highlights of our trip.

We rented a private boat for our group of eight and Kristen's group of six. This was one of the best decisions we made all week. When we arrived at the pier, many of the other boats were packed with passengers. Ours was private, comfortable, and just for our group.

The morning started out a little cloudy, but the day just kept getting better.

We cruised around St. Lucia and saw the magnificent Pitons from several different angles. Our captain then took us to a lovely restaurant for lunch with a beautiful view. By afternoon, the clouds had disappeared and the weather was spectacular.

It was one of those travel days when everything comes together perfectly—the scenery, the people, the food, and the experience.

St. Kitts: Pool Time and an Ice Bar

Next up was St. Kitts, where we spent the day at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort with another resort day pass.

The beach was very windy that day, but the resort and pool area were beautiful. I could have happily floated in that pool with a cocktail for hours!

Eventually, we headed back to the Epic for a completely different experience—the ship's Ice Bar.

An ice bar. On a cruise ship. In the Caribbean!

We put on the cold-weather gear provided by the ship, stepped inside, and enjoyed a drink surrounded by ice. It was such a fun novelty and one of those quirky experiences that makes a cruise memorable.

Tortola & Jost Van Dyke: A Perfect Caribbean Day

Our next port was Tortola, and this day was another favorite.

We booked Norwegian's Rebel Yell excursion to Jost Van Dyke, and I was incredibly impressed. The boat was immaculate—honestly, one of the cleanest excursion boats I have ever been on.

Then we were off to Jost Van Dyke!

We stopped at Gertrude's and the famous Soggy Dollar Bar, where of course we had to try a Painkiller. Or perhaps more than one needed to be sampled strictly for research purposes!

To this day, I'm not sure whether I preferred the Painkiller at Gertrude's or the one at Soggy Dollar.

Clearly, there is only one solution: I'll have to go back and conduct further research.

The entire day had that laid-back Caribbean feeling you hope to find on vacation—beautiful water, toes in the sand, good drinks, and nowhere you need to be.

One tip: if this excursion—or a similar Jost Van Dyke excursion—is available on your sailing, book it early. Popular excursions like this can fill quickly.

St. Thomas: Beach Day

Our final stop was St. Thomas, where we headed to the beach and enjoyed lunch overlooking that gorgeous Caribbean water.

Over the years, I've visited several beaches on St. Thomas, including Magens Bay, Sapphire Beach, and Coki Beach. While they are beautiful, St. Thomas has never been my personal favorite Caribbean island.

On another visit, however, I took a boat from St. Thomas over to St. John—and loved it.

Knowing what I know now, that is probably how I would spend my next St. Thomas port day: using it as an opportunity to visit beautiful St. John.

Life Aboard Norwegian Epic

The islands were certainly the stars of this itinerary, but we had plenty of fun onboard too.

The food was fabulous, we went bowling on the ship, enjoyed the Ice Bar, and found plenty of places to relax. Because we traveled during Presidents' Week, there were lots of families onboard—it sometimes felt as though the entire country had decided to vacation that week!

Norwegian did a great job offering activities for families while still providing areas where adults could find a quieter escape. That balance made a difference, especially on a busy holiday-week sailing.

Why I Loved This Southern Caribbean Cruise

Looking back, this cruise wasn't about just one island or excursion. It was about the combination of everything: sailing from San Juan, escaping winter in February, exploring five Caribbean islands, reconnecting with an old college friend, and sharing so many laughs with friends both new and old.

Some of my favorite memories were the simplest ones—floating in a resort pool with a cocktail, seeing the Pitons from our private boat, sipping a Painkiller with my feet in the sand, laughing together over dinner, and even bundling up to visit an ice bar in the middle of the Caribbean.

And perhaps that is what makes this particular cruise even more meaningful to me today.

We had no idea how dramatically the world—and travel—would change just weeks after we returned home. We simply knew we were on vacation with good friends, enjoying every moment.

And we certainly did.

Would I sail the Southern Caribbean from San Juan again? Absolutely. It is still one of my favorite ways to trade a cold February week for sunshine, turquoise water, and a different Caribbean island almost every morning.

Thinking about a Southern Caribbean cruise? I would love to help you choose the right ship, itinerary, pre-cruise hotel, and those special excursions that can turn a wonderful vacation into an unforgettable one.

Your journey. Thoughtfully planned.

Scenes from Our Southern Caribbean Cruise