Several years ago we took a wonderful United States Virgin Islands cruise. We boarded the Norwegian Sky cruise ship in Puerto Rico and set sail to the Caribbean. We would sail overnight while partaking in all sorts of fun activities on board the cruise ship. During daytime we got to see a different island and all it had to offer! The Virgin Islands provide warmth, beauty and relaxation amongst each of them, making for a very enjoyable vacation. Here's some info and observations about four of the islands for anyone who plans to visit these amazing destinations.

The island of Dominica was our first stop and held much beauty on its scenic land. The popular Pirates of the Carribean film did much of its shooting here for the 2 sequels to the movie. The Dominican economy is very impoverished and its main economic backbone comes from the production and sale of bananas. Tourism here is also considered underdeveloped. The island itself still offers much beauty in it scenery with rain forests and mountains as well as beach front areas. There’s also the world’s second largest boiling lake here, located in the Morne Trois Pitons National Park. Consider a bus tour around the island which consists of very narrow roads which wind upwards. Traffic is normally one way, and if two vehicles are headed towards each other, one must back up or give way to the other.

Barbados translates to “bearded ones” and the island boasts one of the highest standards of living and literacy rates in the world. The island has plenty to do during the day and night, with water parks, wildlife reserves, festivals, golf, scuba diving, helicopter rides and shopping. For this island we made it into a beach day, soaking up sun, having cool drinks from the bar and swimming in the ocean. The locals were friendly, and there were plenty of merchants up and down the beach doing business. Out in the ocean was a huge inflated iceberg which brave swimmers could venture to and then attempt to climb!

St. Lucia is dubbed "Helen of the West Indies" and has several great sites to visit on its beautiful land. There are the Botanical Gardens, full of gorgeous flowers and a refreshing waterfall. There’s also the Sulfur Springs, which is the world’s only drive in Volcano. St. Lucia also has rain forests and Pigeon Garden which was formerly a military base. Consider taking a bus tour around this island so you can easily see all the magnificent sites to see. We also took a boat trip around the island which was spectacular on a sunny day. From the boat we were able to see the Pitons which are a set of beautiful mountains, the Gros Piton and Petit Piton.

St. Thomas is one of the main islands of the Virgin Islands with an area of about 31 square miles. It was a great spot for doing some duty free shopping. If you're looking to pick up electronics, jewelry or other high priced goods, this is the place to go. You can try to talk down prices with shop owners and find a great deal with no tax! The island is also one of the most modernized as it includes fast food restaurants like KFC and McDonald's. One of the most notable people born on this island is Kelsey Grammer, famous as Frasier on popular American sitcoms.

I highly recommend to anyone looking to go on a cruise to visit the United States Virgin Islands and all the beauty, fun and warmth they offer!