We're on a yachtsman's tour of the Caribbean, on another of the “World's Greatest Cruises” (upbeat music) I'm Lynn Elmhirst.

a travel journalist with a deep passion for sailing the high seas.

Navigating timeless routes in a world that's 70 percent water.

Cruising may be the most authentic way to travel.

Not to mention, its spectacular scenery, fascinating ships, maritime traditions, and local people and cultures.

Join me on the “World's Greatest Cruises” "World's Greatest Cruises" is made possible in part by the JERNE community of travel advisors: local business owners with experience cruising and planning cruises.

More information at JERNE.COM/CRUISE Today on “World's Greatest Cruises” we're sailing in the Caribbean, but to some of the least traveled off the beaten path islands that even if you've been on many cruises in the region, you might never see.

We depart from San Juan, Puerto Rico charting a course southeast through the US and British Virgin Islands, continuing south to St. Kitts.

Even in one of the most popular cruising destinations in the world, we discover so many new experiences.

Hiking on a tropical active shore excursion.

exploring a natural world heritage site in the British Virgin Islands.

It's like mother nature's obstacle course.

Tasting local spiny lobster three ways, becoming certified rum masters, studying the history and the science and the flavors of rum on St. Kitts.

- You're gonna be dancing in a little while.

(both laughing) - How strong are your tables?

And celebrating the only Caribbean carnival that coincides with the Christmas holidays.

Our island hopping voyage is aboard the Emerald Sakara, a cruise ship that looks and acts more like a yacht, able to navigate in and out of these tiny ports.

This is just about as small a ship as you can get.

Maximum of a hundred guests on board and 76 crew members to host us.

In addition to state rooms, these sloping tier of decks accommodate suites with wraparound balconies that maximize outdoor living.

While the Emerald Sakara's Marina platform gives guests direct access off the ship to play in the tropical seas.

Other outdoor spaces are made for quiet relaxation or socializing, day or night.

We even anchor offshore for a pop-up private beach barbecue, cementing the feeling that our cruise is more like a private charter.

The perfect place to find myself celebrating a milestone.

(blowing candles) (everyone clapping) This is as close to yachting as cruising can get.

So, you know this ship pretty well.

You've been involved with her since the very beginning.

- I was the very first person I think, ever to go to be on board Emerald Sakara.

- [Lynn] And now that you're her captain, what do you think of sailing this ship?

- [Captain] It's really amazing to be on a ship that can squeeze into these beautiful little yacht harbors.

- I think they call this a yachtsman's itinerary.

- It is a yachtsman's itinerary.

Right away from the beginning of planning the seasons in the Caribbean for Emerald Yacht cruises, it was always our intention to stay away from the big ships from the tourist traps and take our guests to yachting destinations.

We anchored in bays with the catamaran, the charter catamarans, and the larger private mega yachts, and we fit right in.

So something I quite like as captain, is to be able to turn up and squeeze in with the other yachts as a yacht.

I tell every guest when they come on board, this is your private yacht.

I'm your captain, we are your crew.

- [Lynn] Right?

- So for the time they're on board anyway, they have the 100th of the ship is theirs.

- [Lynn] Right.

- And they're allowed to.

I really don't mind.

- Lots of times you can visit the bridge, but you actually have an open bridge policy.

If the door says open, just come on in.

That's very transparent.

- Very happy for people to be up here when we are maneuvering the ship and going in and out port and it's the best seat in the house.

Bridge sofa.

Best views on the ship.

- [Lynn] You have a sofa and it has cup holders, I see too.

- It's got cup holders.

Best view in the whole yacht to share what we are doing and where we're going with the guests.

(upbeat music) - [Lynn] Historically, San Juan, Puerto Rico held a strategic maritime position in the Eastern Caribbean.

Today that makes it a cruise hub and the embarkation port for many regional cruises, including ours.

- Here's to a fantastic vacation Cheers.

- [All] Cheers.

- And it's the last big port or big ships we'll see on our yachtsman's cruise.

We're jumping right into the yachting lifestyle with a marina day.

One of the things that's unique about small ships and small ship cruising is a marina platform, just like a private yacht.

The aft deck at water levels accessible for guests to directly jump into the sea.

This is part of the spontaneity that's possible for small ship cruising whenever and wherever the conditions and itinerary permit, or even during a scheduled port of call when we don't dock, but hold position offshore so guests can stay aboard and play in the waves.

Or split the day between shipboard fun and visits ashore.

When you think of cruising in the Caribbean, most of us focus on the sea turquoise waters, scenic sail ins to picturesque harbours, whether to large ports or tiny islands where only very small ships and like ours.

Can go.

And even seaside towns and communities.

You don't always think of exploring tropical forests on a cruise, but that's exactly what was on our agenda one day.

Time to stretch our legs and get moving on an active shore excursion that takes us not only to a destination that's off the beaten track, but into a tropical wilderness that's waiting for us to discover.

With a guide to show us some of the secrets, hiding right before our eyes.

- Alright so you see this little plant right here?

with the purple flowers those are called Vervains - Can i take one?

- of course, go ahead.

Yeup Vervain it's a tea, so its like a lipton tea.

You just put it in your pot and boil it.

and it helps reduce anixiety and stuff.

- um hmm Have you see this little cactus?

Viny cactus?

Yeah.

It's called a Lady of the Night and it only blooms once a year for three hours in the night.

- [Lynn] Oh.

- Mhm.

- The name is a bit suggestive, but it's actually kind of a nice story.

- It is, it is.

(Lynn laughs) - So at the end of a nice walk through the jungle and up over some hills and rocky terrain, this is our payoff.

A Beach at the end of the trail.

and a dip in the seas never so refreshing as when you've earned it.

Especially a beach like this.

Soft white sands rimmed by forest lined with palm trees, making it like a private tropical escape.

Which it is, accessible only to other hikers and visitors from yachts like ours anchored offshore.

(upbeat music) A big part of any cruise... well any trip for me is tasting local flavors.

And in the Caribbean that means rum.

When it comes to cocktails, I have a policy, ask the bartender, which is their favorite to mix.

- It's a classic Mojito based of the rum, lime juice, simple syrup and mint leaves and plus the muddle from the lemon chunks.

- Of course, the mint and the lime make it so refreshing.

- Exactly.

Yeah.

- Just perfect for, - [Bhupendra] Perfect, perfect, perfect.

- A nice adventure and a hot day on our yacht.

- And the soda water.

- There you go and this is Sen's Mojito.

Thank you.

- You're welcome.

Enjoy.

- Cheers.

- That's very refreshing.

- That you like?

This is refreshing.

- Yeah.

Lovely way to drink rum on a hot day.

- Oh, (claps) bravo.

Thank you.

- Thank you.

- Thank you so much.

- We pursue our quest for one of the most famous culinary delicacies of the Caribbean on the smallest of the British Virgin Islands, where we're meeting a transplanted French chef whose restaurant has a reputation for its views over the sea and the sunset and some of the island's best spiny lobster.

He shared some tips for serving up these abundant local crustaceans three very different ways.

- Alright, so those are Anegada lobsters, a hundred percent local.

They come every day and - How many pounds would that be, - I would say slightly less than than three pounds.

- Okay.

- Would be like two and a half to three pounds just right in the middle.

- Can you describe the flavor of this kind of lobster compared to other kinds of lobsters?

- So the thing, the spicy lobster is sweeter than the Maine lobster.

- Yes.

- You know, it's slightly pinkish.

- [Lynn] Right.

- [Chef] Sometimes some of them are very pink.

- [Lynn] Ah.

- So the pink one are the most sweet but when you buy your lobster, you don't know.

- Right until you open it up.

- It's when you crack it.

You know?

- That's right.

- So it's like a Christmas present.

You have no idea what's gonna...

But most of the time, very small variant.

We just basically remove the tail.

We butterfly the meat, and then we just butter it and then put it into a Panko crust.

And then we season it and then we fry it.

And we do the grilled lobster.

And we do the lobster for the Paella Royale as well.

Straight on the grill, shell down, when you can see basically the side here, or gonna turn the side whitish.

- Right.

- Because as the first one to cook faster.

Flip it one minute, minute and a half.

- The lesson is also as it always is with seafood.

Don't overcook it.

- Don't overcook it.

Keep it simple.

Don't overthink it.

And that's it.

- [Lynn] That's it.

(laughs) - [Captain] Voila.

- [Lynn] Voila.

- Shall we?

Let's go.

- Okay.

(joyous music) Oh my goodness.

Oh, the big monster in front of me.

(laughs) Look at this.

There we go.

- Looks fantastic.

- And the Ceviche is going to come and sit here, I'm sure.

Chef, cheers.

- Cheers.

Thank you very much.

- Thank you so much.

- Cheers.

- Please, nice to have you here.

Thank you - Thank you.

Merci Chef.

- [Chef] Just go ahead.

Don't be shy.

Just go inside and- - [Lynn] Make a mess.

- Yes.

Yeah.

I think lobster is one of those things where, you want to just enjoy it and don't be too much shishi about it, you know?

- I don't think you can be.

- Garlic butter on your side, if you wants some garlic butter.

- Excuse me.

Yeah messy.

- First, Anageda Lobster.

Nice, huh?

See it's still a lot of juice.

Moist.

- And it's sweet - And sweet.

- It's delicious.

- Lovely, yeah?

Very good.

- That's the taste of here.

Well thank you so much, Chef.

- [Chef] No, thank you for- - This is, what a treasure for Tortola.

- Please.

Thank you very much for having us.

Very Cool.

(upbeat music) - One day with the Emerald Sakara holding position in a secluded bay, the crew announced a surprise activity on shore, a popup beach barbecue just for guests of the ship.

It's like a private island for a day, almost, isn't it?

- [Chloe] It is.

It's our complete private island.

The beach is completely ours.

- [Lynn] It's like we've parked our yacht there and just zipped over on a little zodiac, - [Chloe] Pretty much.

- [Lynn] For our, little private beach moment with our best friends.

Tell us what it takes, because you bring everything from the ship onto the beach for this beach party day.

- We do, we do.

I mean the facilities here are great, but we bring all the food, we bring all the drinks, we bring the glassware, we bring the knives and forks, the napkins, the sauces, everything over.

And then we set it all up.

And then the guests come, everything that they need is here.

And we just have a great time.

- That's an enormous amount of extra work for the staff on board.

Is it worth it?

- I mean, I think so.

Everybody' having a drink in the sea.

We've got our floating islands everyone can relax on.

We have the music playing, everyone's dancing.

It really is.

It's my favorite day.

I think it's the staff's favorite day.

It is hard work.

- [Lynn] Is it?

Well, we noticed the staff really happy too.

- Oh yeah.

They like a dance, you know, when they're serving drinks and then you can just lie in the sea or on one of the chairs and just fall asleep and the guests just love it.

We love it.

- Wake up a little sunburned at the end of the afternoon (Chloe laughs) and make your way back to the ship like we're going to.

- [Chloe] Pretty much, pretty much.

- [Lynn] Yes.

(laughs) For me that sense of celebration continued into the evening.

Many travelers book cruises to commemorate life's milestones I travel a lot, but still felt very special when one of my own life's milestones was recognized at the end of dinner that night.

- On behalf of the entire Emerald Sakara crew, we wish a very, very happy birthday to you.

- Thank you so much.

(blowing candles) (everyone clapping) It was, as they say, icing on the cake of a day of tropical relaxation.

(upbeat music) Virgin Gorda is the third largest of the British Virgin Islands, but its eight square miles are home to one of the best kept secrets in the entire Caribbean.

The so-called Baths at Virgin Gorda.

It's a world heritage site.

A natural wonder that's been on my bucket list for years.

Jelani, when I told someone I was coming to the Baths at Virgin Gorda, they thought I was going to a hot springs, 'cause the name Baths, you might think hot springs, but there are no hot springs here.

- No, no hot springs at all.

So the Baths got the names because if you look at the rocks they kind of form like inlets, and grottos - [Lynn] How did these rocks and these rock formations end up here?

- The islands were formed by volcanic activity and this one is actually the youngest island of the entire chain.

- [Lynn] Oh is it?

Oh.

- [Jelani] Yes.

This one is about 80 million years old.

- [Lynn] So this is volcanic activity?

- [Jelani] Volcanic activity.

- [Lynn] It is granite.

Okay.

- [Jelani] All granite rocks.

- [Lynn] How much space do the Baths occupy is it?

- I would say probably about six, seven miles.

- Right, and of course people come here for these incredible rock formations.

It almost looks like a sci-fi set, doesn't it?

- [Jelani] Right, right.

- [Lynn] You expect like, you know, people in costumes to come out of those bushes at you.

(both laughs) When you first saw it, what was your impression other than this looks like another planet?

- My first impression was, wow, it's still my last impression.

I'm going to die with that impression.

- [Lynn] Do you have a favorite place in the Baths?

- In the Baths?

The cathedral.

Definitely cathedral.

- Are we going to see there today?

- We're definitely gonna see the cathedral.

- [Lynn] Can we go there?

- Yeah, Let's go.

Oh my god girl, in here is one of the best scenic spots.

- It is?

- Yes.

I think this would be the reason, the place was called the Baths.

Just pool like, you know?

- Yes, it is.

Like a private secluded bath.

- Yeah.

- Yes.

- Exactly.

- Very dramatic.

Private, secluded bath.

- Wait till we get on the other side over here.

- There's more?

- Oh, there's...

Girl, mhm.

(Lynn laughs) Let's go.

(water splashing) - It's like Mother Nature's obstacle course.

(both laughing) Another spectacular spot.

- Yeah.

- I came around the corner, I thought we're in a secret grotto.

But look at this.

- [Jelani] This actually called The Lion's Den.

So right there is a mouth.

- [Lynn] Has he got it?

- [Jelani] The nose.

- [Lynn] Is that one of his teeth?

- [Jelani] Yes.

- [Lynn] Yes.

He's got like a saber tooth.

- The nose, the mane.

- This one is the cathedral.

- This is like a cathedral.

- Yeah.

- Nature's cathedral.

My favorite kind.

- It's almost like it's painted on a wall.

That's algae.

But it gives like a mosaic kind of feeling.

- It does, yeah.

- Yeah.

That's- - As you say, like a cathedral would almost be decorated, but- - Right.

- But the nature feel of it real - Right.

- But it feels supernatural.

- Very, very much so.

- Something feels very supernatural about this place.

And here we are back in the real world.

- Back in the real world.

Back in the real world.

It's like civilization again.

- That's right.

(upbeat music) After nearly a week of island hopping and tendering ashore to explore, we dock at St. Kitts, the big sister of the two island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis.

At just a hundred square miles in size, it's the largest sovereign state in the western hemisphere with the waves of the Atlantic lapping on one shore and the Caribbean sea on the other.

This was one of the first places in the islands to be colonized and developed a rich sugar industry.

So it's no surprise it lays claim to having the oldest rum distillery in the islands.

And today on St. Kitts you could become, a certified rum master.

I'm pretty excited to tell all my friends that I'm a rum master.

- Absolutely.

So you're here in beautiful Wingfield Estate.

This site is actually home to the oldest standing place of rum production in the Caribbean.

And this site here is dating back to 1625.

So sugar would be crushed very close to here and brought in here to the boilers to be turned into sugar.

And in that process you get molasses, which is how we would get the rum.

- [Lynn] Actually, it's quite beautiful to see the rainforest so close.

You really feel that you are standing in history and yet also standing in nature at the same time.

It's almost an archeological site.

- [Jack] We had this amazing discovery finding, one of the original distilleries - Tell us about the Rum Master Program.

- So I want to connect you with how to taste rum, what to look for, how that process all comes together.

And that's what we're gonna do here today.

- [Lynn] So this is the stressful part of the day.

There's a test.

- It actually is quite a difficult thing to describe what you're tasting, you know?

I think it's time to taste.

- To taste.

Perfect.

(joyous music) - So would you describe that as being more fruity or less fruity?

- I'm not sure I taste fruit.

- Not sure you taste... You know what, I don't taste a lot of fruit either.

So I would mark this really low.

- What about oaky?

- Yeah, I do get a sense of oak, but it's not a very strong oak.

Like maybe a medium oak.

- Like a medium.

I think that's fair.

- Do you agree?

- Yeah.

- I think that's a fair assessment.

- I do think there's some spice in there.

- Definitely.

- I get a sense of I get some bite.

- Yes, yes.

- From that.

- So we can go a little bit higher on the spice.

- So I think we're in agreement then.

- We're in agreement.

I think so - And so now maturity and richness.

I think it's- I don't think it's overly rich, 'cause I feel that would be too heavy.

- Yes.

- So I'm putting it around here in richness.

- I think that we are pretty much in alignment with most people's assessment of the rum.

- Ah, Okay.

It's not very elegant, but this is what we look like and I'm enjoying just sipping this rum, which is I think, the best compliment you can pay if I'm happy to sit and sip a spirit, neat.

I think that's a very good spirit.

So I'm very much enjoying this round.

Thank you very much.

- Thank you very much.

- The second half of our rum master certification takes us from St. Kitts' rainforest to the beach overlooking the narrows of water and the famous volcanic peak of St. Kitts', little sister island Nevis next door.

After I passed on history and tasting, it was time for blending and mixology.

Looks like my science class in high school.

- Well what we are gonna do here is basically make and bottle your own Hibiscus spiced rum.

- Oh.

- So we are gonna start with a bottle of Hibiscus infused 140 proof, - Oh.

- Spirit blended with the extractions that we make in house.

And then you, we proof it down and use this hydrometer to measure the alcohol content.

And at the end you get a spirit, which is about 35% alcohol and very flavorful.

- Oh.

- So what we'll do first is just take your cylinder and then pour that in there up to that mark.

So you're gonna pour this into your mixing cup.

There we go.

We're gonna start with the extractions first.

The vanilla.

- So since I don't wanna go overboard, I'm just gonna do one mil at a time.

- Yeah.

- Mm.

I can already smell the difference.

- Yeah, definitely.

- Yeah.

- The orange extract is an important extract for us.

- Next one is ginger.

- Again, like any cooking experience, we encourage folks, if you like ginger, you put a bit more - So I'm going light on everything so I can add more there.

- Yeah, yeah, for sure.

10 drops here.

- Can I put a little on my tongue.

- Yes.

Still strong, but lot more flavor.

- Interesting flavor.

- I'm smiling because, (Lynn laughs) you've tasted 140 Proof for about three or four times.

- And I'm still smiling.

- You're gonna be dancing in a little while.

(both laugh) - How strong are your tables?

(both laugh) I think I'll hold.

Yeah.

- Yeah, okay.

Good, perfect.

- Are you happy with yours?

- Yep.

Definitely, yep.

- Okay.

- So just we are gonna add the water.

- There we go.

Pop her into there?

- Yep.

Pop it in there.

The flavor is gonna really start coming together now.

Fill it up to above, anywhere above here, because then we can see the actual... You have to pour it slowly.

So anywhere there is good.

- Okay.

- Yeah.

And then you're gonna take your hydrometer, one side reads the proof and the other side reads the percentage.

- Gotcha.

- What you want to do is just slowly put it in.

Just give it a spin at the end and let it find its and balance there.

- 35-40.

- 35 to 40?

That's a good spirit.

- That's a good spot?

Okay.

- Yeah, absolutely.

- Good.

- And I'll present you with your own bottle of Hibiscus Spiced Rum.

- Well thank you so much Roger.

I will enjoy that.

Some of the best cocktails are the simplest and after muddling local lemons, adding Hibiscus, spiced rum, orange liqueur and passion fruit syrup to double down on the taste of the tropics.

(shaker rattling) - Wow, look at you.

You're hired - We had a truly local cocktail to toast, our visit to St. Kitts.

A rumtini.

An amazing view.

Thank you so much.

Lovely to meet you.

- Well here at Hibiscus Spirits, instead of saying cheers, we say hi.

- Well, hi.

- Hi.

(glass clanking) (Lynn laughing) - Oh, that is a beautiful cocktail.

- It's amazing.

- It's so beautiful.

I don't love sweet.

It's got balance, it's got flavor.

- Yeah.

- It tastes like St. Kitts.

- And it goes down quickly.

- It goes down quickly.

Now fully certified rum masters.

We head into the city to discover another way to tap into the spirit of St. Kitts.

- Shannon, we're so excited to actually be here.

Usually cruise ship schedules don't coincide with local events.

- [Shannon] Yeah.

Well today lucky you.

- [Lynn] Yes.

- It's our official opening of St. Kitts and Nevis National Carnival, what we call Sugar Mas.

- Sugar Mas.

Why Sugar Mas?

- Well, because of sugarcane and because we consider ourselves the sweetest island in the Caribbean.

- [Lynn] And I understand this is the only carnival in the Caribbean that's around Christmas time.

- Absolutely.

It's so unique because it's the only carnival to end the holiday calendar and start the new year.

You see a lot of folklore, displaying our or depicting our rich history.

So what you see is masquerades, (speaks foreign language) different folklore characters.

It's a time to be free, to be happy.

It's the only time of year where we feel so united.

- Well thank you so much and happy Sugar Mas.

(upbeat music) Local musicians are invited on board to bring the island vibe to our farewell party.

Where the yachting atmosphere continues as everyone has their own way to celebrate.

From dancing, to sipping, to dipping, one last time in the pool on the Sky Deck and reminiscing about new experiences even for an old hat at cruising like me, things we could only have done on a very small ship like the Emerald Sakara.

On this yachtsman's cruise of the Caribbean.

Until next time, on World's Greatest Cruises, wishing you fair winds and following seas.

(upbeat music) More information about World's Greatest Cruises and the ship and ports of call featured in today's program on our website at www.WorldsGreatestCruises.com "World's Greatest Cruises" is made possible in part by the JERNE community of travel advisors: local business owners with experience cruising and planning cruises.

More information at JERNE.COM/CRUISE Next time on “World's Greatest Cruises” we sail on a Christmas market, river cruise on the romantic Rhine.

From Switzerland to Germany, France to the Netherlands at one of the most magical times of the year.

Our river cruise takes us to towns and cities, each with Christmas markets with their own character and regional specialties that warm your hands, your heart, and more.

The holiday atmosphere continues on board, where I try not to blow it, attempting to hand make a glass ornament, and baking local holiday traditions.