Organized Travel Goals
Do you have a list of places that you desire to see? If you don’t yet have such a list, why not create one?
On September 8, 2017, I published a blog article, entitled: “Organized Island-Hopping and Further Globetrotting,” where I talk about how my travels started and mention my goal of visiting every Caribbean country. In that blog article, I share my checklist for this goal. I find it is important to have a checklist for achieving certain goals in life, and for this goal, it’s sort of easy to see why a list is helpful. Anyhoo… I am writing this revamped article today because I am super close to achieving this huge goal that I’ve had for years, and I’m excited!
Being born and raised in the Caribbean, I am well aware of the beauty and diversity that the Caribbean holds, and while I know that a number of Caribbean islands, including my homeland, are tourist hotspots, I also know that there are a number of lesser known islands that offer much to be experienced. Some Caribbean countries, such as Cayman and Turks and Caicos, are comprised of multiple islands; therefore, keep in mind that visiting every Caribbean country is not exactly the same as visiting every Caribbean island.
Checking off all the places listed below was delayed by an itinerary change on our 14-day MSC Fantasia cruise back in 2018, which removed Dominica from its itinerary due to the aftermath of a hurricane months before we were scheduled to sail, and also due to a glitch in our plan to island-hop from Antigua to Montserrat during that same cruise. Plus, all our travels slowed between 2020 and 2022 like the rest of the world. So, now, Dominica and Montserrat are the only two countries left for us to visit in order to complete the list.
In looking at the list below, some may ask, “What about Saba and St. Eustatius, a.k.a. Statia?” Well, those are definitely islands in the Caribbean, but they are not technically separate countries - they are a hop, skip, and jump from St. Martin/St. Maarten, and they are both municipalities of the Netherlands. We technically already visited the Netherlands in the Caribbean by visiting St. Maarten multiple times. That doesn’t mean we won’t visit Saba and Statia, but that won’t delay me saying I’ve visited every Caribbean country. Similarly, although the list below includes 32 places, I say we’ve visited 29 countries because Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Saint Martin are all considered France in the Caribbean, so while they were definitely 3 different experiences, I count them as one country.
I look forward to even more globetrotting after these adventures through the Caribbean! After we complete this list, then maybe, I’ll feel more comfortable doing what other family travelers have done for years, which is choose their next destination by whatever trip is the least expensive. Listennnn… our travels have not been the most expensive nor the least expensive - they’ve cost a pretty penny, but to us, it’s WORTH IT! It’s super important to know what’s “WORTH IT” to yourself and your family. To some people, clothes, shoes, and handbags are more of a priority, and to others, it’s travels AND clothes, shoes, and handbags… to us, our travels are a priority.
Countries I’ve Already Visited
Jamaica
Dominican Republic
Antigua and Barbuda
Barbados
Grand Cayman
Honduras
Saint Martin (France)
Sint Maarten (Netherlands)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Turks and Caicos
The Bahamas
Cuba
Guadeloupe and dependencies
Trinidad and Tobago
Grenada
Martinique
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Anguilla
St. Barths
British Virgin Islands, mainly Tortola
Aruba
Bonaire
Curacao
Haiti
United States of America, including Puerto Rico and St. Thomas – wanting to visit St. John and St. Croix
Mexico
Belize
Panama
Colombia
United Kingdom (I first traveled there before married with children, so I desire to visit with my family)
Germany (I first traveled there before married with children, so I desire to visit with my family)
Countries I’m Planning To Visit
Dominica
Montserrat
Do you have questions about any of the places on my list, and/or flights or cruises to get there? If so, then email me at mycruisingfamily@gmail.com.