The winter itinerary departs every Saturday from Road Town, Tortola, BVI, on delightful seven-night cruises, between November and June each year. You'll visit a different beautiful island every day. We choose from Peter Island, Cooper Island, Marina Cay, Salt Island, Jost Van Dyke, Norman Island, and several locations on Virgin Gorda, including The Baths, as well as others.

Our winter cruises board in Road Town, Tortola. Tortola is the largest of the British Virgin Islands--the name means "turtle dove." The airport which serves Tortola is actually on a small island called Beef island,which is connected to Tortola by an auto "toll" bridge. Most of the flights that arrive into Beef Island come from San Juan and are on smaller aircraft. Culture Alert! The "toll taker" on the bridge sits in a tiny enclosure. He has a rusty tin can attached to a wooden pole which he presents to the taxi driver who deposits the toll so he may continue on down the road! Road Town is a fairly sleepy, cozy place. Pussers Pub (one of several such establishments located in the Virgin Islands) is a popular local watering hole, catering mostly to the fairly large population of "yachties." Pussers' signature drink is the "numbered pain killer," which features famous Pussers Rum. We often also visit other locations on Tortola, including Cane Garden Bay and West End.

Cooper Island: A popular beach club and a good swimming and snorkeling beach.

Marina Cay: A tiny six-acre island with a good snorkeling reef. Here we visit another Pussers Pub.

Virgin Gorda: The Drake visits several different locations around this very unique island, including The Baths, unique rock formations which form dimly lighted sea caves. These caves can be explored via a fun trail which leads from The Baths, through the labyrinthine passageways to yet another beautiful beach called Devil's Bay. Long Bay, Leverick Bay (another Pussers pub), Bitter End, and Spanish Town are also visited, offering beautiful beaches, great snorkeling, and entertaining local night life.

Salt Island: Population: 2! Telephones: 1! There are three salt ponds here, which are still harvested by the residents of the island who sell the salt. There is a ceremony once each year called the "Reaping of the Salt Ceremony" which is attended by the head of the government in the BVI. The shipwreck RMS Rhone is located near Salt Island. The Rhone was a Royal Mail Steamer that went down during a hurricane in 1867. This wreck is a highly protected British Virgin Islands underwater National Park and is a very popular dive site.

Norman Island: There are no beaches here and no people! This is the island that supposedly inspired the Robert Louis Stevenson novel Treasure Island. The caves at Norman Island provide excellent snorkeling. Local legend says that these caves once contained pirate treasure, but today's treasure is the abundance of colorful fish which happily share the waters with the snorkelers who visit.

Peter Island: The majority of this island is occupied by the very exclusive Peter Island Resort and yacht club which is owned by the Amway Corporation. We are very lucky to be able to access their beautiful beach, and there is a total of five beautiful beaches on the island.

Jost Van Dyke: This sparsely populated hideaway is named after a famous Dutch pirate. We visit two different locations on Jost Van Dyke, plus a tiny little island off the southeast coast of JVD called Sandy Cay. Sandy Cay has a spectacular white sand beach and nothing else to distract from soaking up the rays or enjoying the water sports we offer. White Bay and Great Harbour are both located on Jost Van Dyke. White Bay is only accessible by boat or by taking a very nice walk from Great Harbour on a rather elusive trail. However, it can be done!! This is a great beach! Great Harbour is the home of several interesting establishments right on the beach, including one called Foxy's. At Foxy's you will be serenaded by Foxy himself who is a calypsonian. He sings songs which he makes up on the spot and as you are listening, you realize that he is singing specifically about YOU!! He is a real character and his little beach bar is a "must visit" place. In the evenings, he often hires a local band to entertain the visitors who come to Jost Van Dyke by boat. Foxy's was listed in the #3 spot by the London Times as a place which really must be experienced on New Year's Eve!

The Grenadines: For summer, 1997, the Drake will visit the exotic islands of The Grenadines. This exciting itinerary will sail between Kingstown, St. Vincent and St. Georges, Grenada, and return--one week in each direction. Ports of call may include such idyllic islands in The Grenadines as: Bequia, Canouan, Tobago Cays, Petit Martinique, Petit St. Vincent, Carriacou, Isle de Ronde, Palm Island and Mayreau.