Barbados Cruise Ship Destination Port
Cruise Ship Port of Call information like Port News, Weather, Transportation Options, Things to Do and See, Area Events, Medical Care, Crime and Safety Review
Venice
Get to know our slice of Paradise - located on the SW Coast of Fl.
Attractions
Beaches
Canoe/Kayak
Boat Launches
Boat Charters
Fishing Charter
Fishing Piers
Historical Sites
Golf
Parks
Hotels
Relocate
Venice Map
Southern Caribbean Port Calls
Aruba
Barbados
Bonaire
Curacao
Dominica
Grenada
Margarita Island
Martinique
Montserrat
St. Kitts
St. Lucia
St. Vincent
Trinidad
Medical Services
Medical care is generally good, but medical transport can take hours to respond and ambulance attendants are prohibited from applying lifesaving techniques during transport. Minor problems requiring a visit to the emergency room can involve a wait of several hours; private clinics and physicians offer speedier service.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital(QEH) is a 600-bed facility. The staff has increased and includes trained paramedics. The emergency ambulance service in Barbados is operated by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and can be called upon in the event of an emergency. QEH ambulance crews work together with the Barbados Defense Force (BDF) ambulance service in case of mass casualty. There are 10 ambulances at the QEH and 2 at the BDF. Ambulances crews are allowed to perform CPR, advanced cardiac life support, and administer IVs. There is one decentralized ambulance dispatch point at Arch Hall, St. Thomas, at the fire station.
QEH is the only major trauma facility in Barbados with a 24-hour accident and emergency room. The hospital has on-staff physicians and surgeons of almost all specialties. Be prepared for long waits in the emergency room for minor emergencies; such cases are dealt with in priority order based on severity.Telephone: (246) 436-6450
Bayview Hospital is a modern, privately owned 30-bed facility designed for less acute illnesses, minor
outpatient surgery, and obstetric and gynecological care. The patient's
private doctor performs surgery at the facility. There are no resident
doctors, but the facility employs approximately 35 nurses.
Emergency Contact Numbers
Fire: 311
Police: 211 or (246) 430-7100
Ambulance: 511
Serious medical problems requiring hospitalization and/or medical evacuation to the United States can cost thousands of dollars. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services, and U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the United States. U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide payment for medical services outside the United States.
Personal Safety
Crime in Barbados is characterized by petty theft and street crime. Incidents of violent crime, including rape, do occur but not on a large scale and especially in tourist areas. However, visitors should be especially vigilant on the beaches at night.
Getting Around
Driving in Barbados is on the left-hand side of the road. Taxis and buses are generally safe. Buses and vans and small buses are often crowded and tend to travel at high rates of speed. Night driving should be done with caution because of narrow roads with no shoulders and pedestrian/bicycle traffic.
A shuttle van to town (about 1 mile from the pier) is available for $2.00
per person. Taxis fares are regulated by the government, however make sure
to negotiate your fare before you leave. Taxi fare to town is $5.00 per
person (2006). Other fares per person based on 4 passenger capacity:
Tamarind Cove $14.00
Crane Beach and Sam Lord's Castle $20.00
Treasure Beach & Bamboo Beach $12.00
Folkstone Marine Park $12.00
Barbados Events
Holder Season
March
Barbados Jazz Festival
January annual event located at various venues around Barbados.
Holetown Festival
Annual event in February
On 17 February 1627, the first European settlers arrived at the site of
present-day Holetown, St James. The historic event is the motivation behind
a whole week of partying.
Barbados Gospelfest
Annual event in Bridgetown during May. Major talent from the USA, the UK and the Caribbean converges on Bridgetown for the Barbados GospelFest. The music centers on gospel, but also pays homage to reggae, calypso, jazz and soul.
Celtic Festival
Annual May event. From a Welsh mixed-voice choir to Scottish folk dancers, Barbados is treated to all the good things about Celtic culture.
Crop-Over
June - August - A five-week summer festival with origins traced back to the 1780s celebrating the end of the sugar cane harvest. The festival begins with the Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes and the crowning of the King and Queen of the Festival.
Calypso
One of the main features of the Crop Over festival; the semi-finals of the Pic-O-De-Crop competition are held at the East Coast Road, where the Calypsonians perform while spectators watch from hillsides. The grand finale is the Grand Kadooment! This carnival parade features large bands with members dressed in elaborate costumes to depict various themes.
Taste of Barbados Food Festival
Annual event in October. The festival offers visitors the chance to explore Barbados venues around the island.
Barbados Independence Day Celebrations
Barbados achieved independence from Britain on 30 November 1966. Every year Barbados Independence Day begins with an elaborate parade and ceremony at Bridgetown's Garrison Savannah, followed by celebrations throughout December.
Barbados International Annual Film Festival
The Barbados International Film Festival brings together the best of the world's cinema and international film culture. The goal is to provide a major showcase for the exhibition of Latin America, Caribbean and world wide independent film.
ports > destinations > Barbados
Barbados
|
Statue of Lord Nelson, Bridgetown Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is 21 miles in length and as much as 14 miles in width, amounting to 166 sq. miles. It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 62 mi east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea. Barbados is outside of the principal Atlantic hurricane belt.
Terminal Information
Location
University Row,
Princess Alice Highway,
Bridgetown, Barbados West Indies
Telephone: (246) 430-4700 Fax: (246) 429-5384
The Terminal offers 24-hour duty-free shops, Post Office, Customs, Immigration, Port Health, Plant and Animal Quarantine Services and the Barbados Tourism Authority.
There are currently 25 interior, air-conditioned shops within the cruise terminal, the majority of which retail duty-free items. These offer a wide variety of items including jewelry, perfumes, fine linen, crystal, china, cameras and electronic equipment, arts and crafts, souvenirs, T-shirts, exclusive resort wear, liquor, cigars and cigarettes.
Parking Information Unavailable
About Barbados
Barbados is an independent Caribbean island nation with a developed economy. The capital is Bridgetown. It is geologically composed of coral (90 m/300 ft. thick). The land falls in a series of "terraces" in the west and goes into an incline in the east. Most of Barbados is circled by coral reefs. The West coast of Barbados offers white sandy beaches that are great for swimming and snorkeling. The East coast of Barbados offers a lively surf and is good for surfers and folks wanting to get off the beaten path. Facilities for tourism are widely available.
Time Zone
AST (UTC/GMT-5 )
Map Coordinates
13°N 59°32' W.
Average Temperatures
Water: 82° Summer - 79° Winter
Air: 83° Summer - 79° Winter
Climate and Terrain
Pleasant with little variation in temperature. Relatively flat. Coral reefs surround most of the island. There are no rivers or lakes. Highest pt. Mount Hillaby 1,115 ft.
U.S. Embassy Information
The U.S. Embassy in Barbados has consular responsibility for Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as the British dependent territories of Anguilla, British Virgin Islands and Montserrat, and the French islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Barthélemy and St. Martin.
The U.S. Embassy is located in the Wildey Business Park in suburban Wildey, south and east of downtown Bridgetown. The main number for the Consular Section is (246) 431-0225. After hours, the Embassy duty officer can be reached by calling (246) 436-4950. Website: www.barbados.usembassy.gov.
Hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, except Barbados and U.S. holidays.
Historical Barbados
British sailors who landed on Barbados in the 1620s at the site of present-day oletown on the Caribbean coast found the island uninhabited. As elsewhere in the eastern Caribbean, Arawak Indians may have been annihilated by invading Caribs, who are believed to have subsequently abandoned the island.
From the arrival of the first British settlers in 1627-28 until independence in 1966, Barbados was a self-funding colony under uninterrupted British rule.
As the sugar industry developed into the main commercial enterprise, Barbados was divided into large plantation estates. To work the plantations, slaves were brought from Africa; the slave trade ceased a few years before the abolition of slavery throughout the British empire in 1834. Plantation owners and merchants of British descent dominated local politics. It was not until the 1930s that the descendants of emancipated slaves began a movement for political rights.
In 1961, Barbados achieved the status of self-governing autonomy.
From 1958 to 1962, Barbados was one of 10 members of the West Indies Federation. When the federation was terminated, Barbados reverted to its former status as a self-governing colony. Following several attempts to form another federation composed of Barbados and the Leeward and Windward Islands, Barbados negotiated its own independence at a constitutional conference with the United Kingdom in June 1966. After years of peaceful and democratic progress, Barbados became an independent state within the British Commonwealth on November 30, 1966.
Shopping
Barbados is known for great duty free bargains on high end items such as Swiss and Japanese watches, crystal and fine china and Rum - particularly Mount Gay Rum.
Mount Gay Rum visitor center
The distillery's final processing plant is in St. Michael. A cheap tour buys humorous local anecdotes, generous whiffs (and samples) of its potables and access to the ultimate destination: a gift shop stocked with rum varieties you can't find in the U.S.
Main shopping district
Located on Broad street. Most stores are open 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday and Saturdays from 8 am to 3 pm. Stores are closed on Sunday with the exception of the cruise terminal stores.
Attractions
Barbados Museum
Hours Open: Mon-Sat 9am-5pm; Sun 2pm - 6pm. Amerindian and African artifacts, European decorative arts, rare historical maps and a display outlining the the island's coral structure.
Harrison's Cave
Photo credit
Take a tram ride to view crystal clear pools of water and towering limestone columns in this natural wonder.
National Cannon Collection
St Michael Barbados is home to one of the finest collections of cannons in the world.
Nidhe Israel Jewish Synagogue and Museum
One of the oldest synagogues in the Western Hemisphere.
The Baobab Tree
Barbados boasts two of the biggest trees in the Caribbean. The most impressive can be found in queen's Park in Bridgetown. It takes 15 adults holding hands to reach around the sides of the over 250-year-old tree.
Andromeda Botanical Gardens
Perched on a cliff overlooking the east coast of Barbados. Website
St. Nicolas Abbey
350-year-old St. Nicholas Abbey in St. Peter, a wondrous Jacobean plantation house, is believed to be the oldest building on the island.
St. Michael's Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Saint Michael and All Angels (formerly The St. Michael's Parish Church), is an Anglican church located on St. Michael's Row, two blocks east of National Heroes Square; at the center of Bridgetown. Originally consecrated in 1665, and then rebuilt in 1789 it was elevated to Cathedral status in 1825 with the appointing of Bishop Coleridge to head the newly created Diocese of Barbados and the Leeward Islands. Website
Arlington House Museum
Stylish, rehabbed colonial home with fun, hands-on displays about Barbados' history.
Flower Forest
St. Joseph. 53.6 acres reserved only for green botanical ventures, never to be developed for housing or industry, with 7 acres of wild garden in the Barbados ‘Scotland District’ 750 ft. above sea level. US $10 per adult, children under 13 half price. Group guided tours by prior arrangement (extra charge for a guide). Open 8-4 daily except Christmas and Good Friday. Last entries to the garden before 4 pm. Prices subject to change
Parliament Building
Completed in 1874, a masterpiece of Gothic Architecture, built of local coral limestone, strategically placed in the heart of the Capital, Bridgetown, these buildings house the House of Assembly and the Senate.
Beaches
West Coast Beaches
Generally calm waters and white sand. Good for swimming and sunning.
South Coast Beaches
Generally calm waters, good for swimming, snorkeling over inshore reefs and tidal pools. Windsurfing at the southernmost tip of the island. Try scenic Crane Beach on the south east end of the island, or the always active Rockley Beach offering vendors and changing facilities.
Wreck Diving
Folkestone Marine Park and Museum
The park features an artificial reef, purposefully formed by the sinking of the ship Stavronikita (365 ft. Greek Freighter) which had been destroyed by fire in 1976. The ship rests in 120ft of water, less than half a mile from the shore.
As a result of its depth, diving the Stavronikita is recommended only for experienced divers in the company of others.
Pamir
Located to the north of the island in 60 ft of water.
Carlisle Bay
Site of numerous wrecks.
Friars Crag
A 100 ft. Dutch freighter that was sunk in 1984 in 55ft of water.
Link to a local operator website here with rates and dive site information.
Reef Dives
Bell Buoy
Coral reef 20 - 60ft of water.
Shark Bank
Coral reef 135-145ft depth.
