From this autumn, there will be an alternative to the usual "island hopping" in the Caribbean - flying between the islands in small propeller planes.
From mid-September, a high-speed catamaran ferry will operate between Guadeloupe in the north and Barbados as the south-easternmost destination.
The new ferry service from Star Ferries enables a fast crossing between Barbados, St Lucia, Martinique, Dominica and Guadeloupe.
Departure for Guadeloupe is from Barbados on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30 am. First stop after a journey of around two hours: St Lucia. From there, the onward journey to Martinique takes just under an hour.
The ferry then takes one and a half hours in the direction of Dominica. From here it is another hour and a half to Guadeloupe.
On the way back, the ferry also stops at all the islands. Arrival back at the home port in Barbados is on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5.30 pm.
Passengers pay around 115 euros for the one-way trip from Barbados to St Lucia (around 167 euros there and back), while the ferry ticket to Guadeloupe costs 178 euros (around 260 euros there and back).
The catamaran, which is expected to have a maximum speed of up to 49 knots, can carry up to 400 passengers and 80 cars.
Star Ferries is also planning to call at the islands of St Martin, St Vincent, Grenada and Trinidad in the near future.
Information on the ferry connections at www.remactours.com.
