Three weeks before Christmas, I board a plane to Barbados to escape the worst floods and storms Britain has seen in years. What awaits is the Caribbean at its best: temperatures that don’t drop below 27 degrees during my stay, an assured and vibrant culture, and my first taste of cruising.

Island-hopping my way across St Vincent, Dominica, St Lucia, St Kitts, Grand Turk, Tortola and St Maarten was quite the early Christmas present. Here’s your guide to my three favourite islands from my visit.