(*Note, I discovered this post didn’t make it through cyberspace to the blog page. So I’m shortening it and sending it again. You may see it, you may see it twice, or you may never see it, and in that case you won’t miss it.)
Barbados is 21 miles in length and up to 14 miles in width with a population of about 285,000, so larger than most places we’ve stopped. The capital and largest city is Bridgetown. That’s where we docked.
Bridgetown is a real cruise-ship port, the deep water harbor seeing several ships arriving daily. Bridgetown has one of the most advanced ports in the Caribbean and has been expanded several times to accommodate more cruise ships. And the first thing cruisers see when they disembark……….shopping! 
Pelican Village offers local handicrafts and the opportunity to see Barbados’ craftsmen at work.
Barbados is often portrayed as the Little Britain of the Caribbean because of its long association with the UK as a British colony.
An English ship, the Olive Blossom, arrived in Barbados in 1625. Its men took possession of it in the name of King James I. On July 5, 1628 Charles Wolverstone brought 64 settlers to Bridgetown. Wolverstone granted each of his settlers 100 acres of land. Barbados became an 
independent state and Commonwealth realm in 1966. Now forty percent of the tourists come from the UK.
Bridgetown is known for its British colonial architecture. The most important structures are the Parliament Buildings, dating to 1639, and the Cathedral Church of St. Michael & All Angels, 
built in 1789. Driving is on the left, English style. And, local traditions include afternoon tea and cricket, the national sport. Thus, Little Britain.
Ah, the important point about Barbados for passengers is that it is the end of Segment 1 of the Around the World Cruise. Some passengers had signed up for only this first segment so they depart here and new passengers get on. Several passengers we have met are taking the first two segments, so they will depart at Cape Town, another 26 days in the future. We ATW travelers get to visit Barbados and then return to our “home” and continue our journey.
Around the World in 180 Days 