Dominica

Every single one of my friends stayed on the ship. I got off alone.

Dominica is called the Nature Isle of the Caribbean for a reason. It's not a beach destination. It's a rainforest island with volcanic peaks and rivers and waterfalls. Most cruise passengers look at it from the deck and stay put. I went in.

The highlight was Titou Gorge, a narrow volcanic cave gorge that you swim through in cold water toward a waterfall at the end. It was featured in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which does nothing to capture how surreal it actually feels to be inside it. The water is cold. The walls close in. It's worth every second.

I made friends with a random couple from the ship at the start of the day, and we ended up spending the whole day together with a local tour guide going to places I never would have found on my own. That's the thing about getting off the ship: you have to commit to it, and when you do, the day takes on a life of its own.

I have photos.