All through the cruise there were animals in our room.

They would appear at night, around turndown, when the room was dimly lit and ready to embrace its sleepy occupants. First night we were startled to see a pig. By day six it was a monkey, hanging nonchalantly from a coat hanger.

Shaped from terry cloth towels, the animals were a cute touch on a wonderfully romantic week on board Holland America’s Westerdam. We had left on the spur of the moment, booking last minute tickets on an urge to swap a wet March week in Vancouver for a Caribbean cruise that promised sunshine, blue skies and a brilliantly blue ocean.

We weren’t disappointed. Stepping off the plane in Miami, the heat hit us like a wall, ridiculing our wintry clothes. We had arrived a day early, so our first stop was Miami’s Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort, a 392-roomed, sprawling property that completed a whopping $100 million facelift in December 2007.

Florida has a whole flamboyant style of its own and you only have to drive up to the resort to see proof of this. The driveway, flanked with palm trees, water features and masses of bright flowers, announces that you have arrived someplace grand. Photos on the wall in the restaurant corroborate this, depicting many celebrities who have laid their heads to rest at this hotel over the years.

More than a hotel, the Turnberry Isle Resort has its own waterpark on the grounds, in addition to two championship par 18 golf courses set on a gently undulating landscape. Ditching clothes for swimsuits, we made our way there immediately, grateful for a reprieve from the 30 degree Celsius heat. The waterpark is laid around a large pool with a waterfall, 55-metre long waterslide and a lazy river. A destination in itself, it’s a great way to pass a hot day, and offers daybeds-for-two surrounding the pool, sheltered from the sun and a perfect place for an afternoon nap.

In terms of grandeur, the Turnberry Isle set a good precedent for the cruise the next day. Built in 2004, the Westerdam’s 11 levels are elegant, with artwork, sculpture and fine furnishings setting a tone of style and comfort. There’s everything and nothing to do on board, as we discovered on day one into the trip. Opting out of the Trivia and Pictionary games, we retreated to the Crow’s Nest on the 10th floor in the afternoon, a lounge with leather chairs offering a spectacular view of the ocean. Sunset meant walks on the deck admiring the huge expanse of blue Caribbean sea stretching around us, followed by an intimate dinner in the classy Vista Lounge, where candlelight, soft music and beautifully presented food meant fine dining was a feasible option every night of the week.

The three Caribbean isles we visited presented a great opportunity to explore. On the island of Curaçao we rented a moped, careening along colourful streets lined with ancient Dutch buildings. We stopped to snorkel over the sunken ruins of a tugboat, to sample fresh island pastries from the local bakery and to browse by the floating fruit market near the waterfront, where produce from Venezuela glistened in the sun on board the very boats that had imported it.

We packed a picnic lunch for the stop in Aruba, and ate it with the wind teasing our hair, the sun on our faces and the crashing waves as our backdrop music. Back on the Westerdam’s 11 grand levels we dressed up for dinner, donning ballgowns and ties for cocktails with the captain followed by formal night in the dining room.

Adopting this new rhythm of life onboard was easily accomplished. By day two our routine was one of lazy decadence, a vacation savoured by Vancouverites who know it will be months – perhaps years – before they see this amount of sunshine again.

Beneath the hot blue Caribbean skies we swam in the ship’s pool and spent hours soaking in the bubbly warmth of the hot tub. There was breakfast in bed when we wanted it, and afternoons spent browsing in the library, or surrendering to the hands of a masseuse in the Greenhouse Spa. Evening meant performances in the theatre and later, a few hands at the poker table. Ah, home felt far, far away.

Sure, there were some rough moments. A Caribbean sea filled with six-metre whitecaps made for a bumpy journey at times, one that sent the swimming pool water hurtling from side to side, and with it, more than a few queasy stomachs. There were times of pure indecision: a culinary arts presentation or a morning by the swimming pool? Burgers for lunch, or the Asian buffet?

In our minds’ eye we return with pictures. Images of a Titanic-style level of luxury – minus the sinking, of course. There’s nostalgia at the freedom of unbridled exploration on quiet Caribbean islands, hours of togetherness spent reading, talking and walking the deck. There’s laughter at the menagerie of terry cloth animals that appeared on cue at night, as predictably as the chocolates on our pillow. But mostly, the memories are of the sheer romantic bliss of couple-hood onboard.

If You Go

Rates at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort start at $199 per night. Info: www.fairmont.com/turnberryisle; (800 441-1414)

Holland America offers a variety of cruises to the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and New York between October and April. Choose a southern, western or eastern Caribbean itinerary with prices ranging between $649 and $4899 per person for a one-week cruise.

For more information call (800) 355-3017 or visit www.hollandamerica.com