Originally published in 1998, it's time to pay attention again to that wonderful, multi-faceted cruise area, the Caribbean. Here's a not-too-serious quiz about Caribbean cruising. No tangible prizes will be awarded, but you will go down in the SeaLetter Hall of Fame if you do well. Additionally, you'll receive a 10% discount on our fabulous SeaLetter T-shirts which retail for just $1.99 plus $18.00 for postage and handling (including washing and removing the "Made in Taiwan" label). Here we go:

1. The name "Caribbean" comes from:

(a) a Caribbean Indian tribe, the "Caribes"
(b) a corruption of "Carolina" and "being in" (nothin' could be finer)
(c) an English comedian whose first name is "Carib"
(d) the word "cannibal"

2. Which of these Caribbean islands is furthest east?

(a) Bermuda
(b) Bahamas
(c) Barbados
(d) Barranquilla

3. How do you pronounce "Antigua"?

(a) An tee ga
(b) An tee gwa
(c) Anti gwa
(d) An tig wa
(e) An tig you ah
(f) Ah do knot no

4. What three islands in the Caribbean are often called the "ABC islands"?

(a) Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao
(b) Antigua, Barbados, Cuba
(c) Anguilla, Bequia, Cozumel
(d) Xiangtan, Yalta, Zanzibar

5. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, you drive:

(a) on the same side of the road as they drive in the British Virgin Islands
(b) on the opposite side of the road from how they drive in the British Virgin Islands
(c) on the left if you're driving a car, and on the right if you're driving a bus or a truck

6. The name "Virgin Gorda" (one of the islands of the British Virgin Islands), means:

(a) Gordon the Virgin, the legendary saint of parasailing
(b) fat virgin
(c) a gourd that's never been used
(d) marmite

7. Which Caribbean island is said to have as many beaches as there are days in a year (but not in a leap year)?

(a) Aruba
(b) Antigua
(c) Anguilla
(d) Anchovy

8. What is the former name of San Juan?

(a) Szechwan
(b) Sand Wand
(c) St. John
(d) Puerto Rico

9. What is the former name of Puerto Rico?

(a) San Juan
(b) Rico Puerto
(c) Isle des Elephantes
(d) Porthole Rico
(e) San Margarita de Pizza

10. Oranjestad is the capital of:

(a) Aruba
(b) St. Eustatius
(c) Orange County
(d) United Fruit
(e) both (a) and (b)

11. Which Caribbean island has a place called "Hell"?

(a) Grand Banks
(b) Grand Bahama
(c) Grand Cayman
(d) Grand Mother

12. When Portuguese explorer Pedro a Campos (from whose name we get the word "camping"), discovered Barbados in the 17th century, it was:

(a) uninhabited
(b) occupied by the aggressive Arawak tribe
(c) occupied by the peaceful Caribe tribe
(d) over-run with passengers from the Carnival Destiny

13. The most famous drink of the Caribbean is:

(a) rum
(b) overproof rum
(c) rum with mix
(d) rum with small colorful umbrellas
(e) sherry with a dash of Vichy water
(f) all except (e)

14. What is known as the "lushest" island in the Caribbean, famous for its spices (but not the Spice Girls)?

(a) Grenadines
(b) Grenada
(c) Guadeloupe
(d) Granada
(e) Guadalajara

15. Which of the following is correct?

(a) Calypso is from Trinidad; reggae is from Jamaica
(b) Salsa is a type of music from Puerto Rico
(c) Ska and soca are both forms of Jamaican music
(d) The Pork Chops Rhumba Box Band was from Montego Bay
(e) all of the above

16. The three most popular cruising destinations, in order, are:

(a) Caribbean, Alaska, Mexican Riviera
(b) Mediterranean, Caribbean, Alaska
(c) Minneapolis/St. Paul, Bakersfield, El Centro
(d) Caribbean, Mediterranean, Alaska

17. What volcano erupted near what town in what country in 1902, killing all the inhabitants except one prisoner in jail?

(a) Mt. Montserrat near Montezuma in Montserrat
(b) Mount Pele near St. Pierre in Martinique
(c) Mt. St. Helens in Oregon in the U.S.
(d) Mt. Krakatoa in Sumatra in Indonesia

18. Which of these ports is not in The Tropics?

(a) Nassau
(b) Charlotte Amalie
(c) George Town
(d) San Juan
(e) Marigot

19. "Carribean" is spelt:

(a) with one b and two r's
(b) with two b's and one r
(c) with two b's and two r's
(d) something like that

20. "Hispaniola" is the name for the island comprising these two countries:

(a) Cuba and Libre
(b) Dominican Republic and Haiti
(c) Saante Maarten and St. Martin
(d) His and Paniola

21. Which of the following Caribbean tourist sights is in the wrong location:

(a) Harrison's cave in Barbados
(b) Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua
(c) El Morro Castle in San Juan
(d) Magen's Bay in St. Thomas
(e) Dunn's River Falls in Trinidad

22. Christopher Columbus discovered which of these:

(a) Virginia
(b) Florida
(c) Barbados
(d) The Cayman Islands
(e) Columbus, Ohio

23. What is "plantain"?

(a) a reddish banana
(b) a greeny starch fruit cooked for meals
(c) an ice cream variety
(d) the informal name for IRS form 1098/B/X
(e) both (a) and (b)

24. What are dreadlocks?

(a) difficult to open locks
(b) what you see on a bad hair day
(c) things that lift ships in the Panama Canal
(d) narrow ropelike strands of hair formed by braiding
(e) the sideburns on our SeaLetter managing editor, Bob ("Marley") Jackson

How do you think you did? Here are the ratings as published by the SeaLetter Caribbean Quiz Review Board:

16 - 24 Genius, or else you live or have lived in the Caribbean.

6 - 15 Excellent - you are now entitled to book a Caribbean cruise.

0 - 5 Dumb as an Iguana. You've been taking too many vacations in Peoria. Please take the quiz again, and see if you can do better.

Originally from Australia, Alan has for some time been permanently settled in Vancouver where he is a practicing Attorney. He has been a SeaLetter columnist, reviewer and our resident humorist for some time now.

To find all of Alan's SeaLetter columns, featured and humorous articles, and cruise and port reviews, visit our SeaLetter COLUMNISTS Index.

Alan loves email, and can be reached at: Alan@sealetter.com.