For many individuals, planning a cruise trip means selecting an itinerary that visits ports they need to discover. If you’re seeking to sail within the Caribbean, there are loads of itineraries — and subsequently ports — to select from. To provide help to determine what itinerary you may need to e book, we’ve rounded up ten of one of the best Caribbean cruise locations.
Best Caribbean Cruise Destinations: Cruiser Favorites
On Facebook, we requested Eat Sleep Cruise followers what they assume are one of the best Caribbean cruise locations. Here are six of the preferred solutions!
Aruba
Aruba is a southern Caribbean island nation that’s a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, positioned simply north of mainland Venezuela. It additionally makes up the “A” within the “ABC Islands” together with neighboring islands Bonaire and Curaçao; the three are additionally the one Dutch islands which are a part of the Leeward Antilles chain of islands. Aruba, together with Bonaire and Curaçao, is a well-liked port on southern Caribbean cruise itineraries.
During a port day in Aruba, some of the in style issues to do is hit the seashore. Eagle Beach is a wonderful selection, as its mushy white sand and clear blue waters have earned it a spot as probably the greatest seashores on the earth. Palm Beach, Baby Beach, and Mangel Halto Beach are additionally nice choices.
Another in style exercise is taking a catamaran snorkeling tour — some even carry passengers out to snorkel and dive over a shipwreck. Other in style actions embrace De Palm Island water park, visiting the Butterfly Farm or Ostrich Farm, horseback using, and taking a highlights of Aruba tour.
Bonaire
Bonaire is the “B” within the ABC Islands, positioned east of Curaçao simply above Venezuela. Cruise ships dock within the capital metropolis of Kralendijk, which serves as a place to begin for quite a few actions that cruisers can do on and across the island.
The primary attraction in Bonaire is snorkeling and diving; the island is understood to many as “a diver’s paradise.” You can head out on boat snorkel and dive excursions, snorkel on the Bonaire National Marine Park, or snorkel in an underground cave.
But should you don’t need to take to the underwater world, different actions out there embrace kayaking, taking an ATV tour, touring high websites on the island, visiting Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary, or going procuring on the Bonaire Arts and Crafts Cruise Market simply off the cruise pier.
Curaçao
The “C” within the ABC Islands, Curaçao is positioned between Aruba and Bonaire within the southern Caribbean Sea. You can also acknowledge the title “Curaçao” as a blue liqueur, and also you’d be proper should you guess that it comes from this island. It’s a liqueur constructed from the dried peel of the bitter orange laraha, which grows in Curaçao. The liqueur is then dyed blue to offer it its recognizable hue. The model Senior & Co Liqueur claims to make the one “authentic” curaçao on the earth, which is produced and bottled proper on the island. Tours of the distillery can be found and in style with cruise guests.
In addition to blue curaçao, Curaçao has colourful Dutch colonial structure and a storied heritage with Spanish and Jewish roots. So, historic and highlights excursions are an effective way for guests to introduce themselves to the island. Other actions cruisers can partake in embrace land safari off-roading, kayaking, snorkeling, visiting Hato Caves, hanging out on the seashore, and going jet-skiing.
Barbados
Barbados is a part of the British Commonwealth, and is the easternmost island within the Caribbean. The closest neighboring islands are St. Lucia and St. Vincent, that are each positioned to the west of Barbados. Not solely is Barbados a typical port name on southern Caribbean itineraries, however it additionally serves as a homeport for smaller ships from traces reminiscent of Windstar, Azamara, and Silversea.
Bridgetown, the nation’s capital and the town the place cruise ships dock, is in style for its historical past and British colonial structure. In reality, Bridgetown is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cultural excursions are an effective way to find out about Barbados, and should you actually need to dive into the historical past of the island, go to the Barbados Museum & Historical Society.
If you’re a rum connoisseur, take into account touring distilleries such because the West Indies Rum Distillery or Mount Gay Distilleries. Other actions to do throughout a port name in Barbados embrace exploring Harrison’s Cave, spending the day on the seashore, snorkeling, and wandering the grounds at Hunte’s botanical backyard.
Tortola
Tortola is a part of the British Virgin Islands, and is positioned barely northeast of the U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Thomas and St. John. The nation has gorgeous white sand seashores and vibrant blue water. Popular picks for a seashore day embrace Smuggler’s Cove, Brewers Bay, Cane Garden Bay, and Long Bay Beach.
When stopping in Tortola on a cruise, many guests take a ferry over to neighboring island Virgin Gorda. It’s recognized for the baths, a ravishing pure space crammed with boulders and caves that kinds a maze resulting in secret swimming pools. Likewise, some cruisers take a ship to a different neighboring island, Jost Van Dyke to spend time swimming, snorkeling, and visiting the world-famous Soggy Dollar Bar.
Back on Tortola, in style actions embrace exploring J.R. O’Neal Botanical Gardens, going kayaking via mangroves, going mountaineering, and taking a tour of the island that features stops at a few of the most notable websites.
St. Thomas
St. Thomas, a U.S. Virgin Island, is without doubt one of the greatest Caribbean cruise locations. It’s positioned within the japanese Caribbean between Puerto Rico and St. John. The port metropolis, Charlotte Amalie, is the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands and is a very talked-about cease on japanese Caribbean cruise itineraries.
Upon disembarking your ship in St. Thomas, one of many first stuff you’ll encounter is the SkyRide cable automobile system that takes company as much as an excellent viewing level on the island, Paradise Point. This is a superb exercise as a first-time customer to St. Thomas to get some nice views of the vacation spot. Plus, there are bars, eating places, and retailers on the high.
Another spotlight of St. Thomas is its seashores, together with Magens Bay and Lindquist Beach. Popular actions in St. Thomas embrace visiting Fort Christian, strolling on the well-known 99 Steps, zip lining, exploring the Pirates Treasure Museum, and taking a highlights tour of the island.
Best Caribbean Cruise Destinations: Popular Gems
In addition to the solutions above supplied by our readers, we needed to incorporate a couple of extra in style cruise locations which are beloved by cruisers of all ages.
Cozumel
Cozumel is an island positioned simply off mainland Mexico within the Caribbean Sea, positioned simply south of resort vacation spot Cancun. It’s the one hottest cruise port on western Caribbean cruise itineraries, and for good motive. There’s a big number of issues to see and do in and round Cozumel, making it an excellent port name for each sort of cruiser.
If you like to scuba dive or snorkel, this is a perfect vacation spot for you: Cozumel is without doubt one of the greatest diving spots on the earth. It’s additionally an excellent place to spend the day on the seashore. You can get day passes at seashore golf equipment like Mr. Sanchos or Paradise Beach.
A well-liked exercise for cruisers throughout a cease in Cozumel is visiting Mayan ruins reminiscent of San Gervasio, Chichen Itza, or the Coba Mayan ruins which incorporates the tallest pyramid in Yucatan. For extra adventurous out of doors experiences, you’ll be able to take a Jeep tour, discover cenotes (sinkholes which you can swim in), or go four-wheeling.
St. Maarten
Sint Maarten is a Dutch nation within the japanese Caribbean that shares an island with French nation Saint Martin. It’s positioned south of Anguilla and just below 200 miles east of Puerto Rico.
St. Maarten is without doubt one of the hottest ports on japanese Caribbean itineraries, providing quite a lot of issues to see and do for cruise guests. One of the preferred and distinctive spots to go to is Maho Beach, which is positioned simply throughout the road from the top of the runway at St. Maarten’s primary airport, Princess Juliana International Airport. The planes virtually seem inside attain as they soar over the seashore earlier than touchdown on the runway, so it’s a preferred spot for airplane spotters and pictures lovers.
Other in style actions to do in St. Maarten embrace mountaineering, zip lining via the jungle, taking a tour of Topper’s Rhum Distillery, and snorkeling. Island excursions are additionally in style each on land through ATV or bus or at sea through boat.
Half Moon Cay
Little San Salvador Island, often known as Half Moon Cay, is an island within the Bahamas owned by Carnival Corporation. Ships within the firm’s fleet name there completely, together with these from Holland America, Carnival Cruise Line, and sometimes Cunard. It’s a preferred port cease on Bahamas and japanese Caribbean itineraries.
Most cruisers take into account Half Moon Cay to be a seashore day, hanging out and having fun with the mushy powdery sand and crystal-clear blue waters. However, there are actions to do together with shark and stingray encounters, snorkeling, glass-bottom boat excursions, kayaking, paddleboarding, bicycling, nature walks, and horseback using on the seashore.
The island features a barbecue lunch serving sizzling canines, burgers, jerk rooster, ribs, and sides. A lot of bars dot the visitor space so that you by no means go thirsty, and there’s additionally a Lobster Shack the place you’ll be able to seize a chunk with a la carte pricing.
San Juan
San Juan is the capital and largest metropolis of Puerto Rico, which is a U.S. territory positioned simply east of the Dominican Republic and simply west of St. Thomas. Not solely is it probably the greatest Caribbean cruise locations on japanese Caribbean routes, however it additionally serves as a homeport for ships working southern Caribbean cruises.
Ships dock each within the metropolis’s outdated city Viejo San Juan and on the Pan American Terminal simply south of Old San Juan, however Old San Juan is the primary attraction for many cruisers no matter which dock they arrive at. Filled with Spanish-style buildings and plenty of retailers and eating places, spending the day simply exploring the cobblestone streets of the outdated city is an effective way to benefit from the port. The outdated city can be dwelling to forts Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo de San Cristóbal that are enjoyable to discover.
Another in style exercise to do throughout a port name in San Juan is visiting Casa Bacardi, which is the most important rum distillery on the earth. Going mountaineering at El Yunque National Forest, visiting a museum, or taking a food-focused tour are additionally in style actions throughout a day in Puerto Rico.
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