A Lovely Western Caribbean Cruise Will Melt Any Woes Away!
The Western Caribbean is far less well-known for cruise tourism than the Eastern side, not least because it is home to far fewer islands. On the other hand, the islands that are there are amongst the largest and most famous with Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Cuba amongst them. Western Caribbean cruises also commonly include a few stops in Central America to give you maximum bang for your buck. Some of
the beautiful Central American countries that you can see include Belize, Nicaragua, Honduras and Costa Rica. Overall, the most common ports of call include a few in Mexico (Cozumel and Costa Maya most commonly); Ochos Rios, Jamaica; Belize City, Belize; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands etc.
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Ochos Rios, in Jamaica, is frequently voted amongst the most beautiful places on earth and its famous Dunn’s River waterfalls are amongst the island’s most popular tourist attractions. Their shallow gradient means that you can walk straight up the waterfall itself, usually whilst holding hands in a human chain for safety – a once in a lifetime experience. Heading west, Belize City is one of the biggest transport hubs in the region and home to the fascinating Eco-Museum, with the building itself being made largely out of recycled materials and the Belize City Zoo.
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Western Caribbean Cruises: Departure Ports & Itineraries
Common ports of departure include Tampa and New Orleans, or anything else in the Gulf of Mexico, which are convenient for either long or very short cruises to this part of the Caribbean. Longer, more adventurous itineraries may even take you on a trip through the Panama Canal and out the other end to some Pacific ports in Mexico or the US. It’s the variety of ports that makes a good Western Caribbean itinerary most memorable and at their best they contain a good mix of Caribbean, Central American, and Pacific ports. Occasionally, however, you will find some Western Caribbean cruises advertised which do not actually feature any Caribbean island ports – this is not a problem as there are so many other ports and destinations to visit on your cruise.
It should not come as a surprise to learn that Caribbean cruises are the most popular type of cruise in the world.
The Idyllic Carribean Cruise
It certainly features in the top 10 cruising destinations mentioned on the same site, and it continually crops up among the most popular destinations listed on countless other websites too.
Why is this? Perhaps it is the gorgeous weather, the warmth that enables you to enjoy time out on deck when you are cruising from place to place. It also provides you with an opportunity to visit many Caribbean islands, whereas a traditional holiday to this part of the world may restrict you to just one island.
[blockquote type=”blockquote_line” align=”left”]Over 65% of all UK cruises leave from the four cruise terminals at Southampton.[/blockquote]
While some cruises to other destinations are only available at certain times of the year, Caribbean cruises are available on a continual basis. It is perhaps not surprising to discover many passengers hailing from the UK are particularly eager to book a winter cruise, to escape the uncertain weather in this country.
If you are considering boarding a Caribbean bound cruise for the first time, you will likely have some questions about the experience. Here we have covered most if not all of the main areas to focus on.
Can you book no fly cruises to the Caribbean departing from the UK?
Beautiful Caribbean Scenery
Cruises headed for Europe, the Fjords or similar areas typically leave from one of the UK based ports. However since the Caribbean is a lot further away you will often see cruise offers that require you either to fly out to meet the cruise ship or fly home once the cruise ends.
However if you prefer not to fly you can find some no fly cruises departing UK ports including these:
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Southampton
Bristol
Tilbury
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These cruises tend to be far longer in duration than those which require a flight one way as part of the booking. This takes into account the extra time spent at sea. Typical lengths of such cruises can be as follows:
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35 nights
26 nights
24 nights
32 nights
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Clearly while you may want to go on a no fly cruise you will have to consider your budget and the amount of time you have available for a Caribbean cruise. If you would rather try a shorter cruise you may have no option but to catch a flight out to the departure port.
The Caribbean Islands… A Cruise Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This!
Do all Caribbean cruises visit the same islands and destinations?
No; in fact there is far more variation than you may at first expect. Cruises to the Caribbean are typically split into three different types, visiting one of the following areas in particular:
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Eastern Caribbean – including Nassau, St Thomas and St Maarten
Southern Caribbean – including Aruba, Grenada and Dominica
Western Caribbean – including Havana, Montego Bay and Playa del Carmen
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Amazing Sights in the Caribbean
Incidentally the Mexican Riviera is often included as part of the Caribbean too; so don’t be surprised to see a few Mexican destinations included on some itineraries to this part of the world. These include:
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Acapulco
Mazatlan
Ixtapa
Manzanillo
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If you enjoy your first cruise to the Caribbean you can therefore go on other cruises to the same part of the world while visiting very different areas in the process.
A Cruise Ship Docked in The Caribbean
Which cruise lines offer Caribbean cruises?
Since this is the most popular part of the world for cruising, most cruise lines provide a range of cruises to the Caribbean. These include the following big name lines:
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Norwegian Cruise Line (Website: www.ncl.co.uk)
Royal Caribbean International (Website: www.royalcaribbean.com)
When you are searching for potential cruises you will notice many other names cropping up as well. It is wise to delve into each line in more detail, as some lines are better for certain types of traveller than others.
Children friendly Caribbean cruises
Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line
One of the biggest reasons why families head out to the Caribbean on a cruise liner is because of the gorgeous beaches that await them on arrival. However you still have to get there and if you have children you’ll want to book a cruise that enables you to travel on a child friendly ship. Disney hits the top spot in this respect, but if you are travelling from the UK you will find several other cruise lines to consider as well, including Royal Caribbean.
Affordable Caribbean cruises
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises
A Caribbean cruise can be expensive if you don’t shop around. While Celebrity Cruises offers Caribbean itineraries that are easier on the pocket, be sure
to consider other cruise lines as well. Princess Cruises is another name that is regularly connected to good value cruises.
What would a typical itinerary look like?
There is no easy answer to this one. It all depends on which part of the Caribbean you visit and how long your cruise is set to last. However we have picked out a number of cruises departing for the Caribbean this year and given the highlights below. This should give you an idea of what to expect on a typical cruise.
You should note the cruises listed below are all no fly cruises and thus feature an impressive list of destinations. Shorter cruises that require you to fly in one or both directions to meet your ship will have far fewer ports of call included in the itinerary.
35 nights in the Caribbean with P&O Cruises
A Caribbean Cruise with P&O
This trip departs from Southampton and heads to a number of stunning ports of call before returning home to the same port 35 nights later. You’ll visit these destinations during your Caribbean cruise with P&O:
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Madeira
St Lucia
St Kitts
Montego Bay
Grand Cayman
Cozumel
New Orleans
Key West
Port Everglades
Port Canaveral
Charleston
Ponta Delgada
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26 nights in the Caribbean with Fred Olsen Cruise Lines
Fred Olsen Caribbean Cruise
This trip also leaves from Southampton and offers a number of appealing destinations:
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Funchal
Bridgetown
St George’s
Castries
Antigua
Philipsburg
Ponta Delgada
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24 nights in the Caribbean with P&O Cruises
Cruise to the Caribbean
This is a shorter trip than the previous P&O cruise, but it still takes you to some stunning ports of call:
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Ponta Delgada
Antigua
St Lucia
Barbados
Dominica
Madeira
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32 nights in the Caribbean with Cruise & Maritime
Enjoy the Caribbean with Cruise & Maritime Cruises
This month long trip will treat you to a number of beautiful destinations before you return to the port of departure, Tilbury:
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Ponta Delgada
Antigua
Philipsburg
Gustavia
St Kitts
Grenadines
Mayreau
Bridgetown
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[blockquote type=”blockquote_quotes” align=”left”]Grand Cayman and Barbados are among the most popular Caribbean cruise destinations[/blockquote] Source: www.thomascook.com
When is the best time to go on a cruise to the Caribbean?
When is the best time to go on a Cruise to the Caribbean?
In terms of living in the UK, you’ll probably find it more appealing to go during our winter months. The downside is it can be more expensive to book a cruise to this part of the world at this time. Look out for special deals or last minute deals if you have some time available to head abroad on holiday. Alternatively you can get some deals by booking well ahead of time, depending on the cruise line you book with and the specific trip you are looking for.
However it is typically better to spend a little more and get away from the UK winters. You will also be escaping the hurricanes that can ravage the Caribbean anytime between June and November each year. While cruises are still available during this season, it is more likely your cruise may get diverted or miss one of the ports you are scheduled to visit. Bear this in mind if you want to postpone your cruise until the summer months.
Is a Caribbean cruise ideal for you?
While every cruise typically spends one or two days at sea, a trip to the Caribbean will usually mean three or four days at sea in order to get there (if not longer; it’s dependent on where your first port of call is situated).
Many cruise passengers want to explore the Caribbean and all it has to offer, but it may not be ideal for your first ever cruise. Shorter trips of just a few days are available to the Caribbean, but these typically depart from and return to a port in another country much closer to this part of the world. Thus it is often better to get your ‘sea legs’ on a shorter cruise much closer to home before embarking on the cruise trip of a lifetime to one or more parts of the Caribbean.
