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Holland America’s Caribbean cruises last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks with ports of call in the Cayman Islands, Key West, Cozumel, Aruba, and more. Traverse the Panama Canal, snorkel with sea turtles and parrotfish in St. Lucia, and ride horses on Half Moon Cay, the cruise line’s exclusive private island in the Bahamas. With a wide variety of ships to choose from, 10 convenient departure ports, and itineraries that offer plenty of time in paradise, it’s easy to see why our readers love Norwegian Cruise Line. Caribbean cruise ports include St. Kitts, Jamaica, Belize, Grand Cayman, Aruba, Honduras, St. Thomas, and Puerto Rico. Calm, clear waters make the Caribbean a top spot for diving, with lines offering beginners’ lessons and sessions for experienced divers, and you can snorkel off the beach for close-up views of the underwater wonderland. Get an authentic taste of the islands by visiting a chocolate factory, rum distillery or sugar plantation and check out colourful markets for crafts, spices and handmade souvenirs.
Caribbean Cruises for Your Next Tropical Vacation
Travelers don't tend to spend much time in Belize City itself, but it's a great jumping-off point for all Belize has to offer. Visit the Altun Ha Mayan ruins, go river tubing and spelunking in caves, zip line through the jungle or go snorkeling or diving along Belize's famous barrier reef (the northern hemisphere's largest). If you enjoy the finer things in life, then Seabourn Cruises will not disappoint. Their cruise liner fleet has beautiful modern accommodation, excellent customer service, and an almost 1-to-1 ratio of guest to crew staff (that’s a lot of individual attention). Imagine your children’s faces when they step onto a ship filled with all their favorite Disney characters.
Features and Coolest Things to Do on Liberty of the Seas in the Caribbean
From mofongo, a dish from Puerto Rico made from mashed fried plantains, pork and garlic, to the famous jerk chicken of Jamaica, we serve the Caribbean's favorite flavors to you on board. Thanks to Princess' world-class chefs you'll enjoy fresh, locally inspired dishes for your entire voyage. The Caribbean has been a land of adventure for hundreds of years, and there's excitement for every traveler, now more than ever.
2025 Caribbean Cruises
To help me focus on the task at hand and not get sidetracked by the beautiful scenery and great cruise boats, I had to come up with some criteria to help me select the best Caribbean cruises. In addition to your lightweight clothes, pack sun protection while visiting the Caribbean -- and consider reef-safe sunscreen and bug spray. Sun showers can happen, so a thin waterproof layer or umbrella might keep you dry during a surprise thunderstorm. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. Of course, relaxing by the pool and indulging in a restorative spa treatment are also options.
Compare: 10 Best Cruise Ships in The Bahamas and Caribbean - Cruise Critic
Compare: 10 Best Cruise Ships in The Bahamas and Caribbean.
Posted: Mon, 23 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
From there, the ship visits St. Maarten, St. Thomas, San Juan, and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. If "more is better" is your mantra, skip the search and look up Icon of the Seas. At 250,800 gross tons, the new, 20-deck-high vessel is the biggest cruise ship in the world.
Another thing cruisers appreciate about Princess is the “More Ashore” program, which lets passengers experience ports after dark with late-night departures and overnight stays in ports such as Aruba, Curacao, St. Thomas, and Cozumel. Take in vibrant island nightlife with seafood dinners, live music, and street fair shopping. Loose, lightweight clothes made from cotton or natural fibres are best for excursions. Trainers or comfortable sandals are a must, along with flip-flops and water shoes. Pack several pieces of swimwear so one set is always dry, plus a cover-up for the beach or to walk on deck. A rash vest and waterproof phone or camera case are good for water sports.
Best for kids
These lines offer a range of itinerary lengths, port combinations and departure cities from the Gulf Coast to the East Coast. Their biggest and newest ships are often deployed to the Caribbean, so you can find all the latest celebrity-backed restaurants, crazy top-deck attractions (like waterslides, climbing walls and roller coaster rides) and expanded cabin choices. These lines cater to all ages, including older couples and families with children. Yes, I know that the Bahamas is technically located in the Atlantic, but it's an easy mistake to think the balmy islands are found in the Caribbean. The majority of the cruise line private islands are located in the Bahamas, and these appear regularly on all Caribbean itineraries. The Bahamian ports of Nassau and Freeport, even Florida's Key West, may appear on Caribbean-centric cruises.
The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Royal Caribbean cruise - The Points Guy
The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Royal Caribbean cruise.
Posted: Thu, 14 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Overall, we love the fact that you can have a ton of fun on board Carnival cruise ships in the Caribbean, not just in the most exciting ports, like Nassau in the Bahamas, Ocho Rios in Jamaica, and Cozumel, Mexico. On the ships, you’ll find colorful water parks with twisty waterslides, the Bolt roller coaster and the Red Frog brew pub. While the ideal time of year to cruise the Caribbean is usually from January to April during the Caribbean’s dry season, Carnival makes visiting the islands fun any time of year. On ultraluxury line Silversea’s new Silver Nova, guests linger on a reimagined resort deck with the pool not in the center, as on most cruise ships, but off to the side for optimal sea views. Relaxing on a cushy lounge chair on the Euro-centric ship (headquartered in Monaco, Silversea vessels feature contemporary Italian furnishings and a European feel onboard), you might imagine you are at a fancy resort in, say, St. Tropez. New outdoor dining and imbibing spaces add to the elevated beach club vibe.
One of three ships in the line's Freedom class that date to the mid-2000s, Freedom of the Seas is no longer the creme-de-la-creme of the Royal Caribbean fleet (though it was when it debuted). At around 156,000 tons, it's about 30% smaller than Royal Caribbean's newer Oasis-class ships and has fewer venues, from bars and restaurants to entertainment spaces. There's no doubt about it, Wonder of the Seas is the Royal Caribbean ship to book if you're looking to live the high life (and are willing to spend big bucks to do so). Icon of the Seas also features the largest water park ever built on a cruise ship, with a record six top-deck waterslides and a cool new ropes course. Sailing since January 2024, Icon of the Seas is the biggest cruise ship in the world — more than 6% bigger than the next-biggest ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet.
From here, passengers can enjoy all manner of four-legged and two-legged activities, from riding in the surf to cycling and hiking around the island. The Caribbean is renowned for its world-class diving and on the island of Aruba newcomers can sign up for a beginner’s class. The only cruise line on this list with vessels that accommodate more than 1,000 passengers, Virgin Voyage’s 2,770-passenger ships are restricted to adults ages 18 and up and operate with more cheekiness than formality. Adults on a Virgin Voyages’ Caribbean cruise can expect an anything goes attitude, where you can dance outdoors under the stars alongside mermaids and mermen during a themed party, when not attending beach bashes on shore. By day, work up a sweat in an ’80s-style dance aerobics class or get a tattoo or piercing from one of the visiting artists in the onboard parlor.
However, more ships sail this region of the world in the winter, when other destinations (such as the Mediterranean, Baltic, Canada/New England and Bermuda) are too chilly for vacations at sea. Holland America offers two complementary shore excursions up to $116 per tour to all their guests. Norwegian Escape, like many of its sister ships, has studio cabins for solo travelers. And they aren’t hidden on the lower decks – look for them on decks ten through twelve along with NCL’s exclusive Studio Lounge for snacks, activities and meet and greets for solos. Plus, the 4,248-passenger floating resort has enough restaurants and bars to make it almost impossible to try them all in a single cruise.
Our readers’ third-favorite Caribbean cruise line is known for its immersive destination experiences and award-winning shore excursions. The brand new line Explora Journeys, launching in July 2023 with the 922-passenger Explora I, marks the MSC Group’s move into the luxury cruise sector; albeit that’s not a word you’ll hear. The firm likens the brand to a top hotel that just happens to be at sea and sailings are called ocean journeys; cabins — each one with a balcony — are homes at sea; and shore excursions are destination experiences. The ship will sail in the Caribbean out of Miami, Bridgetown and San Juan to islands such as St Kitts, with the chance to take a cookery class, try your hand at making batik fabric or peer into a volcanic crater. Royal Caribbean explores every corner of the region, with eastern, western and southern Caribbean itineraries on its fun-loving ships. Its fleet will soon include the 5,610-passenger Icon of the Seas, which will pip Wonder of the Seas as the world’s largest cruise ship when it starts exploring Caribbean shores on sailings from Miami.
Setting sail in summer 2023, Silver Nova is the first ship in the luxury Silversea fleet on which every cabin has a balcony. Sailing on a variety of all-inclusive Caribbean voyages from New York, Fort Lauderdale, San Juan and Bridgetown, the ship carries 728 passengers. The eight dining venues include SALT — the Sea and Land Taste programme that showcases dishes from the destinations the ship visits. Each port of call brings a wide selection of shore excursions; 13 alone in St Lucia, such as zip-lining through the rainforest and a chocolate-making workshop. On San Juan, rum tasting reaches a new level with a private mixology class.
However, this being Royal Caribbean, you'll also have access to a seemingly endless array of amusements from waterslides to aerial water shows just steps away. Called the Suite Neighborhood, the complex offers some of the biggest (and priciest) suites at sea, including the sprawling, two-deck-high Royal Loft suites that measure more than 1,500 square feet. For starters, Icon of the Seas has an increased number of cabins that offer extra bunks to accommodate families with multiple children, including new room designs.
And if you're looking to save money on your next cruise, be sure to visit our Caribbean cruise deals page. We offer exclusive pricing for Cruise Critic members and visitors, ensuring you get the best value for your money. Known as Studio cabins, the tiny solo rooms in these complexes measure just 100 square feet. I particularly loved its futuristic "Jetsons"-like design and the multicolored mood lighting. The bottom line is that the best Caribbean cruise for you depends a lot on your travel style.
Viking came in at No. 1 in T+L's best mid-size ship category and river cruise category. Golden said the WBA Hall of Fame honoree's 50 river "longships" are "light-filled floating boutique hotels." Discover the history of local distilleries while sampling some of the region’s best rums, meet the parrots and macaws that call the Caribbean home in the ship's Piazza, or become a part of the rhythm with steel pan drum lessons. Our onboard activities give you the chance to gain a deeper connection and understanding of the gorgeous islands you'll visit on your voyage.
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