Caribbean Cruise Vacations and Caribbean Islands Travel Guide - The Caribbean! The number one cruise destination! But not all Caribbean cruises are created equal. Here you will find information on Eastern, Western or cruises to Southern Caribbean cruise ports, sightseeing, attractions, virtual tours, weather and map of the Caribbean Islands.

When Should I. Cruise the Caribbean?
Cruise lines sail in Caribbean region year-round; winter is the most popular season, and when you have the most of ships to choose from. Summer is the time for bargain-hunting and cruises to Bermuda. Spring and fall are when cruise lines reposition ships between the Caribbean and Europe, offering longer transatlantic trips. May - October is hurricane season in the Caribbean, but cruise ships ? Unlike islands can be rerouted to avoid most storms.

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Should you book a Caribbean cruise during hurricane season?
The main reason to book a cruise during hurricane season is price. "Generally, fall is most value season for Caribbean cruise booking! The benefit of a ship-based vs. a land-based vacation is that ships are mobile." When a tropical storm or a hurricane forms, cruise lines try to keep their vessels at least 150 to 200 miles away from the storm front. You shouldn't be tossed about on rough seas or subjected to a day in port under torrential downpours and fierce winds.

The flip side of this itinerary flexibility is that the cruise line will alter or skip ports-of-call in order to keep passengers safe. Your ship may be delayed returning to or leaving from its home port. These schedule changes can result in missed flights, last-minute changes to travel plans and skipped shore excursions. In the worst case, a sailing will be canceled completely. If you're determined to see a particular island and your vacation will be ruined if you don't, you should play it safe and book a winter or spring departure.

If you do choose to book a cruise during hurricane season, it's essential that you purchase travel insurance that will cover you if you need to rearrange or cancel your travel plans. You must be ready to be flexible, both with the dates of your vacation and with the activities you do on it. You might even consider padding your cruise vacation with an extra day in the home port city before and after the sailing. That way, if your departing flight is delayed or your ship returns a day late, you won't miss the cruise or your flight home. Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean or Southern Caribbean - Which Is Best for You?
Not every Caribbean Island has a cruise port, but the list is growing and cruise ships are stopping in more exotic locations. Most cruise lines offer Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries, so that's often the first choice you'll need to make. If you go with the big ships, you'll typically see ports like San Juan and Grand Cayman; smaller ships will get you into places like Virgin Gorda, BVI, and Nevis. Lines like Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line offers stops at private islands

Choosing where to sail is one of the first decisions made when planning a cruise vacation. Most cruise travelers select a 7-day Caribbean cruise for their first experience at sea. When you search the Internet or read cruise brochures, the most common itineraries offered are Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean or Southern Caribbean. Which is better? The answer is either! It all depends on what your interests are, so in addition to selecting the right ship, you need to research the ports of call before you book. All itineraries will provide cruisers with opportunities to sail, swim, snorkel, and shop.

Most Caribbean cruises are either 3, 4, 7 or 10 nights. Longer cruises often combine Caribbean port calls with stops in Mexico, Central or South America, including Panama Canal transits. Longer repositioning cruises can begin or end in the Caribbean as lines move ships to Europe seasonally. Price is one factor in how long you cruise; another is how long you enjoy being at sea. Even a big ship can feel confined after a few days; choosing itineraries with more, longer port calls can help.

On a seasonal basis -- the high season of course being the period between the Christmas holidays through spring break -- you'll find every other line! Aimed primarily at North American travelers are cruise ships from the fleets of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Princess, Celebrity and Holland America. Attracting an international, European traveler are ships from P&O, Costa, MSC Cruises and more. Windstar maintains a seasonal ship in the waters of Central America.

Eastern Caribbean - The most popular cruising grounds in the world lie from the Bahamas just off the South Florida coast and the islands defining the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Legendary playgrounds of royalty and celebrities; places rich in historic importance and cultural traditions; world-class shops, entertainment and recreational opportunities; and exotic natural wonderlands make Eastern Caribbean and Bahamas cruises appealing to vacationers of virtually every age and interest.

Technically, cruising's Eastern Caribbean region encompasses the British and American Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the two-nation-one-island St. Maarten and St. Martin Ships ranging from yacht-like luxury vessels to the largest floating resorts sail to the Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean year-round from the popular Florida ports of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, and seasonally from eastern U.S. ports as far north as New York. Bahamas which, just as technically is not part of the "Caribbean" but many cruise lines include to their Eastern Caribbean itineraries.

Western Caribbean - Combining some of the Caribbean's most vibrant cultures, natural wonders on land and in the sea, the rich historical treasures of the Mayan Empire, and legendary resort areas, the Western Caribbean ranks as one of the world's great vacation spots and offers extraordinary variety as a cruise destination.

While the industry's luxury segment parses out its Western Caribbean forays less often, you will find occasional options. Cunard visits the region a few times each year with luxury/big ship hybrid Queen Mary 2, as does Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Silversea, Seabourn, Hapag-Lloyd's Europa, Crystal and Oceania. Often, these lines will blend Western Caribbean stops with longer Panama Canal or South America itineraries.

Cruise ships depart for Western Caribbean sailings year-round from all the major Florida ports, including Tampa, as well as New Orleans, Mobile, Houston and Galveston on America's Gulf Coast. The Western Caribbean offers ports such as Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Key West, Honduras and Belize. The Southern Caribbean offers ports such as Aruba, Antigua, Barbados, Curacao, Dominica, Martinique, St Lucia.

SouthernCaribbean The choice of more island destinations for the inquisitive. Southern Caribbean cruises embarking in San Juan, ports of call may include Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Tortola/Virgin Gorda, Curaçao, Grenada, Martinique, St. Barts, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, and sometimes St. Thomas/St. John or St. Martin/Sint Maarten.

Each Island has its own personality and style, some derived from their colonial culture and geography. Most are home to friendly residents and offer pleasant diversions and enough shopping for even the most addicted shop-aholic. It's quite possible to take as many as four or five Caribbean cruises and "repeat" very few islands.

All Caribbean Islands year-round scuba diving, snorkeling, beautiful beaches, enchanting rain forests, steel drum bands, tropical drinks and wonderful shopping with duty free prices. A perfect cruise vacation destination that is at its best when visited between December through May when humidity is low and rainfall is less. Click our interactive Caribbean Island Maps and start planning your next vacation Today!

Find the best of Caribbean cruise ports that you are most interested in! Read or contribute on Caribbean cruises on our large travel discussion Community Message Board.  Learn from other members as you read Cruise Reviews on Caribbean Cruises or share the best and worst of your cruise and submit a Cruise Review on your Caribbean Cruise.  Share your favorite photos from your Caribbean cruise with other members at our Photo Gallery.