Guide to Cruising in the Caribbean

The Caribbean is a region that consists of the Caribbean Sea and over 7,000 islands. It is nestled east of Central America, north of South America and southeast of the Gulf of Mexico (USA).

Dividing the Caribbean sea is not an easy task. In most cases, a fictitious line between Florida (USA) and Cartagena (Colombia) is drawn.

Anything that is West toward the Gulf of Mexico is part of the Western Caribbean.

Anything that is East toward the Bahamas is The Eastern Caribbean. Jamaica is part of the Western Caribbean. Many cruise lines add a small region within the Eastern Caribbean, the Southern Caribbean.

The original inhabitants of the Caribbean were called the Arawaks and the Caribs. When the first Europeans (mainly British, French, Dutch and Spanish) arrived in the Caribbean, they thought that they had arrived in India by sailing west - hence the naming of the West Indies, a collection of countries and islands in the Eastern Caribbean.

What makes the Caribbean such a remarkable place to visit, is that you can have two islands only 25 km apart, that have their own language, currency, food and traditions. The islands' populations often reflect their colonial heritage, between their European colonisers and the arrivals from Asia, Africa and the Middle East. 

The governments of these islands vary - some of them are sovereign governments, whilst some are territories, or overseas "departments", and depend on other nations. On all the islands though, the USD is widely accepted.

• White water rafting in Jamaica
• Dunn’s River Falls walk, Ocho Rios, Jamaica
• Visit to the Mayan temple of Tulum near Cozumel
• Sun-bathing on the soft sands of Grand Cayman

• Snorkelling with turtles in the Cayman Islands
• Cruising through the jungle and the Panama Canal
• Local craft shopping in Limon
• Strolling through coffee and banana plantations in Costa Rica

Top Eastern Caribbean Excursions:

The Western Caribbean often appeals to travellers that have already cruised in the Eastern Caribbean or have spent some time on one of the Western Caribbean islands previously.

It is a bucket list region, with most passengers having the Panama Canal on the top of their list. There are often itineraries that attract slightly older passengers, as the ship normally spends one or two days at sea during a typical 7 night cruise.

For watersports enthusiasts and beach lovers, the Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Belize have some of the most pristine beaches in the Caribbean.

The culture and history lovers will enjoy a visit to the Mayan archaeological sites from Cozumel, Playa del Carmen or Cancun. We recommend when taking the Tulum trip to use the ship's shore excursion, as the entry is often restricted. We have seen countless passengers being delayed coming back to the ship. When the outing is organised by the cruise line, the ship will wait for passengers when they are delayed; if it is a privately arranged excursion, the ship will not wait.

An Eastern Caribbean cruise is the dream holiday for most. You will see as many islands as possible in one holiday, lay on countless beautiful beaches, have a shopping experience like no other, some spectacular diving (Isla de Roatan) and for those that like hiking, there are some great options such as Mount Nevis - a 1,000 m Volcano in St Kitts & Nevis.

The Eastern Caribbean attracts younger passengers, young couples on honeymoon and families, as these cruises represent excellent value for money when compared to land-based holidays.

Most Popular Itineraries in the Caribbean