Cruising the Caribbean

By Clark Norton

> Picking a cruise that suits you
> Picking an itinerary
> Selecting a cruise line and ship
> When to go and how to save
> Web extra
© Alex Bramwell

Picking a cruise that suits you

Cruising and the Caribbean go together like sea and sunsets, palm-fringed beaches and soft breezes, rum punch and pirate tales. A million-square-mile expanse of sparkling liquid turquoise, the Caribbean cradles a pearl-like string of islands imbued with an array of cultural flavors: African, French, British, Dutch, Spanish, American and more. The result is a spicy stew of varied landscapes and peoples, all easily accessible via dozens of ports.

While cruise ships sail to ever more remote parts of the globe, cruise-goers continue to flock to the Caribbean—more than any other region on earth. A raft of cruise lines, large and small, ply the sea from Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula east to the Leeward and Windward Islands, and from the Bahamas south to the northern shores of South America. (While the Bahamas are technically north of the Caribbean, they figure into many Caribbean itineraries.) But with hundreds of individual cruises available, how do you choose which one is right for you? Here are some things to consider before booking your own tropical voyage.

Picking an itinerary

Most Caribbean cruises are one week long, though they sometimes stretch to 10 days, two weeks, or more—and some quick jaunts to the Bahamas or Mexico take just three to five days (a great way to test your sea legs). The majority of Caribbean cruises leave from south Florida, so you'll probably spend at least two days at sea getting to and returning from the Caribbean. If you begin your cruise in the Caribbean itself—say, in Puerto Rico or Barbados—your itinerary will likely include fewer sea days and more port stops.

Caribbean cruises are typically billed as either Western, Eastern or Southern Caribbean, but it's not quite that simple. The latter two, particularly, may overlap. Still, you can get a general sense of your itinerary by thinking in terms of these three regions. Western Caribbean cruises are the most popular of the trio, attracting twice as many passengers as the Eastern Caribbean and three times as many as southern itineraries. Most Western Caribbean voyages last for a week or less, and are often the least expensive. Departing mostly from Florida (though some sail from New Orleans or Galveston, Texas), these cruises often spend a couple of days at sea and visit Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and Cozumel or Costa Maya, Mexico. If you like snorkeling or scuba diving in crystal-clear waters, it's hard to go wrong here; you can also explore Mayan ruins in the Yucatan. Some cruise lines now include calls in Central America, such as Roatan, Honduras and Belize City, or make stops in the Bahamas or Key West en route.

Eastern Caribbean itineraries typically last seven to 10 days and frequently include Puerto Rico and nearby points east: the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgins, and St. Martin/St. Maarten (an island divided into French and Dutch enclaves). St. Bart's, Antigua and St. Kitts might also be on the docket. Eastern itineraries are good for island-hopping—you won't be traveling great distances at sea—and reward those with diverse interests (including beach-going). On one day you might sample the history and culture of old San Juan, Puerto Rico, on another explore the natural wonders of St. John in the U.S. Virgins, and on a third go shopping and swimming on St. Martin or St. Bart's.

While Southern Caribbean itineraries sometimes include "eastern" islands like St. Martin and the Virgin Islands, they also reach much farther south to include ports in Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent, Dominica, St. Lucia, Martinique, Curacao and Aruba—an enticing mix of lush and arid landscapes as well as British, French, and Dutch architectural and cultural legacies. While a number of these southern islands are popular tourist destinations with great beaches, cruise-ship traffic tends to be lighter in this region. Because of the greater distances from U.S. ports, Southern Caribbean sailings may extend to 10, 12 or 14 days or more. Those that leave from Barbados or another Caribbean port may be shorter since they spend fewer days at sea.

Selecting a cruise line and ship

In the Caribbean, you have a choice of dozens of cruise lines and ships of every size and level of luxury.

If you like the idea of cruising aboard a floating resort rivaling the dimensions of a small island, you're a good candidate for one of the big mainstream cruise lines such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Disney, Costa and MSC. These ships typically carry 2,000-3,500 passengers or more. Mainstream lines pack in passengers by keeping them well-fed and occupied day and night with a dizzying array of activities, all at attractive base prices. On Royal Caribbean's new 3,600-passenger Freedom class ships, for instance, you'll find a surf park with wave simulator, a full-size boxing ring, an ice skating rink and rock climbing walls, along with the usual theater shows, swimming pools, casino, boutiques and bars. If you're bringing the kids, you can be confident that Carnival, Disney, Royal Caribbean and most other mainstream lines will offer top-flight supervised children's programs, especially during school vacation times.

Mainstream lines can generally only visit ports that have suitable docking facilities for mega-sized ships and are capable of absorbing tidal waves of passengers. As a result, these destinations (for example Nassau, Grand Cayman, St. Maarten and Cozumel) keep reappearing on itineraries. That's fine for first-time Caribbean cruisers, but can be old hat for veterans. Also keep in mind that while the mainstream lines offer great value—it's easy to find week-long Caribbean cruises going for well under $100 per day per passenger—you can still rack up plenty of additional charges on extras like shore excursions, photos, spa treatments and drinks.

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands © Ivan Cholakov

Next up the ladder are premium lines like Princess, Celebrity, Oceania and Holland America, whose ships may (or may not) be somewhat smaller-Oceania's are in the 600-passenger range, while Princess has several ships that hold more than 2,500—and whose base rates tend to be somewhat higher. In return, passengers can (or at least should) expect higher quality staterooms and cuisine, a wider range of ports, and cultural enrichment programs that extend beyond poolside hairy-chest contests. Holland America's shipboard Culinary Arts Center, where top chefs give hands-on demonstrations, is a good example of the latter.

On the Caribbean's luxury lines—Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea and Crystal among them—you can count on (and will pay handsomely for) top-of-the-line service and amenities. Some ships feature all verandah suites or even personal butlers. Ship sizes vary from just 200 passengers to around 1,000. Also belonging to the luxury category are the sleek, yacht—like sailing ships of lines like Star Clippers and Windstar. These romantic, multi-masted vessels are small and maneuverable enough to venture to less trammeled isles. With just 200 to 300 fellow passengers, you won't have to wait in long lines to embark and disembark, and you'll visit fewer ports that are overloaded with shopping malls and other cruise-goers.

While luxury lines can cost several times the rates of other lines, they often include perks like shore excursions, alcohol and gratuities in their initial rates. They also tend to attract a more mature crowd of passengers and may not be suitable for kids. While all offer some kinds of shipboard activities, you're far more likely to find a well-stocked library aboard than a rock climbing wall.

Regardless of price, each cruise line has its own strong selling points, such as Norwegian's "freestyle" dining plans that allow you to eat when and with whom you want, and Disney's spacious family-sized cabins and kid-friendly amenities. For many cruise-goers, those perks are worth more than butlers or caviar.

When to go and how to save

While you can find Caribbean cruises in every season, you'll want to keep a few considerations in mind. First, the weather: The Caribbean is generally warm throughout the year, but the more northerly islands can become windy and chilly in winter, so you may want to opt for a Southern Caribbean itinerary at that time. In the Eastern and Western Caribbean in the fall, hurricane season sometimes plays havoc with itineraries. (Fortunately, the captain usually has plenty of advance notice to alter course if necessary.) The far Southern Caribbean is seldom affected by hurricanes.

Next, consider your budget. Winter is high season in the Caribbean, when frost-bitten northerners want to escape to warmer climes. Because demand is greatest then, winter cruises tend to be the most expensive—and the holiday season is especially pricey. Summer isn't necessarily the season for the best bargains, however, since so many families travel then. You can usually land the best deals in spring or fall, and, perhaps surprisingly, right after New Year's in the first few weeks of January—a fairly slow time for travel.

But whenever you go, you'll find the Caribbean to be one of the best values in cruising. Thanks to stiff competition and to the fact that you can avoid international airfares by departing from the U.S., Caribbean cruises have traditionally cost less than other destinations. And lately, as cruise lines have been increasing capacity and cabin supply has outstripped demand, prices have fallen further. All that adds up to bargains galore and means that, if you want to upgrade to higher-class cabins or ships, you may well find it more affordable to get on board. Now, all that's left is to choose your cruise—and pack the sunscreen.

Clark Norton, a New York-based freelance writer, last wrote for EnCompass about holiday attractions in New York City.

Web extra:
Interested in more distant cruising? Read Clark Norton's March/April 2008 EnCompass article, Guide to Mediterranean cruises at www.encompassmag.com.


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