| |
 |
| |
Ship
At Night |
THE IDEAL CRUISE
DESTINATION
Nowhere
else in the world is more synonymous with cruising than the Caribbean.
The dynamics of the Caribbean are truly unique and this is probably
why it is the number one cruise destination anywhere – and has been
for generations. The Caribbean region consists of hundreds of islands
and few large landmasses except for the actual continents of America.
This makes it perfect for a cruising from one tropical island to another
- each one of a kind, but all surrounded by turquoise waters and fine
sandy beaches. The climate of the Caribbean is amongst the few in the
world that can offer smooth sailing on a year round basis. Finally the
proximity of the Caribbean to the world’s major cruise market – North
America - means that ships do not have to travel very far to reach their
destination.
The
majority of seven-day Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises leave from
Miami and nearby Fort Lauderdale (sometimes known as Port Everglades).
Some leave from Tampa and Port Canaveral further north. There are also
a few Caribbean cruises that embark and disembark at Houston, Galveston
and New Orleans. For seven-day (or less) Southern Caribbean cruises
the usual port of embarkation is San Juan, Puerto Rico.
HURRICANE
SEASON – FACT V. FICTION
Unlike
“Hertfordshire, Herefordshire and Hampshire”, in the Caribbean hurricanes
do happen, but this should not be a cause for alarm. Hurricane season
runs from August through to November, but all cruise lines still run
a full schedule of Caribbean cruises at this time. Modern meteorological
advances have made hurricanes and seasonal tropical storms highly predictable
and ships have plenty of time to change course and/or alter their itineraries
if necessary, thereby avoiding any evidence of bad weather. A bonus
of cruising at this time is that rates tend to be less.
 |
| Large
Chess Set |
|
CHOICES,
CHOICES AND CHOICES
With
cruising being more popular than it has ever been the number of cruise
ships circuiting the Caribbean has reached an all-time high. The great
news for the consumer is that a variety of cruises of all price ranges
are available - different lines are designed to attract different parts
of the market - from budget to ultra-deluxe. Prospective passengers
can also choose from some of the largest cruise liners that have ever
been built. Several of the latest cruise liners are over 100,000 tons,
much bigger than anything that sailed the Atlantic in the heyday of
ocean liner travel.
In
addition to these modern behemoths, there are mid-sized ships from 40,000
to 70,000 tons; not too long ago these would have been considered giants.
Small ships from 15,000 to 40,000 tons – this was the size of the average
ocean liner just a few decades ago.
Finally there are intimate yacht-like ships of less than 15,000
tons, some of these with sails as an alternative to engine power.
Once
the line and the ship have been chosen, the next major decision is to
decide on an itinerary. The itinerary guidelines mentioned below are
only a rough guide, all possible combinations of ports cannot be mentioned
here, and many cruises – especially those longer than a week will transverse
several areas of the Caribbean. However the great majority of Caribbean
cruise itineraries fall into the following four categories:
Western
Caribbean
A
Western Caribbean cruise is a great introduction to the Caribbean. The
itineraries vary but normally consist of a day at sea at each end of
the cruise, and perhaps one in the middle, and stops often include Grand
Cayman, Jamaica (Montego Bay or Ocho Rios) and Cozumel, on Mexico’s
Yucatan Peninsula. This is the classic Western Caribbean itinerary.
Stops in Belize and on the island of Roatan in Honduras are also becoming
more popular, as is Key West, FL. For cruises that only have two days
at sea, an additional stop somewhere in the Bahamas or in Haiti will
be made. These stops are often at the cruise line’s ‘private island’
– a beach area reserved exclusively for passengers of the line, and
offering a wide range of water sports or simply the chance to relax.
Most of the major cruise lines now have these ‘private islands.’
The
Western Caribbean cruise offers more variety of ports of call than other
cruises, and the waters in this region are typically even more tranquil
than other parts of the Caribbean.
| |
 |
| |
Leaving
Port |
Eastern
Caribbean
The
traditional seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruise spends the first full
day at sea en route to the islands of the Eastern Caribbean. Of these
the most popular is St. Thomas. Virtually all Eastern Caribbean cruises
call at this island paradise – particularly well known for great shopping.
Often an optional tour to the island of St. John is offered as an alternative
to St. Thomas. Other islands visited could be one or two of several
including Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Tortola, The Dominican Republic
and St. Croix. If three islands are visited in the Eastern Caribbean
then there is a day at sea on the voyage back to Florida. If only two
Eastern Caribbean islands are visited then a stop in the Bahamas (once
again often at a private island) is scheduled.
Lush
tropical islands and beautiful, aquamarine ocean is the universal image
of the Caribbean. An Eastern Caribbean cruise will always provide this
idyll.
Southern
Caribbean
The
Southern Caribbean offers a wide variety of cruising opportunities;
the cruise lines market these with a variety of titles including Southern
Caribbean, Deep Caribbean, South Western Caribbean and South Eastern
Caribbean. Basically the parameters for cruising the Southern Caribbean
includes all of the islands on a latitude south of Puerto Rico, the
Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica and the land masses of countries
south of Belize, including Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia and Venezuela.
There
is a huge choice of island ports available and these include – among
many more – St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, Trinidad, Curacao,
Aruba, the San Blas Islands just off Panama, and Isla Margarita off
Venezuela. Caribbean ports of call that are on the mainland of Central
or South America include Puerto Limon in Costa Rica, the Caribbean side
of the Panama Canal (some cruises venture up the canal to Gatun Lake
and then turn around again). Stops at Cartagena Columbia and La Guaira,
(the port of Caracas) Venezuela enable Southern Caribbean cruise passengers
to get a brief taste of South America.
Nearly
all seven-day Southern Caribbean cruises now leave from San Juan, Puerto
Rico. The longer cruises of 10 and 11 days or more usually leave from
Florida and cross the Northern Caribbean and visit some ports there
before reaching the south. Many seven-day Southern Caribbean cruises
will visit just the Leeward Islands of the Southeastern Caribbean, while
others will concentrate on the mainland and islands of the Southwestern
Caribbean.
A
Southern Caribbean cruise is ideal for travellers who particularly like
to visit places with a totally different lifestyle than their own. The
Latin flavour of South America can, with a blend of many other cultures,
be experienced on a Southern Caribbean cruise.
Two,
Three, Four and Five Day Caribbean
The
Southern
of less than a week are becoming increasingly popular, and a wider range
of such cruises is now available. This is a great chance for first time
passengers to get an idea of their appetite for cruising without committing
too much time or financial resources. Of course most neophytes enjoy
their cruise so much that they take a longer trip the next time around.
Alternatively a short cruise is great for committed cruisers who don’t
have much time, but need to satisfy their urge to sail the seas again.
The
traditional destinations for these short cruises out of Florida have
been Nassau and Freeport, or more recently one of the cruise line’s
private islands. Other four-day cruises will visit Key West, Fl. and
Cozumel, Grand Cayman or Jamaica. A number of three, four and five-day
cruises also go to Southern Caribbean islands out of San Juan, Puerto
Rico. There are also shorter cruises now available out of Gulf of Mexico
ports such as Tampa and Galveston. These usually call at Cozumel or
other points on the Yucatan Peninsula and possibly Key West.
With
vacation time at a premium, the shorter cruises are a great way of ensuring
maximum relaxation over a limited period of time.
 |
| Shore
Leave |
|
SHORE
EXCURSIONS
Wherever
you sail in the Caribbean there will always be a tempting array of shore
excursions offered. For the active cruiser scuba diving, deep sea fishing,
or para sailing are just three of the options available at some of the
ports. For wild life lovers its possible to visit with the stingrays
on Grand Cayman, or take a jungle canal trip near Limon, Costa Rica
and see crocodiles, iguanas, bats and other exotic creatures. The ruins
at Tulum on the Yucatan Peninsula, or climbing up Dunns River Falls
in Jamaica are also popular excursion destinations for cruise ship passengers.
Not to be forgotten are shopping trips with local experts in St. Thomas,
or a trip to Marigot on the French side of St. Maarten to enjoy the
great view from the fort. However for many, a cab ride to the nearest
beach, a towel, sunscreen and a good paperback is all that is necessary
- every Caribbean port of call can offer this.
Whichever
itinerary is chosen or no matter what length of time no other vacation
can offer such a stress-free atmosphere as a cruise ship sailing the
Caribbean. The calming ocean breezes, the laid-back tropical lifestyle
of the ports of call, and the outstanding onboard service help passengers
unwind in no time at all – providing a vacation experience that is just
about as close to perfection as possible.
