Southern Caribbean cruises can be as short as four days or as long as two weeks. It is generally recommended to book trips lasting at least seven days to really enjoy the Southern Caribbean because most ships will sail for 1 -2 days before docking at the first port of call.
When shopping through the choices of Southern Caribbean cruises it is important to choose ships with activities and accommodations that will be enjoyed during the time at sea for this reason. If a short cruise of four days is chosen, the majority of the vacation will be spent on the boat with probably only one port of call on the trip.
Southern Caribbean Ports of Call
The common ports of departure for Southern Caribbean cruises are San Juan, Puerto Rico and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Since there is often a considerable amount of time between ship embarking or disembarking, it is not uncommon to take advantage of the opportunity to explore the first or final destination of the vacation. Both Puerto Rico and Florida offer beautiful beaches for relaxing and exploring. A taxi tour through Old and New San Juan is a great way to pass the time before boarding the plane for home.
Southern Caribbean cruises can have a wide variety of ports of call. Here are some of the more popular ports.
Antigua – Year round temperatures of around 84 degrees and an estimated 365 distinctive beaches grace this favorite port of Southern Caribbean cruises.
Aruba – Popular port for Southern Caribbean cruises with designer shops, casinos and golf courses. Large population of iguanas and superior diving for shipwrecks.
Barbados – Quintessential Caribbean architecture and atmosphere; Superior duty-free shopping and s few pink sand beaches. Great tours through tropical plantations and botanical gardens.
Bonaire – Emphasis on the beauty of nature; Home to sanctuaries of pelicans, seahorses and donkeys; superior diving and ecological tours and treasures.
Dominica – Filming location of “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies; Lush vegetation and unique natural touring experience.
Grenada – Known as the friendliest destination for Southern Caribbean cruises; Unique spice shopping opportunities, mountainous hiking and relaxing beaches.
St. Lucia – Vast unspoiled natural rainforests to explore and the world’s only drive-in volcano. Hiking, snorkeling and swimming in beautiful waterfalls are prime activities in this picturesque port of Southern Caribbean cruises. Marigot Bay is the most photographed bay in the Caribbean and was the filming location of the 1967 movie “Dr. Doolittle”.
St. Kitts – Tropical rain forests, a dormant volcano (Mount Liamuiga, also known as Mt. Misery) and The Strip which is an exciting and vibrant row of beach bars on South Frigate Bay.
In the coming weeks, we will be devoting a blog post to each of these incredible islands and all they have to offer. If you would like to find information immediately, please check our Caribbean Store for many books about every island!