The Caribbean is balmy all year long, the water is beautifully blue, and the beaches are legendary. For these reasons, it’s one of the world’s most popular cruise destinations. If you haven’t already sailed there, here’s a quick introduction to the region and the places cruise ships call on.
The Caribbean Sea
is defined by the Greater Antilles islands on the north, the Lesser Antilles
islands on the East, the northern edge of South America on the south, and Central
America – plus Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula – on the west.
Cruise
destinations in the Greater Antilles include Puerto Rico, the Dominican
Republic (which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti), Jamaica, and the
Cayman Islands. The Greater Antilles, made mostly of continental rock, are
known for mountainous beauty. Popular ports include San Juan, Puerto Rico (the departure port for some Caribbean cruises); Santo Domingo,
Dominican Republic; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and Georgetown, Grand Cayman.
The Lesser
Antilles is an arc of small islands that stretches from the U.S. Virgin Islands
(at the northern end) to Trinidad and Tobago (at the southern end). Some are low-lying
atolls, edged by coral reefs; and some are volcanic, with lovely peaks and
valleys. Islands of the Lesser Antilles that are beloved by cruisers include St.
Thomas, St. Maarten/St. Martin, St. Kitts, Dominica, Martinique, and St. Lucia.
Southern Caribbean
cruise itineraries may call on some of the Lesser Antilles but often focus on
one or more of the ABC islands – Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. While the ABCs are
not far from the coast of Venezuela and South America, they are part of the Netherlands.
Cruises that call on the ABCs often visit Barbados, which lies just outside the
Caribbean.
Cruises of the
Western Caribbean often call on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, where popular ports
include Cancun, Cozumel, and Costa Maya. Some itineraries also visit islands
off the coast of Belize and Honduras, including Ambergris Caye and Roatan, a
popular destination for snorkeling and diving. Depending on the port of
departure, Western Caribbean cruises may call on Jamaica and Grand Cayman, too.
We haven’t
mentioned The Bahamas or the Turks and Caicos islands because they are
geographically in the Atlantic, rather than the Caribbean; but, you’ll find these
pretty islands on quite a few Caribbean itineraries, too.
For much more information
about the many options for Caribbean cruising, talk with Anita, your
professional travel advisor.
Find us
on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AtthetaTravel
