Our passage from Georgetown, Bahamas, directly to George Town, Grand Cayman, took 5 days. (Photo by Stephen Frink/Getty Images) Sun, sand and sea are what most travelers want when they book a cruise to the Caribbean. Active travelers will find plenty of hiking, biking, zip lining and ATV tours. Check out my complete guide to one day in Cozumel for more information. Otherwise, book a tour to the best spots or for a guided activity. The slow-roasted pork will melt in your mouth and your taste buds will come alive with the heavy seasoning of spicy achiote paste and bright citrus. Try tapado, a rich and hearty stew of Your Guide to Updated Experiences. If youre retired and can drive to a port, you can likely find an inside cabin to book just a few weeks prior to sailing. The Western Caribbean offers the perfect mix of spicy dishes and refreshing drinks. on places to visit and things to do that appeal to your personal taste. Swimsuits and warm-weather clothing should top your Caribbean cruise packing list, but don't forget the sunscreen. the pineapple plantation. This summer they plan an Atlantic crossing on their Whitby 42 ketch Alembic. As with the Western Caribbean, seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruises are the most common itinerary length. However, some ships sail a Western Caribbean itinerary thats more focused on Central America, with stops in Mexico, Belize and Honduras. Skipper and crew wait for a period of light winds from the northeast and steer a course directly for the western end of Great Inagua Island. Sometimes you can do these things right from whatever beach is your destination for the day. Handmade arts and Jeep tours, river rafting, zip-lining, snorkeling, ATV-ing and distillery tours can all be part of your fun Western Caribbean cruise to Jamaica. Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern time; Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern time. For a change of pace, spend a winter cruising from Florida to the Western Caribbean and back. Published by Blue Water Sailing Media, a division of Day Communications, Inc., Middletown, RI Related: Eastern Caribbean vs. Western Caribbean cruises: Which itinerary will I like more? It even has its own volcano with sulphur springs to visit and all the usual land and sea activities. Formal Attire A 7-night cruise often has two formal nights that fall on the sea days. I was once bumped from a flight home after a spring cruise when a high school Spanish club from Wisconsin needed the seats to travel home together as a group. Home Destinations Caribbean Cruises Western Caribbean Cruises Western Caribbean Cruise Highlights Wildlife Encounters In the Western Caribbean, you'll find abundant opportunities to get up close to its incredible wildlife. Ride the chair lift then descend through the tropical forest aboard your own bobsled. A cruise to Western Caribbean is filled with exciting destinations, each with its own style and vibe. Hidden in the jungle are many fantastic Mayan ruins and pyramids, the most popular sites being Altun Ha and Xunantunich. The most popular experience on the island is the Thrill Waterpark that features the tallest waterslide in North America. If you are planning a Western Caribbean Cruise, my #1 tip is to choose the right cruise line. Cruisers exploring independently will find plenty of Vessels with six feet of draft or less can use this short cut. Airlines may overbook. Cruise ships dock near Mallory Square, the central hub of Key West. Street artists and performers entertain the crowds on the waterfront at the nightly Sunset Celebration in Americas southernmost city. For the main dining room, men should wear a collared shirt, and women should plan to wear a sundress or nice blouse. The cost was less than a mooring on the U.S. east coast. Cruise excursions are typically more expensive, and there are limited options. Learn more about Royal Caribbeans (second) largest ship, the Harmony of the Seas. Gillian Birch is a full-time travel writer and author of 12 travel books. However, more ships sail this region of the world in the winter, when other destinations (such as the Mediterranean, Baltic, Canada/New England and Bermuda) are too chilly for vacations at sea. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. For food, pick one lunch spot or snack that you want to try when youre on shore. White sand beaches and crystal-clear turquoise waters are the biggest attractions for most Caribbean cruisers. There was an error processing your request. Each season has something to offer someone, which is what makes this whole year-round Caribbean cruise thing work. Georgetown, Bahamas, with its proximity to the Windward Passage, offers a good starting point for the Western Caribbean. Shore excursions also visit Chankanaab National Park with the chance to enjoy a dolphin encounter. It is an excellent place to find whale sharks during the season and several reefs are a short dinghy ride from the anchorage. Leaving the anchorage at Utila in the dark can be a bit dodgy. Spend the day under the dazzling blue waters of Cenote Azul, Mexico, and explore its colorful sea life. Seriously, you can almost always find a deal on a Caribbean cruise if youre flexible enough with your travel dates and cabin types. After clearing out of the Cayman Islands, you again sail downwind for two and half days and will find yourself off Guanaja, 25 miles northeast of Roatan, Honduras. In the cruising world, the Caribbean is broken down into three regions: west, east, and southern. Or spend your day in the Yucatan or Cozumel exploring Mayan ruins that are still standing after thousands of years. Do yourself a favor and order the Cochinita Pibil tacos when you're in Mexico. Doing this will ensure that other people can enjoy them in the future. Please try again. The entrance on the south end of the atoll is wide and calm and a wonderful anchorage lies just inside this southern entrance through the reef. We'll send you the latest cruise updates daily to your inbox. These itineraries are great for travelers who are interested in Mayan or Mexican culture in addition to beaches and water sports. Thats because these islands are farther from U.S. shores, meaning youll need to fly to an island to catch your cruise ship or need more than a weeks vacation to get from Florida all the way south to ports in Aruba or St. Lucia and back. For a polar opposite experience, we traveled across North Sound to the seclusion of the Kaibo anchorage and enjoyed snorkeling off Rum Point. Related: 20 Fun Things to Do in Key West, Florida for Cruise Visitors. After clearing in, enjoying a cold beer in one of the small bars, shopping, and exploring the busy small town of Bonacca you will want to move over to El Bight Bay to anchor among the other cruisers and enjoy this tranquil setting. Planning a cruise? Ive sailed to a large number of those ports and would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite. Another year, we left Isla Mujeres and sailed for southwest Florida closehauled in settled easterlies. duty-free shopping at the Town Center in the Port of Roatan. Other Great Things to Do: Beach Day, jet skis, kayaking. Except for the weeks that include holidays, ships arent likely to be at capacity or filled with screaming children. Alternatively, just sit and relax with a long fruity drink at one of the luxury resorts that overlook the beach, such as the Ritz-Carlton. My favorite Western Caribbean route includes the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Honduran Bay Islands, Belize and Mexico. authentic Mexican cuisine in the local town or head to the beach. The island is covered in greenery, so an ATV tour is a great way to be immersed in nature. Bill Weigel and his wife Helen have been full time cruisers since 2015. The Imodium and bug spray will protect you from bad water and mosquitos in port, respectively. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. It offers six- and seven-night Caribbean cruises from the late fall until early spring. The sailings depart from several U.S. home ports from Galveston, Texas, to Boston so many Americans can drive to their departure ports and avoid paying for airfare. Most cruise lines including Carnival, Celebrity, Princess , Disney, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line and Viking Ocean Cruises all feature Western Caribbean itineraries. Also Read: 10 Best Eastern Caribbean Cruise Ports You Should Visit. Book holiday sailings well in advance to find lower fares. Dive among vibrant coral reefs off the coast of. If youve never been, any of the islands will delight. You'll find two main types of Western Caribbean cruises, and both are fabulous introductions to Caribbean culture and attractions. If you save an incoming track on your chartplotter, following this track on departure can give you some peace of mind. My recent cruise was on the Harmony of the Seas which is the second largest cruise ship in the world. A unique aspect of the place is that the majority of the population lives on the small island that sits one mile south of the main island. Hike through jungles in Mexico for an experience that combines stunning scenery with historical treasures. This anchorage offers a delightful sense of all Belize cruising has to offer. crafts, local pottery and stunning underwater photos by Shawn Jackson make fabulous Many cruise lines also run sales at the end of the summer or during Black Friday/Cyber Monday, and Caribbean sailings are almost always included. Spend your days swimming in clear-blue waves and diving into underwater adventures, where hundreds of sea creatures are ready to greet you. Conch a meaty sea mollusk with a large shell isn't an ingredient you come by much in other parts of the world, but it's an integral part of Western Caribbean cuisine. Related: 20 Cool Things to Do in Montego Bay, Jamaica During a Cruise. Cultural tours include a scenic drive, boat trip through the mangroves and an ancestral dance performance by Native Black Carib Indians wearing colorful native costumes. It is also an easy place to arrange transportation to other areas of the island. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. For our passage, the winds were less than 15 knots with seas less than three feet for most of the trip. For an experience that is truly unique in the Western Caribbean, we tied up at the Camana Bay Yacht Basin. Its one of the southernmost Caribbean islands, found just off the coast of Venezuela, and its location protects it from the summer and fall hurricanes that can hammer the islands to its north and east. Wash down some chips and guacamole with a refreshing michelada in Mexico, or hang out with monkeys and iguanas at Gumbalimba Park in Roatan, Honduras. The longest, around 10 to 12 nights, will often include Southern Caribbean ports or start from more northerly home ports. Drone hobbyists should leave their drones at home when visiting to Chichen Itza or Tulum. The first few months of the year, known as wave season in the cruise industry, is a time when cruise lines all offer some kind of booking promotion, and you can often find discounted fares or free booking perks on Caribbean cruises. The islands themselves tend to be more exclusive, with fewer ships visiting on any given day. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Crunchy conch fritters are one of the region's most-loved staples. If saving money and avoiding the spring and summer crowds is your aim, and you are the kind of cruiser who will sing in a rowboat in the rain if it gets you away from home, then fall is perfect for you. The reefs are healthy and are teaming with fish of many species. Itineraries tend to concentrate on one area, but longer itineraries may include islands in two or all of the regions, as well as ports in the Bahamas and Florida. Since its possible to tour the entire island of Cozumel in one day, the best activity is a combo tour that circles the island and includes some of the best local activities such as snorkeling, the national park, and tequila tasting. Publisher: George Day Since the island is only 40 miles long by 10 miles wide, its doable to see the entire thing in one day. Endless shore excursions include swimming, snorkeling, boat trips, catamaran tours etc. AIS Mystery: Ships Displaced and Strangely Circling, Holiday Sales.
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