Jan/100
Reasons to Visit the Caribbean on a Cruise
The Caribbean is the most popular destination on the planet for those looking to go on an ocean cruise aboard a luxury cruise liner for the very first time, and probably isn't in the category of cheap cruises! It is home to some of the largest cruise ships in the world, including Royal Caribbean's newest creation the Oasis of the Seas. Their dedication and investment in building Oasis, which holds over five thousand passengers and is 360 metres long, shows just how much demand there is for Caribbean cruises.
The largest passenger ship built before Oasis of the Seas was a trans-Atlantic liner called the Queen Mary II, which is still in service as the flagship of the Cunard Cruise line. The QM2 is 345 meters long and was designed to cross the ocean. The ships being made by Royal Caribbean are being used in the Caribbean only, a much smaller area but very much in demand with tourists from Europe and the United States.
Caribbean cruise departure ports include Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, New Orleans and Vera Cruz in Mexico. There are many others in the US, Mexico, and South America where you can board for extended cruises that include the Caribbean. The most popular destinations for travellers are Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Bermuda, and the Virgin Islands, but other lesser known islands also see a great deal of traffic.
South America is among the many destinations of choice for cruise ships in the Caribbean. Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, and French Guyana see good traffic during tourist season and offer much in the way of scenery and shopping. The coastline along this part of South America is also some of most beautiful in the Caribbean, a panoramic vista of greens, blues, browns, and gold filled with life.
If you're looking to hit something on the mainland you might also want to look at some of the ports of Central America that are on the Caribbean. These small countries that connect Mexico to Venezuela and Brazil are mostly open to tourism and can provide some nice sight-seeing or shopping on your trip. You could also set up a cruise that goes through the Panama Canal into the Pacific.
Of course, the best reason to visit the Caribbean on a cruise is to see the open waters and small tropical islands that have made it the top tourist destination that it is today. You can easily find a private beach, an island getaway, or a resort where you can book a cruise and stay packages or you can just stay on the ship, enjoy the view, and sip your drink by the pool.
Sarah Van Rensburg is a travel lover and avid writer, focussing on a range of travel topics including cruises.