7 Best Caribbean Cruises
by Ric Rogers of Triangle Cruises
- Cuba
- Dolphins
- Winter Getaway
- Seabourn
- Super Ship
- Disney
- Local Departure
Top of my list is a cruise to Cuba. Even if you are a veteran cruiser, this is probably a new destination for you and who knows the future availability of trips to see Havana?
The US embargo is still in effect. There are exceptions for cultural meetings and that is what the cruise lines use. In order for you to depart the ship, you have to be doing an acceptable excursion on that day,. This doesn’t mean you can’t explore before and after your cultural excursion.
I like xxxxx with their 5 day cruise out of Miami with their free drinks!
Next up is a cruise with a specific shore excursion in mind. Of the many shore excursions I have done, the most memorable is the Royal Dolphin Swim. This experience begins with an information session and then takes you out to interact with the dolphins. It is not just a swim. These beautiful and powerful animals pair up to push you through the water so fast that you rise up out of the water like you were water skiing, even if like me, you aren’t coordinated enough to water ski.
These are available in a few different ports including Nassau and my choice, Challlll Park in Cozumel.
This is a very popular excursion, so regardless of whether you book it through the cruise line or independently, Book it Early (months before you cruise departure is best).
Third on my list is the Winter Getaway cruise offering many great benefits including lower prices, more choices, no hurricanes and like the name suggests, the opportunity to bask on the beach while your neighbors are shoveling snow.
The lower prices and more choices are due to the higher supply of ships in the winter and the lower demand. The higher supply comes from some ships that spend the summer cruising Alaska and the Mediterranean Sea winter in the Caribbean and the lower demand comes from kids being in school. Generally the high rate season for cruises anywhere is when school is out.
One great winter deal is:
My next cruise is a great chance to enjoy the life of luxury on one of the most exclusive cruise lines sailing the 7 seas, the Yachts of Seabourn. Departing December 15, 2018, the Seabourn Odyssey sails from St. Martin to Barbados stopping a many ports that bigger ships cannot go into including Mayreau, Roseau and St. Kitts. Odyssey has a capacity of 458 guests. It has its own marina where you go kayaking or board sailing. Veranda Suites for this sailing start at an amazing $2699pp. Known for extraordinary service and award winning dining, be prepared to be pampered on this amazing ship.
Maybe not for everyone, but cruising on the largest cruise ship on the ocean and the things it can offer is a worthwhile excuse to take a cruise on the mega-ship Symphony of the Seas. This new ship from Royal Caribbean is 230,000 gross tons and has a maximum capacity of 6,870 passengers.
Some of the things you will find onboard: Central Park, Laser tag, Hairspray theater production, rock-climbing walls, zipline, waterslides, ice skating, PADI dive classes, parades, 4 pools, numerous bars, and 20 eateries. For Thanksgiving, take a 7 night eastern Caribbean cruise for $1154pp
For those Disney crazy families, there is nothing like a Disney Cruise. This immersion of Disney in a much tighter world of a cruise ship is great.
The following is an example.
Non-Florida departures can be a way to expand your cruise experience. Most Caribbean cruises depaft from 5 Florida ports: Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Pot Canaveral, Jacksonville and Tampa. But other cities, that may be closer to home could mean driving versus flying to your departure port. Ports include New York City, Galveston and one of my favorites, New Orleans.
New Orleans is a great city to plan a pre0cruise visit in, as well as a nice cruise terminal experience. Take this 5-day Western Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Triumph leaving on Oct. xx to Mexico. Be sure to get a verandah on the PORT side of the ship so you can wave to the folks sitting on their antebellum home porches where they watch the ship go by.