For many people, planning a cruise vacation means choosing an itinerary that visits ports they want to explore. If you’re looking to sail in the Caribbean, there are a lot of itineraries — and therefore ports — to choose from. To help you decide what itinerary you might want to book, we’ve rounded up ten of the best Caribbean cruise destinations.

Best Caribbean Cruise Destinations: Cruiser Favorites

On Facebook, we asked Eat Sleep Cruise fans what they think are the best Caribbean cruise destinations. Here are six of the most popular answers!

Aruba

Aruba is a southern Caribbean island nation that’s part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located just north of mainland Venezuela. It also makes up the “A” in the “ABC Islands” along with neighboring islands Bonaire and Curaçao; the three are also the only Dutch islands that are part of the Leeward Antilles chain of islands. Aruba, along with Bonaire and Curaçao, is a popular port on southern Caribbean cruise itineraries.

During a port day in Aruba, one of the most popular things to do is hit the beach. Eagle Beach is an excellent choice, as its soft white sand and clear blue waters have earned it a spot as one of the best beaches in the world. Palm Beach, Baby Beach, and Mangel Halto Beach are also great options.

Another popular activity is taking a catamaran snorkeling excursion — some even bring passengers out to snorkel and dive over a shipwreck. Other popular activities include De Palm Island water park, visiting the Butterfly Farm or Ostrich Farm, horseback riding, and taking a highlights of Aruba tour.

Bonaire

Bonaire is the “B” in the ABC Islands, located east of Curaçao just above Venezuela. Cruise ships dock in the capital city of Kralendijk, which serves as a starting point for a number of activities that cruisers can do on and around the island.

The main attraction in Bonaire is snorkeling and diving; the island is known to many as “a diver’s paradise.” You can head out on boat snorkel and dive tours, snorkel at the Bonaire National Marine Park, or snorkel in an underground cave.

But if you don’t want to take to the underwater world, other activities available include kayaking, taking an ATV tour, touring top sites on the island, visiting Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary, or going shopping at the Bonaire Arts and Crafts Cruise Market just off the cruise pier.

Curaçao

The “C” in the ABC Islands, Curaçao is located between Aruba and Bonaire in the southern Caribbean Sea. You may also recognize the name “Curaçao” as a blue liqueur, and you’d be right if you guess that it comes from this island. It’s a liqueur made from the dried peel of the bitter orange laraha, which grows in Curaçao. The liqueur is then dyed blue to give it its recognizable hue. The brand Senior & Co Liqueur claims to make the only “authentic” curaçao in the world, which is produced and bottled right on the island. Tours of the distillery are available and popular with cruise visitors.

In addition to blue curaçao, Curaçao has colorful Dutch colonial architecture and a storied heritage with Spanish and Jewish roots. So, historical and highlights tours are a great way for visitors to introduce themselves to the island. Other activities cruisers can partake in include land safari off-roading, kayaking, snorkeling, visiting Hato Caves, hanging out on the beach, and going jet-skiing.

Barbados

Barbados is part of the British Commonwealth, and is the easternmost island in the Caribbean. The closest neighboring islands are St. Lucia and St. Vincent, which are both located to the west of Barbados. Not only is Barbados a common port call on southern Caribbean itineraries, but it also serves as a homeport for smaller ships from lines such as Windstar, Azamara, and Silversea.

Bridgetown, the country’s capital and the city where cruise ships dock, is popular for its history and British colonial architecture. In fact, Bridgetown is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cultural tours are a great way to learn about Barbados, and if you really want to dive into the history of the island, visit the Barbados Museum & Historical Society.

If you’re a rum connoisseur, consider touring distilleries such as the West Indies Rum Distillery or Mount Gay Distilleries. Other activities to do during a port call in Barbados include exploring Harrison’s Cave, spending the day at the beach, snorkeling, and wandering the grounds at Hunte’s botanical garden.

Tortola

Tortola is part of the British Virgin Islands, and is located slightly northeast of the U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Thomas and St. John. The country has stunning white sand beaches and vibrant blue water. Popular picks for a beach day include Smuggler’s Cove, Brewers Bay, Cane Garden Bay, and Long Bay Beach.

When stopping in Tortola on a cruise, many visitors take a ferry over to neighboring island Virgin Gorda. It’s known for the baths, a beautiful natural area filled with boulders and caves that forms a maze leading to secret pools. Likewise, some cruisers take a boat to another neighboring island, Jost Van Dyke to spend time swimming, snorkeling, and visiting the world-famous Soggy Dollar Bar.

Back on Tortola, popular activities include exploring J.R. O’Neal Botanical Gardens, going kayaking through mangroves, going hiking, and taking a tour of the island that includes stops at some of the most notable sites.

St. Thomas

St. Thomas, a U.S. Virgin Island, is one of the best Caribbean cruise destinations. It’s located in the eastern Caribbean between Puerto Rico and St. John. The port city, Charlotte Amalie, is the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands and is a very popular stop on eastern Caribbean cruise itineraries.

Upon disembarking your ship in St. Thomas, one of the first things you’ll encounter is the SkyRide cable car system that takes guests up to a great viewing point on the island, Paradise Point. This is a great activity as a first-time visitor to St. Thomas to get some great views of the destination. Plus, there are bars, restaurants, and shops at the top.

Another highlight of St. Thomas is its beaches, including Magens Bay and Lindquist Beach. Popular activities in St. Thomas include visiting Fort Christian, walking on the famous 99 Steps, zip lining, exploring the Pirates Treasure Museum, and taking a highlights tour of the island.

Best Caribbean Cruise Destinations: Popular Gems

In addition to the answers above provided by our readers, we wanted to include a few more popular cruise destinations that are beloved by cruisers of all ages.

Cozumel

Cozumel is an island located just off mainland Mexico in the Caribbean Sea, located just south of resort destination Cancun. It’s the single most popular cruise port on western Caribbean cruise itineraries, and for good reason. There’s a large variety of things to see and do in and around Cozumel, making it a great port call for every type of cruiser.

If you love to scuba dive or snorkel, this is an ideal destination for you: Cozumel is one of the best diving spots in the world. It’s also a great place to spend the day at the beach. You can get day passes at beach clubs like Mr. Sanchos or Paradise Beach.

A popular activity for cruisers during a stop in Cozumel is visiting Mayan ruins such as San Gervasio, Chichen Itza, or the Coba Mayan ruins which includes the tallest pyramid in Yucatan. For more adventurous outdoor experiences, you can take a Jeep tour, explore cenotes (sinkholes that you can swim in), or go four-wheeling.

St. Maarten

Sint Maarten is a Dutch country in the eastern Caribbean that shares an island with French country Saint Martin. It’s located south of Anguilla and just under 200 miles east of Puerto Rico.

St. Maarten is one of the most popular ports on eastern Caribbean itineraries, offering a variety of things to see and do for cruise visitors. One of the most popular and unique spots to visit is Maho Beach, which is located just across the street from the end of the runway at St. Maarten’s main airport, Princess Juliana International Airport. The planes almost appear within reach as they soar over the beach before landing on the runway, so it’s a popular spot for airplane spotters and photography enthusiasts.

Other popular activities to do in St. Maarten include hiking, zip lining through the jungle, taking a tour of Topper’s Rhum Distillery, and snorkeling. Island tours are also popular both on land via ATV or bus or at sea via boat.

Half Moon Cay

Little San Salvador Island, also known as Half Moon Cay, is an island in the Bahamas owned by Carnival Corporation. Ships in the company’s fleet call there exclusively, including those from Holland America, Carnival Cruise Line, and occasionally Cunard. It’s a popular port stop on Bahamas and eastern Caribbean itineraries.

Most cruisers consider Half Moon Cay to be a beach day, hanging out and enjoying the soft powdery sand and crystal-clear blue waters. However, there are activities to do including shark and stingray encounters, snorkeling, glass-bottom boat tours, kayaking, paddleboarding, bicycling, nature walks, and horseback riding on the beach.

The island includes a barbecue lunch serving hot dogs, burgers, jerk chicken, ribs, and sides. A number of bars dot the guest area so you never go thirsty, and there’s also a Lobster Shack where you can grab a bite with a la carte pricing.

San Juan

San Juan is the capital and largest city of Puerto Rico, which is a U.S. territory located just east of the Dominican Republic and just west of St. Thomas. Not only is it one of the best Caribbean cruise destinations on eastern Caribbean routes, but it also serves as a homeport for ships operating southern Caribbean cruises.

Ships dock both in the city’s old town Viejo San Juan and at the Pan American Terminal just south of Old San Juan, but Old San Juan is the main attraction for most cruisers regardless of which dock they arrive at. Filled with Spanish-style buildings and lots of shops and restaurants, spending the day just exploring the cobblestone streets of the old town is a great way to enjoy the port. The old town is also home to forts Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo de San Cristóbal which are fun to explore.

Another popular activity to do during a port call in San Juan is visiting Casa Bacardi, which is the largest rum distillery in the world. Going hiking at El Yunque National Forest, visiting a museum, or taking a food-focused tour are also popular activities during a day in Puerto Rico.

Comments

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