Caribbean cruise guide If its winter sunshine youre after, and the chance to visit several different islands in one trip, a cruise offers the best option. Fred Mawer gives some hints on planning your tripAround seven million holiday makers choose to cruise around the Caribbean each year. Its not difficult to appreciate why the region is the worlds most popular cruise destination. The weather, is, of course, a major factor. A Caribbean cruise comes with the promise of tropical heat and sunshine – a big draw particularly in the peak-season winter months, when snowbirds from North America, and Europeans, flock there from colder climes. Then there is the Caribbeans geographical make up. It is seemingly tailor-made for cruising, with the islands perfectly spaced to allow passengers to arrive at a new port on a new island most mornings. And importantly, a cruise is undoubtedly the best way to see a handful of islands in a single trip. Independent inter-island travel in the Caribbean usually means flying – which can be pricey and a hassle. A cruise is likely to work out far cheaper, with no need for constant packing and unpacking. One of the prime draws of the Caribbean is beach relaxation and at virtually every port of call you can do just that. A major selling point of some cruise companies is a beach day at their own, hassle-free private island. Disney Cruise Lines island is in the Bahamas; other private islands are in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. But most islands also offer an enormous and varied range of things to see and do. For one thing, woven into the fabric of many Caribbean islands is a rich and complex colonial heritage. Your cruise may visit islands with strong British, Hispanic, Gallic and Dutch cultures or influences – allowing you to immerse yourself in Spanish colonial cities such as Havana or San Juan, visit plantation houses on Barbados and Georgian Nelsons Dockyard on Antigua, dine on French-Creole cuisine in Martinique, and admire the Dutch colonial architecture of Curaçaos Willemstad. In terms of activities, one day you could be snorkelling with stingrays off Grand Cayman, on another climbing waterfalls in Jamaica, or zip-lining over St Lucias rainforest canopy, river tubing in Dominica, or kayaking along Grenadas indented coast. The wide choice of non-cultural excursions makes the Caribbean ideal cruise territory for families. With over two dozen cruise lines operating in the Caribbean in the winter months the choice of ship is as varied as the islands they visit, ranging from the biggest ships in the world offering every conceivable facility (think giant, floating resort hotels) to intimate, luxurious vessels accommodating just more than 100 passengers. Week or fortnight-long itineraries are typical, either off the Eastern Caribbean (usually including Puerto Rico, Antigua, St Lucia, Barbados), the Western Caribbean (taking in Jamaica and Mexico) and the Southern Caribbean (usually going right down to the Dutch Antilles). But you can also take three-night taster cruises from Florida to the Bahamas (though not officially in the Caribbean), or month-long Caribbean cruises that start and end in Southampton. Cruising in the Caribbean doesnt suit everyone. Ships and their passengers can completely overwhelm some ports, particularly in the winter months when several ships may be docked in a port on the same day. Unlike on a Mediterranean cruise where independent exploring is often easy, in the Caribbean you normally need transport to get to main sights – in some cases, the ports themselves are the islands least appealing locations – and most passengers sign up for organised excursions. Theres also the cost of the long-haul flight: the number of Britons taking Caribbean cruises has dropped in the past few years, probably due to significant increases in airfares. If, none the less, you think a Caribbean cruise may be for you, the following advice should help you plan and book a holiday. When to travel Mid-December through April is the peak time for Caribbean cruises. Then, the weather is at its best – typically hot and sunny, relatively dry, with low humidity and pleasantly cool nights – and the widest choice of cruises is available. Downsides of travelling during this period are that prices are at their highest and ports and key sights can be very busy. In the summer and autumn the weather is stickier and wetter – though normally with short, heavy downpours rather than days of continuous rain – and the islands are quieter. June to November is the Caribbeans hurricane season, with September and October the most likely months for major storms – as well as the cheapest months to cruise. Given that cruise ships can change course, the chances of being caught up in a big storm are extremely small; a more likely scenario is that your itinerary will be disrupted. Which ship? Caribbean sailings on large (and sometimes vast) ships are possible with almost all the major cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Line, Fred Olsen, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, P & O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Thomson Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises. For luxury cruises theres also Crystal Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Seabourn, SeaDream Yacht Club, Silversea Cruises and sail-cruise Star Clippers and Windstar Cruises offer smaller, more atmospheric and sometimes more luxurious ships that sail to less-frequented ports and islands. Shore excursions Theres no shortage of these but they can be expensive. Compare prices and options on shoreexcursions.viator and cruisingexcursions: by selecting your ship and dates of travel, you can see available tours and activities from your port on the day you are scheduled to be there. Also consider taking day or half-day island tours in private taxis. Drivers can make good guides, and compared with group excursions such tours can be more personalised and the cost per person can work out far cheaper, particularly with four in a taxi – though do fix a price in advance. Safety and health advice Crime is a thorny issue on some Caribbean islands and cruise-ship passengers can be seen as easy pickings. Last year cruise holidaymakers were subject to a shooting in broad daylight in the centre of Barbadoss capital Bridgetown, and robbed at gunpoint at a popular botanical garden in St Lucia. Leave valuables on board the ship; if nervous consider sticking to guided excursions. Getting there Most Caribbean cruises start from Florida (from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral and Tampa). However, some sail from a Caribbean port, thus allowing you to spend more time in the heart of the region and avoid the hassles of US immigration. Bridgetown (Barbados) is the most popular Caribbean departure point for UK cruise passengers, with frequent flights from London to the island. Many Caribbean cruises also commence in San Juan (Puerto Rico). Repositioning cruises between Europe and the Caribbean in the autumn and spring, crossing the Atlantic by sea one way, flying the other, can be remarkably good value. Fred Olsen and P & O Cruises also offer a few long Caribbean cruises departing from and returning back to Britain. A few nights on land – for example on Barbados, where theres a good choice of hotels and lots to see before your cruise departs – will help you acclimatise and recover from the long flight. Specialist cruise agents are good bets for tailor-made cruise-and-stay packages. Large resort-style ships with Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International can be unpleasantly lively during the annual American Spring Break holiday period, in March. US dollars are widely accepted on most Caribbean islands.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 14:00:01 +0000
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