The Caribbean is the world’s most popular region for cruises. It’s not difficult to see why. One of the prime draws of the Caribbean is relaxing on a beach, and at virtually every port of call you can do just that. A major selling point of some cruise companies is a day at their own hassle-free beach.
Most islands also offer a big selection 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 Nelson’s Dockyard on Antigua, dine on French-Creole cuisine in Martinique, and admire the Dutch colonial architecture of Curaçao’s Willemstad.
In terms of activities, one day you could be snorkelling with stingrays off Grand Cayman, on another climbing waterfalls in Jamaica, zip-lining over St Lucia’s’s rainforest canopy, hiking in Dominica, or kayaking along Grenada’s indented coast. The wide choice of non-cultural excursions makes the Caribbean ideal cruising territory for families.