With white sands and turquoise blue waters all around, there is an island for everyone in the Caribbean. No wonder the Caribbean has become such a popular year-round cruise destination that from large ocean liners to small sailing yachts make a beeline to this region of more than a thousand islands.
Apart from the bars and being a haven for sun-seekers, each island has a unique identity of its own and offers cultural and historical attractions as well as active outdoor and water-based activities.
General information
The Caribbean comprises thousands of islands which are divided into five different groups. These are The Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles, Leeward Antilles, Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands.
A Caribbean cruise is considered to be a dream vacation for travellers with many ports of call either in the Eastern Caribbean or the Western Caribbean. The good news for cruise travellers is that cruise ships have a shore excursion option to see the interesting sights at the port of call.
Alternatively, a cruise liner or an exclusive cruise liner will dock close to a town to allow passengers to disembark and explore the sites or go shopping on their own. Here are some excellent places to drop anchor in the Caribbean in 2022.
Cozumel, Mexico
Despite its small size (10 miles x 30 miles), Cozumel on the southern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula offers many diverse attractions for visitors. While history buffs can explore the ancient Maya ruins of San Gervasio, there are some great diving and snorkelling spots on the water. Shopping addicts can take a cab to the center of the island to San Miguel or shop at the cruise ship pier itself. Cozumel is also a big digital nomad hub so if you feel inclined to stay, opt for an international Relocation Firm.
Grand Cayman Island
Grand Cayman Island is another popular cruise port in the Caribbean as it features what most travelers love-fun bars, great beaches, and quality shopping. The flat island also has some unique places to visit such as Stingray City, Hell and the Turtle Farm. At Stingray City, small boats take visitors close to the sandbars where they can snorkel and feed the stingrays by hand.
Montego Bay, Jamaica
This is the home of reggae music and you can hardly go anywhere in Jamaica without hearing songs of Bob Marley blaring in the background. Divers and snorkelers can visit shipwrecks in the "Tongue of the Ocean", a sea trench along the coast where divers can interact with reef sharks as they migrate here to feed.
Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao
The popular so-called ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao lie at the western end of the Leeward Antilles chain and are very popular cruise stops. While Aruba is an upscale destination known for its luxury resorts and the famous Antilla shipwreck, Bonaire is best known for its excellent scuba diving infrastructure. Curacao, on the other hand, charms visitors with its Dutch-influenced architecture.
Turks and Caicos
A visit to Turks and Caicos is a must to tick off on a Caribbean cruise trip. Considering that some cruises to these islands offer extended voyages to these lesser-known groups of islands, there is still very much on offer for a dream vacation. Moreover, from exploring Grace Bay Beach to scuba diving at a 14-mile barrier reef, there will be no shortage of things to do in Turks and Caicos.
Guadeloupe Islands
Representing the French presence in the Caribbean, when you go to Guadeloupe you will either stay at Grand Terre or Basse Terre. Cruise guests get to explore the Guadeloupe National Park and its lush interiors of forests, rivers, and waterfalls.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
