Destination: Eastern Caribbean

By Kimberly Coyne

Fall in Love with the Eastern Caribbean - *Photo by Canva*

When considering a Caribbean cruise, many factors weigh into the decision-making process. Several sub-regions comprise the Caribbean and are commonly referred to as Eastern, Western, or Southern Caribbean itineraries. Each area offers a variety of things to do, unique history and traditions, and beautiful beaches and sights to explore. The Eastern Caribbean, in particular, is one of the most popular itineraries for new cruisers as well as experienced travelers, given its close proximity to many islands, renowned shopping, and incredible beaches.

The most common considerations when planning a cruise are the line and ship and the ports of call, length of cruise, and type of accommodations. For first-time or limited-experience cruisers, figuring out the differences between the various itineraries such as Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean can be a bit daunting. In the most simplistic form, when looking at a map of the Caribbean, the Eastern Caribbean includes the islands south of the Bahamas that are in fairly close proximity to San Juan, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.

Now it’s time to explore more details about the Eastern Caribbean.

Itineraries
When to Cruise
Excursions
Member Reviews
Find a Deal

1. Itineraries

*Sample Eastern Caribbean Itineraries- Photo by Canva*

The Eastern Caribbean typically includes ports of call such as St. Thomas, St. Maarten, San Juan, Dominican Republic, Tortola, or Antigua. Virtually every cruise line offers this itinerary with the most popular lines, Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Princess, with the largest selection of departures. Most cruise lines offer 7-night or longer itineraries round trip from US homeports such as Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, Tampa, Galveston, New Orleans, Charleston, Baltimore, and New York City. However, the vast major of the cruises to the Eastern Caribbean depart from Florida.

See All Eastern Caribbean Cruises

2. When to Cruise

*Caribbean Beach with Coconut Drink - Photo by Canva*

The Eastern Caribbean is a popular cruising region with year-round sunshine and warm temps. Most cruise lines offer their Eastern Caribbean itineraries in the winter months from mid-October through mid-April. During these months, it’s cold and snowy in the Northern and Western U.S. states, and the Eastern Caribbean sun and sand offer a respite from the dreary conditions at home. What better time to escape the cold, top up your tan, and be the envy of friends and family?

Want to sail in the summer months to the Eastern Caribbean? Don’t worry, cruise lines such as Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Disney sail from various southern U.S. homeports such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Port Canaveral all year round.

Keep in mind that Eastern Caribbean sailings are more limited in the summer months, making the prices higher. This is because most cruise lines reposition their ships to Alaska and Europe for the summer, leaving only a few ships in the Caribbean. The upside of summer cruising is that the ports are less crowded, and local shops tend to offer better deals. You will find that summer in the Caribbean can be hot and humid, so come prepared.

Be mindful of hurricane season when planning your cruise. The season runs June 1st through December 1st, with the most active months being mid-August through mid-October. The ship may divert to other ports if a storm arises to avoid bad weather, which is a huge bonus compared to land-based resorts.

Savings Tip: The least expensive time of year to cruise the Eastern Caribbean is the first two weeks of December and January. Consider cruising in December to get in the spirit, as most ships will decorate for the upcoming Holidays. Another bonus is being able to do your Holiday shopping duty-free, a win-win!

3. Excursions

*Snorkeling, one of many excursion options - Photo by Canva*

Shopping, sightseeing, sailing, beach-going, and many other water activities abound in the ports of the Eastern Caribbean. Celebrating a special occasion or just looking to add to your current jewelry collection? The ports of the Eastern Caribbean offer a beautiful selection of gems, watches, earrings, bracelets, and more. Shop duty-free on the islands at stores offering top-notch service, custom pieces, and shipping to the U.S.

Looking to relax on a beach, snorkel, or take in the local sights? Following are a few of the most popular excursions in popular ports of call. Be sure to book your excursions early to ensure your first choice.

St. Thomas

St. Maarten

San Juan

See all Caribbean Port Excursions

For shore excursion options from Get Your Guide, check out their offerings in each port of call.

4. Member Reviews

Cruisers share and rate their experience on various topics, including ports of call. Check out what our community members shared about their visit to the Eastern Caribbean homeports and popular destinations:

“We love cruising out of Port Canaveral and I love seeing the other cruise ships!” -Haydenw on cruising from Port Canaveral

“Many things to do. Please visit the sky ride and take some breathtaking pictures.” -monkey1213 about St. Thomas

“We took an island tour that let us visit both sides and then ended with a boat tour with rum punch and tunes. Loved hearing about the history of the island.” -Brendaboo about St. Maarten

“Didn’t do a ship excursion, but we got there the day before embarkation and took the water taxi tour which is a great way to spend the day!” -echech about Homeport Fort Lauderdale/Port Everglades

“We loved Puerto Rico! Old San Juan is beautiful with it’s architecture and brightly colored buildings. The food was simply amazing. We wish we had more time to spend exploring the city.” -Joe207 about San Juan, Puerto Rico