Caribbean cruises are an affordable and easily accessible vacation for travelers of almost any budget. The Caribbean offers great beaches, fine dining and fabulous shopping and a cruise is a great way to see the islands. You can find cruises from 3 days to 10 days and usually includes meals on the ship as well as some ship entertainment.

There are 3 basic Caribbean cruise regions - the Eastern, the Southern and the Western with each making different stops or “ports of call”. You should be aware of what is offered on each region so that you make sure to book the cruise that best fits your style.

The Eastern cruise is for those vacationers that like a little bit of action along with their beautiful Caribbean beaches. These cruises typically stop in ports of call that have great shopping, dining and nightlife. On an Eastern cruise, you will probably stop in St Croix, St. Kitts, St Maarten, St. John, St. Thomas and Puerto Rico.

Western Caribbean cruises have a lot to offer for travelers who like to take advantage of the great diving and snorkeling offered in this part of the world. If it’s sea adventure you want, then think about booking a cruise that stops in Cancun, Cozumel, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Grand Cayman.

The Southern cruises are the more laid back vacations that offer fabulous scenery as well as Caribbean culture. If you simply want to lounge on the beach, this of taking a southern cruise. Stops here might include Trinidad, Barbados, Aruba, Curacao, Antigua, St. Lucia, Guadeloupe and Martinque. Southern cruises may also stop in Bonaire which is also a great snorkeling spot and has a coral reef that you can walk to!

For many people, a cruise is the ultimate vacation and there is so much to do on board that you may never even want to leave the ship! When you do book a cruise, you’ll want to pay attention to how much time you’ll be spending on the ship in relation to how much time the ship will be at port. Make sure your cruise offers the amount of ship / port time that is perfect for you. Also remember that you’ll need to give yourself plenty of time to disembark as well as time to get back to the ship before it sets sail to your next destination.

Caribbean cruises are a great way to get a feeling for several islands at once. You won’t get to spend a lot of time in each one, but you just might discover a favorite island that you can come back to and spend your entire next vacation at.