Caribbean Cruise Vacation Travel

When to go?

There's always a Caribbean cruise special floating around - so the best time to go might be when you find the best price or deal (like 2 for 1, free air fare, bonus days). Ask a travel agent to keep you in the loop, or just pick your destination and cruise line - then monitor their site for deals. The most expensive times are the weeks that center around New Years, Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter. Hurricanes are of concern from June through November so be sure to ask your cruise line what their hurricane policy is.

Where to stay?

Whether you want to go deluxe or Disney style, singles or seniors only, a ship awaits. Perhaps the better question is what islands do you most want to see? Western Caribbean cruises generally include Jamaica and the Grand Cayman islands, and often dip into Cozumel, Mexico. Eastern Caribbean cruises typically venture to the Bahamas and either the U.S. or British Virgin Islands. Southern ships visit the smaller islands of the West Indies and the Dutch Antilles (Curacao) or Aruba.

What to do?

Megaships include a mega-activities list, while smaller ships perhaps mean interesting ports of call. There are also theme cruises to help you define your on board "to do" list. Most cruise lines offer organized excursions at each port of call for an extra fee - be sure to book those early.