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Cruising the Caribbean

Oct 3, 2014 | 11:21 AM

Introduce yourself to the concept of cruising on the Caribbean Sea. Feel what it is like to live onboard a luxury cruise ship. Imagine the life of choosing how little or how much you want to do each day. The many restaurants on board are measured by design, service and of course, the importance of food. Each sitting is truly a tantalizing experience of award winning cuisine.

The entertainment onboard offers something for everybody, from full-production shows in state-of-the-art theatres to live music in the many bars. After the live theatre show each night, you can try your luck in the Casino or sit and have a nightcap in the many little bars around the ship.

Accommodations can vary from an inside cabin to a balcony suite. All have 24hr. room service, bathrobes, flat screen TVs and well stocked mini- bars. The earlier you book the better the choice of cabins and their location on the ship.

Cruises in the Caribbean can vary from three day to 14 day duration. You can even do two- seven day cruises back to back on the same ship. There are endless possibilities to choose from when deciding your cruise vacation.

The classic three day cruise is from Florida to the lovely Island of the  Bahamas. You can visit the port of Nassau and take in one of the many day tours that are offered by the cruise company. Nassau with its blend of influences from West Africa to England and from Haiti to the USA is one of the most popular cruise ports in the Caribbean. This is also a good way to see if the cruising experience is for you.

The Western cruises can take you to Key West in southern Florida to Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico, Georgetown in the Cayman Islands, Roatan in Honduras and Jamaica.  It all depends on the cruise line and how may days you want be away on your vacation.

The Eastern cruises can take you to San Juan in Puerto Rico, St Maarten, St Kitts, and St Thomas. The largest island of the US Virgin Islands is St Croix. These islands are famous for their incredible beaches, turquoise waters and emerald cays.  The most famous beach on the island of St Thomas is called Magen’s Bay. The taxi ride from the ship overland to Magen’s Bay shows how rugged the island really is and how spectacular the scenery is looking out over the bays. It is an amazing way to spend a day on the beach in the most picturesque setting.

The Southern Caribbean cruises are usually 14 nights if the departure city is from Florida.  This cruise gives you so many options on which Islands you can visit. Usually the selections of ports are St Thomas, St Maarten, Antigua, St Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Curacao and Aruba. If you want a shorter cruise that cover the South. Caribbean Islands then fly to San Juan and cruise for seven days. Each one has an unique and colorful life-style to experience. If you decide on a 7 day cruise then fly to Puerto Rica and give yourself the option of seeing the beautiful Southern Caribbean islands.

One of cruising’s favourite ports is the Island of Curacao which is a Dutch Isle. The colorful city waterfront is called Willemstad and is a photo-op for professional photographers and visitors alike. This island boasts thirty eight stunning beaches. It is a shopping paradise and also has a floating market of fresh produce, flowers and the day’s fresh catch.

Aruba is not your usual lush margaritaville island.  It is just fifteen miles off the coast of Venezuela. It has an arid interior landscape which appears to be straight out of Arizona but people love it. This island is also of Dutch heritage. It is a very modern vacation spot that has great weather, beaches, shopping, night-life and casinos for your entertainment.

Cruising is a wonderful way of seeing a lot in a short time. Being on a cruise ship is like being in a huge floating hotel with all your need catered to and full service every minute.

 Put this vacation on your bucket list and never have any regrets!

Lynda Spriggs/Lobstick Travel and Tours

Prince Albert.