From the big cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney and Princess to the smaller luxury ships, these are the cruise trips with the best vacation itineraries for seeing the Caribbean in 2016. We reviewed every Caribbean cruise itinerary from 20+ cruise lines to create this list of cruise ideas for your next vacation.
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Barbados to Barbados, 6 nights Ship: Windstar
Terminal: Barbados
Stops: St. Lucia; Grenada; Mayreau, Grenadines; Tobago Cays, Grenadines; Bequia, Grenadines
Starting dates: January through March, December 2015
Starting price: $1,599 This is an easy way to hit Grenada and see the Grenadines. Find out more on the Windstar Cruises website about this cruise trip. Courtesy Windstar Cruises
Western Caribbean Holiday, 6 nights Ship: Nieuw Amsterdam
Terminal: Fort Lauderdale
Stops: Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; Cozumel, Mexico; Key West, Florida
Dates: January-March 2015
Starting prices: $399 See Half Moon Cay, Cozumel, plus totally unwind on Key West. All for a great starting price! Find more on the Holland America website for this cruise trip. courtesy Holland America
St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, 7 nights Ship: MSC Divina
Terminal: Miami
Stops: St. Maarten, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Antigua, Tortola, BVI, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Dates: January-March 2015
Starting price: From $449 The Caribbean’s mainstay ports are popular for a reason. And this cruise hits ’em, with ample sailing time on a ship inspired by Sofia Loren. Find more on the MSC Cruises website about this cruise trip. Shutterstock
Florida – Mexico, 10 Nights Ship: Luminosa
Terminal: Miami
Stops: Bahamas, Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Honduras
Date: January-March 2015
Starting price: $424.50 On the Costa cruise line, this itinerary is a quick greatest-hits circular tour. Find out more on the Costa website for this trip. Courtesy Costa Cruises
Mayan Mystique, 10 nights Ship: Riviera
Terminal: Miami
Stops: Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize, Guatemala, Roatan, Costa Maya, Mexico, Key West
Dates: January-April 2015
Starting price: $2,499 Interesting mix of classic and coastal Caribbean, including Guatemala. Find out more on the Oceania Cruises website about this cruise trip. Shutterstock
Exotic Caribbean In-Depth, 13 nights Ship: Seabourn Spirit
Terminal: Bridgetown, Barbados
Stops: St. Vincent and the Grenadines; St. Lucia; Guadeloupe; Antigua; Saba; Prickly Pear, BVI; Jost Van Dyke BVI; St. Barts; St. Kitts; Guadeloupe; Martinique; Grenadines
Dates: Jan – Mar, 2015
Starting price: $5,699 This cruise lives up to the itinerary’s name, hitting a lot of memorable islands off the beaten path. Find out more on the Seabourn website about this cruise trip. Courtesy Seabourn
Miami to Miami, 10 nights Ship: Seven Seas Navigator
Terminal: Miami
Stops: Nassau, Bahamas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Gustavia, St. Barts; Tortola, BVI; La Romana, Dominican Republic; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos
Dates: February 6, 2015
Starting price: $5,299 Hits Nassau and other popular stops, but then have a full day with midnight departure in St. Marteen, plus a full-day stop in the Dominican Republic. Sweet. Find out more on the Regent Seven Seas website about this cruise trip. Shutterstock
The Caribbean, 20 nights Ship: Queen Mary 2
Terminal: New York
Stops: St. Thomas, USVI; Antigua; St. Kitts; St. Maarten; Tortola, BVI
Dates: Nov. 5-25, 2015
Starting price: $3,198 It’s a sweet experience to be on the famous Queen Mary 2, especially if you pack your tux and evening gown for a high-class 20-day experience on the high seas. Find more on the Cunard website for this cruise trip. Shutterstock
Bermuda and Caribbean, 8 Nights Ship: Summit
Terminal: San Juan to New Jersey
Stops: St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Bermuda
Dates: April 25, 2015
Starting price: $549 Start in Puerto Rico to explore there, then to St. Maarten and a fairly rare itinerary that goes on up to Bermuda. Find out more on the Celebrity Cruises website for this trip. Courtesy Celebrity
10 Night Temple, Jungles and Beaches Voyage Ship: Azamara Journey
Terminal: Miami
Stops: Playa del Carmen, Mexico; Cozumel, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala; Falmouth, Jamaica; Labadee, Haiti
Date: March 26, 2015
Starting price: $2,699 This cruise itinerary is unusual all the way around, from rare stops in Haiti and Guatemala to welcome mainstays like Jamaica and Cozumel. Find out more on the Azamara Club Cruises website for this trip. Shutterstock
San Juan to St. Thomas, 6 nights Ship: SeaDream I
Terminal: St. Martin
Stops: Anguilla; Saba; St. Barts; Virgin Gorda, BVI; Jost Van Dyke, BVI; San Juan, Puerto Rico
Dates: Jan. 31-Feb. 7, 2015
Starting price: $2,399 Significant time in BVI and out to Anguilla and Saba, all uncommon cruise stops. Find out more on the SeaDream website about this cruise trip. Courtesy SeaDream
Philadelphia to Bermuda
Santo Domingo to Bridgetown, 10 nights Ship: Sea Cloud
Terminal: Santo Domingo
Stops: La Romana, Dominican Republic; Virgin Gorda, BVI; Jost Van Dyke, BVI; St. Barts; Iles de Saintes, Guadeloupe; St. Lucia; St. Vincent and Grenadines; Barbados
Date: Feb. 16-26, 2015
Starting price: N/A Great-looking itinerary, with time in the DR, the BVI and Iles des Saintes. Find out more on the Sea Cloud website about this cruise trip. Courtesy Sea Cloud
Gems of the Caribbean, 14 nights Ship: Crystal Serenity
Terminal: Miami
Stops: Grand Cayman; Aruba; Porto Limon, Costa Rica; Colon, Panama; Santa Maria, Colombia; Cartagena, Colombia; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos
Dates: Nov. 28-Dec. 12, 2015
Starting price: $4,520 Great mix of classic and new, including Crystal’s fresh stop in Santa Maria, Colombia. Plus mainstays like Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman. Find more on the Crystal Cruises website for this cruise trip. Shutterstock
Windward Islands, 7 nights Ship: Royal Clipper
Terminal: Barbados
Stops: St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua, St. Kitts, Iles des Saintes, Martinique
Dates: January through March, monthly; Nov. 21, Dec. 5, 19, 2015
Starting price: $3,120 These islands off beaten path are must-sees. Find out more on the Star Clippers website about this cruise trip. Courtesy Star Clippers
Eastern Caribbean, 6 nights Ship: Regal Princess
Terminal: Fort Lauderdale
Stops: Princess Cays, Bahamas; St. Maarten; St. Thomas, USVI; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos
Dates: January, February, March, April, November, December 2015
Starting price: $574 Includes Princess Cays plus popular St. Maarten, St. Thomas and editor favorite Grand Turk. Find out more on the Princess website about this cruise trip. Shutterstock
Western Caribbean Itinerary B, 7 nights Ship: Magic
Terminal: Port Canaveral
Stops: Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; Cozumel; Castaway Cay, Bahamas
Dates: January through March
Starting price: $1,448 Gets you to Cozumel and Disney’s own Castaway Cay for the most family-friendly vacation you can imagine. Find more on the Disney Cruise Line website for this trip. Courtesy Disney Cruise Line
Eastern Caribbean, Round-trip from New York, 10 nights Ship: Norwegian Gem
Terminal: New York City
Stops: San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Maarten; St. Thomas, USVI; Tortola, BVI
Dates: January-March, October 2015
Starting price: $699 For U.S. northerners, you get four total days at sea to enjoy the ship, plus you hit two Caribbean meccas: Puerto Rico and St. Thomas. Find out more on the NCL website about this cruise trip. Shutterstock
7 Days Western Caribbean Ship: Carnival Legend
Terminal: Tampa
Stops: Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, Grand Cayman
Dates: January through March, 2015
Starting price: $644 Make the most of Carnival’s “fun days at sea” with popular spots and Islands favorites Belize and Roatan. Find out more on the Carnival website for this trip. Courtesy Carnival
Western Caribbean Cruise, 6 nights Ship: Independence of the Seas
Terminal: Ft. Lauderdale
Stops: Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Haiti
Dates: January through April 2015
Starting price: $442 See Grand Cayman and Jamaica at an unbeatable price. Find out more on the Royal Caribbean website about this cruise trip. Shutterstock
Roundtrip St. Martin, 7 nights Ship: Tere Moana
Terminal: St. Martin
Stops: Tortola, BVI; Jost Van Dyke, BVI; Virgin Gorda, BVI; Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis; Les Saintes; St. Barts
Starting dates: March 28, 2015
Starting price: $4,745 Luxury cruise line Paul Gauguin, known for its epic itineraries across the Islands of Tahiti, has recently brought its newest ship and its world-class know-how to the Caribbean. Find out more on the Paul Gauguin website about this cruise trip. Courtesy Paul Gauguin Cruises
