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Southern Caribbean Cruises
Southern Caribbean Cruises
The islands visited on a Southern Caribbean cruises are more exotic and beautiful than their counterparts in the west
and east, with rain forests, volcanoes, and reflections of both West Indian and French heritages.
Go with a small-ship line like Oceania or Star Clippers, or do the mega-ship thing with
Carnival or Royal Caribbean. Either way, you can't go wrong with a Southern Carribbean Cruise.
Southern Carribbean Cruise Ports
Antigua • Aruba • Barbados • Bequia • Bonaire • Curacao • Dominica • Grenada • Guadeloupe • Martinique • Nevis • San Juan • St. Barth's •
St. Kitts • St. Lucia • St. Vincent
Southern Caribbean Cruises
For years the Southern Caribbean has been the most underrated of the tourist spots in the Caribbean region. There were tourists who were regulars at the eastern or western Caribbean cruises who didn’t even think of detouring to the southern parts. But the ensuing air scare post 9/11 meant that tourists became keen to venture to new places they could reach without flying. Thus, the hitherto unpopular Southern Caribbean Cruises soared in popularity.
The islands of Aruba, St. Berth's, Dominica, Barbados, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Antigua, St. Kitts, and Nevis are the more popular ones among the lot.
The Southern Caribbean Cruises have won favor with the tourists in such a short time mainly due to the fact that they offer a varied palette. You have beaches and the associated sundry beach activities in Aruba, Antigua and Barbados, while Guadeloupe’s charm lies in the myriad forms of scenery found here. You have here tropical rain forests, mountains and volcanoes. You have a slice of France at St. Barth. Here you will find quaint roadside cafes, swank boutiques with a mind-boggling array of merchandise, upscale restaurants for fine dining experiences, and a hip beach culture. The ambience is so French that you will almost feel that you would walk into the Eiffel Tower at the next turning.
Grenada and Dominica, not yet evolved as tourist hotspots, have retained their old world and laidback charm and this adds to their attraction. After all, there’s never a dearth of city slickers who yearn for a piece of quiet once in a while.
Though ships, the luxury liners and the budget ones, ferry all throughout the year, still winter is the best month to visit the Caribbean islands. For one, you can escape the sweltering summers and also avoid the ferocious tropical storms that pound the region every year during June to November.
The southern Caribbean should feature in every traveler’s itinerary, for this is a region which offers both scenic beauty and a multifaceted cultural milieu, which make for a truly enriching experience.
Southern Caribbean Cruises - St. Lucia
The island of St. Lucia is an amazing stop on any southern caribbean cruise. The majestic views of the Pitons will leave you breathless.
These amazing mountain peaks jet out of the caribbean like skyscrapers, leaving an amazing view.
On your southern caribbean cruises you will port into the city of Castries. It is a brief walk to shopping and
dining. It is recommended to hire a private cab for the day to really explore the beauty of this island.
St. Lucia offers endless options for southern caribbean cruise travelers. You can visit the old fort, See the vulcano,
the botanical gardens or the Bounty Rum factory. Make sure if you tour the Rum factory to stop in the tasting room.
Fun Facts - Southern Caribbean Cruises
In a very quiet way, the Southern Caribbean, probably the least known part of the region, is becoming one of the most interesting.
The islands of the Southern Caribbean, which translate roughly to those lying east and south of St. Maarten/St. Martin, have always been slightly more exotic than counterparts in the Western and Eastern Caribbean. Part of that is due to the very strong colonial influence that pervades many of these islands, a great percentage of which are still related to France, the Netherlands and the U.K.
The islands fall into a handful of categories, and cruise line itineraries typically include a representative from each. For instance, the biggest appeal of places like Aruba and Antigua is their beaches. Martinique, St. Lucia and Guadeloupe offer varied scenic opportunities (from rain forests to volcanoes), not to mention urban outposts that reflect both West Indian and French heritages.
The Dutch-influenced Curacao is a fabulous destination for snorkeling and scuba diving; even more so is sibling Bonaire. St. Barth's is so French it feels as if you're in the midst of the Mediterranean -- go for the sidewalk cafes, hot and trendy beach scenes, elite boutiques and fabulous gourmet restaurants. Dominica and Grenada, both relatively undeveloped, have unique appeals. The former is considered the "Garden of Eden" of the Southern Caribbean while the recovering Grenada, which suffered savage destruction as a result of 2004's Hurricane Ivan, is laid back, with a genuine small town feel.
 St. Lucia is a staple on Eastern and Southern Caribbean cruises, and visits to the amazing island
offer old bits of history and trendy new attractions. You will find some of the best diving in the Caribbean as
well as a majestic view of the Pitons.
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