Caribbean islands and Bahamas are traditionally considered as classical for the beginner cruisers. In spite of the hurricane season which in the Atlantic starts in April and ends at the end of October, the cruise ships are present there all year round.
The shortest 3-night cruises usually start from Miami or Port Canaveral and Can only stop at Bahamas. It can be only one stop or a visit to a “private” island in Bahamas can be added. The most popular ships for this itinerary are the CARNIVAL FASCINATION and the CARNIVAL SENSATION of Carnival Cruises and the MAJESTY OF THE SEAS and the SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS of the Royal Caribbean International.
Royal Caribbean also operates the same ships for 4-night cruise to Bahamas out of Miami and Port Canaveral, while Carnival Cruises ships make the Western Caribbean itinerary.
Usually the 3-night itinerary are operated from Friday to Monday and 4-night start on Monday ending on Friday.
The 7-night Caribbean itineraries usually start on Saturday or Sunday. The most popular embarkation ports for Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries are Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral, though you can find ships sailing out of Galveston, Houston, New Orleans, Tampa, Mobile, etc.
Classical Eastern Caribbean Itinerary usually includes 3 to 4 ports of call, such as St. Thomas, St. Maartin, San Juan (Puerto Rico), a Bahama island, Samana (Dominican Republic), Grand Turk island.
The Western Caribbean itinerary also includes 3 to 4 ports of call usually between the following: Occho Rios or Montego Bay in Jamaica, Cozumel (Mexico), Grand Cayman, Belize City, Roatan (Honduras), private island of Labadee (Haiti).
The 7-night Southern Caribbean itinerary usually starts and ends in San Juan (Puerto Rico) and has between 4 and 5 ports of call, such as: Barbados, St. Lucia, island of Dominica, Antigua, Aruba, Curacao, St. Kitts.
There are also longer itineraries from 8 to 11 nights out of Miami or New York, mostly between November and March. Cruises out of New York usually include 4 days at sea to allow the ship time to go down to Caribbean and back to New York.
