Cruise enthusiasts say “it’s better in the Bahamas” and the Caribbean for that matter.

It doesn’t seem to matter how many times they’ve been there, done that, many people can’t resist returning to the stunningly blue clear waters and wasting away on those white sand beaches.

The allures are many: Swimming with the dolphins and parasailing; endless duty-free shopping in St. Thomas and Nassau; and the “nude” beaches of French St. Martin and the less-brash Dutch half of the island, St. Maarten.

Sip, savour and explore the Bacardi distillery in Puerto Rico; enjoy the gaming and fun of Paradise Island’s entertainment playground; and spend a leisurely day at the beach on cruise lines’ private islands.

Just unpack once and let the ship take you to a different island often each day and all with their own distinctive character and appeal.

With easily accessible departure ports from New York City all the way down to south Florida and sailings from two days to two weeks, the Caribbean/Bahamas is the world’s biggest, most popular cruise destination.

And, with so many cruise ships plying the turquoise waters, there are many very enticing prices.

Fun in the sun, sand and surf
“There’s much more to this region stretching from south Florida to South America than sun, sand and surf,” says Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

The industry association representing the major cruise lines said there is “no other destination” that presents so many choices of cruise itineraries and lengths.

There are many back-to-back adventures offered by Holland America and other lines with a seven-day sailing, round-trip Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale), Florida to the Eastern Caribbean and out again for another week in the Western Caribbean.

A typical week-long cruise allows vacationers to sample these varied cultures, history and peoples at four or five different ports.

This is an excerpt from The Toronto Sun as it appeared on December 6, 2011. For updates or to read the current version of this post in its entirety, please click here.

Continue reading this post >