Six Caribbean Hotspots for Both Short & Long Cruises

On a shorter cruise, you don’t even need to leave the U.S. coast to enjoy our first favorite port. Colorful, charming Key West is filled with artists and poets, bars and shops, coral reefs and coconut trees, all tied together with a friendly, laid-back attitude. There’s so much to do here, most of which is walkable from the dock. The “must-dos” include getting your picture taken next to the Southernmost Point Buoy (“90 Miles to Cuba”), watching buskers compete for your attention at Mallory Square and eating locally caught shrimp at Sloppy Joe’s, a favorite drinking haunt of Ernest Hemingway.

Next, shorter cruises often head straight to the Bahamas. While Nassau is a popular port thanks to its buccaneer past and proximity to Paradise Island, Bimini gets our vote for this list. Bimini is a haven for nature-lovers, a place with sugar-white sand made for long walks on the beach and bright-blue water where snorkeling becomes unforgettable thanks to numerous shipwrecks you can swim past.

Finally, you cannot leave the Bahamas without visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay, an award-winning private island that only welcomes a few ships a day. This tiny island offers numerous ways to relax — including private Overwater Cabanas and the adults-only Hideaway Beach^SM — along with activities for thrill-seekers, like taking on one of North America’s tallest waterslides and soaring 450 feet above the island in a hot-air balloon.

Longer Caribbean cruises may stop at the above-mentioned ports, but they usually spend a few days at sea to reach distant destinations, especially if the itinerary is set for the Southern Caribbean. That’s where you’ll find our next favorite port, St. John’s, Antigua, home to 365 beaches, many hidden among sheer cliffs and picturesque bays. Throw in lush rainforests and water so turquoise it looks Photoshopped, and you have a destination that is guaranteed to amaze you.