Caribbean or Mediterranean cruise?

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Michael

My suggestion would be a Caribbean cruise and more specifically to the Western Caribbean. Western Caribbean cruises leave from several ports from Texas to Florida and offer great beaches as well as the opportunity to visit Mayan ruins. I am not trying to tell you where to go but just to consider the following:

Western Caribbean cruises typically go to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica and a private cruise line island. If you go to Cozumel there is the opportunity to buy a tour to see Mayan ruins. Its considered the best place to go for scuba and snorkeling. If you go to Jamaica the two main attractions are a river raft float trip (not rapids) and the Dunn's River Falls climb. If you go to Grand Cayman you will likely want to go to 7-Mile Beach ( a short taxi/mini-van ride ($4-$5 per person each way), or do a swim with the dolphins/stingrays tour.

Cruises to the Eastern Caribbean typically go to St Thomas, St Maarten, a private cruise line island and maybe another island like Tortola or Puerto Rico. If you want to do a lot of shopping then pick a cruise with St Thomas as one of the port stops. St Maarten is also mainly a beach and shopping stop.

The Southern Caribbean cruise itineraries typically start in Puerto Rico and go either to Aruba, Curacao, and St Thomas and St Maarten, OR they go to the southern Caribbean islands like Barbados, Grenada, Antigua, St Lucia and maybe St Thomas and/or St Maarten. For the most part these latter islands are very much alike but nice to see. The main difference between these two Southern Caribbean itineraries, aside from the different islands, is the Aruba cruise has two "at sea" days with no port stops, while the other has a port stop about each day.

-Michael

ken613uk

Having done both I would go for the Mediterranean cruise. I have done three Caribbean cruises and I found that they are not really cruises so much as island hopping.
You wake up un the morning at an island, go ashore into guaranteed sunshine, tour the island, go back to the ship, have a meal, go to bed, wake up next morning at a similar island and do it all over again.
At the end of our cruises I would have found difficulty in telling someone what the differences were between the islands.
On a Med cruise you will probably visit at least five countries, each of which has it's own character and history and you will know that even the people are different.
The one big difference is that the weather in the Caribbean will probably be hotter than the Med so if that is important to you then you have to make your own choice.
One other consideration for a Briton is that you would be able to select a Med cruise which both starts and ends at a British port whereas a Caribbean cruise usually originates from an American port. This then involves a transatlantic flight and the awful procedure of going through American immigration formalities which can take forever and you are made to feel unwelcome by the officials.

pines204

Those are hard to compare. Culture, yes, the mediterranean. That would be awesome, but after 7 cruises, I still cannot pass up an opportunity to experience the Caribbean atmosphere. Snorkeling.. it's a must. the sand.. the beaches, the fun things to do.. ahhh I would take Caribbean in a NY minute.

Jack

Caribbean:
Pros- best sand, best water, nice relaxed summer atmosphere
Cons- alot of American tourists, Isn't as elegant as places in the Mediterranean

Mediterranean:
Pros- culture is unbeatable, best looking women on the planet,
Cons- alot of British tourists

Mary L

Assuming that you are in the US and have not cruised before, I would recommend a week in the Caribbean -- get the feel of a cruise ship, enjoy some wonderful weather, have some relaxed fun, and do a bit of shopping on shore. Then, if you find you enjoy cruising, you might want to see the Mediterranean. On a Mediterranean cruise you will find many passengers from many different countries and cultures, and have the opportunity to see some wonderful historic areas. I have done both, plus crossing the Atlantic both ways by ship, and enjoyed them all. However, for just plain fun and to check things out, go to the Caribbean first! It's also a whole lot less expensive!

Brittany

caribbean! ahh i went there a few years ago . it was GORGEOUS .

Lew

I have cruised both the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, either is a fantastic experience but being from the UK cruising the Med is half the cost of cruising the Caribbean and doesn't entail an 8hr+ flight.
The weather, the islands and the beaches are fantastic in the Caribbean and the people are friendly. Couldn't really complain about anything.
The Mediterranean has more interesting places to explore, depending on the cruise itinerary. What can you say about the sights in Venice, Florence, Pisa, Rome and Athens. Some of the people are friendly and the others just don't like tourists or the British or both.
Personally I prefer the Mediterranean because it is easier to get to, for us, and as I said, cheaper. I have cruised the Caribbean four times and enjoyed exploring the different islands.
It depends on how much you are willing to spend and the places you want to visit. If you've been to the Caribbean before go to the Mediterranean for a different experience. Whatever you choose, you will enjoy it.

olliedog

I've done 4 Mediterranean cruises (mostly to different places) but I have health problems which hamper me travelling long haul to get to the Caribbean. For a first cruise I would do the classical tourist places like Rome, Nice, Florence, Venice. Saying that I would love to visit the Caribbean for all that lovely sun.

StuPot

carribean....its all i know.

upandaway

im Caribbean myself and nowhere can beat it ive been to alot of different countries and the weather doesn't match, the food, the sand, tooo many things to name

SunshineSmile

Thats strange! I was just talking to a couple the other evening who have been on cruises in both areas and they told me they prefer and would always recommend a cruise in the Mediterranean as another poster suggested above they advised me Med cruises are more interesting and diverse whereas they said all the islands looked/felt the same after a while in the caribbean.

Bangkok Bill

Mediterranean for culture, Caribbean for lots of Yanks.

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