Our pick of the best Caribbean cruises to escape the British winter

Nine million people can’t be wrong. Whether you are looking for tropical adventures, family fun or a romantic break for two, there is a voyage for every taste and budget. Sara Macefield helps you choose

2023-12-23 -

The Caribbean is an alluring prospect at any time of year, but amid the dismal gloom of a British winter, its intoxicating combination of shimmering azure waters sprinkled with tropical isles becomes ever more irresistible.

So it is not surprising that these months are prime time to visit this corner of the globe where balmy tropical trade winds and wall-to-wall sunshine not only provide the perfect summery antidote, but make it perfect for exploring by cruise ship.

It’s the time of year when the cruise industry largely decamps to the Caribbean, moving ships from the Mediterranean to winter there until April. As such, it is the world’s top cruise spot and attracts a whopping nine million passengers annually.

With sailings from easy-to-reach Florida ports such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral (handy for the state’s famous theme parks), and popular islands including Barbados and Antigua, there is a vast choice of ships and sailings from virtually every cruise line.

The Caribbean is the launchpad for many new ships and this winter sees a string of newcomers making their debut. Leading the pack is the world’s largest ship – Icon of the Seas – which launches in January from cruise giant Royal Caribbean International. A clutch of other newbies will also be beating a path to these tropical waters for their first winter.

Perhaps one of the most anticipated sights for 2024 – just as the Caribbean cruise season draws to a close – is a natural one. What has been dubbed the Great North American Eclipse is due to darken the skies on April 8, promising a grand finale. While most solar eclipse sailings are focusing on the west coast of America and Mexico, which will be under the path of totality, cruise ships in the Caribbean will still witness a partial eclipse.

Proving that it takes a lot to put this region in the shade, here are some of this winter’s best Caribbean cruises.

Best for families

For thrills, spills and tons of bragging rights, look no further than Icon of the Seas, which will take the crown as the world’s largest cruise ship when it launches in January. This newest leviathan from Royal Caribbean International (RCI) is packed from bow to stern with family fun and up to 7,600 passengers. Kids can plunge down six slides in the largest waterpark at sea, while parents can sup cocktails at Swim & Tonic, the line’s first swim-up bar, or float around the suspended infinity pool – one of the ship’s many wow factors. If you can tear yourself away, RCI’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, is all chill and thrill with beautiful beaches and 13 scream-inducing waterslides, including the tallest in North America.

RCI (0344 493 4005; royalcaribbean. com) offers a round-trip seven-night Western Caribbean & Perfect Day sailing from Miami, calling at Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico and its private island Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas. From £1,658pp; departs February 3.

Best for luxury

If you are one for soaking up panoramic vistas, then Silversea’s newest ship Silver Nova is for you. The ground-breaking asymmetrical design means the ship’s main pool is on one side of the deck rather than in the middle, promising sunbathers clear views of passing Caribbean islands. Silver Nova is powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and advanced hybrid technology which cuts harmful emissions while in port. This sailing weaves through the Caribbean’s lesser-known outposts amid the rum shacks and deserted sands of pretty Bequia in the Grenadines and Caribbean self-styled nature isle Dominica where daredevils can throw themselves into river-tubing adventures and waterfall hikes. Virgin Gorda serves up the ultimate chill pill with a secluded castaway ambience that cloaks this corner of the British Virgin Islands.

Silversea (0844 251 0837; silversea.com) offers a 10-night sailing from Barbados to Fort Lauderdale. From £5,750pp all-inclusive; departs March 5.

Best for style aficionados

With swish designer-dripping interiors by Kelly Hoppen (formerly of Dragon’s Den fame) and others, a tastebud-tempting line-up of chic restaurants, and an ultra-swanky suite complex, Celebrity Ascent packs a cool punch. Having launched earlier this month (December 3), this Celebrity Cruises ship is so new that the paint is barely dry across its avant-garde artworks and novel Magic Carpet platform cantilevered off the side of the ship that doubles as a bar and restaurant, serving drop-dead gorgeous views. Arrive in style to the cobbled streets of Old San Juan whose Spanish-infused heritage of Puerto Rico injects a lively Latino frisson, and discover the “white gold” history of St Kitts aboard its atmospheric “sugar train” which follows the original railroad across plantations.

Celebrity Cruises (0800 441 4054; celebritycruises.co.uk) offers a one-week round-trip sailing from Fort Lauderdale. From £995pp; departs March 10.

The Great North American Eclipse will darken the skies in April, promising a grand finale to your voyage

Best for private island castaways

A new name carving its way through Caribbean waters this winter is Explora Journeys – an upmarket off-shoot of Italian-style cruising giant MSC Cruises – with its ship Explora I. The so-called lifestyle brand is promising a new era of ocean travel on this opulent all-suite ship that has won plaudits for its sophisticated spaces and luxurious aura designed to woo the well-styled and well-heeled. This sailing includes the company’s private island Ocean Cay in the Bahamas where a lazy day in your own private cabana can be enlivened by snorkelling around a shipwreck or powering across the water on a WaveRunner water scooter. Discover the Dutch heritage of Curacao’s capital Willemstad amid its brightly-painted gabled houses and explore the Dominican Republic’s rugged Samana region on a dune buggy tour.

Explora Journeys (0800 031 8935; explorajourneys.com) offers a 13-night Extended Journey around Saintly Caribbean Isles from Colon in Panama to Miami. From £4,130pp all-inclusive; departs February 24.

Best for extending your stay

Savour the flavours of the islands by staying a little longer and combining a sailing on Marella Cruises’ newest ship Marella Voyager with a stay in Barbados. This cruise showcases the tres chic style of Guadeloupe where French and African influences fuse together bringing a more sultry feel to the soft sands of Grand Anse beach and the orchid-rich canopy of the island’s national park. Jump aboard a catamaran to get a close-up view of St Lucia’s towering twin Pitons and browse for bargains among the market stalls of the capital Castries where locally-made crafts jostle with stalls groaning under a rich haul of tropical fruits. Sharp-eyed visitors may spot St Vincent’s endemic rare parrot among the lush foliage of the island’s botanical gardens, the oldest in the Western Hemisphere.

Marella Voyages (020 3451 2682; tui. co.uk/cruise) offers a 14-night package comprising a one-week round-trip Taste of the Tropics cruise from Barbados and seven nights’ all-inclusive at the Barbados Beach Club. From £2,234pp including flights; departs January 28.

Best for the bucket list

While the Caribbean will miss out on totality during the Great North American Eclipse of April 8, ships in northern parts of the region will still witness a partial eclipse, most notably around Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and off the coast of Central America. Princess Cruises is offering two bucket-list experiences on a voyage where guests can marvel at eclipse totality off Mexico’s west coast before traversing the legendary Panama Canal to the Caribbean. The colonial mastery of Cartagena awaits with its Spanish balconied buildings lining a maze of narrow streets and classical squares, while Grand Cayman offers a more intrepid alternative with stingray encounters and snorkelling trips to sunken ships.

Princess Cruises (0344 338 8670; princess.com) offers a 15-night Ocean to Ocean with Total Solar Eclipse voyage from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale. From £1,499pp; departs April 5. Availability limited.

Best for a non-traditional Caribbean vibe

Dip into the spirit of Central America amid the sparkling new surroundings of 746-guest Seven Seas Grandeur, the latest opulent addition to the Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC) fleet, boasting luxury touches at every turn. Even the ship’s multi-million dollar art collection is enough to prompt open jaws at the sight of an original Pablo Picasso and bejewelled Fabergé egg as the centrepiece of the lavish atrium. Discover a world of ancient Mayan ruins on Mexico’s Costa Maya and don a headlamp to swim through the mysterious caves and caverns of Cozumel’s secret river, Rio Secreto. On the line’s private island Harvest Cay, off the coast of Belize, delve into the mangrove swamps or retreat to the beaches to snorkel the coral reef or take off on a water toy in the lagoon.

RSSC (023 8082 1390; rssc.com) offers a 10-night Straits to Paradise round-trip Miami voyage. From £6,009pp all-inclusive. Includes flights; departs March 15.

Best for adventurers

Get your motor running and whizz off around the Caribbean courtesy of an exciting go-kart track that weaves across the top deck of Norwegian Viva, the latest debutante of Norwegian Cruise Line. When it comes to adrenaline-fuelled fun, Viva boasts the fastest dry slides at sea and a tidal wave waterslide, along with a host of dining spots including an upscale food market and a multi-million-dollar sculpture garden. The action continues ashore as you fly through Antigua’s rainforest on an exhilarating canopy tour or speed across the waves at the helm of an America’s Cup yacht in a dramatic race in St Maarten. Alternatively, sit back and take it easy in a volcanic mud bath in St Lucia’s famous sulphur springs – just beware the pungent pong.

NCL (0333 241 2319; ncl.com) offers a one-week round-trip sailing

from Puerto Rico. From £1,254pp; departs March 31.

Best for a transatlantic crossing

Take a leisurely route to the Caribbean on this month-long sojourn which also throws in a host of ports in the United States for good measure. Bermuda’s pink beaches and perfect manicured golfing greens break up the transatlantic crossing, before the ship arrives at Freeport in the Bahamas where striking out beyond the city limits exposes the peaceful soul of Grand Bahama Island with mysterious caves and deserted beaches. Roatan, meanwhile, serves up a rich cultural mix of local arts and crafts while tropical flora and fauna can be discovered on jungle walks and snorkelling adventures. Belize, by comparison, is a hotbed of Mayan ruins and natural marvels where howler monkeys and toucans brighten up rainforest treks. Finally, New Orleans brings the sultry jazz notes of the Big Easy while Miami provides a bright-lights, big-city slice of Floridian style.

P&O Cruises (0344 338 8003; pocruises. com) offers a 35-night Caribbean and USA round-trip voyage sailing from Southampton. From £3,029pp; departs February 11.

Best for romantics

SeaDream Yacht Club knows how to dial up the romance on its twin megayachts taking just 112 guests on sailings to dreamy isles drenched in local character. Al fresco dinners on deck, poolside movie sessions and sleeping under the stars add to the heady ambience, while daytime diversions vary from tai chi and yoga to water toy fun from the ship’s marina where guests can speed off on WaveRunner water scooters. Stroll the cobbled streets of lush Nevis – steeped in the history of one of America’s founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, who hailed from here – and the vibrant corals and ginclear waters of Anguilla. Rub shoulders with the jet-set in St Barts and keep the sybaritic feeling flowing at SeaDream’s signature Champagne & Caviar Splash celebration with its lavish beachside barbecue.

SeaDream Yacht Club (0800 058 4818; seadream.com) offers a one-week Virgin Islands Discovery round-trip voyage from St Maarten. From £3,659pp; departs March 3.