The Caribbean has long been a favourite cruise area for the British, who are attracted mainly by the sun, sea and sand, but also by the destination’s glamorous reputation as a playground for the rich and famous.
While probably not foremost in clients’ minds when they choose a cruise, the different cultures of the islands are an added selling point for agents. The French, Dutch and Spanish Caribbean feel more exotic, and the Britishness of places such as Barbados are great for clients who like to feel at home on holiday.
Factor in the joy of waking up in a different island every morning and it’s easy to see why 275,000 Brits cruised in the Caribbean last year.
Passenger Shipping Association director Bill Gibbons says: “A cruise is an excellent way for clients to enjoy the mix of Caribbean cultures, and with a wide choice of ships, there’s a cruise to suit all.
“Most Caribbean holidays are flycruise so there is the cost of the flight, but the range of itineraries and cruise durations offer a great opportunity for agents to persuade their clients to extend their holiday.”
Choice of ships
A few cruise ships stay in the Caribbean year-round, but for the biggest choice of vessels and itineraries, clients need to go in winter, when cruise lines bring tonnage back from Europe.
This winter, clients can cruise the Caribbean on anything from SeaDream Yacht Club’s 112-passenger SeaDream I and II and Yachts of Seabourn’s tiny 212-passenger Seabourn Legend to Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, each with capacity for more than 6,000.
In between these extremes, there’s US-style cruising on the big resort ships operated by Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line – this is the inaugural season for the 4,200-passenger Norwegian Epic, which launches in July.
Costa Cruises and MSC Cruises will be in the Caribbean for the winter too with their European-style ships, and there’s P&O Cruises and Thomson Cruises for clients who prefer a more British experience.
These lines are all great for families and younger clients looking for a lively cruise on a big ship. For older customers, look towards Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, which bases the 929-passenger Braemar in Barbados in winter, or Voyages of Discovery, which offers cultural cruises with guest lecturers, and makes its Caribbean debut in December.
For something a touch more romantic, Windstar will have two sailing ships in the Caribbean this winter – Wind Surf has capacity for 315 passengers and Wind Spirit holds 148 – visiting smaller islands the big vessels can’t get into.
Star Clippers will have the 228-passenger Royal Clipper sailing from Barbados and Star Clipper, which holds 170, cruising from St Maarten.
The itineraries
There is a huge choice of cruises, lasting from one week to 14 nights or more and calling at anything from three to almost a dozen islands.
The classic Caribbean cruise is seven nights’ sailing either west or east from Fort Lauderdale or Miami. Western Caribbean itineraries take in Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Cozumel in Mexico. Eastern Caribbean cruises visit St Thomas, St Martin and Nassau in the Bahamas.
A few lines add extra islands on to the standard seven-night itinerary to create longer cruises. Celebrity Cruises’ 12-night Ultimate Caribbean voyage adds St Kitts, Barbados and Dominica to St Maarten and St Thomas. Holland America has a 10-night Eastern Caribbean cruise that also visits Grand Turk, St Barts, Dominica, Antigua and Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s private island.
Longer itineraries that visit St Lucia, Aruba and Curaçao in the Dutch Antilles, Tobago, Dominica and Grenada, usually depart from further south, either Barbados or San Juan in Puerto Rico.
Princess Cruises has a 14-night Southern Caribbean cruise from San Juan on Caribbean Princess this winter that visits Dominica, Grenada, Bonaire, St Thomas, Tortola, Antigua, St Lucia and Barbados.
Princess Cruises head of brand marketing Pieter van der Schee says the longer itineraries are more popular with the British, who want to make the most of the flight.
He says: “The most popular islands are Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, with their European-style houses, and islands with British colonial history, such as Antigua and Barbados.”
Several lines also base ships in Port Canaveral in Florida. Disney Cruise Line made the port its home when it launched in 1998. This winter, Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas is based there, as is Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Dream, both sailing to the Bahamas, St Thomas and St Maarten.
The most unique itinerary this winter is Thomson Cruises’ 21-night voyage on Thomson Dream, being sold as three seven-night cruises – from Barbados to Cuba, Cuba to Jamaica, and Jamaica to Barbados.
Thomson Cruises managing director David Selby says: “The Jamaica to Barbados cruise, which gives passengers three days in Havana, is the best seller.” He says it’s because so few ships go there.
Voyages of Discovery is visiting Cuba this winter, as is Fred Olsen Cruises, but the US embargo prevents US cruise lines from docking there.
Clients who want to visit islands not overrun by large ships should book with one of the smaller lines. Windstar’s ships call at St Barts and Iles des Saintes in the French West Indies, Marigot, on the French side of St Martin, and Jost van Dyke and Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands.
Sailing from Phillipsburg in St Maarten, Star Clipper will be visiting Iles des Saintes, Anguilla, Nevis and the British Virgin Islands, while Royal Clipper will be calling at Roseau in Dominica, Bequia and Marigot Bay in St Lucia. Passengers will be treated to some tall-ship racing when the two vessels meet off Dominica.
Sample product
Royal Caribbean International offers a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale on Allure of the Seas, visiting St Thomas, St Maarten and Nassau in the Bahamas, starting at £1,416 per person for an inside cabin on January 8, 2011, including flights, transfers and one night pre-cruise in Fort Lauderdale. cruisingpower.com, 0844 493 4006
Windstar Cruises offers a seven-night roundtrip cruise from Barbados on Wind Surf on December 5, 2010, visiting Bequia and Mayreau in the Grenadines, St George’s in Grenada, Portsmouth in Dominica and Pigeon Island in St Lucia, starting at £2,558 per person for an oceanview cabin including flights and transfers. windstarcruises.co.uk, 020 7292 2369
P&O Cruises offers a 14-night round-trip cruise from Barbados on Azura on January 7, 2011, visiting Curaçao, Aruba, Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, St Maarten, St Kitts, St Lucia and Grenada, starting at £1,617 per person for an inside cabin including flights and transfers. pocruises.com
