Cruise Smackdown: Eastern Caribbean vs. Western

Even the big ships sail to the private islands. Royal Caribbean’s Coco Cay, Carnival’s Half Moon Cay, NCL’s Great Stirrup Cay, and Disney’s Castaway Cay are extensions of shipboard life, but with sand beneath your toes. These compounds, owned by the cruise lines, offer water sports, long stretches of beach, and a more relaxed day off the ship than other ports.

Related: The Worst Caribbean Cruise Ports of Call

Departure Ports

Cruise ship leaving the port of Miami, Florida on a cruise during sunset. Downtown Miami is in the background (Photo: Yanni Georgoulakis/Alamy)

The ease of getting to your port of departure can make the difference between vacation bliss and vacation nightmare, so you want to choose carefully. Cruises bound for the islands of the Eastern Caribbean leave almost every day of the week from major U.S. East Coast cities. Miami is the cruise capital of North America, but departures from Ft. Lauderdale and Port Canaveral also head eastward. Ports in Bayonne, Manhattan, Baltimore, and Charleston conveniently serve eastern itineraries to cruisers from the eastern half of the country. If you prefer more time spent island hopping and fewer days at sea, try a departure from San Juan or even Barbados.

The Ships

Often the choice between cruises comes down to choosing a ship that fulfills your fantasies about what a cruise should be. You have choices from mid-sized up to the mega ships when you choose the Eastern Caribbean. Here is the run down:

Oasis of the Seas in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands (Photo: Ruth Peterkin/Alamy)

Royal Caribbean sails eastward with the massive 225,000-ton Oasis, all three of its Freedom Class ships that weigh in at 160,000 tons each, and Adventure, from the older, but only slightly smaller Voyager Class. You will notice that Quantum and the newest ship, Anthem, are missing from the list. Unfortunately, neither is scheduled for Caribbean sailings.  

Carnival rocks the Eastern Caribbean with the 113,000-ton Splendor and 110,000-ton ships like Valor, Conquest, and Glory. The slightly smaller 102,000-ton Sunshine and the charming 88,000-ton Pride round out the eastern fleet. The newest Carnival ship, Vista, will sail both eastern and western routes late in 2016.

Disney helps you extend your Florida vacation as you sail into the Caribbean sunset aboard the 130,000-ton Fantasy, with alternating eastern and western itineraries.

Norwegian Getaway (Photo: Norwegian Cruise Line/Facebook)

Norwegian sails the 145,000-ton Getaway in the Eastern Caribbean on alternating weeks. The 164,000-ton Escape joins the party late this year, as does the small 75,000-ton Spirit.

Following the Alaska cruise season, you gain choices from the premium lines. Holland America brings the Westerdam and Eurodam to the Caribbean, while Celebrity moves in with Summit, Infinity, and Reflection. Princess brings in the Emerald Princess and the Caribbean Princess, all sailing alternating eastern and western routes.

Activities

Snorkeling in St. Luica (Photo: Macduff Everton/Corbis)

When it comes to diving and snorkeling, the eastern side of the Caribbean edges out the west with more choices. Stops on these itineraries offer amazing opportunities to see thriving reefs abundant with fish. Beaches are pristine and often accessed with no more than the cost of a cab ride. Adventure sports will carry you across the treetops on zip lines or up stunning mountainsides on off-road treks. Shopping runs the gamut of duty-free watches, jewelry, and cameras plus typical island bric-a-brac.

Prices

Manhattan, New York cruise ship terminal (Photo: Cindy Hopkins/Alamy)

Eastern prices edge slightly higher than western when you can compare the same ship sailing from the same port. Exceptions are cruises like Disney that leave from Port Canaveral. Proximity of the port plays a big role in the pricing. Expect to pay slightly more to sail from Baltimore, Manhattan, or Bayonne than you would from a Florida port, but not enough to offset what you save if you can drive rather than fly to these ports. San Juan sailings are usually bargains, often enough to pay for the airfare to get there. Plus you usually get a bonus in the form of an extra port or even two.

The Case for the Western Caribbean

If a cruise destination is southwest of Cuba, it’s the Western Caribbean. On longer, cruises you may find even lower Central American countries like Costa Rica and Panama included in the mix.

Ports of Call

Cruise ship in Cozumel, Mexico (Photo: Michael DeFreitas Central America/Alamy)

Go west for adventure. Think waterfalls in the jungles of Jamaica and cave tubing in Belize. History awaits you in the form of Mayan ruins in Cozumel, Belize, and Playa del Carmen. Tiny Roatan and the upscale Grand Cayman present complete opposites in terms of facilities and development, but both offer excitement, both above and below the water. 

Cruise ship anchored at Labadee Island, Haiti (Photo: RSBPhoto/Alamy)

Private islands play a slightly less prominent role on western routes. Royal Caribbean’s Labadee on Haiti, makes a convenient stopover on sailings out of Florida. NCL uses Great Stirrup Cay and Disney utilizes Castaway Cay on their Florida runs as well.

Departure Ports

Crusie ship docked at the New Orleans Riverwalk (Photo: K. L. Howard/Alamy)

Besides the usual Florida ports of Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Port Canaveral, Tampa plays a role in western sailings. New Orleans is a popular departure port, with many passengers choosing to add a night or two to explore the Big Easy as part of their vacation. Galveston is quickly becoming the go-to port for western sailings. Like NOLA, this island city conveniently served by Houston’s airports, is a destination worth exploring before or after a cruise.

The Ships

Whether your preference is a goliath loaded with activities or a diminutive beauty, you can find a broad cross section of today’s ships sailing western routes. Mid-sized ships are the primary workhorses of these routes.

Carnival Victory in the Caribbean (Photo: Tim Gartside Travel/Alamy)

Royal Caribbean utilizes two 160,000-ton Freedom Class ships, the 138,000-ton Navigator, and the 90,000-ton Brilliance for those who prefer a more intimate cruise. Oasis is the largest ship sailing in the Western Caribbean. The great news is that Oasis sails into the two most popular ports on western routes: Cozumel and Playa del Carmen.

Related: The Hottest Summer Cruise Destinations for 2015

Carnival sails the largest number of ships in the west. Valor, Victory, Elation, Breeze, Triumph, Glory, Magic, Dream, Ecstasy, Paradise, and Freedom all have upcoming schedules in the Western Caribbean.

Disney Fantasy in the Caribbean (Photo: Dmac/Alamy)

Disney has alternating east-west routes on Fantasy from Port Canaveral. Magic alternates Western with Southern Caribbean routes, also from Port Canaveral. Late in 2015, Wonder sails out of Galveston for two months, alternating the usual western ports with a Bahamas cruise.

Norwegian Getaway has alternating routes this summer, with Spirit joining in the fall from Port Canaveral, as does the 91,000-ton Star from Tampa. Jade sails from the Port of Houston beginning in 2016.

All three premium mass-market lines offer alternating sailings in the fall, primarily sailing from Florida. The exception is Princess sailing both routes with the Caribbean Princess from Houston.

Activities

Scuba diving in the Palancar Gardens reef in Cozumel, Mexico (Photo: Gavin Hellier/Alamy)

The Eastern Caribbean may have more choices for divers and snorkelers, but the reefs in Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and Grand Cayman are known the world over for amazing and often adventurous dives. There are adventure water sports like parasailing, speed boating, and Jetskiing in almost every port. Cruisers often choose western itineraries simply for the food and beverages in the Mexican ports of Cozumel and Playa. Beaches are abundant, but not always free, throughout the west. The usual shopping opportunities abound in Cozumel and Grand Cayman, with the addition of locally produced crafts in Belize, Roatan, Jamaica, and Playa del Carmen.

Prices

Seven-day western sailings from Florida are slightly lower than eastern trips, and sailings from Galveston or the Port of Houston are usually lower still. Shorter trips are also popular in the Western Caribbean. Several lines sail three and four-night trips that visit some of the same ports as longer cruises, making them the perfect alternative to a three-night Bahamas cruise.

Still can’t choose?

We have a solution for that as well. Take a second week of vacation and do a back-to-back by choosing a ship that alternates eastern and western routes, staying on board for both cruises. Now that’s happy sailing.

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