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Difference Between Eastern and Western Caribbean Cruises

By Doug Parker

<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">For many years there were two main Caribbean itinerary options, either the Western Caribbean or the Eastern Caribbean cruise.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">So what’s the difference between Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises? Lets break it down.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><strong>Eastern Caribbean</strong></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><img data-cke-saved-src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/FAS-SEA-EDIT.jpg" src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/FAS-SEA-EDIT.jpg" alt="FAS SEA EDIT" style="height: 334px; width: 450px;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">The Eastern Caribbean itinerary, generally speaking, offers the ports of St Thomas, San Juan, St. Maarten, and Grand Turk.&nbsp; These ports all have a diverse range of highlights and offer excellent excursions and fun sites to see.&nbsp; St Thomas in the Virgin Islands is a beautiful island with one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world called Lover’s Beach.&nbsp; The shopping experience in St Thomas is also excellent where bargains can be found in silver items and other jewelry.&nbsp; The people are also very friendly in St Thomas.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><img data-cke-saved-src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/SJU.jpg" src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/SJU.jpg" alt="Beaches of San Juan, Puerto Rico." style="height: 450px; width: 450px;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">Beaches of San Juan, Puerto Rico.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><strong>San Juan</strong>&nbsp;is also included on the eastern Caribbean itinerary, and often can be the port of embarkation for deeper southern itineraries, but that’s another story.&nbsp; San Juan is the oldest city on U.S. territory and is the port city of Puerto Rico.&nbsp; The historic district is right in the same area the cruise ships dock, and within walking distance of El Morro Fortress, a military fort dating back to the 1500’s.&nbsp; About an hour bus-ride from the port of San Juan, is the beautiful rain forest, which is a popular excursion for vacationers and cruise ship passengers. A lot of cell phones work in San Juan because it’s a US Territory.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><img data-cke-saved-src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/032.jpg" src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/032.jpg" alt="Watching airplanes." style="height: 335px; width: 450px;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">Watching airplanes in Maho Beach in St. Maarten.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><strong>Philipsburg, St Maarten</strong>&nbsp;is the capital of the Dutch-side of the island, and also where the cruise ships dock.&nbsp; The other side of Saint Maarten is the French side that offers great shopping bargains and fabulous beaches, but be aware of the French-side beaches where it’s common to see topless sunbathers.&nbsp; In the not-to-distant past, cruise ships had to “tender” into the 40-square mile island of St Maarten, because there were no dock, however; over the past few years, new docking facilities have been constructed to allow up to at least five or six large cruise ships to dock at once.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><strong>Western Caribbean</strong></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><img data-cke-saved-src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/JAMACIA.jpg" src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/JAMACIA.jpg" alt="JAMACIA" style="height: 430px; width: 430px;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">An all-inclusive resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">Perhaps the most popular itinerary for first-time cruisers is the Western Caribbean which offers ports like: Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.&nbsp; The Western Caribbean itinerary has the best possible snorkeling, beaches, and water-sports options – and is historically the cheapest.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><img data-cke-saved-src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/GRAND-CAYMAN.jpg" src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/GRAND-CAYMAN.jpg" alt="Swimming with the Sting Rays in Grand Cayman." style="height: 300px; width: 450px;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">Swimming with the Sting Rays in Grand Cayman.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><strong>Cozumel</strong>&nbsp;has to be among the clearest waters in the world, which is fantastic for divers, swimmers, and those who like to snorkel. The waters are as clear as swimming-pool water, and you can often see nearly one hundred feet to the bottom. Cozumel also offers excellent shopping for Mexican craft items and jewelry.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><img data-cke-saved-src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/COZ-SAIL.jpg" src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/COZ-SAIL.jpg" alt="Cozumel" style="height: 335px; width: 450px;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">Cozumel</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><strong>Grand Cayman Island</strong>&nbsp;is another fascinating port with unique history and good shopping, but not necessarily thrifty shopping.&nbsp; The famous Seven-Mile-Beach in Grand Cayman is a dream for those who love lay out on the beach and enjoy swimming and water-sports. Unique to Grand Cayman is the population of seas turtles and visitors can visit a unique town called “Hell”, so you can actually send a postcard from “Hell”.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><img data-cke-saved-src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/GRAND-CAYMAN-SHORE.jpg" src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/GRAND-CAYMAN-SHORE.jpg" alt="The shoreline of Georgetown, Grand Cayman. " style="height: 300px; width: 450px;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">The shoreline of Georgetown, Grand Cayman.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><strong>Jamaica</strong>&nbsp;has several ports including Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, and now the Falmouth Cruise Port.&nbsp; Cruise passengers have some excellent and informative shore excursions to choose from like, Dunns River Falls where you can climb the falls, which is a lot of fun.&nbsp; You might choose to visit a plantation that produces sugar, rum, or coffee.&nbsp; One word of caution, however; be sure to only go into Jamaica on a shore excursion organized by the ship, to avoid confrontations with locals selling everything from braided hair, drugs, or prostitution, and there are some common scams and con-artists who prey on tourists.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><strong>Cruise Line Islands</strong></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><img data-cke-saved-src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/10169295_10152847495170513_157793873640090638_n.jpg" src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/10169295_10152847495170513_157793873640090638_n.jpg" alt="Princess Cays" style="height: 338px; width: 450px;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">Relaxing day in the Princess Cays.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Disney Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line all have their own private island to offer their passengers the private island experience.&nbsp;</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><strong>Final Thoughts</strong></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><img data-cke-saved-src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/CARIBBEAN-BARS.jpg" src="http://cruiseradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/CARIBBEAN-BARS.jpg" alt="CARIBBEAN BARS" style="height: 301px; width: 450px;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">In short, the Eastern Caribbean offers more of a cultural, historical, and shopping experience, where as the Western Caribbean offers better water sports, beaches and fun in the sun.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">You maybe wondering where the Bahamas falls in to play. The Bahamas is usually included inside Eastern Caribbean itineraries.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">As far a sea days go, in my experience, Eastern Caribbean has more sea days. But both itineraries have their unique highlights and are excellent choices when cruising the Caribbean.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">The question to ask yourself when considering which itinerary to choose….are you a shopper or do you prefer the beach?</span></span></p><p><br></p>
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