Posts Tagged ‘Caribbean’
Caribbean cruise: winter or summer?
A Caribbean cruise is very popular during the winter, especially in the great white north. This is perhaps because people want to feel warm when the weather back home is cold.
But cruise lines sail along the Caribbean waters all year round. If you don’t want to go during the peak season, try booking during the summer because this is the best time to go bargain hunting.
There are a lot of cruise lines to choose from. Some of them include the Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Crystal Cruises. For those who find this to be way out of their budget, they can inquire at Seabourn Cruise Lines.
Let’s talk a little bit about these companies.
The Royal Caribbean’s fleet offers to the Eastern, Southern and Western Caribbean. You could be away for a few days to a couple of weeks. The Radiance of the Seas for instance sails round trip from Ft. Lauderdale to San Juan, Philipsburg, St. Thomas and Nassau.
Apart from the good food on board, there are activities that you can do once you reach port like snorkeling, nature trekking, scuba diving and Catamaran sailing.
If you happen to book a trip in January, February, November or December, there are festivals that you shouldn’t afford to miss such as the Aruba Carnival Celebration, the Barbados Jazz Festival, Mustique Blues Festival, Bob Marley Week in Jamaica, Valentines Day, Tranquility Jazz Festival, Anguilla, St. Patrick’s Day, Bahamas International Film Festival and St. Nicholas Day in the Dutch Caribbean.
The Norwegian Cruise line offers almost the same itinerary as the Royal Caribbean. You can choose the three-day , seven-day or fifteen day package to the Western Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean and Southern Caribbean aboard its large ships.
Crystal Cruises only has 1 package and this voyage lasts for 12 days. You depart from New York, then move on to Bermuda/Hamilton, then to St. Maarten/Phillipsburg, Antigua, St. John, Curacao/Willemstad, Grand Cayman/Georgetown before heading home to Miami.
The Seabourn Cruise has only 2 packages. You can choose to go on a Caribbean vacation that could last 7 or 13 days. Apart from Fort Lauderdale, you can also catch a ride in New York City and visit Charlotte Amalie (St Thomas), and Bridgetown, Barbados. The best part about being in a yacht compared to a big ship is that it is not very crowded.
You can find out more about these shipping companies by letting your travel agent do the research or browsing online yourself.
By doing so, you will be able to know when are the scheduled their trips, compare their prices and find out what is inclusive in their packages. Once you have confirmed your trip, all you have to do now is pack your bags and leave.
For those coming from the west coast or mid-west, don’t forget to also plan your air travel so you don’t miss the ship before it leaves port. Some of these companies already have air fare and transfers inclusive so there is nothing to worry about.
The Caribbean cruise is the best if you are on your honeymoon, celebrating your anniversary or simply need time away from the real world. Once you come back, you will feel refreshed and ready to continue what you were doing before that.
Resorts for families in the Caribbean
If families want to travel to the Caribbean, one of the most important things you should do is plan it completely. Planning it now may be a lot of work, but if you do it before ever leaving home, you’ll be able to enjoy your vacation while there. No matter which Caribbean island you want to visit, planning is very important.
First, plan how you want to get to your destination. Because of the nature of the Caribbean, flying straight to your destination is not you sole choice. You do so if you choose, but you can also take a cruise throughout the Caribbean islands and visit a bunch of different port cities. In either case, you should plan your transportation as one of the first and foremost aspects of your vacation. Often, you can get a cheaper deal on tickets if you plan far in advance.
You should also consider accommodations when traveling to the Caribbean. You first choice is, of course, any one of the many hotels and resorts scattered around the islands and catering especially to families. Many of these places to stay are completely Americanized and some even are owned by America companies.
Another choice you have is the all-inclusive resort. Found on many of the Caribbean islands, all-inclusive resorts are great because they include meals, tours, private beaches, and fun things to do for families. If these don’t strike your fancy, you can also try booking a room in a smaller hotel or bed and breakfast, where you can get a true cultural experience.
Once you have your transportation and hotel figured out, you should consider planning certain activities for your family. You can leave a number of days open for relaxing on the beach and spur of the moment tours, but if you don’t plan ahead for some of your activities, you may not be able to fit them into your schedule once there. It is best to plan ahead a bit, but not too much. This is the best way for most families to enjoy their Caribbean vacation.
The last thing you should consider planning is a back up. Things inevitably go wrong on any vacation, so if it rains, have something to do other than lie on the beach. If the resort overbooks accidentally, be prepared by knowing the names and numbers of some other resorts that might have open rooms. The key to a great vacation in the Caribbean for families is not to have everything go smoothly, but rather to enjoy it no matter what.
Visiting Anguilla
If you know you’re interested in traveling to the Caribbean Islands, you have a variety of choices for your final destination. You can try a fun cruise throughout the islands in order to visit all of the best hot spots, or you can fly directly to one of the many wonderful islands found in this region of the world. One of the islands from which you can choose is Anquilla.
Anguilla is not one of the most popular islands when talking about Caribbean travel sites, but for that very reason, it is great if you are looking for a more private Caribbean vacation, without lots of other tourists. Anguilla is actually a British overseas territory and is the most northern of the Leeward Islands. Anguilla is comprised of one larger island, including the capital city of The Valley, and also includes a number of tiny islands and cays, most of which are privately owned or uninhabited. Some of the other smaller islands that are part of the Anguilla chain include Dog Island, the Prickly Pear Cays, Scrub Island, Seal Island, and Sombrero, or Hat Island.
The climate on Anguilla is generally what you would expect to find in this tropical region of the world. The island does get northeastern trade winds, so it is fairly dry compared to other tropical islands, with the most rain coming in September and October. Anguilla is also along the path of some hurricanes in the summer and fall.
When traveling to Anguilla, make sure you spend some time in the beautiful Caribbean water. Anguilla is known for its coral reef, which is home to a variety of sea animals and plants. The land itself is mostly sandy and not particularly good for farming industries. However, the waters along the coast are great for fishing, so if you enjoy that sport, you may be interested in applying for a fishing license and talking to some fishing outfitters in Anguilla when planning your Caribbean travel.
As with most Caribbean islands, if you want to travel to Anguilla, you need the proper paperwork. Before you leave, apply for a passport, and it is important to be able to show either a return airfare or a ticket to otherwise leave the island at some point. Make your hotel reservations at least a few months in advance in order to find the best deals for your stay in the Caribbean.