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Until the invention of the modern day jetliner ship travel used to be the only way to get across vast bodies of water and for a time some thought passenger ships would go the way of train travel as more people opted for the quicker travel times that flying offered.

Fortunately, ship travel has become one of the most popular ways to vacation and the cruise industry is booming as a result. In fact, cruising is growing in popularity so fast that cruise lines are launching bigger more luxurious ships at an ever growing rate as they try and outdo each other.

Of the many number of cruise destinations available the Caribbean stands out as one of the most popular for vacationers. Made up of hundreds of islands each with their own local and European influenced customs and cultures a cruise to the Caribbean is a vacation that won’t soon be forgotten.

The Caribbean is divided into three distinct regions and cruises are usually centered on one of these areas with varying ports of call often including a stop to a private island owned by the cruise line for a day of fun in the sun. They all have beautiful weather and pristine sandy beaches but this is where the similarities end.

The Eastern Caribbean – A Shoppers Paradise

The Eastern Caribbean is made up of many small islands known as the Lesser Antilles that stretch for 600 miles along the Eastern side of the Caribbean Sea and is much more commercially developed than the Western and Southern Caribbean areas.

The weather is consistently in the 80s during the day and the 70s at night which makes it perfect for a vacation break from the cold U.S. winters. Hurricane season begins on June 1st and lasts until November 1st with the Eastern Caribbean more prone to hurricanes as the other regions so bear that in mind when planning your cruise.

The most famous family of islands in the Eastern Caribbean is the Bahamas followed by Puerto Rico, St. Maarten and St. Thomas with lesser known islands like Nevis and Antigua also gaining in destination popularity.

First time cruisers usually opt for the Eastern Caribbean as these cruises tend to offer more days at sea and the islands themselves are less of a culture shock for anyone not used to traveling outside the U.S. As a result, they also tend to be more crowded and expensive than the Western and Southern Caribbean regions.

While the diving and snorkeling is good it is not as good as the Western and Southern Caribbean but you would be hard pressed to find any better duty-free shopping in the world with many luxury retailers having shops on the islands. In fact, if you plan major purchases around your trip you just might save enough to pay for your cruise.

Continued in Part 2…

See also:

• Royal caribbean cruise ship
• Caribbean cruise line
• Princess cruises caribbean

For more information on Eastern Caribbean Cruises visit us today at Cruise Vacation Travel Ideas.