Cruising the Caribbean by mega-ship: what's on offer and where can I go?
A new generation of mega-ships has changed the face of cruising in the Caribbean.
From ice-skating and rock-climbing to go-karting, there is never a dull moment island-hopping around the Caribbean on the many big ships sailing the West Indies these days.
In all, some 24 ships accommodating more than 4,000 passengers cruise the Caribbean either some or all of the year, and almost the same number again are under construction or on order.
Some just top 4,000, others hold 5,000 passengers or so when all berths are full, and then there are the largest cruise ships in the world – the Oasis series built by Royal Caribbean International, Oasis, Allure, Harmony and Symphony of the Seas that each hold around 6,700 people.
Between them, they are packed with restaurants, bars and activities that have added a whole new dimension to cruising the Caribbean.
There’s ice-skating and climbing walls on Royal Caribbean ships, water slides on Carnival Cruise Line vessels, rope courses on MSC Cruises’ Seaside and water coasters (think rafting on a fast-flowing river) on Disney Cruise Line’s Dream and Fantasy.
You can be pampered with Princess Cruises, have a very British holiday in the sun on P&O Cruises’ Britannia and race go-karts on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss, which arrives in Miami for her Caribbean debut in November.
Read more: Telegraph Travel's Caribbean Cruise Guide
Many Caribbean islands are too small to accommodate the big ships and tendering – where passengers are taken ashore in boats – is not ideal when there are thousands of people to get on and off.
However, plenty of islands have built new facilities for big ships as cruise calls are worth millions of dollars in docking fees and to all the shops, restaurants, taxis and tour companies that grow up around the port and bring in much-needed cash from passengers who don’t want to stray far from the ship or those looking for alternative or cheaper tours than those that are sold by cruise lines.
Philipsburg in St Maarten, St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, Nassau in the Bahamas, Cozumel in Mexico, Basseterre in St Kitts and San Juan in Puerto Rico are favourites on Western and Eastern Caribbean cruise itineraries, and all have built facilities that can handle the very biggest ships, including Royal Caribbean’s behemoths.
Tortola in the British Virgin Islands opened a new pier a couple of years ago to handle ships of up to 180,000 tons, which includes ships such as Norwegian Bliss and Carnival Horizon.
Lots of ships and a limited number of ports means islands get super busy but there are ways to escape the crowds. St John, 30 minutes by ferry from busy St Thomas, is a quiet spot with lovely sandy beaches. From St Kitts, there are water taxis to peaceful Nevis. It’s a more expensive way to get there than a ferry but faster and more flexible.
Cruise lines have their own escapes in the form of private islands. They won’t be deserted by the time four thousand or more people have disembarked but at least there should be no other ships in port on the day.
These islands promise even more activities than the ships. Royal Caribbean’s Coco Cay, opening in May 2019, will have a wave pool, water slide, 1,600 foot zipline and overwater villas to rent. NCL’s recently upgraded Great Stirrup Cay has ziplines, snorkelling and various bars and places to eat.
Read more: Telegraph Travel's Caribbean Cruise Guide
