Hello, cruise fans, Leo here!
Even though I am European (as many of you know) I really love Caribbean cruises.
You know what’s amazing about the Caribbean? It’s packed with so many stunning spots and natural havens to explore. And the experiences you can have there? Absolutely unforgettable. It’s like there’s something for everyone, both adults and children.
However, as you might expect, some places are more loved by cruise passengers, and some places are less loved.
In this article, we are going to look at the 10 most loved Caribbean ports for cruise passengers.
How was this ranking made?
The methodology behind this ranking is quite simple. I selected 200 regular passengers on Caribbean cruises through my Facebook page.
To each participant, I gave a list of the 30 ports in the Caribbean with the highest number of passengers. And each participant ranked the ports according to their preferences.
Then I combined the data and created a list of the 10 that were chosen most frequently.
1. St. Maarten
According to our ranking, St. Maarten is the best cruise port in the Caribbean.
If you’ve never been there, you’ve probably seen it for the planes that land just a few meters above Maho Beach.
Apart from that, the nation is known for blending Dutch and French cultures in a Caribbean country. For this reason, you should definitely try the traditional dishes that combine international influences.
One of the most popular beaches among cruise passengers is Great Bay Beach, which is very close to where the ships dock. As far as I can remember, the water taxi only costs $7 per person.
Moreover, Philipsburg which is the capital, is a real paradise for duty-free stores that sell both luxury goods and local souvenirs.
2. Aruba
In my opinion, Aruba is one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean.
It’s best known for its beautiful white sand beaches. My favorites (and perhaps the most famous) are Eagle Beach and Palm Beach.
Here you can relax, sunbathe, enjoy a drink, or do water sports such as snorkeling and windsurfing.
Oranjestad, the capital, has an interesting colonial architecture. If you go downtown you will find different markets and some interesting stores.
If you have time, I also recommend a visit to Arikok National Park where you can find the famous Natural Pool.
It’s a bit hard to describe it, I’ll leave a photo above here. It’s like a swimming spot surrounded by volcanic rock formations.
3. St. Thomas
St. Thomas is part of the U.S. Virgin Islands and is a haven for both relaxation and adventure.
Last time we visited Water Island and Honeymoon Beach. It was the highlight of our trip!
We rented a golf cart to explore the island and went to the beach where we swam and played in the sand, it’s a beautiful gradual calm beach.
They have two restaurants there but one is only open on certain days. If you get a golf cart to go explore there is the cutest little snow cone truck and it was so yummy on a hot day.
We could have spent all day at Honeymoon Beach. The ferry there was easy, but for getting back I’d suggest getting there early as we almost had to wait for the next one (you certainly don’t want to miss your cruise departure!)
4. Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman is amazingly beautiful!
If you want a beach day, get a van or a cab right outside the port area and they will take you to a public spot on 7 mile Beach, and be there to pick you up.
The beach is beautiful and the ride is very reasonable. I can’t remember exactly whether it was $5 or $6.
Another popular thing is the Cayman Turtle Center. Swim with the Sea Turtles is amazing! In general Grand Cayman was so safe, clean, and very friendly.
5. Bonaire
Bonaire is an island located in the southern Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela.
There are many things to see, so my suggestion would be to rent a golf cart and tour the south end of the island on your own.
It’s a simple road, just about impossible to get lost, you’ll get maps, and the road basically just loops around. There are donkeys, flamingos, beaches, salt mines and salt flats, slave huts, and also a historic lighthouse.
6. Barbados
Barbados is one of the favorite Caribbean destinations by cruise passengers and I have to say one of my favorites as well.
I visited Barbados for the first time a few years ago and honestly, it won’t be the last one.
Everything there is, at least for me, fantastic, from the sea to the forests, from the people to the services.
We decided on our own to go to Paradise Beach which is 1.5 miles from the Port heading north but then the beach stretches for another 2 miles.
It was a very beautiful beach, too bad I slipped on some rocks and smashed my toe against the corals.
Within a few minutes, people from a small café came out to help me. They were truly kind!
Of course, I couldn’t swim anymore, and a guy helped us find a pharmacy and then with a few dollars drove us back to the ship.
To avoid my mistakes, remember to bring water shoes. You can even find them in the list of things people always forget to pack for a cruise.
7. Cozumel
I’ve already talked a lot about this cruise port in the article where we’ve seen the 10 things you can’t miss in Cozumel.
You just need to know that there are so many activities to choose from, both for adults and children.
It is perhaps one of the ports where I found the most interesting activities, likely because it is one of the most visited Caribbean ports by cruisers.
8. Grand Turk
Grand Turk is a small island in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Cruise Center was opened by Carnival in 2006, but the island is sometimes chosen as a destination by other cruise lines as well.
You don’t really need an excursion in Grand Turk as the beach is “right there” and it has Margaritaville right there too.
We have done the rum tasting/mixology and open bar with private beach access, and it was fun but pretty pricey.
We also did the tour for about $38 per person. It was a wonderful way to see the island and learn a bit more about it, and it was short enough that we still had time to go to the free beach at the port when we were finished.
9. Curaçao
Curaçao is a Dutch Caribbean island for the historic area of Willemstad which is a UNESCO World Heritage and is characterized by pastel-colored Dutch architecture.
The other beauty of this island is the beaches. Blue Bay Beach and Cas Abao Beach are among the best ones.
In general, most of the beaches of the island have white sand, clear waters, and pretty coves that are perfect for snorkeling.
10. Grenada
Grenada is also known as the “Spice Isle” and is famous for its lush landscapes and aromatic spices.
We went into the port, there were a lot of shops to browse, then we opted for a tour with a local taxi/minibus.
We were a small group of 6 (hadn’t traveled together, but were all interested in the trip), and the fare was only $30 each, which is around half of the ship’s excursion price.
We stopped for photos at the waterfall and the Grand Etang Forest. It was very beautiful, and I have wonderful memories of that experience.
