Bahamas vs Caribbean: what should you keep in mind when choosing a cruise?

The fact that in the region located between the two Americas runs most cruise routes is not surprising: a combination of densely populated coasts, an abundance of tropical islands and developed passenger shipbuilding should give just such a result.

Indeed, there is plenty to choose from – for those who first decided to go on a cruise, and for experienced sea wolves. Of course, this direction is most suitable for those who decided to escape from the daily routine into the romance of tropical islands; however, here, it turns out, there are subtleties.

From a geographical point of view, the Caribbean Islands, formerly called the West Indies, consist of the Antilles Big and Small, and the Bahamas. The Greater and Lesser Antilles are located in the Caribbean, and the Bahamas is in the Atlantic Ocean. They differ from the point of view of the landscape: if the Antilles are of volcanic origin, rising high above the sea level, the Bahamas are formed by coral reefs, and their landscape and, accordingly, nature, are not very diverse. The climate of the Bahamas is also milder, winters are cooler than on the Antilles, to the south.

From the point of view of tourists, both the Caribbean and the Bahamas offer about the same pastime: beach vacations, shopping, and a variety of water sports – snorkeling, surfing, sailing, and jet ski excursions. Local cuisine is also based on the same ingredients: shellfish, bananas, tropical fruits, as well as all kinds of fish and seafood.

Life on the islands flows extremely measuredly, and well-disposed residents, tired of the tropical climate and the desire to take the maximum out of life, do not puzzle themselves with any daily routine: this is called “living according to the Caribbean time.”

Despite such subtle regional differences, cruise companies set aside three sub-regions in the Caribbean: the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and the South Caribbean. It must be borne in mind that they are divided by port of call.
The Caribbean subregion includes ports in Mexico City, Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Jamaica, and sometimes ports in Central America, including Roatan and Belize City.

The Bahamas subregion is a port of the British and American Virgin Islands, the French West Indies, the Dominican Republic, Antigua, Grand Turk, San Juan, Key West, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Routes in the South Caribbean include St. Barts, St. Vincent, Bequia, Dominica, Grenada, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. At the same time, the routes in the South and East Caribbean partially coincide: this applies to the ports of Saint Lucia, Grand Turk, Antigua, San Juan, Saint Kitts and the French West Indies. Long Caribbean cruises, as a rule, also have calls to the Bahamas. Here are the majority of private islands owned by cruise companies; they, however, are visited by almost all liners in the region.

Since the Bahamas has only two major cruise ports, Nassau and Freeport, most Bahamian cruises start from Florida ports, have a short duration, usually 4-5 days, and low cost. There are a lot of such routes. Longer routes start outside of Florida, but necessarily include its ports, mainly Port Canaveral and Key West.

Briefly formulating all of the above: Caribbean cruises in all senses are much more diverse, and more suitable for those who want not just a brief escape from winter to summer, but are determined to learn something new about the nature and people of this truly beautiful corner of the Earth.

From the point of view of tourists, both the Caribbean and the Bahamas offer about the same pastime: beach vacations, shopping, and a variety of water sports – snorkeling, surfing, sailing, and jet ski excursions. Local cuisine is also based on the same ingredients: shellfish, bananas, tropical fruits, as well as all kinds of fish and seafood.

Life on the islands flows extremely measuredly, and well-disposed residents, tired of the tropical climate and the desire to take the maximum out of life, do not puzzle themselves with any daily routine: this is called “living according to the Caribbean time.”