Eastern Caribbean Cruise Route

A classic Caribbean cruise route departing from Florida or San Juan and calling at islands including the Bahamas, St. Thomas, Saint Martin and Puerto Rico.

The Eastern Caribbean is one of the two classic Caribbean cruise routes. It usually departs from Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Port Canaveral in Florida, or from San Juan, Puerto Rico, for about 7 nights, calling at the Virgin Islands and the Leeward Islands. Common ports of call: Nassau in the Bahamas and cruise lines' private islands (such as Royal Caribbean's CocoCay and Carnival's Half Moon Cay); St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands (Magens Bay, duty-free shopping in Charlotte Amalie) and Virgin Islands National Park on St. John; Saint Martin, shared by the Dutch and French (watching planes fly low over Maho Beach, and dining in Grand Case on the French side); San Juan, Puerto Rico (the old town and El Morro fortress); and sometimes Antigua, St. Kitts, Samaná in the Dominican Republic, or Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos. Compared with Western Caribbean itineraries, there are slightly more days at sea, and the island scenery centers on white-sand beaches and British and Dutch colonial flavor. Travelers from China must fly to the US first and hold a US visa (at some ports, such as British and Dutch islands, US visa holders can enter visa-free under certain conditions). Shore excursions can be booked through the cruise line or arranged on your own. During hurricane season itineraries may be rerouted, so check the entry requirements of each port before buying tickets and buy travel insurance.

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