New and old Caribbean port calls compared

Many cruise lines are looking for new venues in the Caribbean, as regular cruise travellers find themselves visiting the same old ports, over and over again. If you’ve sailed the region more than once or twice, you’ve almost certainly got used to seeing San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Sometimes as many as seven cruise ships are trying to get into the same port on the same day, and holiday fatigue doesn’t just strike the holiday-maker – some of the tourist offerings in these places can be pretty tired too, and the criminals who prey on tourists have got their act down to a fine art in the major ports and resorts, making them a high risk area for pick-pocketing and scams.

To combat this, the lines have sought out new offerings. Carnival Cruise Line has its own resort at Grand Turk, several cruise lines have their own private Bahamian islands and one of the biggest (literally) new developments is the way that cruise lines offer undersea tourism to combat the tackiness often perceived in shore excursions.

New destinations include Tortola, Tobago and St Kitts and a cruise that offers them is likely to be a little less stale than those still only visiting the big old resorts such as Grand Caymen.