Caribbean Sailing Cruises

Sailing Cruise in the Caribbean

Let the ship be your guide...

The Caribbean Sea is the most popular cruising ground in the world with ships of all sizes attracted to this corner of the globe and its collection of islands scattered across thousands of miles of tropical sea. Smaller cruise ships carrying hundreds of passengers rather than thousands, tend to avoid the main cruising routes to the more developed islands, preferring instead to discover smaller outposts such as the Grenadines, British Virgin Islands, Nevis and Anguilla, which larger ships cannot squeeze into.

The Caribbean lends itself to small-ship cruising, whether it is aboard a mega-yacht taking as few as 100 passengers or a Clipper-style masted sailing ship. Voyages on these vessels give passengers a taste of islands off the beaten tourist track and some cruise lines also stop at deserted islands in the Grenadines or BVIs to give passengers a true Caribbean beach experience.

Smaller ships also have less impact on the local environment, stopping at small islands without swamping them with huge numbers of day visitors that they cannot handle and putting pressure on the local infrastructure and marine environment.

Virtually all small-ship cruise companies sail in the Caribbean at some point, and there is a larger choice of ships and sailings in the winter high season. Voyages depart from ports in Florida or Caribbean islands with good air links from the US and/or Europe such as Barbados, Puerto Rico, St Thomas or Antigua. The ships tend to be more upmarket and, in some cases, more luxurious. Others offer more of an authentic sailing experience and some an increased cultural ambience with onboard lectures from marine biologists or experts on the islands.

For our advice, and selection of the best cruise companies currently offering Caribbean sailings, please select by the island(s) you would like to visit.