Caribbean Cruises & Tours from Cruise Holidays

The indigenous Arawak Indians were the original inhabitants, supplanted by the more aggressive, Caribs, the tribe in place when the first Spanish explorers discovered the islands for westerners. As each island was in turn colonized by a different European country, British, Spanish, Dutch, French or Portuguese, and slavery introduced to farm, original and highly diverse cultures arose. Today, the colorful legacy of that history is alive in the music, art, architecture and language of the Caribbean Islands.

The geography of each island is unique: some are near deserts and very arid, while others boast mountainous rain forests. The sub-tropical latitudes of the Caribbean provide nearly year-round good weather. The late summer and fall months are at times interrupted by strong storm systems crossing the Atlantic from Africa bringing with them those most powerful of storms, hurricanes.

As one might expect, activities in the Caribbean are largely water oriented - scuba and snorkeling, swimming, boating and fishing. Golf has a strong foothold as does everyone's favorite pastime at some point - lying on the beach, staring at the ocean and just sitting still.

Ports & Cities...

Basseterre, St. Kitts

A lush, verdant island, St. Kitts is the larger of the twin-island nation, and it remains a naturally unassuming, uncrowded destination that is a true gem in the Caribbean crown.

Bridgetown, Barbados

Barbados has been dubbed 'the real fantasy island,' an appellation that points to its exotic resorts and glorious beaches.

Castries, St. Lucia

St. Lucia is indeed a Caribbean dream: a small, lush tropical gem of an island that is still relatively unknown and undeveloped.

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

Combining natural beauty with first-rate amenities, St .Thomas offers numerous activities on and off the water, fine hotels and international cuisine.

Cozumel, Mexico

Cozumel has exceptional coral gardens and spectacular reef drop-offs offering legendary snorkelling and the best diving in Mexico, ranking as one of the top five dive destinations in the world.

George Town, Grand Cayman

The natural attractions are enough to draw the crowds to George Town, however, with the coral reefs, clear waters and sandy beaches offering the chance to try out any watersport imaginable.

Key West, Florida

Watching a splendid sunset while dining al fresco on delectable seafood at one of 250 or so restaurants is but one of the pleasures in store for visitors to the USA's most southernmost city, Key West.

Montego Bay, Jamaica

The north coast of Jamaica is the island's popular 'Riviera' area, and at the centre of this resort paradise is Montego Bay, known affectionately as 'MoBay' to locals and regular visitors.

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

There is plenty to see and do in between bathing and sun-worshipping on the magnificent beaches, from climbing up waterfalls to horseback riding through sugar cane plantations.

Oranjestad, Aruba

Although shoppers will find central Oranjestad packed with boutiques, shopping complexes and glitzy 24-hour casinos, it is possible to escape this tourist zone and discover the more authentic town.

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

St. Maarten is an eastern Caribbean island divided with two sovereign states, France and the Netherlands - you can sunbathe in the French/St Martin during the day, then dine in the Dutch/St .Maarten in the evening.

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

Many cruise liners come to Costa Rica to allow passengers the chance to take excursions, and independent travellers come here from San Jose to use Puerto Limon as a base for exploring the coast.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan has the pristine beaches, tropical climate, crystal-blue sea and coconut palms characteristic of its counterparts, along with its unmistakable Spanish colonial heritage.

Willemstad, Curacao

Curaçao is an ideal holiday destination for underwater lovers, as the excellent visibility, warm water, active reef conservation and variety of dive and snorkelling sites ranks the island among the most popular dive locations in the Caribbean.

Independently Owned and Operated

Cruise Holidays is a trading name of The Co-op Consortium which is part of The Midcounties Co-operative Limited We are a member of ABTA with ABTA number P6503. The air holiday packages shown are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority as we act as agent for licensed cruise operators. The names and ATOL numbers of these cruise operators are dispayed with each holiday shown. We also offer our own air holidays and our ATOL number is 6053. ATOL protection does not apply to all holidays shown on this website. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking.