Bahamas

• The Bahamas are located close to the coast of Florida, and are a common destination for cruise ships. With many liners departing from Florida, the Bahamas are often one of the first stops on the itinerary, and in many ways act as the gateway to the Caribbean. The islands offer long stretches of untouched beach alongside the cosmopolitanism of the capital city, Nassau. The Bahamas are also frequented by lone sailors and ships with small crews that sail from Florida.
  
  

Southern Caribbean

• The Southern Caribbean tends to be the common choice for more adventurous cruisers. Generally thought of as covering the belt of islands from St. Kitts in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south, the varied colonial histories and verdant scenery makes the Southern Caribbean a common stop for cruise companies. Aruba, Antigua and St. Lucia are the better known islands of the chain, while Grenada and Martinique, among others, are favored by ecofriendly tours and lone sailors.
  
  

Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic

• The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the U.S. Both the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico are part of the Greater Antilles island chain, and their economic and social openness have made them common destinations for cruisers.
  
  

Other Locations

• Some cruise companies offer routes that pass through the Panama canal into the Pacific Ocean, often stopping at other central American ports en route. Jamaica offers tourists opportunities for beach vacations as well as vibrant urban destinations such as the capital city, Kingston. The U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands are frequently visited by cruise liners because of their close links with the U.S. and Britain, respectively.