The Eastern Caribbean

Last week we covered Florida cruise ports that are usually on one-week or shorter cruises from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Cape Canaveral, and Tampa.  These ports included Key West, Mexico, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

This selection features ports usually included in one-week or longer cruises.

Philipsburg, St. Maarten   A-

The Caribbean island of St. Maarten/St. Martin offers two distinct cultural and geographic experiences. The Dutch side has the active beach life, the famous airport landing spot, and water sports, while Frech side has great shops and restaurants. 

The only Caribbean island where you get two cultures in one port stop.

The biggest problem is that while passengers have plenty of time in bustling Philipsburg with its massive tourist facilities, many cruises do not have enough port time to spend time on the French side of the island. The roads can get jammed with slow-moving traffic, and passengers can even miss their ship departure.

Amber Cove / Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic  B-

Taino Bay/Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic   B

Located on the northeast coast of the Dominican Republic, these two ports are very modern, filled with free pools, amusement facilities, and tourist shops.  The older Amber Cove docks are where Carnival cruise lines dock and are at the Bay of Malmon, a good 20-minute ride to reach downtown.

The Taino Bay docks, where Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, and MSC dock is near downtown Puerto Plata, which allows for a walk into the historic Malecon and Fortaleza San Felipe. It has a free lazy river for us older folk.

Neither port is adjacent to good swimming and snorkeling facilities. This is a crowded urbanized area, and transportation to sights can be costly and slow. People will not find restaurants and stores with good deals.

La Romana, Dominican Republic    B

La Romana is located on the southeast coast beside the Rio Dulco River, and while there is a ChuChu train service to downtown, the city is an ugly industrial town with some high-crime areas, making choosing quality tours important.  The Sugar Breeze Cruise Terminal is very mundane.

Nearby are the turquoise, gentle beaches that attract tourists to this area. The resort tours are expensive but have high-quality facilities. The best tour for seniors and romantics is the bus excursion to the 16^th century mountain village of Altos de Chavin.

Bridgetown, Barbados   A-

People selecting Barbados as a destination want a small island where tours reach destinations quickly.  The Port Terminal is just a short walk to downtown, but Bridgetown is a laid-back small town not designed for party-goers or social activities. 

Barbados is a small island with great beaches.

If you like calm waters in a scenic setting, Brownes Beach and Pebbles Beach will meet all your expectations.   Barbados is a high-cost island that attracts people who enjoy natural sights and relaxing water activities.

Kralendjik, Bonaire   C+

Bonaire is a wonderful place if you want to snorkel or dive right off the shore. Only one ship at a time can dock right at the downtown pier so there are no taxi rides, no crowds. The people speak English and like U.S. currency, not that you will be excited at the nice family shops.

There is a good reason Bonaire is not a major cruise stop: most of the nearby coastlines are coral and rock.  Finding a good beach is a major tour.  There is not much to see except the wild donkeys and salt flats.   Snorkelers will not want to return to the cruise ship, but others will find little to interest them.

Oranjestad, Aruba  A-

Aruba is a busy, urban-style island which will turn off people looking for calm, slow-moving Caribbean activities.  The modern downtown terminal with its free electric streetcar trolley makes the port popular with seniors and shoppers. Aruba has some cool stores.  Despite a very publicized murder case involving an Alabama coed, Oranjestad has a low crime rate and friendly, helpful people.

Aruba is for people who like beautiful beaches and active nightlife.

You must take a taxi to Aruba’s beautiful beaches of Eagle Beach and Palm Beach. Some people might find the tall hotels and high-paced entertainment or water facilities too much like Miami Beach to suit their travel tastes.  How long your port stay is will determine how much of Aruba’s casinos and nightclub action you will experience.

Otrobanda, Curacao   A

Curaçao looks like no other Caribbean island.  It is very urban, filled with shops and Dutch architecture, but much of the interior resembles a cactus-filled Arizona desert. The Mega Pier puts you minutes from the famous Queen Emma Swinging Bridge to Punda.

Otrobanda has its big waterfront resorts as well as Dutch charm.

There are several large, multi-use full-service resorts on the waterfront, although the nearest beaches resemble small coves.  The big beaches require a taxi ride. Curaçao has an image of being quite expensive, but visitors who walk away from the crowded main streets will discover prices drop quickly.  U.S. Dollars are welcomed here.

Curaçao is very hot due to its location close to the equator compared to other Caribbean islands, but it is also far south of the main route of Caribbean hurricanes.