Caribbean cruises are primarily divided into three categories: Eastern Caribbean, Southern Caribbean and Western Caribbean. Each offers a very distinct caribbean cruise experience. The majority of caribbean cruises depart from Miami, Ft Lauderdale and San Juan however the closer-to-home ports of Galveston, Jacksonville, Mobile, New Orleans, New York, Port Canaveral and Tampa offer very viable year-round alternatives. Seasonal caribbean cruises are available from Charleston, SC, New York and Philadephia.