St. Thomas, St. Maarten, then a private island, and the sea stays flat.
The Eastern Caribbean is the classic 7-night week: St. Thomas, St. Maarten, San Juan or Tortola, and a private island day at Perfect Day at CocoCay, Labadee, Ocean Cay or Castaway Cay. It sails year-round from Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Port Canaveral, and from Cape Liberty and Baltimore on longer runs, on every major line. The short hops between islands make it the calmest Caribbean cruise there is. SmartCruiser shows every Eastern Caribbean sailing with taxes and fees included and puts the ones with SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit at the top.
Three ways to do the Eastern Caribbean
Pick one and the list below filters to it. The islands are the same; the port and the ship decide the week.
From Fort Lauderdale
- Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, Holland America and MSC, Saturday and Sunday departures
- Port Everglades is 10 minutes from the airport; fly in the night before anyway
- The newest ships in the fleet tend to be here
Best for: first cruises, fly-in travelers, choice of line
From Port Canaveral
- Disney, Royal Caribbean’s newest ships, Carnival, MSC and Norwegian
- 45 minutes from Orlando; a Disney World week plus a cruise is the classic combo
- Private island days built in: Castaway Cay, CocoCay, Celebration Key, Ocean Cay
Best for: families, first-timers, Orlando add-ons
From Cape Liberty, NJ
- Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, 9 to 12 nights with two sea days each way
- St. Thomas, St. Maarten, San Juan, often with CocoCay or Labadee
- Drive, park, sail; the Northeast’s winter escape
Best for: the tri-state area, longer vacations, anyone who hates airports
Eastern Caribbean deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every Eastern Caribbean sailing from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the public price. Below them, every other sailing with full sorting.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Eastern Caribbean sailing
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Sail from Florida or the Northeast
Seven home ports run the route. Pick one and the list above filters to it.
Which line for the Eastern Caribbean?
Every line sails it, so the private island and the ship are the real choice. Our one-line take, with a link to each deals page.
When to go
It sails every week of the year. The water is always 80 degrees; what changes is the price and the weather at home.
Eastern Caribbean cruise questions we answer every day
Do I need a passport?
US citizens on a round trip from a US port can sail with a government photo ID plus an original or certified birth certificate, and St. Thomas and San Juan are US territory anyway. We still recommend a passport: if you miss the ship or have to fly home from St. Maarten, you need one. Everyone else needs a passport.
Eastern or Western Caribbean for a first cruise?
Eastern if you want beaches, shopping and the calmest seas; the islands are close together and the ship barely rolls. Western if you want snorkeling, Mayan ruins and Stingray City. Most ships alternate weeks, so if you like a ship you can do both.
Which private island is best?
Perfect Day at CocoCay (Royal Caribbean) for water slides and the big pool; Castaway Cay (Disney) for the easiest day with small children; Half Moon Cay (Holland America and Carnival) for the beach itself; Ocean Cay (MSC) for snorkeling and the lighthouse at night. Labadee is a beach day in Haiti with a zip line. All are included in the fare; cabanas and jet skis are extra.
How rough is the sea?
The Eastern Caribbean is the calmest route in the region: short hops between islands, trade winds at your back. The run from Florida to St. Thomas is one night of open water each way. If seasickness worries you, book a mid-ship cabin on a low deck and this itinerary.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Gratuities, drinks packages, excursions and parking are extra, and we tell you the total before you book.
What do the SmartCruiser picks mean?
They are sailings where booking through SmartCruiser gets you something you do not get booking direct: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate we hold on that sailing, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the best public price.
Talk to an Eastern Caribbean specialist
Tell us your week and who is coming and we price every ship on the route side by side, bonus onboard credit included. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.