Snorkel Cozumel, climb a pyramid, pet a stingray, home by Sunday.
Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Roatán, Belize and Costa Maya: the Western Caribbean is the one for people who want to do things. Reefs, cenotes and Mayan ruins instead of shopping, on 4 to 7 night sailings from Galveston, New Orleans, Tampa, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral, year-round on every major line. SmartCruiser shows every Western Caribbean sailing with taxes and fees included and puts the ones with SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit at the top.
Three ways to do the Western Caribbean
Pick one and the list below filters to it. The same islands come in a long weekend or a full week, from seven ports.
7 nights
- Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Jamaica or Roatán, with two sea days
- From Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, Galveston and New Orleans on every line
- The itinerary most of the biggest ships run on alternate weeks with the Eastern
Best for: first cruises, families on school break, anyone who wants all three big ports
4 and 5 nights
- Cozumel and either Progreso, Costa Maya or Key West; one sea day
- Carnival from Galveston, New Orleans, Tampa and Miami; Royal Caribbean and MSC from Miami and Port Canaveral
- The lowest fares in the Caribbean, and the easiest first cruise to say yes to
Best for: first-timers, friends’ trips, using fewer vacation days
From Galveston
- Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class, Carnival, Princess, Norwegian, MSC and Disney in season
- Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatán and Belize, 4 to 7 nights, year-round
- An hour from Houston; the home port for Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas
Best for: Texans, road trippers, anyone skipping the flight
Western Caribbean deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every Western 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 Western 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 the Gulf or Florida
Seven home ports within a day’s drive of half the country. Pick one and the list above filters to it.
Which line for the Western Caribbean?
Every line sails it from somewhere; the port you can drive to usually decides. Our one-line take, with a link to each deals page.
When to go
It sails all year. The sea is always warm; the price follows school calendars and the weather at home.
Western 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. We still recommend a passport: Mexico, Honduras, Belize and Jamaica are foreign countries, and if you miss the ship or need to fly home you will need one. Everyone else needs a passport.
Which port is the one not to miss?
Grand Cayman for Stingray City, standing in waist-deep water with the rays. Cozumel for the reef (Palancar and Columbia) or the ferry to the mainland for Tulum and the cenotes. Costa Maya and Progreso for the Mayan ruins at Chacchoben and Uxmal. Roatán for the best snorkeling straight off the beach at West Bay.
Is Jamaica safe for a day ashore?
In the cruise ports, yes. Falmouth, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay are set up for ships; Dunn’s River Falls and the Blue Hole are a short, organized excursion. Book through the ship or a known operator and skip the freelance offers at the gate.
Is this a good itinerary for a first cruise?
It is the one we recommend most. Short sailings from a port you can drive to, something to do at every stop, and sea days to try the ship. Start with 4 or 5 nights; if you like it, the 7 night version adds Grand Cayman and Jamaica.
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 a Western Caribbean specialist
Tell us where you can drive to and how many days you have and we price every ship from that port, bonus onboard credit included. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.