More sophisticated than your basic western Caribbean or Bahamas itinerary, cruises labeled “southern

Cruise lines are experimenting with all kinds of interesting Caribbean itineraries that expose travelers to a broader swath of the region. Some feature islands that are hard to visit on your own. Some mix exotic with familiar, giving travelers calgary apartment rentals a taste of wildly calgary apartment rentals different cultures.
"The thing is, these islands represent different regions, and many are more European," says Carnival Valor Capt. Luigi De Angelis, who has captained ships throughout calgary apartment rentals the Caribbean. His favorite islands are Aruba and Roatan, Honduras. By visiting more exotic islands with Dutch, French, calgary apartment rentals English or Spanish calgary apartment rentals roots, "you get a taste of all these different places on the other side of the ocean. That is why it seems to me it is more culturally interesting," he says. "On Curagao, the people speak five languages. It's not often you go to an island where the people speak five languages."
More sophisticated calgary apartment rentals than your basic western Caribbean or Bahamas itinerary, cruises labeled "southern Caribbean" or "exotic Caribbean" usually are at least eight days long. Most leave from Miami, calgary apartment rentals Ft. Lauderdale or San Juan, Puerto calgary apartment rentals Rico. And most cruise distances of 4,000 miles or more.
Admittedly, the exotic Caribbean isn't super trendy. Right now, the in-the-know cruise folks are flocking to the Mediterranean. The Caribbean cruise sector grew less than 1 percent in 2011 because lines redeployed calgary apartment rentals ships to Europe, especially in the summer, according to Caribbean Tourism Organization data.
But that's all the more reason to go now. Exotic Caribbean cruise prices are as low as $600 to $900 per person for a week or more. It's easy and cheap to get to departure ports like Miami. So seek your best deal. Look for the unusual islands. Do you know how hard it is to fly to Guadeloupe on your own? But you can get there on Brilliance of the Seas in December. And look for those bonus sea days, when the ship doesn't calgary apartment rentals stop, but just glides through the turquoise water like a floating cocoon. The charm
Looking calgary apartment rentals for an unusual Caribbean itinerary, I chose a Carnival Valor cruise out of Miami in late May because calgary apartment rentals it visited four spots I'd never been — Turks and Caicos, the Dominican Republic, Aruba and Curagao.
But it was hard to choose. Some Royal Caribbean ships stop in cool places like Bonaire, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Celebrity Cruises stop at ports in St. Croix, St. Kitts, Dominica calgary apartment rentals and Grenada. Silversea and Seabourn cruises call on sophisticated St. Barts.
It's a good question. What makes one Caribbean island more exotic than another? Think of places other cruises generally do not visit. Places hard to get to on your own. Places you may never have heard of or couldn't calgary apartment rentals find on a map. Places without a Columbian Emeralds store (OK, this is hard). Places distant from tourist meccas.
For instance, our cruise stopped in Grand Turk. It delightfully turns out that while Turks and Caicos is a hip, hot destination, all of that trendy stuff is happening way over in Providenciales, about 65 miles away by sea, and definitely not in Grand Turk, where the most exciting event is watching the tide go out. Fantastic. Pleasant surprises
I likewise was pleasantly surprised by the Dominican Republic. The DR is the most visited island in the Caribbean, but almost nobody arrives by cruise ship. Carnival Valor docked way down at La Romana, on the southern calgary apartment rentals coast, hours from Punta Cana and other giant tourism hot spots. The dock was near the sugar cane fields and orchid farms. It was warm and relaxing and real. And no Columbian Emeralds shop! Maravilloso.
Down in Aruba and Curagao, both islands with Dutch heritage, the pastel buildings seemed calgary apartment rentals to shout a happy welcome to our lonesome ship. Off-season, these islands near Venezuela still were hot and friendly. Curagao, with its swinging pedestrian bridge, is definitely different from any other Caribbean island. The citizens do speak four or five languages — Papiamentu, Dutch, English, Spanish and sometimes French.
And Aruba, with its divi divi trees bending to the wind, with its giant cacti spreading across the landscape like the old west, with its brand new Ritz Carlton rising on the shore, and with the scenic Alto Vista Chapel a sturdy outpost on a seaside cliff, was just plain fun.
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