The Caribbean is a popular destination for cruises due to its idyllic climate, and spectacular scenery. It attracts a mixture of large and small cruises, due to its variety of routes and multitude of islands that you can visit.

At the centre of the region are Barbados, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. The Caribbean is any holidaymakers’ ideal – sandy beaches, crystal clear seas and fascinating ports of call along the way. These tend to involve more time at sea and on the ship itself as the islands are further apart and therefore less time at the ports or beaches themselves. However, the scenery that can be witnessed along the way is stunning and certainly allows you to visually explore the Caribbean.

Activities will typically including scuba diving or hiking through forests - perfect for thrill seekers! Alternatively shorter excursions are available particularly in either the larger islands such as Jamaica, or on the mainland such as Mexico or Belize.

In Jamaica, the Bob Marley museum in Kingston is especially worth seeing, and full of memorabilia. You can also dive in the famous underwater gardens, which are full of wildlife such as eagle rays and Upside Down jellyfish, both of which are protected species.

Belize is the second smallest country in Central America, and has vast unbroken lines of reef, which are the longest in the western hemisphere. It contains several important Mayan sites and is another excellent location for diving.

If you are planning on making lots of calls at ports, then here are a few pointers at must see stops.

Sunbury Plantation (Barbados)

This allows you to experience life of the 18th and 19th centuries for a brief spell of time, and sip high tea. This plantation is over 300 years old, but has been painstakingly restored to allow you to get a full picture of how life was all those years ago.

Mini-submarine ride (Aruba)

This is a once in a lifetime experience for everyone! Small submarines travel underneath the Caribbean and leave from a variety of ports. This allows you to get a good glimpse at the undersea world and enables you to explore your surroundings.

Tubing – Layou River (Dominica)

To go tubing down the Layou River is definitely a memorable experience. Each passenger is given their own tube and splashes away down the river, getting to take in the scenery of great cliffs and thriving vegetation along the way.

With so many great activities on offer, if you are going on a cruise through the Caribbean, it is clear that it is so important to plan your time out there. Late cruise deals in particular will fill up quickly, so try to have a good idea in mind of the things you would most like to do. Your cruise provider can offer great assistance in this regard, knowing tourist favourites and once in a lifetime experiences.