Eastern or Western Caribbean? Which Do You Prefer And Why?

[JustCruiseMe]

Just curious. We have been on eastern and have western coming up.

[brookeq]

I like the western because it is a good mix of beach ports but other things to do (like Mayan ruins, cave tubing , dunns river falls,etc)

 

She likes the eastern side for the beautiful beaches.

 

I do like both though and you can't go wrong with either.

[shanet60]

We love eastern for the beaches..were not real big sight seekers ..we love to just relax on the beach ..half moon cay..grand turk...st john..cant beat it

[Midwestgal]

Eastern....beaches are so much better. Not a fan of Belize , Rotan & Cozumel .

Eastern islanders are nice and I feel much safer.

[gay head]

Eastern Caribbean is by for the best.We just returned from Belize and Roaton on the Magic.I was expecting blue water and it is not and there are no beaches.When we were in Belize people were lined up laying out on this pier.I knew I was in trouble when I saw green cans of OFF in the open air market.Apparenly if you lie on the sand you grt bitten by sand fleas.I saw people with bites all over their legs.We live in Houston and wanted to leave from Galveston so we dld this for New Years.Last year they went to Grand Caymen and Jamaica and it was great.

[CruisinKelly]

Prefer Eastern over Western simply because of the humidity factor.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

Eastern is wayyyyy better than western. Belize is a hole. Worst port anywhere.

 

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[Nebr.cruiser]

Although I like both, I'd choose Eastern, partly because there is more variety in islands to visit.

 

What I really like best though is the Southern route.

[JustCruiseMe]

Thanks for all the replies. I hope we enjoy the western as much as we did the eastern. I didn't know the water wasn't blue in the western. I am a bit bummed about that.

[Nebr.cruiser]

Thanks for all the replies. I hope we enjoy the western as much as we did the eastern. I didn't know the water wasn't blue in the western. I am a bit bummed about that.

 

I haven't noticed that the water wasn't as blue in the western ports, so I don't think it's a big concern. It does depend on the day, though, since cloudy days mean less brilliant water.

[cb at sea]

Eastern, unless the Western doesn't include Mexico...not a fan!

[Cruzman]

Thanks for all the replies. I hope we enjoy the western as much as we did the eastern. I didn't know the water wasn't blue in the western. I am a bit bummed about that.

 

This is not the case in most of the western Caribbean ports. Belize and Progresso come to mind as ports with muddy water. Crystal clear water on Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, as well as ports in Honduras.

[tip]

I voted for the third option (both equally). We will not get off of the ship again in Jamaica, however. We will not book a cruise that stops in Jamaica for that matter. Yes, Belize is a poor country and you probably do not want to wander down town. We have take some great excursions in Belize including visiting the zoo, taking and airboat ride and a fantastic river trip. The trip in the van to these locales is a reminder that there is indeed poverty in this world.

[obnurse]

Eastern edges out Western by a tiny bit, but we like both. We just prefer the Caribbean flair over the Mexican flair.

[dorisis]

Eastern but Southern is our preference with more time in the Islands.

[spunkyhungry]

Thanks for all the replies. I hope we enjoy the western as much as we did the eastern. I didn't know the water wasn't blue in the western. I am a bit bummed about that.

 

It's not bad, it's more greenish. I was a bit disappointed on my last Western cruise that the beaches/ocean weren't as beautiful as they were on all my trips to the Eastern Caribbean. I definitely prefer Eastern Caribbean, but you can still find fun things to do in the Western Caribbean. It's a good place to do other activities, like ziplining and exploring ruins.

[Warmer Climes]

I think it depends what your interests are. We like to go see Mayan ruins and think Belize is a beautiful country (if you do an excursion outside Belize City). We also like the snorkeling in Cozumel. But we also like San Juan for the history and St. Thomas for snorkeling. Not beach people so I can't compare that. We have done both itineraries many times and honestly would like the cruise lines to change things up a bit.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I chose "Both Equally" as we always find things we like to do in almost all the ports.

We love the Mayan ruins -- we love walking around on our own.

Do agree with one person -- hate Jamaica.

[puppycanducruise]

Sorry - can't decide. I guess I need to go on more cruises and do more research into the question.:)

[OscarMom]

We are going on a cruise to the Western Caribbean the first week of March and I must admit I was a little alarmed by the comments I read here. Then I looked out the window and remembered that no matter how poor the country is, how muddy the water is, it is going to be warm and there will be no snow in sight!:D

[cruiseapril]

Prefer Eastern due to the ports. However, our favorite is the Southern.

Partial to the ABC islands and all they have to offer.

[happybooker1]

I would just like to VISIT Eastern as I've never had a choice. Western C. is all they offer from Galveston on the few weeks I can go.

 

I have never had the pleasure of Eastern -- I bet it's lovely.

 

That said, Belize is my TOP favorite port. I have been visiting Belize (by air and by ship) since 1991. Once you get to the Islands the water is the clearest you will see anywhere. Try one of the Cayes and you will see. Or take a trip out to the Barrier Reef. BEAUTIFUL!!!

 

Never felt unsafe or in danger and everyone speaks ENGLISH -- a real bonus!

[sail7seas]

My favorite is a ten day round trip cruise from FLL that includes a mix of southern and eastern. Cozumel is about the only port we enjoy on Western Itinerary.

 

We like Curcacao, Aurba and Bonaire but also like St. Barts, St. Maarten, Key West, Grand Turk, Tortola.......

 

We're happy to skip Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Belize.

[zephyrgirl]

I'm always puzzled about why people are so against Belize. I loved it. Went on a tour (not ship sponsored) to see Mayan ruins and had a great guide who told us all kinds of info about the country on the way there. As far as the relative poverty, one thing I liked about Belize versus some other places I've been to is that there were no children begging/trying to sell you things. Our guide explained that the government really enforces the compulsory education laws. To me that shows some investment in their people.

 

Similarly, I've been on a land vacation to Jamaica and also don't get why people are so negative about it. Yes, there are some aggressive vendors but you just need to walk away. And overall the people's attitude there is refreshingly positive (almost infectiously so).

 

Eastern and Southern Caribbean have gorgeous beaches, there's no doubt about that. But they sorta feel like an artificial playground to me.