Every cruiser knows the traditional cruise ports of San Juan, St. Thomas, Nassau, Cozumel, and so on. Many cruisers are unaware of many other cruise ports throughout the Caribbean, ports that may only see 1 or 2 ships each year. These low call numbers are due to the fact that these ports are very small and only accessible by specific, smaller ships. Plus, many of these ports cannot support the number of passengers large or even medium sized ships carry. These unspoiled, hidden ports of call are some of the best kept secrets of the Caribbean and will only be seen by a few each year.
#1 Carriacou, Grenada
Total scheduled cruise ship calls through 2015: 1
Population: 10,000 (estimate)
Carriacou, Grenada is located in the southern Caribbean directly to the south of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The island features a few small mountains towards the center, but white sand, pristine beaches line the island’s boundary with the Caribbean sea. The island is home to a number of large reefs, perfect for snorkeling or scuba diving. The only ship scheduled to call in Carriacou is the SeaDream I in February of 2015.
#2 Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Total scheduled cruise ship calls through 2015: 1
Population: 325,444
While Punta Cana is already a popular tourist destination, the cruise industry has not yet found a reason nor the interest from guests to sail their ship’s to this Dominican Republic resort city. The city offers visitors a number of white sand beaches, golf resorts, and unique scuba diving and snorkeling locations. The city continues to grow in tourism, but largely without the cruise industry. The only ship scheduled to call in Punta Cana is the SeaDream I in January 2014.
#3 Charlotteville, Tobago
Total scheduled cruise ship calls through 2015: 2
Population: Unknown
Charlotteville is an extremely small town on the island of Tobago. The town hosts a very small number of tourists throughout the year and will only see two visits from the SeaDream I through 2015. The town is without any major hotel chains or restaurants, but does feature one small, white sand beach and one of the last remaining tamboo bamboo bands in the entire world.
#4 Les Anses d’Arlet, Martinique
Total scheduled cruise ship calls through 2015: 3
Population: 3,826
Les Anses d’Arlet, Martinique is a small town located on the French island of Martinique. The port offers a small beach area, marine, and excellent waters for scuba diving. The town of Les Anses d’Arlet is located on the south end of Martinique, just south of the main city, Fort-de-France. The small city will be called on 3 times through 2015 by the SeaDream I.
#5 Little Bay, Montserat
Total scheduled cruise ship calls through 2015: 3
Population: Unknown
Little Bay is one of Monsterat’s newest island settlements and is destined to become the island’s capital town. The new town will offer visitors a number of restaurants, shops, hotels, and a small beach area. Even though the town is still under construction, the SeaDream II will call in the city 3 times in 2015.
#6 Union Island, Grenadines
Total scheduled cruise ship calls through 2015: 5
Population: 3,000 (Estimate)
Union Island is another island belonging to the Grenadines and lies directly north of the Grenada. Union Island is home to a number of Caribbean birds and a burgeoning population of sea turtles. One of the most prominent spots in the Union Island region is the Tobago Cays National Marine Park, where guests can snorkel, swim, and scuba dive. The marine park is also home to a number of sea turtles who enjoy swimming with visitors in the turquoise waters.
#7 Canouan Island, Grenadines
Total scheduled cruise ship calls through 2015: 7
Population: 1,200 (Estimate)
Canouan Island is yet another island belonging to the Grenadines, located south of the island of St. Vincent. The island is bordered by a barrier reef on one side of the island and two bays on the other. Visitors most often enjoy the island’s turquoise waters through snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, wind surfing, or sailing. Divers and snorkelers can find a vast array of tropical fish in the island’s massive barrier reef. The island is also home to a number of white sand beaches.
#8 Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
Total scheduled cruise ship calls through 2015: 9
Population: 49,301
Port of Spain is the capital city of Trinidad & Tobago and the center of business and tourism for the islands. While the Port of Spain doesn’t offer many beaches, a quick ride through the island will reveal white sand beaches, crystal blue water, and palm tress gently swaying in the wind. The island offers a great variety of colorful, tropical fish for snorkelers, challenging waves for surfers, and some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Port of Spain will be called on by Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and MSC Cruises throughout 2014 and 2015.
#9 Barbuda, Antigua & Barbuda
Total scheduled cruise ship calls through 2015: 10
Population: 1,638
Snorkeling and scuba diving are the two main activities on this tropical island. Barbuda’s shores are lined with colorful, tropical reefs, flora, and ancient shipwrecks. Barbuda’s beaches are long and sandy with no constructed facilities, bars, or restaurants. This island is an exclusive getaway from the urban distractions other Caribbean islands suffer from. The pastime on the island of Barbuda is finding shady palm and simply letting go of the world. The island will see calls from luxury lines such as Windstar and Hapag Llyod through 2015.
#10 Le Marin, Martinique
Total scheduled cruise ship calls through 2015: 10
Population: 8,884
Le Marin is a small, bustling town on the southeast corner of Martinique. This small town is home to a yearly festive carnival and is home to one of the oldest Jesuit churches. The city is known as the island’s yacht capital and features excellent reefs for scuba divers. Seabourn will make 10 calls in the city throughout 2015.
—
Photo credits:
All photos were obtained under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.
Carriacou, Grenada: Lloyd Morgan; Punta Cana, Punta Cana Just Safari; Little Bay, David Stanley; Union Island, Igbgrant at en.wikipedia; Canouan Island, Ian Mackenzie; Trinidad, Kalamazadkhan; Le Marin, tiarescott.
