What is the ultimate choice of traveler’s world wide? Obviously cruises. But the scary part if the finance. You are afraid that it might set the ball rolling and when you are back you have your bills with you.- $3.00 for a coke, a $5.00 tip, and a small fortune for a margarita! Do you want to enjoy your cruises without having to worry about these small things? Welcome to the Caribbean cruise/

You first have to decide upon which of the many cruise lines on which to sail. Each one has their own particular personality and flavor. Some cater to families, others to an older crowd and still others that target the younger cruisers. Once you have decided which of the cruise lines to go with, it is then time to decide upon the length of the cruise and the ideal itinerary.

Choosing an itinerary should also take into account the port from which you will depart. Many of the Western Caribbean cruise itineraries depart from ports out of Florida such as Miami, Port Canaveral, Tampa or Fort Lauderdale. You can sometimes find a Western Caribbean cruise that leaves out of some Southern ports such as Mobile, Alabama, Galveston, Texas or New Orleans, La. Destination ports might include Belize, the Grand Cayman Islands, Mexico’s Mayan Coast, the Bahamas and Jamaica.

An Eastern Caribbean itinerary will offer passengers more variety in their port destinations as many of the islands you will visit are closer together as to distance. You might leave out of Florida or Puerto Rico and make port at such destinations as St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Haiti, and the British Virgin Islands. One more choice is an itinerary for the Southern Caribbean which often has a mix of both Eastern and Western ports.

The first step to an enjoyable Caribbean cruise is to choose a cruise line you want to take. Be sure to look into the islands where your ship will dock and the special excursions that are already planned for guests to participate in if they would like to. Also look at what kinds of activities the cruise line offers aboard ship. Knowing what is available to you will help you in your decision to choose the right cruise line for you.

Once a cruise line is chosen and booked, look again at the planned excursions available to you. If you are interested in any of them be sure to make a reservation early to ensure your spot. Keep in mind that these tours and excursions are an additional expense from your cruise package. It will help you to plan your days and your budget better by booking the excursions in advance.

Now that you know what you want to do on your Caribbean cruise, you will have a better idea of what to pack. What to wear can be a complicated question to answer. You need resort wear when on the ship, evening wear for the dining room, beach wear, and clothing for excursions. It seems overwhelming and you realize there just won’t be room in your suitcase for such a wardrobe.

A popular packing tip that really works is to choose one color scheme and then mix and match the pieces to create new outfits throughout your Caribbean cruise. Only take a few pair of shorts and tops can be worn with any of them. Tuxedos can be rented on the ship for men to save packing space and women can bring a basic black dress that be dressed up by using various accessories. On your packing list be sure to include items such as a camera, film, sunglasses, and sunscreen.