Eastern, Western or Southern Caribbean Cruise: Which Route Fits You?
Eastern, western and southern Caribbean are port lists, not a quality ranking. Pick the calls you want, then the ship and the dated fare.
It’s All Cruises · October 25, 2026
Choose the Caribbean by the ports on the week, not by a direction that sounds familiar. The samples below are soonest recorded sailings with those words in the name, with starting fares and the ports on each one.
Quick facts
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| What the direction names | A port pattern, not a ship class |
| Eastern samples | Carnival Celebration, Allure of the Seas, Zuiderdam |
| Western samples | Carnival Jubilee, Celebrity Summit, Symphony of the Seas |
| Southern sample | Nieuw Amsterdam, 9 nights |
| A private stop is not the region | Celebration Key and Perfect Day appear on some of these weeks. Their beach inclusions are Not listed |
| Fare basis | Starting cruise fare with an as-of date. Cabin category Not listed |
Routes to put side by side
| Route | Ship | Nights | Embark | Ports | Starting fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7-Night Eastern Caribbean | Carnival Celebration | 7 | Miami | Miami, St. Thomas, Amber Cove, Celebration Key | $438 starting cruise fare, as of October 21, 2026 |
| 7-Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day | Allure of the Seas | 7 | Miami | Miami, Florida, Perfect Day CocoCay, Bahamas, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Philipsburg, St. Maarten | $880 starting cruise fare, as of October 4, 2026 |
| 11-Day Eastern Caribbean: Windward & Leeward Islands | Zuiderdam | 11 | Miami | Miami, Sint Maarten, Antigua, Fort-de-France, Roseau, Basseterre, Saint Thomas, Half Moon Cay | $1,714 starting cruise fare, as of October 24, 2026 |
| 6-Night Western Caribbean | Carnival Jubilee | 6 | Port of Galveston | Galveston, Cozumel, Isla Tropicale, Roatan | $569 starting cruise fare, as of October 21, 2026 |
| 7-Night Western Caribbean | Celebrity Summit | 7 | Tampa | Tampa, Florida, Cozumel, Mexico, Belize City, Belize, Costa Maya, Mexico | $661 starting cruise fare, as of October 14, 2026 |
| 7-Night Western Caribbean | Symphony of the Seas | 7 | Port of Galveston | Galveston, Texas, Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico, Roatan, Honduras, Cozumel, Mexico | $783 starting cruise fare, as of October 4, 2026 |
| 9-Day Southern Caribbean | Nieuw Amsterdam | 9 | Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) | Fort Lauderdale, Cabo Rojo, Curaçao, Aruba, Half Moon Cay | $1,384 starting cruise fare, as of October 24, 2026 |
Fit the route to the group
- Eastern samples here include Miami or Baltimore departures and calls such as St. Thomas, Amber Cove, Tortola or the Windward and Leeward Islands. Read the row rather than the compass point.
- Western samples include Cozumel from Galveston or Tampa, plus Roatan, Belize City or Costa Maya depending on the ship.
- The southern sample is 9-Day Southern Caribbean on Nieuw Amsterdam: Fort Lauderdale, Cabo Rojo, Curaçao, Aruba, Half Moon Cay. $1,384 starting cruise fare, as of October 24, 2026.
- Sea-day flags differ. Allure's eastern sample shows 3 of 8 calls flagged sea day. A port-heavy week and a sea-day week are both in this table.
- Ship size still matters after the map. Carnival Celebration lists space ratio 34.1. Allure of the Seas lists 39.4. Celebrity Summit's specs should be read on the ship page if you need the hull.
- Shore excursions are extra on the standard fares for these lines. The region does not include them.
Fares are marketing prices, confirmed when you book. Port lists are the recorded calls, with repeats removed.
Frequently asked questions
Is eastern always from Miami?
No. One Carnival Bahamas sample in the wider set leaves from Baltimore, and Holland America's eastern sample in this table uses its own embarkation port. Read the embark column.
Does western mean Cozumel?
Cozumel is on the western samples here. It is not the only port, and your pier in Cozumel is a separate question.
Is southern a longer cruise?
9-Day Southern Caribbean is 9 nights among these sailings. Length is not the definition. The ports are.
Are these the only sailings in each region?
They are the soonest recorded name matches used for this comparison, not a complete Caribbean timetable.
Filed under ocean, caribbean, write first