Choosing the right Caribbean cruise is almost as much fun as getting there. The weather is beautiful almost all year long and the different islands offer a background of diverse cultures in their everyday life.

The architecture, attitudes, customs and music are all coloured by the native tropical climate and physical landscape. While some island life is based on colonial standards, others are more influenced by the heritage of African slaves and native indigenous tribes.

Barbados is most closely associated with British colonialism. Carefully preserved, many island landmarks are a history lesson come to life. Antigua still feels the colonial influences, but there is a much more laid-back approach to life on this island.

Jamaica, on the other hand, is passionately self-sufficient and more closely influenced by post-colonial island life, where colourful Rastafarians blend seamlessly into a modern world with a few remaining staid British customs.

There are Dutch elements that flavour the lifestyle of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Aruba, although American influences are creeping into island life. Guadeloupe is the island of African and French influences with the emphasis on French customs and culture.

Nearby Puerto Rico is a hybrid of Spanish and American lifestyles with modern, teeming cities on the coastline and a simpler, more rural life in the interior. The Dominican Republic is almost the exact opposite; largely undeveloped, except for the city of Santa Domingo, it is a throwback to native tribal life.

These days, even popular foreign destinations are beginning to pall and people are looking for something different in a honeymoon.  Mustique may still be slightly out of reach for many, but cruise holidays certainly are not.  In fact, cruises can be substantially more economical than staying in a hotel.

It’s incredibly easy to book a cruise holiday online and save even more money.  On a cruise, there will only be the one-off charge, with no worries about extra travel arrangements and allowing for unforeseen events like lost luggage, traffic delays, and onward travel at the other end before you even reach your destination.

A cruise holiday begins from the moment you reach the ship and step on board, with a crew honed to perfection in ensuring that your holiday is as perfect as it can get.

The delights of waking up every morning to a fresh view cannot be overemphasised.  A honeymooning couple will find the perfect balance between romantic privacy and social interaction with the vast range of entertainment and diversion a cruise can offer.

The Caribbean has to be one of the best honeymoon destinations in the world and these luxury cruise liners are the perfect place to begin your new married life.

Popular stops on Western Caribbean Cruises may include Mexico and Jamaica, and on Eastern routes tropical islands such as St Kitts and Antigua.  Cruise and stay holidays are also a popular option offered by many providers; who wouldn’t want to finish off their cruise with a week in an exotic location, unwinding with a rum punch to the sound of the steel drums?

Carnival Cruises offer a huge range of Caribbean trips at reasonable prices, including short 4 and 5 night cruises departing from Miami, which could be a good finish to a Florida holiday.  Princess Cruises also offer good cruise deals on Balcony Upgrades if you want to spend a little more, and some of their voyages incorporate the Panama Canal (a 14 night cruise ending in Los Angeles is a popular option.)

If you do not want to include a plane trip, Royal Caribbean Cruises offer 3-4 week Caribbean Cruises departing from Southampton, allowing you plenty of time to enjoy your ship’s facilities while you cross the Atlantic, and then make the most of your stops in idyllic locations such as St Lucia, Barbados, Costa Rica and Aruba.

Both options have their allure.  Many cruise lines offer cruises specifically for singles.  Singlecruise.com allows you to search for singles cruises to destinations throughout the world.  This is a better option for people who would feel uncomfortable being the only person not part of a larger group on a cruise ship.

Many people do not mind that feeling, however.  If you are the type of person who would like to have time to yourself, you can cruise alone.  You should be aware that it can be more expensive to cruise by yourself without someone else to help split the costs.  There are some cruise lines that cater to people cruising solo though.

Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean each have at least one ship with cabins designed for one person only.  Norwegian’s “Norwegian Epic” includes solo cabins specifically designed for one, while P&O’s “Azura” also has single cabins.

Holland America Line not only has rooms for solo travellers, but activities.  This sets it apart from many of the larger cruise lines, who often design their activities with large groups in mind.  Holland even has a Single Partner’s Program that can match you with a roommate of the same gender.

When you are packing for your cruise, don’t pack your whole wardrobe. Remember that cabins are a lot smaller than the average room in a hotel. The cabin will have soap, shampoo and a hairdryer, so you don’t need to pack those. When you arrive at the ship you will have to check in your luggage and you won’t see it until later in the day, so keep your tickets and other documents, any medications, a jumper and your camera with you.

When you check in, you will be asked for your credit card to cover your expenses whilst on board. Don’t use your debit card as the cruise line may earmark the funds in your account, and this could have an impact on the rest of your banking such as direct debits and cheques you have issued.  A pre-paid credit card or a card just for the cruise might be a good idea. Tips will be charged to your card each day as well. If you aren’t happy with the service however, you can challenge it later.

The rivers of Europe, Africa and the Americas offer cruising of a different kind, with smaller boats and fewer passengers.  The locale is more easily accessed and there is often exotic wildlife to be observed.  Usually more sparsely equipped than the more traditional ocean cruise liners, river cruises compensate by making daily stops in interesting places.

Themed cruises, from creative writing to Christmas markets, offer getaways with like-minded people.  Disney offer a comprehensive package of worldwide destinations and flavoured fun for the entire family, while almost all cruise lines offer children’s activities, which are designed to give parents some well-earned relaxation time.

A cruise may be a once in a lifetime experience that you plan and save for, for years; alternatively you could opt to take one of a range of last minute holiday deals.  There are many websites offering cruise deals that include flights and shore excursions.  Some cruise packages include everything you need for your holiday afloat, such as food, drink and tips.  You should be sure to check out exactly what is included in the price before booking.  It is also be wise to have access to some form of credit, in the unlikely case of some kind of emergency occurring.

Although the ships are taking in a certain amount of food aid with the Caribbean cruise liners pledging to donate all proceeds from the visit to help the stricken victims of the earthquake many of the passengers are unhappy. One passenger writing on the Cruise Critic internet forum said “I just can’t see myself sunning on the beach, playing in the water, eating a barbecue, and enjoying a cocktail while there are tens of thousands of dead people being piled up on the streets in Port au Prince, with those survivors stunned and looking for food and water.”

A spokesman for Royal Caribbean International is reported as saying that the question of whether or not to “deliver a vacation experience so close to the epicentre of an earthquake” had been subject to considerable internal debate before it decided to include Haiti in its itineraries for the coming weeks, believing it would be beneficial to the recovery of the country. Using Labadee in the itinerary is critical to Haiti’s recovery; hundreds of people rely on Labadee for their livelihood,” said John Weis, vice-president. “In our conversations with the UN special envoy of the government of Haiti, Leslie Voltaire, he noted that Haiti will benefit from the revenues that are generated from each call and we have tremendous opportunities to use our ships as transport vessels for relief supplies and personnel to Haiti. Simply put, we cannot abandon Haiti now that they need us most.”

Friday’s call in Labadee went well, everything was open, as usual and the guests were very happy to hear that 100% of the proceeds from the call at Labadee would be donated to the relief effort. The Independence of the Seas delivered forty pallets comprising rice, beans, powdered milk, water, and canned foods, further supplies are due on two subsequent ships. When supplies arrive in Labadee, they are distributed by Food for the Poor, a long-time partner of Royal Caribbean in Haiti. Royal Caribbean has also pledged $1m to the relief effort and will spend part of that helping 200 Haitian crew members.

Carnival cruises have one objective on mind – fun. Each ship of their impressive fleet can provide an exhilarating selection of activities and entertainment that is sure to appeal to all members of the family.

Their ships are separated into different classes, to differentiate between size and capacity, and there are some truly spectacular boats on display.

One of the highlights is the Carnival Valor, which is part of the Conquest Class. The Ivanhoe theatre is easily the glamorous centrepiece, but other attractions include the Twister waterslide, the Carnival Valor Shogun Club Casino and the Valor Spa.

If you are looking for a cruise holiday for the family that will also give you some time to yourself, the Valor will be the perfect choice. As well a host of clubs and venues that are strictly ‘kids-only’, there are some real luxurious restaurants and bars that will be perfect locations to while away an evening.

Carnival Cruises know that the cruise market is changing – more and more young travellers are being attracted to holidays on the seas. However, they can still appeal to experienced cruisers and know exactly what to provide for an unforgettable experience. Carnival will be a great choice to suit everyone’s requirements.

Choose the intimate atmosphere of small ship cruising on board ships such as the Pacific Princess, Royal Princess and Ocean Princess, each of which carries fewer than 700 cruise passengers adding a real element of cruise passenger camaraderie while still offering a wonderful range of onboard experiences and delightful destinations.

Or, alternatively, opt for the large liner luxury of the remainder of the Princess Cruises fleet, each of which is carefully designed and equipped to allow passengers to experience the ultimate in ocean bound activity and entertainment.

Onboard activities range from the energetic to the artistic. Passengers can take advantage of a choice of health and fitness facilities, or ask the opinions of an onboard art expert. For a little intellectual stimulation at sea, why not take advantage of the Princess Cruises’ book club where like-minded passengers indulge their passion for literature with a fascinating programme of talks and discussions.

The Princess Cruise fleet also caters to those who fancy a little retail therapy while on board, with many liners offering a boutique shopping experience for guests to indulge themselves or shop for gifts for their families and friends.

Princess Cruises offer itineraries taking in all sorts of destinations. From short Baltic cruises to longer world cruise options, cruise lovers will find a package that satisfies their needs.

You may have decided that you want to try a cruise; you may also have already decided that you want to experience new and exciting destinations and a holiday on the ocean. There are masses of cruise companies and cruise liners that will take you to some utterly amazing parts of the world, but where do you start?

If you are going on a cruise for the first time, the first thing to do and the most important part of choosing your first cruise holiday is setting a budget. Most people assume that a cruise holiday is going to set them back their entire life savings and then some. However, this doesn’t have to be the case at all.

The price of a cruise not only includes your travel and port destination costs, but also the food, gym, entertainment clubs and flights. You may have to pay extra for any spa treatments and special trips when on shore, but you can check these details out directly with the cruise operator or with the travel agent you booked the holiday with.

Once you have set your budget, you can then start to look at what destinations you want to visit and what activities interest you the most. There are cruises to the Antarctic, Mediterranean, Baltic, Caribbean and Alaska and these are just a few examples of the hundreds of options available.