5 Looking For the Cheapest Prices on Caribbean Cruises

1 – Carnival Cruise Lines (cheapest)

7 nights from: $304 per person
(Miami, Florida → At Sea → Cozumel, Mexico → Belize City, Belize → Mahogany Bay, Honduras → Georgetown, Grand Cayman → At Sea → Miami, Florida)
4 nights from: $154 per person
(Miami, Florida → Key West, Florida → Cozumel, Mexico → At Sea → Miami, Florida)

If you want to leave from one of the Florida ports near a major airport, Carnival Cruise Lines is the low-price leader. The 7-night cruise is on the Carnival Glory, which is now based year-round in Miami and can carry 2,974 passengers.
Carnival and its “Fun Ships” slogan are very popular with first-time cruise passengers, and especially younger people and families, primarily from the United States and Canada.

2 – MSC Cruises

7 nights from: $329
(Miami, Florida → At Sea → At Sea → Philipsburg (St. Maarten), Netherlands Antilles → San Juan, Puerto Rico → At Sea → Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas → Miami, Florida)

Started in Italy, MSC only recently entered the North American cruise market with these winter Caribbean excursions. In the rest of the world, MSC cruises tend to be dominated by European guests, but now with their Miami-based cruises they attract mostly a North American crowd on these. They used to have 2 formal nights per cruise, and now the buffet restaurant is casual all the time, although the main dining room is a bit more formal. This sailing is on the MSC Divina, which can carry as many as 3,959 passengers.

3 – Norwegian Cruise Line

7-nights from: $349
(Miami, Florida → At Sea → At Sea → Ocho Rios, Jamaica → Georgetown, Grand Cayman → Cozumel, Mexico → At Sea → Miami, Florida)

 

Norwegian Cruise Line is famous for pioneering the “freestyle cruising” concept, where passengers can select from a wide range of restaurants and activities and go whenever they like rather than on a rigid schedule. This cruise is on the Norwegian Epic, carrying a maximum of 4,200 passengers, which counts more than 20 freestyle-dining restaurants on board. This massive ship also has extensive children’s programs, branded by Nickelodeon.

4 – Princess Cruises

7 nights from: $479
(Houston, Texas → At Sea → At Sea → Roatan, Honduras → Belize City, Belize → Cozumel, Mexico → At Sea → Houston, Texas)
4 nights from: $279 per person
(Fort Lauderdale, Florida → At Sea → Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands → At Sea → Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

A slightly upscale division of Carnival, the Princess Cruises leaves from Houston on this run and explores Mexico and Central America rather than the more common islands to their east. The Emerald Princess can carry 3,100 passengers having been recently renovated to include many of the newest and most popular features of the day.

Not as casual and fun-minded as the cheapest Caribbean cruises, the Princess sailings attract a bit more formality and a higher age range, though families with children are mixed in as well. Expect mostly Americans and Canadians on these cruises, with a sprinkling of Brits and other Europeans.

5 – Royal Caribbean International

7 nights from: $484
(Galveston, Texas → At Sea → At Sea → Falmouth, Jamaica → Georgetown, Grand Cayman → Cozumel, Mexico → At Sea → Galveston, Texas)
4 nights from: $327
(Fort Lauderdale, Florida → At Sea → Cozumel, Mexico → At Sea → Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

While its cruises leaving from Ft Lauderdale aren’t quite as cheap as those on Carnival, the Royal Caribbean cruises leaving from Galveston, Texas might be good value if you are already close by, but for most people you’ll get better value if you can get to Florida. This is on the Navigator of the Seas, which carries up to 3,114 passengers, and was one of the first to add such activities as rock climbing walls and an ice skating rink.

As you would expect in this price range, the dress tends to be casual and the ships attract a wide mix of younger and older and families and couples, mostly from the United States and Canada, particularly from Texas and Louisiana on this departure.