Out to Sea for Nov.
17/18
By Jim and Barb Fox
Anchors aweigh is
exactly what’s happening as more ships are plying the clear blue waters of the
Caribbean and Bahamas.
Even with the three
back-to-back hits in two weeks last year from hurricanes, that part of the
world retains its claim as one of the top cruise destinations.
Cuba is also
continuing to grow in visits by both ships and passengers.
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| Celebrity and Disney ships disembark thousands of passengers at a Caribbean port. (Jim Fox photo) |
Many new ships
including those with thousands of passengers coming into service have Caribbean
itineraries for year-round, seasonal and splitting with Alaska during prime
season.
There are more than
235 ships with 27-million passengers visiting the Caribbean annually.
The numbers are
sure to grow as cruise lines have on order 50 new ocean-going vessels able to
carry 220,000 passengers over the next 10 years.
As for the largely
irrational mood of the hurricanes, many ports were spared significant damage.
Cruise Critic
website said “most islands with cruise ports made a swift recovery, working to
bring tourism dollars back into the economy just weeks after the storms.”
It reports the
“good news is that every single Caribbean cruise port is open and welcoming
cruise ships and visitors.”
