The most effective Bahamas cruises take you away from the each day grind, transporting you to theme park-like personal islands and beach-lined paradises. Cruise selections embrace new and jazzed-up ships crusing an array of brief and weeklong Bahamas itineraries. Cruising to the Bahamas is very easy chances are you’ll even have the ability to go without a passport.
Household-friendly traces, equivalent to Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line, provide cruises targeted on the Bahamas all 12 months. So do newcomers Virgin Voyages, with its adults-only sailings, and Margaritaville at Sea, providing brief two-night hops and longer cruise-and-stay packages. The winter and early spring seasons carry a handful of itineraries on premium traces like Superstar Cruises and Holland America.
The one cruise traces that do not commonly provide Bahamas cruises are the posh traces. However don’t be concerned, luxe lovers: Most of the ships we included on our checklist of one of the best Bahamas cruises provide suites that include concierge companies, personal enclaves or particular spa privileges. If a luxurious cruise to the Bahamas is your aim, take a look at the highest suite choices on a mainstream or premium line.
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Whether or not you are on the lookout for a fast and low-cost getaway or per week on the seaside, listed here are one of the best Bahamas cruise itineraries to start out your search, so as from shortest to longest.
2-night cruises on Margaritaville at Sea Paradise from Palm Seashore, Florida
Although cruising is comparatively new to the Margaritaville journey and hospitality franchise, cruise line Margaritaville at Sea is basically a rebranding of the outdated Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line. Its refurbished ship, Paradise, initially debuted within the Nineteen Nineties for Costa Cruises.
One Jimmy Buffett-themed makeover later, the ship is an ideal match for the laid-back vibe of the Bahamas. Seize a drink or a chew to eat from the 5 o’Clock Someplace Bar & Grill, attempt your luck on the Par-A-Cube On line casino and luxuriate in loads of leisure, together with the musical manufacturing, “Tales from Margaritaville: Jimmy’s Ship Present.” There is a children membership, a teen membership, a spa and two swimming pools stocked with seaside balls and inflatable parrots.
The 2-night cruise itinerary consists of someday in Freeport, the place you possibly can store, hit the on line casino, get pleasure from water sports activities or chill on the seaside. The ship presents shore excursions, or you possibly can discover independently. Margaritaville at Sea additionally presents cruise-and-stay itineraries of both 4 or six nights (together with the 2 nights onboard the ship). These packages allow you to select between two companion motels in Freeport, the place you will keep two or 4 nights on land, then hop again on the ship in your return night time at sea.
Margaritaville at Sea Paradise carries round 1,300 passengers in an assortment of inside and ocean-view cabins, throughout 176 sq. toes, which is bigger than the common for these classes on most mainstream ships. Ten suites with balconies are additionally out there, with 524 sq. toes of area.
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Who ought to go? Clearly, Parrotheads are gonna need to do this ship, with all its Jimmy Buffett-inspired themes and decor, nevertheless it’s additionally a great trial run for anybody on the fence about cruising. Pricing makes this a fantastic cruise to get pleasure from an escape with out spending a fortune. We discovered weekday sailings that start at $99 per individual primarily based on double occupancy for an inside cabin.
Associated: Best Bahamas cruise tips for first-timers and repeat visitors alike
3- or 4-night cruises on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas from Miami
This itinerary could also be one of the best total brief Bahamas cruise. Each the three- and four-night cruises have stops at Nassau and Royal Caribbean‘s huge personal island — Perfect Day at CocoCay. These two stops mixed give cruisers the chance to get pleasure from water sports activities, spend a while on the seaside and expertise a little bit of Bahamian tradition.
Freedom of the Seas has loads of onboard enjoyable to occupy vacationers of all ages on sea days. It is loaded with top-deck slides and water options, specialty restaurant selections and extra leisure choices than you possibly can soak up on a brief cruise. Carrying round 4,000 cruise visitors, Freedom of the Seas is large enough to impress with out being overwhelming.
Plus, logistics for cruising out of Miami are easy sufficient for even first-time cruisers. From flight selections to pre- or post-cruise motels, it is a metropolis that caters to vacationers, particularly the cruising ones.
Who ought to go? From first-timers to veteran cruisers, anybody on the lookout for a brief however fun-filled hop to the Bahamas ought to give Freedom of the Seas a glance. Households on the lookout for a fast escape will discover leisure and actions for toddlers to teenagers. The ship can also be excellent for household reunions, bachelorette events and birthday cruises. {Couples} will love the adults-only Solarium with its extra-large scorching tubs searching over the ocean.
Associated: Bahamas cruise packing list: What to pack for the islands
3- or 4-night cruises on Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas from Port Canaveral, Florida
When Royal Caribbean’s large Utopia of the Seas debuts in July 2024, it is going to provide a bevy of brief sailings, together with three- and four-night sailings from Port Canaveral, Florida. The 236,860-ton, 5,669-passenger vessel would be the second-largest cruise ship on the planet and provide extra thrilling facilities than some other cruise ship crusing brief itineraries in North America.
Why? The latest, greatest ships on the planet sometimes sail longer cruises. Providing brief cruises on its humongous Oasis Class ships is new for Royal Caribbean; sister ship Attract of the Seas will check out the idea earlier than Utopia launches.
Households with children will certainly go bananas over the alternatives on board the brand new ship. The highest deck alone will function three separate pool areas, a browsing simulator, a kiddie splash zone, a basketball court docket, two rock partitions, a miniature golf course and even a zipper line.
The ship can even boast an in depth collection of eating places, bars, lounges and outlets. Moreover, there will likely be an indoor skating rink, a spa and a showroom with Broadway-style reveals.
Utopia of the Seas’ inaugural voyage is ready for July 22, 2024, and will likely be a four-night cruise to Nassau and the road’s personal island, Good Day at CocoCay. The second crusing will likely be a three-night cruise to the Bahamas that departs on July 26, 2024.
Who ought to go? Brief sailings on this new ship will enchantment to all kinds of cruisers. Traditionally, new ships are reserved for longer itineraries, so this can be a improbable alternative to get pleasure from a snack-size sampling of a brand-new ship with out spending the cash on an extended crusing.
Households craving a fast getaway the place your complete brood is glad won’t be dissatisfied. Along with seemingly limitless kid-friendly facilities and top-notch youngsters’s programming, Utopia of the Seas will function a on line casino and adults-only areas.
Associated: These 2 cruise lines are building new private destinations in the Bahamas
3- or 4-night cruises on Disney Want from Port Canaveral, Florida
Disney waited a decade to construct its subsequent new ship, however Disney dreamers had their want granted in 2022. Even higher, the brand new Disney Wish cruises to the Bahamas. Designed to be the right complement to a go to to Orlando’s Disney theme parks, these brief cruises go to Nassau and Disney’s personal island, Castaway Cay. The four-night itinerary provides a sea day to benefit from the ship.
Disney Want is designed to immerse cruisers within the varied Disney worlds by know-how. An onboard augmented actuality sport turns the Disney Cruise Line Navigator smartphone app right into a digital spyglass that lets cruisers take part in a fantasy journey with Disney and Pixar characters. The AquaMouse waterslide combines a splashy tube trip in a two-seater raft with a pre-adventure story advised by screens firstly of the trip. Diners on the Worlds of Marvel restaurant participate in an interactive Avengers-themed expertise by movies and particular results.
Want carries 4,000 passengers in cabins and suites designed to simplify cruising with children. However by no means worry, grownup Disney followers; you will additionally discover your spot on board. From the “Star Wars”-themed Hyperspace Lounge to the Quiet Cove adults-only solar deck, Disney manages to cater to grownups in addition to children.
Who ought to go? That is clearly one of the best Bahamas cruise for lovers of all issues Disney, together with “Star Wars” and Marvel followers.
Associated: Best shore excursions for Bahamas cruises
3- or 4-night cruises on Superstar Reflection from Fort Lauderdale
Starting in April 2024, Celebrity Cruises will sail three- and four-night voyages round-trip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, year-round.
The three,046-passenger Superstar Reflection will provide a constant rotation of three-night weekend cruises (departing every Friday and returning every Monday morning) and four-night weekday sailings (departing every Monday and returning every Friday morning).
Itineraries will embrace stops at Key West in Florida and Nassau and Bimini within the Bahamas.
Superstar appeals principally to the 40-plus set sans young children. It is mild on the kid-centric points of interest (equivalent to waterslides, go-karts and laser tag) that different big-ship traces embrace. The road presents as a substitute a lot of quiet and enjoyable pool and lounge areas. (In the event you do have children in tow, you possibly can make the most of the in depth youngsters’s program, Camp at Sea. It supplies supervised actions each day for youngsters ages 3-12 in devoted areas.)
Superstar Reflection is the road’s final and largest Solstice Class cruise ship. The Solstice Class ships function among the most trendy outside pool decks at sea, with indoor, adults-only pool areas that, notably, are topped with glass panels embedded with photo voltaic panels that contribute to the ship’s energy grid. You will additionally discover massive spas, casinos, showrooms and a pleasant collection of eating places on board.
This ship additionally boasts one of the crucial spectacular suites within the cruising world — the 1,646-square-foot Reflection Suite. It was the primary two-bedroom suite on a Superstar Cruises vessel.
Who ought to go? This a really perfect cruise for older vacationers who’re new to cruising and need to pattern one or frequent cruisers who may want a shorter time at sea. Though Superstar would not draw many households with younger youngsters, the shorter Bahamas itineraries are additionally good for multigenerational household teams searching for an inexpensive cruise that appeals to all ages.
4-night cruises on Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Girl from Miami
Virgin Voyages aimed to be a disrupter within the cruise market from the start — making a product designed to please even those that declare they might by no means set foot on a cruise ship. But the itinerary for this four-night Bahamas cruise on Scarlet Lady is pretty strange. Ports of name embrace Key West and a non-public seaside membership on the Bahamian island of Bimini.
It is the ship itself that units this cruise other than the pack. You will discover distinctive cabins (with balcony hammocks), brash crimson livery and one-of-a-kind onboard actions, equivalent to tattoo parlors, drag reveals and ’80s-themed health courses, to maintain its 2,700 sailors (as Virgin calls its passengers) entertained.
Who ought to go? That is one of the best Bahamas cruise for the non-cruiser who’s both younger at coronary heart or younger and desperate to get together aboard this glitzy ship. In the event you’re simply offended by loud music, round the clock partying or sexual innuendo, this isn’t your Bahamas cruise.
4-day cruises on Norwegian Jade from Miami
Norwegian Cruise Line presents four-day sailings from Miami aboard Norwegian Jade. Ports of name embrace Key West and Nice Stirrup Cay, the road’s personal island.
Port diversions include touring the Key West Shipwreck Treasures Museum and the Key West Aquarium, purchasing alongside Nassau’s Bay Avenue and exploring the white-sand seashores and pristine waters on Nice Stirrup Cay.
The two,402-passenger vessel is a part of the road’s Jewel class of ships. Although the ship launched in 2006, it acquired a considerable refurbishment in 2017 that included a cabin rework, new and expanded eating and a design overhaul.
Norwegian Jewel won’t have the in depth top-deck points of interest of newer ships, like Norwegian Prima, or as many eating places and bars. Nevertheless, passengers will discover lots to occupy their time onboard with scheduled actions, a on line casino, spa and pool areas.
Who ought to go? Households, {couples} and buddy teams will recognize the unstructured nature of a Norwegian cruise. The road’s “freestyle cruising” mantra — cruising with out inflexible eating schedules, gown codes and formal nights — is completely suited to brief sailings. With a variety of eateries and no assigned seating occasions, passengers have a lot of flexibility for his or her restricted time at sea.
Associated: Best time to cruise to the Bahamas
5-night cruises on Carnival Sunshine from South Carolina
I’m an enormous lover of five-night sailings. They’re lengthy sufficient to scratch the cruise itch and brief sufficient to account for journey time to and from the port with out including any additional trip days. Plus, the marginally longer itineraries are much less widespread with laborious partiers who may be disruptive on shorter Bahamas cruises.
Carnival Cruise Line presents 10 totally different five-night sailings from Charleston, South Carolina, aboard the three,002-passenger Carnival Sunshine. It is at the moment Carnival’s oldest ship (it debuted in 1996 below the title Carnival Future). Nevertheless, in 2013, the road gave it a $200 million bow-to-stern glow-up and renamed it Carnival Sunshine. The overhaul produced a brand new top-deck WaterWorks water park, a comedy membership and a number of other bars, lounges and eating places.
Relying on which itinerary you select, you possibly can relax on the seashores of Bimini, store Nassau’s iconic straw market or go horseback using by the shore of Carnival’s personal island, Half Moon Cay. Contemplate a pre- or post-cruise keep in Charleston to absorb the town’s historic landmarks, epic eating and charming cobblestone streets.
Who ought to go? These cruises are one of the best Bahamas sailings for individuals who want the intimacy of an older ship and do not care about flashy facilities and onboard points of interest on newer vessels. Plus, they’re excellent for vacationers who reside north of Florida and are on the lookout for a extra handy drive-to departure port.
8-night cruises on Carnival Venezia from New York Metropolis
The 4,090-passenger Carnival Venezia is a little bit of an outlier in Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet. Initially constructed for Italy-based Costa Cruises and launched in 2019, it joined the Carnival household in Might 2023. (Carnival Company is the mother or father firm of each Costa and Carnival.)
The ship was renovated so as to add a lot of Carnival’s signature venues. Nevertheless, a lot of its Costa-aligned, Italian-themed designs stay, together with an actual gondola “crusing” down the center of its principal eating room and a pool deck constructed to seem like a Venetian boulevard.
Friends may really feel like they have been whisked away to Italy due to regional touches just like the handmade Italian gelato at JavaBlue Cafe and the Italian liqueur-infused concoctions discovered at many bars.
Two eight-night voyages out of New York Metropolis embrace stops at Freeport, Nassau and Half Moon Cay.
Who ought to go? This Bahamas cruise is good for anybody on the lookout for a distinct Carnival expertise throughout a weeklong cruise. It is nearly like touring to Italy and the Bahamas in a single journey.
Backside line
The most effective Bahamas cruises provide one thing cruisers cannot fairly get sufficient of — whether or not it is seaside time or get together time. Whereas brief sailings are nonetheless the most well-liked Bahamas itineraries, you will discover choices for nearly each cruising fashion. The hot button is figuring out the cruise that matches your fashion, most popular actions and trip price range.
Planning a cruise? Begin with these tales:
