Cruises from New York City to the Caribbean

Which lines sail from New York City to the Caribbean?

• Carnival Cruise Line
  Laid-back, loud in the best way and unpretentious; flip-flops, burgers by the pool and a comedy show after dinner.
• Cunard Line
  Elegant and classic, with a British accent; afternoon tea, ballroom dancing and black-tie evenings at sea.
• Norwegian Cruise Line
  Flexible and lively, with a Las Vegas-meets-resort feel; dinner whenever you want, in whatever you packed.
• Princess Cruises
  Relaxed, welcoming and dependable; a comfortable middle ground between mass-market buzz and premium polish.
• Virgin Voyages
  Adults-only and boutique-hotel cool, with a playful, sometimes cheeky edge and a late-night social scene.

Ships recently or currently deployed on this route include Carnival Venezia and Norwegian Aqua. Deployments change season to season, so we confirm the ship for your dates when we quote.

When to go

1. January: Best time, average high 83 degrees F Jan 83°72°
2. February: Best time, average high 84 degrees F Feb 84°72°
3. March: Best time, average high 85 degrees F Mar 85°72°
4. April: Best time, average high 86 degrees F Apr 86°74°
5. May: Shoulder season, average high 87 degrees F May 87°76°
6. June: Cruises run, average high 89 degrees F Jun 89°77°
7. July: Cruises run, average high 89 degrees F Jul 89°78°
8. August: Cruises run, average high 89 degrees F Aug 89°78°
9. September: Cruises run, average high 89 degrees F Sep 89°78°
10. October: Cruises run, average high 89 degrees F Oct 89°77°
11. November: Shoulder season, average high 86 degrees F Nov 86°75°
12. December: Best time, average high 84 degrees F Dec 84°73°

• Best time
• Shoulder season
• Cruises run
• Few or none

Temperatures in Fahrenheit, long-term averages. Climate source.

Cruises run all year. December through April is the drier, less humid season with the most reliable weather and the highest demand. June through November is Atlantic hurricane season, with the greatest storm activity from mid-August through mid-October; ships reroute around storms, so itineraries can change.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs June 1 to November 30, and NOAA data shows most activity from mid-August to mid-October. Cruise ships are fast enough to steer around storms, so the usual effect is a changed itinerary (a port swapped or skipped, or an extra sea day) rather than danger, but departures can be delayed if a home port closes. Summer brings afternoon showers and high humidity everywhere; winter cold fronts can make the northern islands and the Bahamas breezy and choppy.

Where you'll stop

Itineraries vary by line and length. These are the ports the Caribbean cruises most often visit:

• Cozumel, Mexico: A major cruise hub with clear-water reef snorkeling and diving, beach clubs and ferries to Playa del Carmen.
• Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands: A US territory with Magens Bay beach, duty-free shopping and a short ferry ride to St. John's national park beaches.
• Philipsburg, St. Maarten, Sint Maarten: Walkable beach and shopping town on an island split between Dutch and French sides, with Maho Beach and its low-flying jets nearby.
• George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands: Stingray City sandbar trips, Seven Mile Beach and excellent snorkeling; ships anchor here and tender passengers ashore.
• Nassau, Bahamas: An easy first stop on short cruises, with beaches, a historic downtown and day passes to resort water parks.
• Oranjestad, Aruba, Aruba: Reliable dry, sunny weather and long white beaches such as Eagle Beach, a short ride from the cruise pier.

Before you sail from New York City

Manhattan: take the A, B, C, D or 1 train to 59th Street-Columbus Circle and walk west to 12th Avenue, or take the M57 or M31 bus. Drivers and taxis must approach from the north at 55th Street and 12th Avenue. Brooklyn: the terminal is served by the B61 bus and by NYC Ferry's South Brooklyn route, and taxis and rideshares can drop off at the curb. JFK is usually the easier airport for Brooklyn; LaGuardia is closest to Manhattan.

At the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, cruise parking is on the terminal rooftop, run by ProPark and bookable through the cruise.nyc website. It is credit card only (no cash), opens at 8 a.m., and has a height limit for passenger vehicles. The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal has on-site parking and dedicated bus stalls. In both cases, parking costs more than at most U.S. cruise ports, so transit or a car service is often the better value.

• Check which terminal you are sailing from; Manhattan and Brooklyn are about 7 miles apart and a wrong guess costs real time.
• Approach the Manhattan terminal from the north at 55th Street; vehicles cannot enter from the south.
• Book a window seat on sailaway: the route down the Hudson past the Statue of Liberty is one of the best departures anywhere.
• Pack layers. Even summer Bermuda cruises can be cool and windy on the first and last days.

Documents: Cruises that begin and end at the same US port are "closed-loop" sailings. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says US citizens on a closed-loop cruise can re-enter the United States with a birth certificate plus a government-issued photo ID, and children under 16 need only proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate (most lines want an original or certified copy, not a photocopy). CBP also warns that the countries your ship visits may still ask for a passport, and cruise lines can set stricter rules than the government does. We recommend a passport book anyway: if you miss the ship or have to fly home early from a foreign port, you cannot board an international flight without one, and a passport card works only for land and sea crossings. Non-US citizens, including green card holders, have different rules. Check current requirements with your cruise line and the State Department before you sail.

More detail: our full New York City cruise port guide and our Caribbean cruise guide.

Related routes

Also from New York City: Bermuda, Canada & New England, Bahamas, Transatlantic.

Caribbean from other ports: Cape Liberty (Bayonne), Fort Lauderdale, Galveston, Miami, New Orleans, Port Canaveral, San Juan, Tampa.