Cruises from San Juan to the Southern Caribbean

Which lines sail from San Juan to the Southern Caribbean?

• Royal Caribbean International
  Energetic, family-friendly and packed with headline attractions; think floating theme park with a good Broadway show at night.
• Viking
  Quiet, elegant and intellectually curious; think a stylish Nordic hotel where the evening entertainment might be a history lecture.

When to go

1. January: Best time, average high 87 degrees F Jan 87°77°
2. February: Best time, average high 87 degrees F Feb 87°77°
3. March: Best time, average high 88 degrees F Mar 88°78°
4. April: Best time, average high 89 degrees F Apr 89°79°
5. May: Shoulder season, average high 90 degrees F May 90°80°
6. June: Shoulder season, average high 91 degrees F Jun 91°80°
7. July: Cruises run, average high 90 degrees F Jul 90°80°
8. August: Cruises run, average high 92 degrees F Aug 92°81°
9. September: Cruises run, average high 92 degrees F Sep 92°81°
10. October: Shoulder season, average high 90 degrees F Oct 90°80°
11. November: Shoulder season, average high 89 degrees F Nov 89°79°
12. December: Best time, average high 87 degrees F Dec 87°78°

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

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

Sailings run year-round, with the most choice from November through April. Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao sit south of the main hurricane track, so they see fewer storms than islands farther north, but itineraries that include the Windward Islands are still exposed from June through November.

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao are rarely hit directly, but the Windward Islands (Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Barbados) can be, and routes from Florida pass through more exposed waters. The ABC islands are hot and dry year-round, while the Windward Islands get frequent passing showers, especially from June to November.

Where you'll stop

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

• Oranjestad, Aruba: Eagle Beach and Palm Beach, dependable sunshine and an easy, walkable downtown next to the pier.
• Willemstad, Curacao: A UNESCO-listed historic waterfront with pastel Dutch colonial buildings and a floating bridge, plus reef snorkeling.
• Kralendijk, Bonaire: Shore diving and snorkeling in a protected marine park, right from town.
• Bridgetown, Barbados: Calm west-coast beaches, rum heritage and a UNESCO-listed historic center; a common start and end port.
• Castries, St. Lucia: Tours to the Pitons, sulfur springs, rainforest and Marigot Bay.
• St. George's, Grenada: Grand Anse beach, spice estates, waterfalls and the underwater sculpture park.

Before you sail from San Juan

From SJU, taxis and rideshare reach the Old San Juan piers in roughly 20 to 30 minutes, and Puerto Rico's tourism taxis use set zone fares from the airport. Cruise lines also sell airport transfers. If your ship uses the Pan American Piers on Isla Grande, make sure your driver knows, since that is a different location from the old-city piers.

Few cruisers drive to the San Juan piers. Public garages in and around Old San Juan offer multi-day parking, but space is tight; if you are a local driving in, confirm overnight rules and rates with the garage in advance.

• U.S. citizens do not need a passport to fly to Puerto Rico, but a passport is recommended for a Caribbean cruise in case you need to fly home from another island.
• Confirm whether your ship uses the Old San Juan piers or the Pan American Piers on Isla Grande.
• Spend a night in Old San Juan; the forts and streets are a short walk from the ship.
• Expect warm, humid weather year-round and pack accordingly for the walk to the terminal.

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. Cruises that start in Barbados or end at a different port from where they began are not closed-loop, and you will need a passport book to fly to and from the islands.

More detail: our full San Juan cruise port guide and our Southern Caribbean cruise guide.

Related routes

Also from San Juan: Eastern Caribbean, Caribbean.

Southern Caribbean from other ports: Fort Lauderdale, Miami.