Top 10 Winter Sun Cruise Destinations
From a cruising point of view, winter getaways are now really starting to become popular and that has led to an ever increasing range of options for those wanting to get away between October – March, in the months that not so long ago the thought of cruising meant a long flight or settling for anywhere available.
Now there is the option of choosing a Fly Cruise or a No Fly cruise and you can go away for anywhere between 7-21 nights or longer if you have the time and funds but perhaps most importantly, it is no longer the case that you need to settle for what available when you are.
With the wide range of lines, ships and destinations heading for some winter sun, you can choose where you want to go and how you want to go to, including the great destinations found on this list.
As is always the case for this list, we take lots of things into consideration as well as how we rate the destination itself as a port of call, including the choice of lines and ships that visit there, the frequency of port calls, the other destinations available on itineraries calling into the port and anything else that makes a cruise holiday good or bad.
If you are looking for winter sun cruises, this is the list for you!
Our Top 10 Winter Sun Cruise Destinations
Barcelona, Spain
Whilst Barcelona isn’t a go to destination for those wanting to soak up the sun in winter as the weather can best be described as ‘pleasant’ rather than ‘hot’ or ‘warm’, with temperatures in December hovering around the 10-15c range.
What Barcelona does offer is an incredible range of options for those looking to enjoy a warm weather cruise in the winter and a great place to start or end your holiday.
There are also a wide range of cruise itineraries from the UK that call into Barcelona all year around and as one of the leading embarkation ports in Europe, Barcelona offers a wide range of cruises around the Med, to the Aegean, to the Middle East and lots more besides.
For those wanting to start or end in the port, there are flights from a many UK airports via a range of different airlines and for those wanting to visit the city on a No Fly cruise, there are lots of great warm weather ports nearby to make the most of your holiday in the region.
Bridgetown, Barbados
When you think of winter sun, it is somewhere like Barbados that comes instantly to find but it isn’t perhaps the first place you think of for a cruise holiday, but it really should be.
The capital city of Bridgetown is the location for cruises ships that either call into the port from the US mainline or even directly from the United Kingdom on either a round trip or a re-positioning cruise but there are a growing number of cruises out of the port that explore the very best of the Caribbean.
By flying to Barbados and starting your holiday there, you can enjoy a few days acclimatising to the warmth in one of the islands luxury resorts and you can also explore the region without the need for long sea days either across the Atlantic or travelling from Florida, New York or other US ports.
Fort Lauderdale, USA
Fort Lauderdale is a popular embarkation port for those wanting to head to the Caribbean from the south of Florida, whilst having the opportunity to spend some time relaxing on the beach before or after their cruise.
Located just to the north of the city of Miami and near to the famous Boca Raton, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach holiday resorts, you can often get cheaper cruises from this port when compared to other Florida ports, coupled with one of the widest ranges of ships and lines.
Miami, USA
If you would prefer to spend time in a cosmopolitan city to get your holiday underway with a bang, then there are no better places to start your cruise than the party capital of the US.
From a cruising point of view, Miami is arguably the capital of the US and offers a vast array of ships, lines and itineraries although the destinations on offer tend to be predominately based in the Caribbean/Central America region.
Santa Cruz, Tenerife
One of the most popular winter sun destinations for those wanting to stay closer to home or who are wanting a budget getaway is the Canary islands and whilst there are a few options on where to visit and where to start your holiday, including No Fly options from the UK, the top pick for many visitors to the region is the Tenerife capital city of Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife offers lots for visitors to enjoy including decent shopping, eating, and drinking opportunities and it also offer good access to the islands top attractions including Mount Teide and Loro Parque.
Tenerife, is of course a hugely popular holiday destination in its own right and many choose to spend a week before or after a cruise in one of the islands holiday resorts before exploring the Canary Islands without the need for the long trip down on a cruise from a UK.
Basseterre, St Kitts
Basseterre is one of the oldest towns in the Caribbean and is the capital of St Kitts, so it is no surprise that so many cruise lines choose to call into its port on Eastern Caribbean itineraries.
There are a number of landmarks and points of interest for those wanting to go off exploring on their own but for the majority of visitors, it is the beautiful sandy beaches and crystal clear waters that is just waiting to be enjoyed.
Phillipsburg, St Maarten
Philipsburg is the capital of Sint Martin and the main commercial centre for the island of Saint Martin that also acts as the main cruise port.
The town is probably best known around the world for its Princess Julian International Airport that welcomes some of the biggest planes in the world who land just after a popular beach, with plane spotters and thrill seekers alike getting up close and personal.
For the rest of us, the island is a great place to explore on foot and take by some locally made crafts before heading for a day of relaxing on the beach.
Castries, St Lucia
Castries is the capital of the island of St Lucia and is popular with cruisers for its range of duty free shops that offer the perfect opportunity to take in some gift buying or to even treat yourself.
Cruise ships dock at Pointe Seraphine, which is a stunning harbour that allows you to simply walk into town if you want to explore on your own or there are lots of options for going further afield to explore the natural beauty, nature and great beaches of one of the Caribbean most popular islands.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan is a great starting port for those wanting to ease into a cruise of the Caribbean and to save the long cruise down from the US mainline.
There are a number of cruise lines that offer Caribbean cruises from the port that make for a great option for those who love port intensive itineraries.
Cruisers can also enjoy a few days either side of their cruise on the stunning island of Puerto Rico where you can visit the many great sites of interest on the island including the upscale Ocean Park, Old San Juan the Castillo San Cristobal and of course you can enjoy the great weather and stunning beaches found all around the islands incredible coastline.
Arrecife, Lanzarote
Arrecife is the capital of the island of Lanzorate in the Canary Islands and whilst there are a few cruises that start or finish at the port, the majority of visitors will call into the city on a cruise of the Canary Islands.
That means there are lots of options throughout the winter months, including No Fly cruises and those that start in the region which allows for lots of choice when it comes to cruise lines and cruise ships on offer.
There are a number of historic sites, beautiful beaches and other must visit tourist attractions nearby or you can easily explore the island to visit many other great attractions including the stunning Timanfaya National Park.
