Best Caribbean Vacations Start with Memorable Experiences

Caribbean travel draws millions of visitors each year because of steady warm weather, beautiful beaches and lush tropical islands that give people a feeling of getting away from everyday life.

The best Caribbean vacations give their visitors at least one unique experience that create a lifetime memory.

Thanks to a combination of eastern, western and southern cruises, the region is more than just a limited number of islands in the Caribbean Sea proper.

Caribbean vacations commonly include the eastern coasts of Mexico and Central America, plus islands that are part of many vacation plans but are technically not part of the region -- Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and Bermuda.

But it is the islands that create images of lush and exotic tropical places.

Besides great weather most of the year, Caribbean attractions provide unique fun for anyone wanting more than lying on white sand beaches under whispering palm trees.

They include well-known water sports such as snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing and sea kayaking.

But they also include historical and cultural sites and especially some famous natural sites that attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

Anyone thinking about a Caribbean vacation for the first time always has the option of taking a cruise to several destinations rather than spending a week or two at one destination.

Caribbean cruises can last from three days up to nine days or more, but seven days and six nights is most common. A week-long cruise is likely to visit four or five locations.

Cruises are divided into eastern, western and southern Caribbean trips. Eastern cruises often include some combination of the Bahamas, U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Antigua, San Juan and Turks & Caicos.

A western Caribbean cruise might include Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Cozumel and some of the Central American countries such as Panama, Belize, Honduras and Costa Rica. A southern Caribbean cruise might include Barbados, Dominica, St. Kitts and St. Lucia.

Like the hotel and resort hunt, shopping for a cruise is best when it is done in advance. Prices vary according to the length of the trip and the location of the cabin with the inner and lower cabins being the least expensive.

Another way of saving money for a cruise is by taking an increasing number of cruises that leave northern U.S. ports such as Norfolk, VA; Baltimore, MD; Charleston, SC, and other cities. These options allow some vacationers to driveto the embarkation ports rather than fly to them.

Anyone planning a "stopover" Caribbean vacation such as a week at one of the major destinations has a choice of a hotel, resort or villa. Each choice depends on budget, location and other factors.

Numerous major hotel chains have a presence in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central American tourist areas. Anyone planning a visit will find that extensive planning and research will result in substantial savings.

Visit the hotel Web sites and major travel booking sites for the best deals. Start researching months in advance to find price breaks, which can come and go almost daily.

The same advice is true of resorts. Caribbean resorts are generally defined as vacation facilities that specialize in having all necessities on the property -- restaurants, shopping and entertainment.

An all-inclusive resort usually charges one price for all amenities including room, food, entertainment and most activities such as snorkeling gear, kayaks and even small catamarans for sailing. They will charge an extra fee for more expensive options such as scuba diving, parasailing, jet skis and banana boat rides.

It is worth noting that all-inclusive resorts tend to be more popular in certain destinations such as Jamaica and Dominican Republic. They emphasize staying on the property especially if shopping or other activities are not nearby. All-inclusive resorts are not as common at destinations such as Aruba and Cancun where there are nearby cities and other things to do.

Finally, a smaller number of vacationers look for villas for their stay. A villa is usually a house on the beach with dining, cleaning and other services provided as part of the stay. This option is the most expensive of the three.

Just as weather in the Caribbean is a major attraction for visitors, it also requires careful planning because of the annual Caribbean hurricane season. The season officially runs from June 1 to November 30, but there are good and bad months even during that period.

The rainfall and bad weather hit a high point in September and October, making those two months the riskiest time for a Caribbean vacation -- but also the least expensive when prices for hotels and cruises drop steeply.

June and July usually see fewer tropical cyclones -- hurricanes or tropical storms -- and so there is still a high number of visitors to the Caribbean during that time.

December through February have cooler weather with average daytime high temperatures around 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the location. Southern locations such as Aruba tend to have warmer winter weather -- and warmer sea water for swimming -- while northern locations such as the Bahamas have cooler air and water.

The best Caribbean weather usually takes place from March through May because of moderate temperatures and rainfall, a low risk of tropical storms and fewer visitors because children in school keep families at home. Average daytime high temperatures are usually 85-90 degrees with cooling breezes that keep the day comfortable.