A tropical cruise in the Caribbean or in the Gulf of Mexico is an ideal choice of vacation for couples of all ages. Whether you're looking for a short romantic break or if you'd like a longer voyage with more time to explore tropical islands and soak up the Caribbean sunshine, then a tropical cruise is for you.

A tropical cruise can be embarked upon from many ports around the U.S. In Florida, the ports of Canaveral, Miami and Fort Lauderdale all offer excellent choices of tropical cruises, with itineraries varying from two and three night cruises to the Bahamas, to 14-day cruises around the more exotic parts of the Caribbean.

Seaports in the States of Louisiana and Texas also cater for tropical cruises, with destinations often including port stops at Mexico and parts of Central America. A tropical cruise can also be commenced from more northern ports in the U.S. You need to be prepared to spend more time at sea and to take a longer vacation though should you choose to depart from somewhere like New York.

There are essentially four tropical cruise routes around the Caribbean - the Western Caribbean route, Eastern Caribbean route, Southern Caribbean route and an exotic Caribbean route that is a combination of ports stops taken from the other three routes.

In the Western Caribbean, a tropical cruise will take you as far east into the Caribbean as Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Grand Cayman in particular has many delights, including white sandy beaches and first-class watersports activities. It's a true tropical paradise.

A tropical cruise to the Eastern Caribbean introduces you to the exquisite beaches of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Many cruise itineraries incorporate a stop on the island of St Maarten too, where you can bask on one of 37 white-sand beaches and be served with cocktails all day long!

Tropical cruises around the Southern Caribbean are often of a longer duration, and take in many of the islands of the Lesser Antilles and Netherlands Antilles. The Grenadines and the island of Aruba, the latter having 365 beaches, are 'must sees' on a tropical cruise of the Southern Caribbean.

For short duration tropical cruises, the Bahamas are an excellent choice of destination. Departing from Florida, a tropical cruise to the Bahamas can be as short as just two nights. Stops at Nassau on the island of New Providence and Freeport on Grand Bahama offer a tropical paradise that is only some 75kms away from the U.S. mainland - perfect if you're looking for a romantic weekend away...

John Metcalfe is the author and web publisher of A to Z Cruises your #1 source
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