The Eastern Caribbean provides some of the best cruises in December, traveling to places like the Bahamas, Jamaica, the U.S. Virgin Islands or Aruba. Falling into the Atlantic Ocean from Florida, the Eastern Caribbean's islands provide stepping stones for cruise ships. Each stop offers a new, vibrant culture, but always the same translucent waters. December brings an end to the hurricane season and usually means you're sailing under clear skies. The major cruise lines--Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney, Celebrity, Holland America, Princess and Norwegian--offer itineraries ranging from three days to two weeks. Most of the departures originate from one of Florida's three major cruise ports, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami or Port Canaveral. Other cruises either begin or end in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Ports-of-call, including the above, include St. Barts, St. Kitts, Dominica and the Dominican Republic. Smaller cruise lines like Cruise West, Windjammer and Silversea, also offer Eastern Caribbean trips in December.
Western Caribbean cruises stop at ports in Florida, West, Mexico and Central America. Four- and five-day cruises can travel to Grand Cayman, Key West and Mexico. The longer cruises have additional ports of call in Honduras and Belize. Western Caribbean cruises provide some of the best snorkeling and diving areas. In Grand Cayman, you can snorkel with thousands of sting rays. Roatan, Honduras also offers great snorkeling as it is situated on the world's second-largest barrier reef. Other highlights in the Western Caribbean include the Yucatan's Mayan ruins, colorful local markets and waterfalls in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Carnival has some of the most popular December cruises. Itineraries depart from Galveston, Texas, Mobile, Alabama or New Orleans, Louisiana or Tampa and Miami, Florida, which gives cruisers an abundance of travel options. Carnival's's four-, five- and seven-day cruises include stops in Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Playa Del Carmen, Key West and Belize City. Royal Caribbean offers similar cruises, but departure points are more limited. One of the most popular December cruises is offered by Disney Cruise Lines. The seven-night Western Caribbean Disney cruise takes families from Port Canaveral to Key West, Florida, Grand Cayman and Disney's own private beach in the Bahamas.
Splitting the European and North African continents, the Mediterranean Ocean is an expansive body of blue waters and ancient, exotic ports of call. While the weather in December is generally cooler and wetter than the summer months--Rome's average temperature in December is 60 degrees--ports of call in the Mediterranean are more about history and culture than water sports. Destinations like Istanbul, Athens, Barcelona, Rhodes and Alexandria allow passengers the opportunity to explore thousands of years of history, taste some of the world's finest fare and be immersed in incredible art and music. Royal Caribbean offers a 12-day cruise departing three times in December. This epic trip disembarks from Barcelona, making stops in Palermo, Athens, Rhodes, Alexandria and Valetta. Other major cruise lines that ply the Mediterranean in December are MSC Cruises, Costa Cruise Line and Carnival. Seabourn and Silversea, ultra-luxurious cruise lines, also offer Mediterranean cruises
While the waters of the Caribbean and Mediterranean are filled with the wakes of cruise liners, the Pacific is relatively less crowded for December cruises. The most popular trips ere head to Hawaii and usually depart from San Diego or Los Angeles. But cruise lines are beginning to offer more itineraries with ports of call in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Papaua, New Guinea and the Cook Islands. The South Pacific offers travelers something a little more remote and a little more wild than the Caribbean and Mediterranean. Princess Cruise Lines offers two 14-day December cruises that depart from Los Angeles and traverse all of Hawaii's islands. Princess also offers a 10-day Tahiti and Polynesia cruise in December. Other cruise lines with Pacific itineraries include P & O, Holland America, Regent Seven Seas and Royal Caribbean.
Carnival Cruise Line
936 Intracoastal Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
888-227-6482
carnival.com
Royal Caribbean
1040 Port Blvd.
Miami, FL 33130
866-562-7625
royalcaribbean.com
Princess Cruises
24844 Rockefeller Ave.
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
800-PRINCESS
princess.com
Disney Cruise Line
P.O. Box 10238
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
800-951-3532
disneycruise.disney.go.com
Norwegian Cruise Line
7665 Corporate Center Drive
Miami, Florida 33126
866-234-7350
ncl.com
Celebrity Cruises
1050 Caribbean Way
Miami, Fl 33132
800-647-2251
celebritycruises.com/
Holland America Line
300 Elliott Ave. West
Seattle, WA 98119
877-932-4259
hollandamerica.com
Siversea Cruises
110 East Broward Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
877-760-9052
silversea.com
P & O Cruises
5851 San Felipe, Suite 500
Houston, Texas 77057
877-828-4728
pocruises.com
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
1000 Corporate Drive, Suite 500
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33334
877-505-5370
rssc.com
