The Port Canaveral cruise terminal on Florida's eastern Space Coast has three cruise lines with year-round departures to the Caribbean. Carnival, Disney and Royal Caribbean cruises sail to ports in both the eastern and western Caribbean, with stops along the way in Mexico, Central America, the Bahamas and Key West, Florida.

Eastern Caribbean Cruises

Eastern Caribbean-bound ships sailing out of Port Canaveral include Carnival Ecstasy and Carnival Dream, which are part of the Carnival Cruise Lines (Carnival.com) fleet, and Freedom of the Seas and Disney Fantasy, which are owned by Royal Caribbean International (RoyalCaribbean.com) and Disney Cruise Lines (disneycruise.disney.go.com), respectively. Caribbean port stops include various island ports in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Dutch islands of St. Maarten and Netherland Antilles. Cruises sail year-round with five- and seven-day itineraries. Eastern Caribbean-bound cruises also make port stops in Key West, the Bahamas (Nassau, Cococay, Castaway Cay and Freeport) and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Western Caribbean Cruises

Western Caribbean cruises out of Port Canaveral are limited to seven-night itineraries. The Carnival Dream, Disney Fantasy and Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas sail to islands in the western Caribbean, including several port stops in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Non-Caribbean excursions include Mexico (Cozumel, Costa Maya), Central America (Belize, Haiti, Honduras) and the Bahamas (Castaway Cay). Cruises to the western Caribbean are available year-round out of Port Canaveral.

Cruise Options

Royal Caribbean's 15-deck Freedom of the Seas caters to adventure travelers, honeymooners and families. Perks include the H2O Zone water park, a rock climbing wall, a full-size basketball court, an ice-skating rink and a mini-golf course. The 12-deck Carnival Ecstasy and the 15-deck Carnival Dream offer a more economical option. Both ships feature an adults-only retreat area, casinos, comedy clubs and a full water park. If you love all things Disney, consider a Caribbean cruise on the Disney Fantasy, a massive, 14-deck cruise liner that is the largest in the four-ship fleet.

Pricing

Caribbean cruises aboard Freedom of the Seas start at $549 a person. Disney Fantasy, the most expensive option, starts at approximately $2,500 per person for a Caribbean-bound voyage. If you are traveling on a budget, consider a Carnival five-night cruise to the Caribbean. Carnival Dream and Ecstasy start at roughly $269 per person. All prices are valid as of early 2013.

About the Author

Leah Waldron is the head of Traveler Services at First Abroad, a gap year travel company based in Boston and London. As a travel, research and LGBT news writer, Waldron has publication credit on magazines and newspapers including "Curve Magazine," "USA Today," "The Sun Sentinel" and the "The Houston Chronicle." Waldron has a bachelor's and master's degree in creative writing from Florida State University.

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