Fun facts: Eastern Caribbean

Losing luster on the Eastern Caribbean trend-o-meter is, sadly, St. Croix, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Crime issues -- and the impact on cruise passengers and crew -- have caused most lines to eliminate this otherwise fascinating island from 2004 itineraries.

Fabulous for Family Cruising
The islands of the Eastern Caribbean are perfectly suited for families because so many ports have invested in kid-friendly attractions. Some ideal day-trips that ships often offer as a shore excursion -- and are just as easy to independently explore:

Nassau, Bahamas:

Take a tour of Atlantis Resort's "Dig," a re-created "Atlantis" for budding archeologists.

St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.:

Head for Coral World, which has an underwater observatory tower; afterward, snorkel and sun at the adjacent Coki Beach.

Tortola:

Take the ferry to Virgin Gorda and snorkel and swim among the prehistoric boulders that make up "The Baths."

San Juan:

Visit Old San Juan's most historic monuments, particularly the eminently "fun" (you can climb and hike, and the surrounding grounds are perfect for picnicking and Frisbee) El Morro, with original sections that date back to the 16th century.

St. Maarten:

For older kids (12-plus), try America's Cup racing aboard Stars & Stripes, Canada II or True North -- it's as hands-on as you want. Younger children will get a kick out of the Butterfly Farm, a tropical garden surrounded by fine wire netting (so the butterflies don't escape) on the St. Martin side of the island.

Offbeat Eastern Caribbean
Few luxury-oriented cruise ships offer all-Eastern Caribbean itineraries (the region is a bit too on-the-beaten-track for these folks) and only in the dead-of-winter. But when they do call in the region plan on visiting smaller, less trafficked islands, where big ships can not typically go. For instance, Windstar's Wind Spirit offers seven-night St. Thomas roundtrip itinerary includes calls at nearby St. John (big ships require passengers to debark in St. Thomas and take a public ferry to St. John) as well as the British Virgin Islands' Jost Van Dyke and Virgin Gorda, as well as St. Martin. SeaDream Yacht Club's two vessels visit the same ports of call.

Adventure-oriented small ship aficionados also have a range of choices. Windjammer Barefoot Cruises offers itineraries that range from four-, five- and eight-day trips to the Bahamas to an all-Virgin islands trip that calls, beyond St. Thomas, Tortola and Virgin Gorda, at Water Island, Jost Van Dyke and Norman Island.

Cruise Critic, which launched in 1995, is a comprehensive cruise vacation planning guide providing objective cruise ship reviews, cruise line profiles, destination content on 125+ worldwide ports, cruise bargains, tips, industry news, and cruise message boards.

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