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Astrid Taran, Forbes Staff

Forbes Vetted

As one of the world’s most popular cruising destinations, the Caribbean has no shortage of excellent cruise lines. The best Caribbean cruises include family-friendly mega-ships with nonstop activities, adult-friendly ships with thumping nightlife and more intimate luxury options with high-end amenities.

As the Caribbean cruise landscape becomes more competitive, cruise lines continue to elevate their offerings, with 2025 debuting bigger and better additions to already impressive fleets. We researched multiple Caribbean itineraries to narrow down this year’s top sailings for every type of travel style. Below, the best Caribbean cruises to book in 2025.

Best Caribbean Cruise Overall: Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises

All-Star Amenities: Stylish design; family-friendly spa treatments; innovative features like the Magic Carpet
Recommended Itinerary: 7-Night Eastern Caribbean (St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; and Nassau, Bahamas)

Modern, stylish design and a wide range of amenities for adult groups, couples and families makes Celebrity Cruises a great overall choice for a Caribbean cruise. The cruise line offers a diverse range of Caribbean itineraries, including stops at destinations like the Cayman Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands and St. Lucia, and the fleet’s Edge class ships (Edge, Apex, Beyond, Ascent and the upcoming Xcel) are particularly commended for their high-quality dining. Carrying around 2,000 to 3,000 passengers each, Celebrity’s ships offer plenty of onboard activities, yet are smaller than the mega-ships found on competitor lines like Royal Caribbean and Norwegian—some of which can feel overwhelming for travelers. For those who also want to make time for relaxation, Celebrity’s state-of-the-art spas include kid- and teen-specific menus.

Best High-End Caribbean Cruise: Windstar Cruises

Windstar Cruises

All-Star Amenities: Upscale amenities like Egyptian cotton linens and L’Occitane toiletries; smaller, yacht-style ships; high-end dining experiences
Recommended Itinerary: 7-Day Lush & Lovely Islands of the Lower Antilles (St. Maarten, St. Barthélemy, St. Kitts, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbados)

For travelers seeking a premium cruise experience on a more low-key, upscale cruise line, Windstar Cruises offers relaxed Caribbean itineraries with high-end amenities like Egyptian cotton linens and L’Occitane toiletries. Unlike other cruise lines on this list, Windstar’s fleet of yacht-style charters accommodate just 148 to 342 guests, allowing for a laid-back and intimate experience. While multigenerational families with teens or young adults can find plenty to do, Windstar’s atmosphere leans towards an older, refined clientele—think evening piano performances, lectures and culinary demonstrations. The onboard dining is just as sophisticated: Windstar is the official cruise line partner of the James Beard Foundation, meaning guests should expect to find inspired menu items and fresh, local ingredients at every meal.

Best Mega-Ship Caribbean Cruise: Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean

All-Star Amenities: Extensive amenities and entertainment, including water parks, sports courts and live music venues
Recommended Itinerary: 7-Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day (Orlando, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Bahamas)

If “Go big or go home” is your mantra, there are few Caribbean cruise lines more qualified to deliver on that promise than Royal Caribbean. Known for its massive mega-ships—in 2024, the line’s Icon of the Seas vessel officially became the world’s largest cruise ship—Royal Caribbean offers guests almost every amenity and activity under the sun, including ice-skating rinks, rock-climbing walls, water parks, zip-lining courses and simulated surfing. While a mega-ship isn’t for everyone, Royal Caribbean ships provide a wide range of activities that cater to just about every age range, making the cruise line ideal for multigenerational groups. It also sails to a diverse range of Caribbean destinations, many of which include stops at Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Best Caribbean Cruise For Families: Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line

All-Star Amenities: Oceaneer Club for ages 3 through 12; photo ops with Disney characters; family-friendly cabin configurations
Recommended Itinerary: 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise (Castaway Cay, Bahamas; Port Canaveral, Florida; U.S. Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands)

From onboard attractions like water coasters and photo ops with Disney characters to flexible cabin configurations for broods of all sizes, it’s no surprise that Disney Cruise Line is a great fit for families. With Caribbean itineraries spanning the eastern and western Caribbean, there are plenty of routes to choose from; the cruise line also owns two private islands, Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, that are popular stops for a beach break. What sets Disney Cruise Line apart is its attention to detail: Most rooms onboard are configured for four or five people and have two bathrooms, making it easy for families to get ready. And while kids can play the day away on massive water coasters and other attractions, there are also plenty of adults-only pool areas, bars and clubs for the grown-ups to enjoy.

Best Caribbean Cruise For Couples: Virgin Voyages

Virgin Voyages

All-Star Amenities: Adults-only entertainment; spa; onboard tattoo parlor
Recommended Itinerary: 7-Night Cayman Coves & Jamaica Waterfalls (Miami, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Bahamas)

Virgin’s first cruise venture, Virgin Voyages, launched in 2021 with the intention of leaning into a cheeky, sexy vibe; the cruise line is strictly adults-only, and there’s a “get it on” setting within every room’s lighting system. These details, including a host of adult-oriented activities like cabaret nights, supper clubs and campy entertainment like ’80s VHS workout nights and drag queen disco shows, make it a great fit for young (or young-at-heart) couples who want a cruise experience that feels anything but dull. With homeports in Miami and San Juan, the cruise line offers a large number of Caribbean itineraries, with stops in destinations like Jamaica, Turks & Caicos, Aruba and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. For couples really looking to commit, there’s even an onboard tattoo parlor.

Best Caribbean Cruise For Solo Travelers: Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line

All-Star Amenities: Studio cabin staterooms, specifically designed for solo travelers
Recommended Itinerary: 7-Day Great Stirrup Cay & Dominican Republic (Orlando, Dominican Republic, U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands)

Surprisingly, solo cruise cabins were nonexistent until 2010, when Norwegian Cruise Line introduced them onboard its Norwegian Epic ship. Today, Norwegian is still celebrated for its sleek “studio cabins” designed for single adults, and while other cruise lines have followed suit on a few of their ships, this one stands out for offering solo cabins on every ship in its fleet—many of which can be booked with ocean-facing balconies. The rooms work for both solo travelers and those who simply prefer not to share a room, but Norwegian has plenty to offer for a solo adult vacation: There are not one but three sun decks solely for adults, and Spice H2O is a complimentary adults-only sun deck on select ships that becomes an open-air dance club by night.

Why Trust Forbes Vetted

The Forbes Vetted travel team has researched, written and published dozens of cruise guides spotlighting itineraries around the globe.

  • This story was written by Forbes Vetted’s senior travel editor, Astrid Taran, an eight-year industry veteran who’s traveled to over 40 countries and has sailed on multiple cruise lines, including several on this list. She has written many cruise guides for Forbes Vetted, including the Most Exciting New Cruises Of 2025.
  • This story was edited by Emmy Favilla, Forbes Vetted’s managing editor—an avid traveler who has worked in media for the past two decades and has covered e-commerce for the last eight years.

How We Chose The Best Caribbean Cruises

We selected the top contenders based on personal experience as well as extensive research.

  • For this story, Taran combined first-person experience on cruises she’s personally sailed on as well as spent hours combing through reviews.
  • We included options that are both family-friendly and adults-only. For our family-friendly selections, we prioritized cruises that also offered plenty of activities for adults.
  • While there is no shortage of excellent cruise lines to choose from, we included only those cruise ships that offer significant Caribbean itineraries.

About Astrid Taran, Your Caribbean Cruises Guide

My name is Astrid Taran, and I’m the senior travel editor at Forbes Vetted, where I oversee hotel and cruise coverage. I have covered travel for nearly a full decade as both a writer and editor, during which I have written numerous destination, hotel and cruise guides as well as long-form features on luxury travel, adventure travel, wellness travel and more. I have taken almost a dozen cruises over the course of my career on both large and small ship cruise lines to destinations all over the world, including the Caribbean.