Caribbean cruises are the most popular ways of traveling through the beautiful islands. When it comes to looking for destinations, choosing where to sail is one of the first decisions that need to be made. For first-timers, choosing a seven-day cruise for their first experience at sea makes sense because it gives cruisers the opportunity to experience more places, but also time to adjust to life at sea.

Listed below are the two most popular Caribbean cruise travel itineraries and their specifics, allowing cruisers to make the best decision:

1. Eastern Caribbean cruises
Seven-day itineraries of eastern travel Caribbean cruises typically embark from ports in Florida, such as Tampa, Miami, Port Canaveral, and Jacksonville. But ships also tend to sail to the region from Charleston, South Carolina, and the NYC region. These ships typically stopover in the Bahamas, either at Nassau or at the cruise lines’ private islands (Half Moon Cay, Castaway Cay, etc.) in the archipelago, before making their way further south to the Eastern Caribbean. Typically, ports of call on Eastern Caribbean itineraries often include St. Martin/St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, St. John, and St. Thomas.

Those interested in a vacation with less sailing and more time ashore at the port, then an Eastern Caribbean itinerary might appeal more to them. The islands on the itineraries are relatively smaller, located close together, and shore excursions are usually water-based fun, including racing on sailboats, sunning on beaches, and snorkeling or scuba diving. For the best snorkeling spots, head to St. John in the Virgin Islands. For a memorable shore excursion, race a yacht in St. Maarten for the thrills.

2. Western Caribbean cruises
The western Caribbean cruise ships typically embark from Texas, New Orleans, or Florida, with ports of call often including Roatan in Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Playa del Carmen or Cozumel in Quintana Roo, Mexico, Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands and Key West, Florida.

Ports of call on western Caribbean cruises are further apart, so it typically involves more time at sea as compared to the time spent ashore, leading to varied and diverse shore excursion options like scuba diving and/or snorkeling, hiking in rainforests, or even exploring ancient Mayan ruins in some beautifully unforgettable locations. There will also be more opportunities to go shopping for trinkets, spices, clothes, and other stuff typical to the Caribbean or simply sit on an extraordinary beach, sipping a drink and watching the varied blues of the Caribbean. Some of the must-see excursions on western Caribbean cruises include swimming with dolphins in Cozumel, Mexico, going cave tubing in Belize, and exploring the stunning Stingray City on Grand Cayman Island.