Discount Cruises: Save Money on Your Tropical Vacation

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Author: Barbara Delp

When the plummeting temperatures outside force you to warm up with extra layers of clothing, it could be time to take a lesson from our feathered friends and head south for a tropical vacation.

Even the term “tropics” sounds warm. By definition, the tropics are the area of the earth where the sun is directly overhead and directly underneath at least once during the solar year. The northern border runs from the middle of Mexico south to the northern tip of Argentina â€" and all points around the Earth.

One of the best ways to experience the tropics is on a cruise. You can be gone as few as four days â€" or as long as 12. It just depends on your budget and your calendar.

A four-night trip aboard Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Century starts in Miami, Fla., travels to Key West, Fla., and on to Cozumel, Mexico. This trip starts at just $295 a person, based on double occupancy.

A seven-night trip aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Pearl also starts in Miami, but takes a different path to the tropics. It heads first to Samana in the Dominican Republic; onto Tortola in the British Virgin Islands; then St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and last to the Great Stirrup Cay â€" a small island actually owned by Norwegian Cruise Line since 1977. The island allows visitors to experience an uninhabited tropical island experience. This tour of the Eastern Caribbean starts at $549 for seven nights, per person.

A seven-day cruise aboard the Princess Caribbean Princess travels to San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas and on to Dominica, an island nation in the Caribbean where you’ll see sites you cannot see elsewhere â€" like the world’s second-largest boiling lake. The trip moves on to St. Georges â€" one of the islands making up Grenada. From there, the ship sails to Bonaire in Netherlands Antilles â€" an area known for its preservation of the marine environment. You can snorkel, scuba dive or windsurf in water â€" or take a kayak to explore the mangroves. The last destination is the island of Aruba, a 21-mile-long island of the Lesser Antilles. The cost for this trip starts at around $549 per person.

Heading to the western Caribbean, you can take a seven-day adventure aboard Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas. This trip starts in Miami and moves to Costa Maya, a small town in Mexico south of CancĂşn and on the border of Belize. Generally undeveloped, the area is the closest port of call to the Mayan ruins in the Yucatan. The cruise moves along to Belize City, which is home to the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, hundreds of islands ripe for snorkel and dive exploration and ancient Mayan sites â€" some of which have been excavated and some of which are still covered by jungle growth. This trip starts at around $579 per person for seven nights.

A trip to the Southern Caribbean offers its own worthy sites. A seven-night cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas starts at $631 per person. Its stops include San Juan, Puerto Rico, a major port and tourist resort in the West Indies. It is the oldest city under the flag of the United States. Visitors there can experience the old and the new. The area known as Old San Juan is more than 460 years old. It was originally a military stronghold that today is home to more than 400 restored 16th- and 17th-century Spanish colonial buildings. It is also home to casinos, beaches and other tropical delights.

From San Juan, the ship sets its course for Oranjestad, the capital of Aruba. Visitors can view the pastel-colored buildings that were typical of its Dutch founders. But shoppers will find more to explore at the malls, boutiques and shops. From there, it’s onto Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao, where you can swim with dolphins or explore the city’s shops and museums. The ship moves next to Roseau, the capital city of Dominica. Final port of call is Charlotte Amalie in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Once home to pirates, Charlotte Amalie is now known for its beaches, vistas and duty-free shopping.

For the ultimate tour of the tropics, consider a 12-day Azamara Cruise aboard the Azamara Journey. Starting in Miami, it travels to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands â€" two thirds of which is a national park. From there, it’s on to Basseterre, an area settled by the French following the partition of St. Kitts in 1628; followed by a visit to Castries, capital city of Santa Lucia â€" an area known for its duty-free shops. Next on the itinerary is a visit to Point A Pitre, capital of Guadeloupe; St. Barthelemy, the only significant Swedish colony in the Caribbean; and Virgin Gorda, the second-most populated of the British Virgin Islands. This trip starts at $1,659 per person.

If you’re considering a tropical vacation, but think it’s out of your price range, explore these discount cruise options today!

Barbara Delp is a freelance writer who writes about vacationing and discount cruises.