The Honeymoon Wishes Blog

Some Amazingly Unusual Cruises to take in the Caribbean

Guest Blog by our friend Julie Rothwell

Posted: June 28, 2013

More people are taking to the water than ever before. Cruising is shrugging off its associations with retirees and line-dancing and finding a new identity amongst well-heeled twenty- and thirty-somethings looking for grown-up holidays that still let them splash out. This means it might be time to reconsider if you’ve previously crossed a cruise off your list of honeymoon ideas, as it’s an increasingly dynamic, but still intrinsically relaxing, way to get away from it all.

Cruisin’ for Amusin’

The classic Caribbean cruise is still very much an option for an elegant honeymoon as the experience is increasingly refined by sophisticated operators. Across the Caribbean cruise ships criss-cross from Barbados to the Bahamas (and any number of places in between) catering to any number of holiday whims. A cruise can be a way to string together experiences that would be impossible on land. Snorkeling, helicopter rides and party rafts are all possibilities to book into your cruise. On a cruise, holiday stereotypes can be embraced with glee - there are some who say jet-skiing really is something you have to do before you die. Cruising in the Caribbean is a chance to completely detach from real life, unmoor from your worries, and throw yourself into every opportunity. You’ll return from your honeymoon tanned, well fed, and full of memories.

Small boats to tiny islands

Even a holiday on one of the mega-liners of the Caribbean can be a great way to get away from it all, as a ship a quarter of a mile long gives you plenty of room to find your own space and shape your own day, but if one of the big boats really doesn’t suit you, try a small one. In the Caribbean it’s possible to book passage on almost any size of ship. Small ship cruises are increasingly in vogue, offering access to such remote locations as Bequia - far from the frantic development taking place in other Caribbean resorts, small islands like Bequia could be your ultimate honeymoon getaway.

Boats that Rock

Few people would choose a music festival like Glastonbury or Burning Man for a honeymoon - traipsing miles for a portable toilet and sub-standard trailer food is not everybody’s idea of a dream escape. But what about if the muddy field was replaced with five star hotel facilities? Festival cruises are increasingly common for the music fan who has grown out of slumming it but doesn’t want to hang up the party hat. These cruises raise the possibility of a vibrant and exciting honeymoon allowing you and your loved one to immerse yourself in international music and culture while still taking in the breathtaking Caribbean sights. The Coachella festival has taken to the water with a line-up including alternative-rock maestros Pulp and dreamy pop group The Cloud Nothings. Many would consider Pulp's Jarvis Cocker to be the ultimate wedding singer, with a quntessentially romantic barritone croon, so who better to have sing away on your honeymoon?

A touch of class

The modern white floating hotels that make up most cruising fleets aren’t to everybody’s taste, so why not take a trip back in time by booking onto a classic cruise ship? Older ships (recently refitted, don’t worry) such as the Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise the Caribbean, so why not pack a tux and a ball-gown for a honeymoon with a Ritz-on-the-water vibe? It’s easy to forget that when the QE2 was first commissioned, it was seen as brash and too modern - now such ships seem the embodiment of a refined holiday.

Green cruising on blue seas

There’s no denying that a cruise can be a resource-heavy endeavor, but you don’t have to let concerns for the environment trouble you while honeymooning - there are now many cruise options for the eco-friendly. There are cruise ships which are almost entirely solar-powered, there are cruise ships designed for the best aerodynamics, and there are cruise ships with on-board laboratories carrying out studies into water pollution. Your ship’s green credentials might not be the first thing on your mind when planning the perfect honeymoon, but it might be nice to know that the beautiful beaches and tropical forests that you enjoy on your honeymoon cruise will still be there if ever you choose to go back!