By Scott Bateman
© Caribeez.com

Where to go on your first cruise is a simple choice -- Eastern, Western or Southern.

Because of convenience, a large number of people who live in the eastern half of the United States choose an Eastern Caribbean cruise. Common departure ports are Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida for people who want the convenience of flying into Florida without any stopovers.

Typical ports of call include:

- The Bahamas: the most popular islands in the Caribbean have numerous tourist attractions, recreational activities and shopping opportunities; it is arguably the most commercialize and will give visitors the most feeling of familiar settings.Treasure Cay Beach and Harbour Island Beach are two of the most popular and well-publicized beaches in the islands. Duty free shopping includes Port Lucaya Marketplace on Grand Bahama Island and the Welcome Center at Festival Place on Nassau.

- San Juan, Puerto Rico: a key stopping point and starting point for many cruises in the Caribbean; Old San Juan is one of the top tourist attractions in the region because of its history, architecture, shopping and quaint winding streets.

- Dominican Republic: second most popular island overall; main draw is its plush, numerous resorts and as a longer-term stopover vacation; the beaches are fantastic. It is one of the few islands with whitewater rafting.

- U.S. Virgin Islands: one of the best shopping meccas in the Caribbean; also offers excellent snorkeling. The capital, Charlotte Amalie, is a major draw to the vast number of cruise visitors. Note: cruise visitors can spend an easy afternoon at a good assortment of public beaches near the cruise port.

- British Virgin Islands: a place of quiet beauty and great snorkeling and scuba diving. Unique attractions include Dolphin Discovery, a chance to interact in the waters with dolphins; the historic forts Burt and Recovery, both dating back centuries; and Trotola's Main Street, which is both a shopping and historic district.

- St. Martin: a small beauty of an island split between the French side and the Dutch side. It is a place more for natural and recreational things to do than historical and architectural things to see.

- Haiti: Known mainly for Labadee, an isolated paradise owned by Royal Caribbean. Lush tropical mountains surround the bay where ships lay anchor. We felt more away from everything here than any other island visit.