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One of the top destinations and a major hub for cruise visits. Northernmost location with cooler winter temperatures than other locations.
Quiet and serene. Known for snorkeling, scuba diving and national parks.
The top place to visit for all-inclusive resorts with beautiful white beaches.
Puerto Rico Another major cruise hub. A tour of Old San Juan is a worthwhile excursion.
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The smallest island in the world shared by two nations -- Holland and France. Lush tropics with a European flair.Also known for its great beaches.
Located near the Bahamas, this is an up and coming destination, especially among cruise ships. But a growing number of visitors are staying the week.
Known for duty-free shopping. It shares excellent snorkeling and scuba with its nearby British cousin. You don't need a passport to visit if you are a U.S. citizen.
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This small Central American nation is a common stop for western Caribbean cruises. It has one of the best eco-tourism excursions in the Caribbean -- tubing along a river through dark caves in Sibun Caves Branch Archaeological Park.
Another top draw in the Caribbean, Cancun is a quick flight for most U.S. airlines compared to other destinations. It is known for its long strip of hotels, shops and restaurants that envelope a large lagoon.
This is a common stop for western Caribbean cruises. It is know for one of the top excursions in the Caribbean -- Sting Ray City, where visitors can swim in the ocean with a school of friendly sting ray.
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Like Belize, Costa Rica is a common stop on western Caribbean cruises and a well-known eco-tourism destination for long-term stays. One popular excursion is canopying -- zip-lining up in the air from one tree to another.
Located 35 miles south of Cancun, Cozumel is one of the hottest destinations in the Caribbean and mainly popular with cruise visitors during the early months of the year. Also known for scuba, snorkeling and Mayan ruins.
Famed for its people, Jamaica ranks high with Dominican Republic as an all-inclusive resort destination. Its most famous attraction is Dunns River Falls, which visitors climb in a daisy chain.
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This southern Caribbean island claims it has one beach for every day of the year. It also has one of the nicer shopping districts.
Well-known for being outside of the Caribbean hurricane belt, but not totally immune from bad weather. Palm Beach in particular is one of the better beaches in the Caribbean.
A large, well-developed island with a large population. Strong shopping and nightlife opportunities. Swimming with giant sea turtles is one of the better excursions.
It is one of the ABC islands along with Aruba and Curacao. As a result, it also avoids most of the bad weather each year. Bonaire also is the smallest of the ABC islands.
This one ranks between Aruba and Bonaire for popularity. All three are Dutch territories, and so this one like the other two has a nice European flair.
Another up and coming destination, Dominica is making a name for itself as an eco-tourism vacation. But for now it is mainly visited by cruise ships.
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Here you will find mountains, lush rainforests and quite a few waterfall hikes. A few smaller nearby islands make for a nice day trip.
Martinique has far more vacationers visiting for the long term than by cruise ships. This dependency of France has a European flair with a number of cultural and historical attractions.
Here is a place to go for quiet. The island is dominated by one large mountain that provides an opportunity for excursions to the top, nearby rainforest and hiking opportunities.
St. Lucia has a beautiful, hilly interior that provides numerous excursions such as hiking, biking, horseback and ATV rides. Also has great beaches and resorts.
The lesser-known St. Vincent is another eco-tourism destination because of heavy annual rainfall that creates lush interiors. Known for hiking and swimming in waterfalls.
Location of probably the most famous event in the Caribbean -- Carnival. Otherwise, most people visit for a week or more. It has the most waterfalls in the Caribbean.
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Don't be fooled by the arid interior landscape of Aruba as you descend for a landing at the Aruba International Airport. The relaxing warmth of this Caribbean vacation extends beyond the weather into its people, beaches and festive air.
Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Jamaica is a sanctuary of low key luxury and timeless glamour. 
We stood on the dock by our cruise ship waiting for the morning catamaran to Dunn's River Falls to return so we could take our turn to see the most famous waterfalls in the Caribbean...