Best for
Luxury Caribbean cruises shortlisted by Blackbury for families at Christmas, couples in search of small islands and grandparents who want warm, easy weeks.
The luxury Caribbean is the small islands: the Grenadines, St Barths, Anguilla, the BVIs. The ships that reach them are small or anchor well, and the festive sailings are the great multigenerational occasion of the year.
| Criterion | Explora Journeys | The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection | Silversea | Regent Seven Seas Cruises | Seabourn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For a family Christmas | Explora II from Barbados through the Grenadines, 7 nights, from about £4,900 pp | ||||
| For couples | Ritz-Carlton Evrima or Ilma, St Barths and the BVIs, from about £6,500 pp | ||||
| For grandparents | Seabourn or Regent from Barbados or St Maarten, inclusive and easy | ||||
| When | December to April; Christmas and New Year booked 12 months ahead |
Stars are Blackbury's editorial opinion, not independent ratings or customer reviews.
Fly direct to Barbados or Antigua, add a night or two on the island, and board rested. For Christmas, start the conversation in January.
Tell us who's travelling and what matters most. We'll say which of these we'd book for you, and why.
The lines
Modern, relaxed, generous with space, and genuinely happy to see children.
Hotel-style luxury on yachts of roughly 300 to 450 guests, with a surprisingly warm welcome for children.
Butler-served suites, serious destinations, and one of the strongest expedition fleets afloat.
The most inclusive fare at sea, on all-suite ships that take elegance seriously.
Small, sociable, quietly luxurious ships, with a sister expedition fleet.
Keep reading
Explora and Silversea are both luxury, both largely inclusive, and suit quite different parties. We compare ship size, formality, children, food, destinations and price, then say which we would choose for whom.
Regent and Seabourn both sell small-ship luxury with most things included. Regent includes more and is a little grander; Seabourn is smaller, warmer and more sociable. We say which we would choose for which couple.
Both are relaxed, modern and welcome children — one is a ship of around 900 guests and the other a yacht of 300 to 450. We compare space, price, children's programmes and where each goes.
Tell us who's travelling, where you'd like to go and what matters most. We'll recommend the ships we'd actually consider.