Cheapest cruise lines for 2022 Caribbean cruises – 8 lines ranked by price

The fares below are per person based on double occupancy, and government taxes, fees and port expenses are additional for all guests.

1 – Princess Cruises (Cheapest)

7 nights from: $469

(Ft. Launderdale, Florida → Princess Cays, Bahamas → At Sea → St. Thomas, Virgin Islands → St. Kitts → Day At Sea → Day At Sea → Ft. Lauderdale, Florida)

A slightly upscale division of Carnival, the Princess Cruises leaves from Ft. Launderdale on this run and explores Mexico and Central America rather than the more common islands to their east. The Caribbean Princess can carry 3,140 passengers and is one of the newest cruise ships added to this line. With this said, it is very comparable to the Regal Princess.

Not as casual and fun-minded as the cheapest Caribbean cruises, the Princess sailings attract a bit more formality and a higher age range, though families with children are mixed in as well. Expect mostly Americans and Canadians on these cruises, with a sprinkling of Brits and other Europeans.

2 – Holland America Line 

7 nights from: $499 
(Fort Lauderdale, Florida → Half Moon Cay, Bahamas → Day At Sea → Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos → Amber Cove, Dominican Republic  → Day At Sea → Key West, Florida→ Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

With a long history and a reputation as a most traditional cruise line, Holland America Line is now another somewhat upscale part of the Carnival family. These cruises are on 5 different ships, which carry between 1,200 and 2,000 passengers and have also been modernized in the past few years to include some Asian dining and culture options.

Holland America in general is known for catering to an older and more sophisticated crowd, and this cruise is no exception. It will be mostly older Americans and Canadians with a sprinkling of families with kids.

The 7 night rate above is from the month of October.

3 – Royal Caribbean International

7 nights from: $611
(Tampa, Florida → Day At Sea → Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico → Roatan, Honduras → Belize City, Belize → Cozumel, Mexico → Day At Sea → Tampa, Florida)

While Tampa usually isn’t the first pick for a departure point, the Royal Caribbean cruises leaving this port are a great choice. This is on the Rhapsody of the Seas, which carries up to 2,416 passengers, and has recently been refurbished as of 2012 with updated cabins, additional dining options and an outdoor movie screen.

As you would expect in this price range, the dress tends to be casual and the ships attract a wide mix of younger and older and families and couples, mostly from the United States and Canada, particularly from Texas and Louisiana on this departure.

This cruise rate is for a cruise in October.

4 – Norwegian Cruise Line

7-nights from: $619
(Miami, Florida → Day At Sea → Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic →  St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands → Tortola, British Virgin Islands → Day At Sea → Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas → Miami, Florida)

Norwegian Cruise Line is famous for pioneering the “freestyle cruising” concept, where passengers can select from a wide range of restaurants and activities and go whenever they like rather than on a rigid schedule. This cruise is on the Norwegian Breakaway, carrying a maximum of 3,963 passengers, which counts more than 20 freestyle-dining restaurants on board. This massive ship also has extensive children’s programs, branded by Nickelodeon.

The Freestyle Cruising thing ends up attracting a wide range of passengers, including some who prefer to dress formally on formal nights. So you can expect families and older folks along with a lot of romantic couples from all age ranges, primarily from the US and Canada.

5 – MSC Cruises

7 nights from: $648
(Miami, Florida → Day At Sea → Ocho Rios, Jamaica → George Town, Cayman Islands → Cozumel, Mexico → Day At Sea → Nassau, Bahamas → Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Bahamas → Miami, Florida)

Started in Italy, MSC only recently entered the North American cruise market with these winter Caribbean excursions. In the rest of the world, MSC cruises tend to be dominated by European guests, but now with their Miami-based cruises they attract mostly a North American crowd. They used to have 2 formal nights per cruise, and now the buffet restaurant is casual all the time, although the main dining room is a bit more formal. This sailing is on the MSC Seaside, which can carry as many as 5,179 passengers.

Even on these Caribbean journeys, the crowds on the MSC ships are very international, with a great number of Europeans mixed in with Americans and Canadians. You won’t see as many families on this cruise as it’s more suited to the adult crowd.

6 – Carnival Cruise Lines

7 nights from: $809 per person
(Miami, Florida → Day At Sea → Day At Sea  → Aruba → Bonaire → La Romana → Amber Cove → Day At Sea→  Miami, Florida

If you want to leave from one of the Florida ports near a major airport, Carnival Cruise Lines is a great low-price pick. The 7-night cruise is on the Carnival Magic, which is now based year-round in Miami and can carry 3,690 passengers. The 4-night cruise is on the Carnival Conquest.

Carnival and its “Fun Ships” slogan are very popular with first-time cruise passengers, and especially younger people and families, primarily from the United States and Canada.

7 – Celebrity Cruises

6 nights from: $849
(Fort Lauderdale, Florida → Day At Sea → George Town, Grand Cayman → Cozumel, Mexico → Day At Sea → Bimini, Bahamas  → Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

Another in the more traditional and mid-market category, Celebrity Cruises is in the process of updating many of its ships to conform to modern demands, and the Celebrity Equinox on this 7 night journey was just refurbished. With a maximum capacity of 2,850 passengers, this ship feels more upmarket than the cheaper ships, and it’s meant to appeal to a younger and more trendy audience.

The departures from Puerto Rico are popular with Spanish-speakers from Latin America and Spain, while the slightly more expensive Fort Lauderdale departures are mainly Americans and Canadians on board.

This cruise runs during the month of June onward through the rest of the year.

8 – Disney Cruise Line

7 nights from: $2,982
(Miami, Florida → Day At Sea → George Town, Grand Cayman → Day At Sea → Disney Castaway Cay → Miami, Florida)

Considering the Disney is obviously aimed at the family market, it might be a bit surprising to see their cheapest Caribbean cruise at about triple the price of some competitors. But then again, nothing about Disney is cheap, and their ships are known for being first-class with plenty of room for families to move around and spread out a bit. This sailing is on the Disney Fantasy, which can carry 2,500 passengers and is loaded with branded entertainment options for kids. Not unlike its theme parks, the Disney Cruise Line ships aren’t cheap, but they deliver a very high quality product to the intended audience.

Needless to say, these cruises are dominated by families with younger children, but some with older children as well, and most will be Americans and Canadians.

Top photo credit: iamNigelMorris on Flickr