Due to the wonderful weather in Florida as well as its proximity to the open waters of the Atlantic in the Caribbean, a natural combination for the vacationer who is also a golfer is the large number of Caribbean cruises that are built around golf. Some of the best golf courses anywhere are in the sunny islands of the Caribbean, and a great way to get there is to book through the many golf tour companies in the area. A golfer can play up to five different courses during a cruise and never have to unpack during the voyage.
The golfer can be freed from booking tee times on these trips, plus navigating on your own can sometimes cause some anxiety. Many of the larger companies that offer these special group golf cruises often provide tee times and transportation. Any individual guest on the ships can reserve tee times through the available staff on the ships. But if you book these cruises with golf involved, don’t worry; just play golf and enjoy the ride.
There are several large and experienced companies through which golf packages can be booked. Golf Ahoy Cruises, which works with lines like Silverseas and Carnival, has been in business since 1988. Another one to check out is Resort Golf Vacation Cruises. If you’re planning on doing one of these golf cruise packages, I’d suggest looking into what they have to offer.
So what can you expect when booking one of these cruises? As an example, a company offers a package with a weekly departure every Wednesday and Thursday. Before leaving Miami, she spent three days at the Doral golf course and from there took a private chauffeured limousine to the ship. On the cruise, you receive all the typical amenities a cruise ship provides, including your stateroom, meals, and nightly entertainment.
On the seven day cruise you will play three rounds of golf in three different ports. They will be in Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Cozumel, Mexico. And if you go as a couple and only one of you plays golf, there are spa packages for the other half. All of this costs just over $4000 during the off-season, which obviously isn’t cheap, but for all that’s included, it’s really good value for that special golf outing. There are numerous opportunities for golf cruises, and some that can be booked on a smaller budget. But it is a great way to experience some of these great Caribbean golf courses.