15 cruise ships are setting sail from Central Florida to these popular island destinations

PORT CANAVERAL, FL - MARCH 06: In this handout photo provided by Disney Parks, fireworks light the morning sky March 6, 2012 as the Disney Fantasy, the newest Disney Cruise Line ship, arrives in her home port of Port Canaveral, Florida after travelin

Port Canaveral has been named the best home port in the United States for the third time in a row.

According to Cruise Hive, it recently became the world's busiest passenger cruise port, surpassing Port Miami's record with more than 4 million cruise passengers.

The port is located about an hour east of Orlando, offering Central Florida residents easy access to more than 50 destinations, including the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Eastern and Western Mexico.

March 20 kicked off the first day of spring, and with summer being around the corner, families will likely consider taking a cruise for their next getaway.

If you want to take a vacation at sea but are having a hard time picking a cruise ship, here is a guide about the ships that are departing from Port Canaveral between April and December 2023, with booking availability:

Royal Caribbean

Mariner of the Seas - Cost: $500 to 900 per person (before taxes)

This cruise ship offers 4 to 8 night trips from Port Canaveral. Depending on what cruise you book, this ship travels to:

  • Willemstad, Curaçao
  • Oranjestad, Aruba
  • Falmouth, Jamaica
  • Tortola, British Virgin Islands
  • Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis
  • San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda
  • Bimini, Bahamas
  • Nassau, Bahamas
  • CoCoCay, Bahamas
  • Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
  • Labadee, Haiti
  • Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
  • Philipsburg, St. Maarten
  • Cozumel, Mexico
  • Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico

Learn more about the ship here

Independence of the Seas - Cost: $360 to $669 per person (before taxes)

This cruise ship offers 3 and 4 night trips from Port Canaveral. Depending on what cruise you book, this ship travels to:

  • Nassau, Bahamas
  • CoCoCay, Bahamas

View more about the ship and its amenities by clicking here

Jewel of the Seas - Cost: $824 to $850 per person (before taxes)

This cruise ship offers 8 night round trips from Port Canaveral and 12 night one-way trips from Port Canaveral. Depending on what cruise you book, this ship travels to:

  • Ponta Delgada, Azores
  • Cherbourg, France
  • Dover, England
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Oranjestad, Aruba
  • Willemstad, Curaçao
  • Labadee, Haiti

Learn more about this ship by clicking here

Wonder of the Seas - Cost: $794 to $1712 per person (before taxes)

This cruise ship offers 6 to 8 night trips from Port Canaveral. Depending on what cruise you book, this ship travels to:

  • Roatan, Honduras
  • Falmouth, Jamaica
  • Labadee, Haiti
  • Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
  • Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis
  • Philipsburg, St. Maarten
  • CocoCay, Bahamas
  • Nasssau, Bahamas
  • Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico
  • Cozumel, Mexico

Learn more about this ship by clicking here

Adventure of the Seas - Cost: $443 to $1431 per person (before taxes)

This cruise ship offers 6 to 8 night trips from Port Canaveral. Depending on what cruise you book, this ship travels to:

  • Labadee, Haiti
  • Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
  • Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
  • Philipsburg, St. Maarten
  • St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
  • Nassau, Bahamas
  • Oranjestad, Aruba
  • Willemstad, Curaçao

Learn more about this ship by clicking here

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Freedom - Cost: $239 to $764 per person (before taxes)

This cruise ship offers 4 and 5 day round trips and 13 day one-way trips from Port Canaveral. Depending on what cruise you book, this ship travels to:

  • Nassau, Bahamas
  • Princess Cays, Bahamas
  • Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
  • Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos
  • Bimini, Bahamas
  • Amber Cove, Dominican Republic
  • Bermuda
  • Ponta Delgada, Portugal
  • Málaga, Spain
  • Valencia, Spain

View more about the ship and its amenities by clicking here

Carnival Mardi Gras - Cost: $579 to $7109 per person (before taxes)

This cruise ship offers 7 and 8 day trips from Port Canaveral.  Depending on what cruise you book, this ship travels to:

  • San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Amber Cove, Dominican Republic
  • Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos
  • St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
  • Aruba
  • Bonaire
  • St. Maarten
  • Costa Maya, Mexico
  • Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan

Learn more about this ship here

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Carnival Cruise Line's Mardi Gras cruise ship seen here docked at Port Canaveral in 2021.

Carnival Magic - Cost starting at $1984 per person (before taxes)

This cruise ship offers a 6-day cruise from Port Canaveral and goes to the following ports:

  • Cozumel, Mexico
  • Belize
  • Costa Maya, Mexico

Carnival Liberty - Cost: $142 to $621 per person

This cruise ship offers 3 and 4 night trips from Port Canaveral. Depending on what cruise you book, this ship travels to:

  • Bimini, Bahamas
  • Nassau, Bahamas

Learn more about the ship and its amenities here

Norwegian 

Norwegian Getaway - Cost: Typically between $998 to $2498

This cruise ship offers 5 to 12 day trips from Port Canaveral. (Note: the 12-day trip may be one-way only.) Depending on what cruise you book, this ship travels to:

  • Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas
  • St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
  • San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Amber Cove, Dominican Republic
  • St. John's, Antigua
  • Philipsburg, St. Maarten
  • Castries, St. Lucia
  • Cozumel, Mexico
  • Ponta Delgada, Azores
  • Funchal, Madeira
  • Lisbon, Portugal

More details about this ship can be found here

Norwegian Escape - Cost: Typically starts at $2,158

This cruise ship offers 7-day trips from Port Canaveral. Depending on what cruise you book, this ship travels to:

  • Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
  • St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
  • Tortola, British Virgin Islands
  • Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas
  • Cozumel, Mexico
  • George Town, Grand Cayman
  • Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Learn more about this cruise ship here

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Wish - Cost: For 2 guests, prices begin at $2,111 (taxes included)

This cruise ship offers 3 and 4 night trips from Port Canaveral. Depending on what cruise you book, this ship travels to:

  • Disney Castaway Cay
  • Nassau, Bahamas

Learn more about this ship by clicking here

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Credit: Disney Parks Blog

Disney Fantasy - Cost: For 2 guests, prices begin at $3,017 (taxes included)

This cruise ship offers 5 to 10 night trips from Port Canaveral. Depending on what cruise you book, this ship travels to:

  • Falmouth, Jamaica
  • Philipsburg, St. Maarten
  • San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Cozumel, Mexico
  • George Town, Grand Cayman
  • Disney Castaway Cay
  • Tortola, British Virgin Islands
  • St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
  • King's Wharf, Bermuda
  • Costa Maya, Mexico

Learn more about this ship by clicking here

MSC Cruises

MSC Meraviglia - Cost: From $419 to $569 per person (before taxes)

This cruise ship offers 7 and 11 night trips from Port Canaveral. (Note: The 11-day trip is one-way only.) Depending on what cruise you book, this ship travels to:

  • Belize City, Belize
  • Costa Maya, Mexico
  • Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Bahamas
  • Nassau. Bahamas
  • Ocho Rios, Jamaica
  • Oranjestad, Aruba
  • Willemstad, Curaçao
  • Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
  • New York, New York

MSC Seaside - Cost: $169 to $ 1,139 per person (before taxes)

This cruise ship offers 3 to 11 night trips from Port Canaveral. (Note: Some of the longer trips are one-way only.) Depending on what cruise you book, this ship travels to:

  • Bridgetown, Barbados
  • Isla de Roatan, Honduras
  • Castries, Saint Lucia
  • Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
  • Nassau. Bahamas
  • Ocho Rios, Jamaica
  • Oranjestad, Aruba
  • Belize City, Belize
  • Philipsburg, St. Maarten
  • St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda
  • Fort de France, Martinique
  • Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe
  • Costa Maya, Mexico
  • Cozumel, Mexico
  • New York, New York
  • Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Bahamas

Learn more about this ship here