13 Caribbean Cruise Ports in 50 Days — The BEST & WORST (No Excursions)
Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.
Creator's Key Takeaways
We didn't book for any of these stops. We didn't book any excursions.
Princess Keys was a great for a beach day.
Bise, I think is a place where you should do an excursion.
Bonire... I just fell in love with Bonire. That's one of my favorite places in the Caribbean.
Creator's Tips & Advice
🆕New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:
Questions This Creator Answers
Topics Covered
Port Highlights
Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.
About our Bacon Score methodologyYouTube Video Description↓
After 50 days cruising the Caribbean, we finally sat down on our balcony aboard the Majestic Princess to talk about every port we visited — and what it’s really like exploring them without booking cruise excursions. On our channel, Ed & Mai WanderFree Retirees, we focus on helping travelers see what’s possible on your own in port, without paying for expensive ship tours. In this video we recap each stop from our Caribbean cruise and share: • What each port is like if you just walk off the ship • Which destinations are easy to explore on your own • Which ports had the best local culture, food, and scenery nearby • Which stops felt too touristy or difficult without excursions • Our favorite ports of the entire 50-day journey • And the one stop we probably wouldn’t rush back to If you enjoy cruising but prefer to skip the organized excursions, this recap will help you decide which Caribbean ports are worth exploring on your own and which ones might require more planning. Whether you're planning a Caribbean cruise or just love learning about cruise destinations, this honest recap from the balcony gives you the real perspective of independent cruisers. We’re Ed and Mai from WanderFree Retirees. After retiring early, we set out to see how much of the world we can explore while living simply and on a modest budget. Cruising is one of the ways we’re doing it — and in our videos we focus on what you can realistically see and do without expensive excursions or luxury spending. If you're dreaming about retiring earlier, traveling longer, and making your money go further, follow along as we share what we’re learning along the way. Subscribe and follow along as we continue sharing cruise ports, travel, and retirement adventures around the world — all while looking for the best things to do without excursions. 0:00 Introduction 1:31 Princess Cays, Bahamas 2:48 Nassau, Bahamas 3:57 Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands 5:30 Belize City, Belize 7:20 Cozumel, Mexico 9:02 Roatan, Honduras 10:59 Amber Cove (Puerta Plata), Dominican Republic 14:09 San Juan, Puerto Rico 16:15 St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands 18:12 Philipsburg, St. Maarten 20:30 Oranjestad, Aruba (ABC Islands) 22:19 Kralendijk, Bonaire (ABC Islands) 23:50 Willemstad, Curacao (ABC Islands) #CaribbeanCruise #CruisePorts #CruisingLife #CruiseTips #TravelWithoutExcursions