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

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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

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ORLANDO, Fla. - 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

On board the Disney Wish: FOX 35 previews Disney's fifth cruise ship

The Disney Wish is on its way back to Port Canaveral. Over the past few days, FOX 35 News has shown you the accommodations, the food, the fun, and all other activities for the whole family onboard the Disney Cruise Line's fifth cruise ship.

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: