Delicious Foods & Drinks You Need to Try in the Caribbean

Look, we know better than anyone how amazing the buffet and all of those great restaurants are on your cruise ship. But we hope that when you set sail on a cruise—a Caribbean cruise, in particular—that you save some room for eating and drinking in port, too. That’s because this region is famous for a whole table-full of delicious dishes and refreshing beverages and it would be a shame to miss a taste or two.

Coffee

There are a number of Caribbean destinations that are famous for their coffee, but none quite as renowned as Jamaica, where a cup of Blue Mountain Coffee is a must. It’s strong and smooth and absolutely delicious, all on account of its source, Blue Mountain Peak, the highest spot in Jamaica and one of the highest mountains in the Caribbean. You can sample some when you cruise to Jamaican ports such as Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Falmouth. Another cruise destination where coffee lovers will want to sample the local brew is Costa Rica.

Coffee lovers, sail over to Jamaica this January onboard Carnival Breeze!

Fruit

There’s nothing like fresh fruit on a warm day, so it’s natural that it makes a fantastic food to sample on your day in port. Every destination you can cruise to is bound to have delicious local fruit, but some special places to take note of include: the Virgin Islands, where you can sample starfruit or carambola; St. Lucia, where green bananas are called figs; and, again, Jamaica, which has a slew of interesting fruits, chief among them, ackee, which you’ll find on most Jamaican breakfast plates. Dominica, known for its abundant nature, also has great fruit, as does the Dominican Republic.

Peppers & Hot Sauce

If “some like it hot,” they’ll want to high-tail it to the Caribbean, where almost every island nation has its own variety of hot peppers and different blends of hot sauce. To determine which is the best to try in your port, visit a local eatery and see what they offer on their tables—or ask a local. Jamaica and St. Lucia again top many heat-seekers lists, along with the Virgin Islands and Barbados.

Spice up your vacation and head over to St. Lucia.

Local Specialties

Eating the local specialties is a great way to get an authentic, well, taste, for the islands you’re visiting. Given the Caribbean’s rich and varied history, with influences from all around the globe, there is a wide variety of dishes to sample if you take this approach. Just some of the highlights include: Bajan flying fish with cou cou in Barbados; a caldo in Belize; tacos and quesadillas in Cozumel; roti in Dominica and jerk chicken in Jamaica. You’ll also want to scoop up some chocolate in Cozumel.

Whether you’re looking for caldos in Belize or tacos in Cozumel, sail onboard Carnival Dream for a culinary adventure.

Cocktails

Rum punches and other fruity concoctions are easy to come by in most Caribbean cruise ports. We’re talking colorful drinks with names like Bahama Mama, Painkiller, Pina Colada and The Goombay Smash! Local non-alcoholic drinks, like fresh fruit juice and lemonades, are also great bets for hydrating on your day of exploration. You may have heard about the health benefits of coconut water—don’t miss the chance to try it the best way possible on your cruise. Yes, that would be straight out of the coconut!

If you like piña coladas… then be sure to cruise to San Juan, the birthplace of this famous rum, coconut and pineapple cocktail.

Bon appetit and cheers!