Exploring the Caribbean: Affordable Luxury Cruise from Curacao

November 2025 was the month I finally ticked off a dream I didn’t even know I had: sailing on the very first affordable luxury Caribbean cruise from Curaçao. This island is my happy place (this was visit number 4) and became both the starting and ending point of a 10-night island-hopping adventure that felt like someone designed the perfect vacation just for me.

And honestly? It might be the easiest and most convenient way to see much of the Caribbean! Keep reading for my honest review with plenty of my own pictures, useful tips from our experience and a full recap of the amazing itinerary!

How to get there (easier than you think) & package deals

Instead of having to fly to Miami first, like most Caribbean cruises, you can now fly directly to Curaçao from Amsterdam Schiphol (9-11 hours, with a stopover on Bonaire one way) with Corendon Airlines or KLM.

The ship leaves from the scenic Willemstad port, where we were welcomed & waved goodbye festively!

The great part is that Corendon sells affordable luxury packages starting at €2,099 p.p. from end of December 2025 until half February 2026 (10/11-night cruise + flight + transfers).

But you can also book it as a cruise-only from Curaçao, starting from €899 p.p. when you get lucky with an offer!

Want more beach time? Add a 1 to even 7-night hotel extension on Curaçao before or after the cruise, like we did! We stayed 3 nights at the Rif at Mangrove Beach Resort before and 1 night afterwards, which was the perfect combination for relaxing and being ready to embark on time!

Read more about this 5 star ultra all-inclusive resort with plenty of Curaçao tips too.

While there are only a few more dates available to book until February, this truly is the perfect winter escape! The itinerary will slightly differ every time, with even 11-night cruises, that also include stops on Barbados and Aruba.

See all available dates (only 6 more left), all details and book your own cruise via Corendon-Caribbean cruise.

Affordable Luxury Caribbean Cruise on a floating 4-star classic with soul

The vessel is the refurbished Renaissance ship of the Ambassador Cruise Line. A historic mid-size ship with teak promenade decks, huge ocean-view windows, and that 90s glamour vibe. It houses just 1,200 passengers max, quite small compared to the mega-ships that accommodate 3,000 up to 10,000.

The facilities include:

• 2 pools, 1 mid deck with also 2 Jacuzzis and 1 at the back of the ship

• A proper Spa with many treatments to choose from

• An extensive gym with high-tech equipment and great views, located on the front deck

• A tennis court at the top deck

• A theatre with 2 levels and daily performances, twice a night. But there's also live music and several other performances and games throughout the day at the different bars

  
  

• A night club with disco

• Tax-free shops with clothing, accessories, gifts, alcohol and luxury goods.

• Several restaurants to choose from: a snackbar by the pool, 1 buffet and 1 à la carte restaurant serving 5 courses in style. All included in your package for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as an afternoon tea, get a taste through this gallery:

• There are also 4 other restaurants available upon reservation for an extra charge: 1 Mondi Caribbean fusion, 1 gastronomic restaurant with great steaks, 1 with Asian cuisine (€30-35 extra p.p.) and a more expensive Chef’s table experience with limited seating

• There are 4 cabin types to choose from, ranging from cozy inside huts, to suites and cabins with shared or private balconies. We had a private balcony cabin, which looks like this:

• To me, the ship still felt intimate, and while some places can get crowded, especially mid deck and at the buffet restaurant, there's always a quiet spot to find on this 12-deck ship with 8 bars and many lounge areas. You can even order breakfast in bed for just €9 extra in total!

While the facilities are plenty, the ship is less modern and has quite some history, which makes it a bit less luxurious, while the facilities are abundant for a medium-sized ship.

Important to note is that this ship was more basic than the one of my last cruise to Iceland, yet the pricing makes it very accessible (costs 4x less than my previous cruise), which righteously makes it affordable luxury!

But for me, one of the best things about this cruise was the itinerary! I will write a full blog about all these islands soon, with tips for shore excursions and activities and many more pictures. But hereby already a short recap:

The dream itinerary + mini fun facts per destination

• Days 1–2: Curaçao + sea day → Willemstad embarkation at 7 pm, followed by a relaxing day at sea, during which you can chill on deck, work on your tan, go to the gym or book a Spa day.

• Day 3: St. Kitts & Nevis → The must visit here is Brimstone Hill Fortress (UNESCO), but don’t miss the Scenic Railway through old sugar plantations and a rum tasting either.

• Day 4: Guadeloupe → French butterfly shaped island, where you can chase waterfalls in the Parc National with a still active volcano, and explore stunning beaches.

• Day 5: Martinique → The 'island of flowers’ with Mount Pelée brooding in the distance. Also part of French Guyana, with a historic capital, lush tropical nature, botanic gardens and rum distilleries.

• Day 6: Antigua & Barbuda → 2 islands with 365 beaches, 1 for every day of the year. As well as the Shirley Heights Sunday sunset party, 2 things I certainly want to come back for!

• Day 7: St. Maarten → Experience low-flying planes at Maho Beach and get front-row seats to the mega-yacht show in Simpson Bay

• Day 8: Tortola-British Virgin Islands → This territory has more registered yachts than people. Consisting of 60 islands, of which only 16 inhabited, with 100+ beaches, almost all ringed with clear waters and coral reefs.

• Day 9: Sea day → Participate in one of the many activities organized on the ship, have burgers by the pool, cocktails on deck, join a gala dinner, see a theatre show and dance the night away under a sky full of stars!

• Day 10: Bonaire → Snorkel with turtles and admire the flamingos, as this island has the largest breeding colony of the Caribbean, with almost more flamingos than residents.

• Day 11: Back to Curaçao → Emotional disembarkation + 2 last days of chilling at the Rif Resort and the neighboring Mondi City Beach.

5 reasons this cruise ruined all other vacations for me

1. Convenience: Unpack ONCE. Your hotel literally moves with you.

2. Every day a new destination is a chance for a new adventure without airport security stress.

3. You see SO much more of the world, effortlessly, 7 islands in 10 nights would cost SO much more and a lot of transfers otherwise.

4. Spectacular views and sunsets daily, waking up to a new turquoise bay from your balcony never gets old! And I will certainly miss those colorful sunsets and cocktails on the back-deck.

5. Plenty of facilities, non-stop entertainment and great food, with a Spa, gym, live bands, theatre shows every night, a night club, 5 restaurants and 8 bars with delicious cocktails.

Good-to-know tips from someone who just lived it

• Book a balcony cabin if you can, the extra privacy and sunrise views over the islands are worth every Euro.

• To save money add the Expedition-drinks package to your booking in advance if you want to enjoy specialty coffees and alcoholic drinks or cocktails. And if you also like to do at least 2 excursions via the ship, the Diamond package can be good value for money too, compared to paying for this separately.

• The Wi-Fi on the ship is quite limited, not always stable and a bit pricier, as the Value package is not enough to load videos and truly use Instagram and so on. Instead of buying the Premium Wi-Fi package, I would recommend getting an E-sim for the Caribbean if you want to stay active online and have enough reception everywhere.

• Download the Ambassador app before sailing, to see the daily program, restaurant menus and make excursion reservations

• For dinner make sure to be at the Vatel restaurant at 6 pm to get a private 2-person table of your choice, as these are limited. But sharing a table can always be fun too!

• Excursions: you can book tours on the boat or in the app in advance, but on many islands you can also easily hire a taxi or day tour from the port for more flexibility. Just make sure to be back for the all-aboard time.

• Bring reef-safe sunscreen and a reusable water bottle, as all islands are hot and water refills are free onboard in the buffet restaurant.

• Luckily there were hardly any mosquitoes on the ship, but do bring mosquito spray for excursions and Curacao.

• The sea days are perfect to recharge, so grab a sunbed early or book a Spa day to make the most of these!

• Go to the top deck (level 12) or the front deck to find quieter lounge chairs with the best views.

• The gym is quieter in the afternoon and offers amazing views.

• The cabins only have 1 European and 1 UK socket, so a plug with extra USB slots can come in handy. And as there are no sockets directly by the bed our power bank was very useful too!

• While they ask you to turn in your suitcase the night before the last day, we kept our suitcases with us. A good tip if you need to check out asap and want to skip the line at disembarkation.

• Tips for the staff are already included in your Corendon cruise package, but do bring a few pounds or dollars for your cabin attendant and of course to spend on the islands, while the French islands require Euros.

This truly was a unique adventure, while quite relaxing and convenient too, which made my appetite for cruising only bigger. If you’ve ever said: I want to see the whole Caribbean but hate flying between islands, this is your sign!

The 2026 season is already filling up fast after the maiden voyage hype, so check the available Corendon cruise dates now, as there are only 6 more dates bookable until 11 February 2026.

And for even more Caribbean inspiration for other islands in this beautiful part of the world, like the Dominican Republic and Aruba, check my Caribbean page or connect with me on social media to ask me for tips any time!

*While this trip and cruise was made possible by Corendon, my opinions and findings are always honest! I hope this blog will help you find the ultimate winter sun holiday or the affordable luxury Caribbean cruise of your dreams too.