By Maureen Jones

Tikal, only a short plane ride from most Western Caribbean ports, is the largest of the ruined cities of the Mayan civilization.

Some 44,000 people arrive in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., every weekend to board the dozen or so cruise ships heading to various Caribbean ports.

I was invited to speak at a conference at sea, and I jumped at the opportunity because it was on the five-star luxury ship, the Regent Seven Seas Mariner, which was sailing to the Western Caribbean, with stops in Cozumel, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Key West.

Hordes of people travel to the Eastern Caribbean, which is crowded with as many as 10,000 passengers all beached in one port at the same time. The Western Caribbean is an appealing path less traveled, but you have to pick your time to visit carefully because of the heat.

Some people schedule many ports of call, whereas on the route that I recently took, we had several days at sea for the conference, during which passengers could be as busy or as lazy as they preferred. There are many activities on today’s ships, including lectures, golf lessons, movies and visits to the gym or spa. I noticed people in the library and computer room at all hours of the day and night.

The Western Caribbean is a good cruise route if you want to relax and not do much sightseeing. There were several sightseeing tours you could take in each port, depending on how busy you want to be. Cozumel is where you leave the ship if you want to visit a beach. Belize was so hot when I visited, the ocean must have been 90 F, a decidedly uncomfortable temperature. Guatemala is famous for its Mayan ruins, but from the sea it is necessary to take a small plane to see Tikal, considered the best example of Mayan culture. We visited a nice beach and had lunch when we docked at Honduras.

When choosing your cruise check how many extras you will have to pay for. Simple amenities such as a bottle of water, a cup of espresso, an ice cream, a glass of wine or a martini can add up to big unexpected expenses. On the Regent, everything is included in the price. I did the math, and if I had paid for all the extra items I consumed on the trip, on another cruise line I would have paid an additional $2,000.

We had 700 passengers onboard, and we had a very spacious cabin with a sitting room and balcony. The cabin sizes range from 350-1,400 square feet. Luxury ships have fewer passengers, usually 300-700, whereas on the less expensive cruise lines you could have 4,000 passengers onboard. If you want a large cabin with your own balcony, with all the wine and liquor you want at no charge, then consider a luxury cruise. You aren’t nickled and dimed to death. One passenger told me he loves traveling on luxury cruise lines. He once went on a large ship and his bill for extras was as much as the cruise.

Maureen Jones is president of All Horizons Travel, l60 Main St., Los Altos. For more information, call 941-5810.