There is a nice roundup at MSNBC of kids activities offered by the many cruise lines sailing the Caribbean. The programs offered for children vary widely between cruise lines and even between ships in the same line, so it’s important to educate yourself if you plan on taking advantage of these services during your sailing.

A number of languages are spoken in the Caribbean, most of a European origin. You can get by just about anywhere with English, but it’s fun to explore the islands and hear the local languages.

• Anguilla: English
• Antigua: English
• Aruba: Dutch, Papiamento, English, Spanish, Castilian
• Bahamas: English
• Barbados: English
• Bermuda: English, Portuguese
• British Virgin Islands: English
• Cancun: Spanish, English.
• Cayman Brac: English
• Curacao: Dutch, Papiamento, English, Spanish; Castilian
• Dominica: English, French Patois
• Dominican Republic: Spanish, Castilian
• Grand Cayman: English
• Grenada: English, French Patois
• Grenadines: English
• Guadeloupe: French, Creole Patois
• Haiti: French, Creole
• Jamaica: English, Patois
• Martinique: French, Creole Patois
• Puerto Rico: Spanish, Castilian, English
• St. Croix: English, Spanish, Castilian, French
• St. Kitts and Nevis: English
• St. Lucia: English
• St. Maarten: Dutch, English
• St. Thomas: English, Spanish, Castilian, French
• Tortola: English
• Trinidad & Tobago: Languages: English, Hindi, French, Spanish
• Turks & Caicos: English
• U.S. Virgin Islands: English, Spanish, Creole

Haiti doesn’t typically bring to mind images of a peaceful vacation spot. A South Florida travel business, however, is trying to convince vacationers to give the country a try.

Recent news from Haiti does not promise relaxation: Gang violence and kidnappings have surged in the capital of the Western hemisphere’s poorest country.

Belfort is asking travelers to look beyond the problems in Port-au-Prince and give the rest of the country a chance. His Haitian-American-owned company sees increasing tourism as Haiti’s best chance to improve its crippled economy and finally achieve political stability - a plan Haiti’s new president also proposed at a Florida tourism conference in June.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines is currently making a stop on the private Labadie Beach on the north coast of Haiti. But the port of call is a heavily guarded compound. The U.S. Department of State currently warns travellers about the dangers involved with a trip to Haiti.

Travel can be hazardous within Port-au-Prince. Some areas are off-limits to embassy staff, including downtown Port-au-Prince after dark. U.S. Embassy personnel are under an embassy-imposed curfew and must remain in their homes or in U.S. government facilities during the curfew. The embassy has limited travel by its staff outside of Port-au-Prince and therefore its ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens outside of Port-au-Prince is constrained. The UN stabilization force (MINUSTAH) remains fully deployed and is assisting the government of Haiti in providing security.

Due to the current security situation in Haiti, the Department of State reminds U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Haiti to remain vigilant with regard to their personal security

Pierre Chauvet, president of Agence Citadelle, a Port-au-Prince travel agency, says the warnings are unfair and aren’t representative of the situation across the entire country.

The warnings unfairly paint Haiti as the only victim of crime and poverty in the Caribbean, said Pierre Chauvet, president of Agence Citadelle, a Port-au-Prince travel agency his father opened in 1946.

“It’s like saying problems in Miami mean one shouldn’t go to Florida. In Jamaica, not everybody goes to downtown Kingston - everybody goes to Montego Bay,” Chauvet said by phone from Port-au-Prince.

Here’s a nice article looking at the many travel opportunities on Curacao. The island lies at the southern tip of the Lesser Antilles and features nearly 40 beaches of a silky white sand. Snorkling and diving is another huge draw for the island, with some great locations just a short swim from shore.

There’s a seaside scene for every mood. On the wild side: Mambo Beach, a lively stretch of revelry, including a funky club by the same name, on the western side of the island, with killer tropical cocktails and nonstop dancing. For escapists: Playa Lagun, an isolated, romantic cove framed by imposing cliffs in the island’s northwestern stretch. For families: Playa Knip, near the town of Westpunt. Two coves there provide a great perch to lounge in beach chairs while the kids play in the water.

The small island of Aruba offers a wide variety of diversions for visitors. From abandoned gold mines to white sand beaches to casino gambling, the tiny Dutch island has plenty to offer. Although this author has a lot of good things to say about the island, don’t get too excited about the natural bridge that’s mentioned. It collapsed in September 2005.

“Aruba is a very small island,” said Cathie Barile, co-owner of Travel Emporium of WNY Inc. of the Town of Tonawanda. “You can rent a Moped for a day and see the whole island and meet some of the world’s most fantastic people, many of Dutch and Venezuelan extraction. Venezuela is just 15 miles off the coast of Aruba.”