Guests can recline on Cozumel’s blissful beaches, soak up New Orleans’ soulful nightlife, imbibe Tampa’s care-free charm, and explore Galveston’s artsy treasures on a Gulf cruise, says Renate Ruge

Cruising the Gulf of Mexico – now known as the Gulf of America in the USA – is the chance to imbibe a region rich in beauty, history and flavour. This humongous tropical inlet, stretching 932 miles from East to West, laps the coasts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, curving towards Mexico’s Yucatán and Cuba’s shores.

Turquoise seas meet pristine sands in lively ports as itineraries criss-cross a tapestry of cultures: Creole rhythms in New Orleans, Tex-Mex zest in Galveston, Mayan roots in Cozumel and Latin vibes in Tampa, Florida’s Gulf gateway.

Guests should set sail for the Gulf from mid-December to early spring when the weather’s balmy with plenty of sunshine and the welcome from locals just as warm, discovering a mosaic of experiences, including historic ports, world-class cities, pristine nature and fresh seafood feasts.

Cozumel 

An eagle manta ray shakes off sand from the seabed before floating into the blue like a bird in flight. “Eagle rays gather in ‘fevers’, their spots all totally unique like the stripes on a zebra,” says local Ramon Escalante, owner of Reef Riders.

Ramon has been snorkelling and diving in Cozumel’s stunning underwater world all his life; now he guides small groups among the 50-metre corals, a happy hunting ground for green turtles. “Listen carefully and you’ll hear parrot fish chewing hard coral,” he adds.

There’s a kaleidoscope of Western Caribbean colours and Latin American flavours ready to be discovered on this island off the coast of Mexico, where cruise ships dock minutes from San Miguel’s seafront shops. However, the real magic takes place offshore, where visitors can swim with dolphins, snorkel in the shallows of Chankanaab lagoon while riding in a glass-bottomed boat and swim into the crystal-clear waters of Kuza Beach. Elsewhere, customers can see the butterflies flit around exotic blooms at the Botanical Gardens, or unearth Mayan roots in Tulum’s pre-Hispanic ruins by taking the ferry to Playa del Carmen.

Galveston

From its globally inspired dining scene to out-of-this-world experiences at the Nasa Space Center and the exhibition-packed Museum District, there’s plenty for guests to sink their teeth into during a shore day in Houston.

However, if they’d rather skip the hour-long transfer and stay a little closer to the ship, they’ll find plenty to savour in laidback Galveston. They can follow the Art Walk where paintings, sculptures and photography spill from studios and exhibitions spaces, finding their way into boutique stores, restaurants and ever-changing pop-ups.

Elsewhere, they can peruse Victorian architecture in the Strand Historic District, savour spicy Gulf shrimp tacos at a waterfront café or spot sloths in the trees of the Moody Gardens’ rainforests. They say “everything’s bigger in Texas”, and Galveston’s new supersized port is living proof. Completed this year to the tune of £116m, the terminal is now a homeport for MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean and NCL.

New Orleans

“Let the good times roll” is the motto of fun-loving locals in New Orleans, which has been a rocking cruise destination ever since the first steamboat arrived in 1812. Nicknamed “The Big Easy”, its blend of African, Caribbean and French cultures has infused the city with a freewheeling spirit that seeps out of every bar, restaurant and music venue.

Visitors can get acquainted by riding the historic streetcars to St Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square in the heart of the Vieux Carre (French Quarter), stumbling upon the hidden courtyards and magnolia-draped 18th-century houses.

Afterwards, they can nibble sinfully good pralines at the French Market and stop for chicory coffee and sugar-dusted beignets at Café Du Monde before hot footing it to the historic Preservation Hall for some late-afternoon jazz.

The venue famously welcomed inter-racial bands and audiences during the Jim Crow era and remains one of the most respected music venues in the world today. Recommend a trip to the beloved drinking den Bar Tonique, famous for its Sazerac (the city’s aniseedy take on an Old Fashioned).

Port of Tampa

A distinctly Latin personality greets cruisers to this Floridian gateway to the Western Caribbean, Cuba and the Panama Canal. The TECO trolley has been transporting visitors to and from the historic Ybor City district since 1885 and still offers free rides today.

Travellers can hop aboard to visit the shops, cafes and distilleries housed inside old turn-of-the-century cigar factories, before ordering the legendary Tampa Salad for lunch at Columbia, which has been served tableside ever since the restaurant’s opening in 1905. Andrea Gonzmart, a fifth-generation restaurateur, will share the recipe, plus tips for shopping in the area.

“La France Vintage Clothing is where I go for beautiful jewellery, hats and big flowers for my hair,” she says. Alternatively, guest can step into nature and spot manatees at Apollo Beach’s Big Bend Power Station, get up close with gators and lizards at 3,700-acre Weedon Island Preserve, or go wild for tigers and elephants at Busch Gardens’ 335-acre theme park.

For a slow-paced shore excursion, they can paddleboard the Hillsborough River or stroll along the Riverwalk connecting cultural sights like The Museum of Arts and Florida Museum of Photographic Arts.