Cruise film
If you take a Caribbean cruise, which could easily be forgiven for thinking you were on a film set with its turquoise waters, beaches golden sand and breathtaking scenery. That's why many films have been shot on location in recent years from the first film version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in 1916 to the recent Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy, and quite in the middle! The islands have been home to many stars, as a result, even The Beatles, Darryl Hannah, Kirk Douglas and Johnny Depp.
If you want to visit the sets of some of your favorite movies on your next Caribbean cruise, read our guide to some of the most used by filmmakers.
The Bahamas
The crystal clear waters and sandy beaches of the Bahamas are a constant drain filmmakers. The 1954 remake of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was also filmed in New Providence Island, following in the footsteps of the original version especially around Lyford Cay. So the remake in 1955 won the Oscar for Best Art Direction, Best Special Effects and Effects.
James Bond fans can have fun stained scenes from your favorite Bond films. Nassau port was used for many of the scenes of battle under the water, besides being the Vulcan bomber hiding stolen in Thunderball. If you're into diving, you can visit the Tears of Allah shipwreck in the Southern Ocean, which appears to Never say never. Also you may be surprised to discover that inside Miami International Airport in the new version of "Casino Royale" was actually the international airport Nassau, while the slum in Madagascar was filmed in an abandoned motel Coral Harbour on New Providence Island.
South Bimini Island, about 40 miles east of Miami, has also made a film appearance, albeit very briefly, at the end of Silence of the Lambs when Hannibal (Anthony Hopkins) calls Clarice (Jodie Foster) to say that it is "an old friend for dinner" before walking down the King's Highway in Bimini.
Other movies filmed in the Bahamas include Help, Cocoon, Jaws IV: The Revenge and Speed 2, Cruise Control.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico's Arecibo Observatory, located about 10 kilometers south of the city of Arecibo, has participated in several films. The huge radio telescope was used by Jodie Foster in Contact to probe the cosmos, apparently as the satellite dish Cuba's Goldeneye and it also received transmissions from a source of exotic species.
A film may not have been allowed to be shot also in several places around Puerto Rico is Frankenstein and the monster space, where the island is attacked by two women seeking Martians to take back to Mars and use it as stock player.
The island of Vieques has been used also as a film location, especially for Heartbreak Ridge (starring Clint Eastwood, who also directed the film) and 1963 version of Lord of the Flies.
Jamaica
Jamaica is a popular place for filmmakers with distinctive Caribbean scene. The Tom Cruise movie Cocktail was filmed here in Dunn's River Falls, Sandals Royal Plantation and Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios all (about 70 miles east of Montego Bay), as well as Papillon, starring Steve McQueen, near the town of Falmouth on the north coast. Also check out How Stella Has His Groove Back in Montego Bay.
Don a bikini and pretend you're in Dr. No Ursula Andress emerging from the sea at Laughing Waters Beach – one of the most famous scenes in cinema history. Dr. No fans can follow the footsteps of the three blind mice in Kingston, see the mountain home of Miss Taro or ensure they are not caught in the marshes in Falmouth.
Jamaica had a name change to San Monique to Live and Let Die. Kananga underground lair was filmed around Runaway Bay, while Bond hotel room was at the Rose Hall Great House Resort in Montego Bay.
Other films shot in Jamaica include The Blue Lagoon, the 1990 remake of The Lord of the Flies and License to Wed
Over numerous films also called in the Caribbean include Apocalypse Now (Dominican Republic), The Godfather II (Dominican Republic), The Shawshank Redemption (U.S. Virgin Islands), Trading Places (U.S. Virgin Islands), Swiss Family Robinson (Trinidad and Tobago) and 1999 remake of The Thomas Crown Affair (Martinique).
Of course, we can not talk about the Caribbean, not to mention Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. Since then made use of the region, filming in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Dominica and Bermuda. Hampstead Bay in Dominica was the scene of the struggle of the water wheel, while a small island in the Virgin Islands British appeared as Dead Man's Chest.
Make your next cruise to remember a walk in the footsteps of some of the greatest movie stars of all time.
About the Author
Susan Bigmore is the web editor for http://www.insidecruise.co.uk, a cruise community packed full of articles and discussions as well as http://www.idealcruising.co.uk a specialist cruise travel agent.
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