Depends. The Bahamas are many, many islands spread out over a large distance. There certainly are the well-trod ones full of Americans and Canadiens and everyone else - more Europeans, Kiwis and Aussies in these places than elsewhere too.
Then there are wide swathes of Bahamain places were I've rarely seen any Americans or Canadians. Sometimes you see nobody at all for months, but mostly you are spending time with a few Europeans, Kiwis, and Aussies. The Americans and Canadians one does see in these places are searching for the same experiences as us, the Europeans, the Kiwis and the Aussies.
We predominantly spend time in these latter areas of the Bahamas. They tend to be too "uncomfortable" for North Americans, with no organized reindeer games.
I'm with SanderO on the E Caribe. We have spent much time there cruising and are way over it. Yes, there are pockets of culture like the French islands, but mostly it is homogenized and tourist-oriented. Mixing with the locals usually has a feeling of them doing so for a different motive than friendship or a good time, and language is almost never a barrier challenge. If you need boat work or parts, it is about as easy to obtain as in the US, so no getting out of one's comfort zone there.
The Western Caribe, South and Central America is entirely different. You really are in different cultures with noticeable and unique changes from one country to another, and often even within one country. You will learn some Spanish or not get by. Mixing with locals is not only necessary, it is highly rewarding and genuine. You will be self-sufficient with your boat.
On a different note, after several years of cruising actively year-round, we realized that the summer months are generally terrible cruising experiences. Too much heat, rain, lightning, bugs, no wind, etc. This is the same even if one decides to cruise the summers in the Chesapeake or even New England (to a much lesser extent, though). It is definitely worse further South.
So we started putting the boat to bed for those three worse summer months and expanding our experiences land traveling. We began by extending visits with our families, but also taking long trips to places we can't reach by boat. A few months in Peru, for example. Putting the boat away in Guatemala and taking extended trips into the mountains and countryside while using the boat as a base to regroup for a few days and plan another trip.
The only downside is that boats tend to break themselves if one is not actively using it and giving it the constant evil eye. I don't know how or why this happens, but if I turn my back on the boat, it does something stupid to itself. So there is always a mad dash upon returning from an absence to whip the boat back into shape to take off for the next 8-9 months of cruising.
Mark
.
