Following the "Moneymaker Boom" that caused a sweeping growth in the popularity of poker in 2003, the game began to spread like wildfire. Tournament series popped up here, there, and seemingly everywhere as the industry reset itself and adjusted to its new reality.
In early 2004, the World Poker Tour was in the midst of its second season and had already booked a successful event on international waters with the Party Poker Million II Cruise in Season 1. The WPT teamed up with PokerStars for another event on a cruise ship, and the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure was born, slotting in as the ninth tournament of Season 2 and the first of the 2004 calendar year.