Cruises to Southern Caribbean

Cruise to Oranjestad, Aruba

Any visitor will create their own Aruba cruise experience, but here are two to try. First, there is the Aruba of beaches, sun and shopping. And why not? The beaches shimmer. The sun grants its benedictions through dry, 82-degree days all year long. And the shopping buzzes along Main Street and Lloyd G. Smith Boulevard. Second, there is the time-sculpted Aruba. Arikok National Park covers nearly one-fifth of the island and is home to species you'll find nowhere else, caves for exploring, and ragged, wind-torn bits of coastline. Of course, there are a million other Arubas. Go find yours.

Cruise to Bridgetown, Barbados

Barbados is what England might look like if it had taken a tropical vacation years ago and decided to stay put. Cricket is the national sport, afternoon tea is a given, and motorists hug left. All these are remnants of the English settlers who arrived in what is now Bridgetown in 1628. Your cruise will show you the British influence most directly in the historic old section of town, which has been singled out as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other highlights include the Barbados Museum and the Careenage district, with its bars and restaurants.

Cruise to Bonaire, Antilles

The forecast calls for sunshine and 81 degrees. The westernmost of the ABC Islands (the others being Aruba and Curacao), Bonaire is shaped roughly like a drawn bow aiming an imaginary arrow at the Netherlands, of which the island is a municipality. Take an hour out of your cruise to walk Kralendijk, the capital. You'll likely hear people speaking Dutch, English, Spanish and Papiamentu as you pass the brightly colored shops and restaurants. After you see the town, explore the island. To the north is Washington Slagbaai National Park, to the south is the flamingo sanctuary at Pekel Meer, and all around is some of the best diving in the world.

Cruise to Curacao, Antilles

If there were no canals, the Dutch would have invented them. Behold Willemstad, with its deepwater harbor, interlacing waterways, and narrow shop fronts that seem always to be stretching to their full height. The capital City of Curacao is a Caribbean cruise delight. Willemstad graces the Shottegat harbor with neighborhoods that mix Dutch, Spanish, and Portuguese urban styles and then dresses them in effulgent pastels. It's a combination seen nowhere else in former Dutch colonies. Wander the shops and markets of the Punda and Otrobanda districts and soak up some color.

Cruise to Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

Enjoy the perfect day of play on our pristine private island, from sunning on two miles of white sand to watersports, nature hikes, deep sea fishing, and more. For relaxing, reserve a private air-conditioned cabana by the sea. For adventure, feed the gentle rays at Stingray Cove, ride a horse into the surf or visit Half Moon Lagoon, the island's aqua park. Discover why Half Moon Cay—included on nearly every Caribbean itinerary—consistently wins guests' hearts.

Cruise to Fort-De-France, Martinique

Christopher Columbus visited the island in 1502, but didn't like the snakes or the hostile reception from the native people. Cruise travelers will find the island, and its capital of Fort-de-France, more welcoming. Located in the Lesser Antilles between St. Lucia and Dominica, Martinique is dominated by a cluster of volcanoes, including the still active Mount Pelee. Fort-De-France, the bayside capital, is located on the west coast of the island. In town, cruise guests should include a visit to the formal gardens of La Savane Park. Highlights outside town include Saint-Pierre (buried by the 1902 Mount Pelee eruption) and the beach of Grand Anse des Salines.

Cruise to Castries, St. Lucia

The old volcanoes have hardened and are crusting over with jungle, but they do make for some beautiful serrated scenery across the island of St. Lucia. Most improbable are the Pitons, two roughly conical mountains rising right up from the ocean on the island's southwest coast. Cruise to a land that still seethes, especially at Soufriere, said to be the world's only drive-in volcano. To the north, the island's capital, Castries, snugs into a sheltered bay. Check out the local market on Jeremie Street, explore Derek Walcott Square (named for the Nobel-winning poet), or spend some time on Vigie Beach.

Cruise to Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos

About a quarter mile from the western beaches at Grand Turk, the sea floor drops 7, 000 feet right down into dark blue. Just at the edge of the dropoff, there's a reef pocked with arches, turrets, and tunnels called the Grand Turk Wall. The reef is a haven for fish, and with its clear water, for divers, too. Cruise to Grand Turk for the diving, and if not, come for the beaches. Grand Turk has witnessed a lot of history, from Ponce de Leon to the space race. Come to the National Museum in the capital, Cockburn Town, to get a taste of it.

Cruise to Samana

Rich in amber, Taino Indian culture and breathtaking natural history, including Bahia de Samana, mating and birthing grounds for humpback whales.

Cruise to Philipsburg (St. Maarten)

Geographically, sixty percent of the island of Saint Martin French. Forty percent is Dutch. And 100 percent of it is wonderful. Philipsburg is the capital of the Dutch section of the island (called Sint Maarten), and lies on a gentle arc of land with a saltwater lake to the north and a bay to the south. An esplanade runs alongside a white sand beach, so you can switch from sunning to shopping and back again in moments. One block in from the beach, cruise visitors can visit the duty-free boutiques of Front Street, one of the great shopping avenues of the Caribbean. Outside town, you can choose from one of the island's nearly 40 beaches. Mullet Bay is one of the nicest.

Cruise to Basseterre

The British and the French played keep-away with the island of St. Kitts in the 17th and 18th centuries, with the British ultimately controlling the island, its capital, Basseterre, and Fort Brimstone, the "Gibraltar of the West Indies." Take a cruise to the city today and you'll see traces of both countries, in a setting that's all Caribbean. Part of the Windward Island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, the busy port of Bassterre eases along a sheltered bay surrounded by green hills and mountains. Highlights of the town include Independence Square, the old section of town; the Circus, a main shopping district; and St. George's Anglican Church, built and rebuilt in the 300 years since its initial construction.

We have had several trips with them. Wouldn't travel with anyone else. Did one with another line and wouldn't go back. We are sailing this Friday for 10 day Southern Caribbean. Had a 16 day from Amsterdam to New York to celebrate our 50th anniversary and they treated us royally. Keep up the good work.