Ultimate Caribbean: Leeward Islands Holiday

Because of its many canals and waterways, Ft. Lauderdale is sometimes called the Venice of America. It’s home to the annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, one of the largest in-water boat shows in the world; which is one of the many reasons our Fort Lauderdale cruise guests love visiting here. Guests can easily get a taste of the area’s nautical lifestyle by cruising the Intracoastal Waterway on an old-fashioned paddle wheeler. Other options include hopping aboard one of the popular water taxis or Venetian gondolas that glide down the historic New River, which flows right through town.

While Ft. Lauderdale is often overshadowed by its flashy neighbor, Miami, the port city is expanding rapidly as major developers and high-end resorts build up the beachfront and surrounding neighborhoods. Visitors will find world-class shopping on famous Las Olas Boulevard, celebrated restaurants and a cultural explosion in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District. It’s clear that Ft. Lauderdale is solidifying its place as a sophisticated destination, and one of the reasons our Fort Lauderdale cruises are a popular choice for many vacation goers.

Philipsburg is the capital of Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island Saint Martin. Beachfront bars line the boardwalk along Great Bay. Voorstraat, or Front Street, has duty-free shops and casinos. The St. Maarten Zoo is home to parrots, monkeys and a playground. Sint Maarten Museum displays artifacts from the indigenous Arawak people. The ruins of 17th-century Fort Amsterdam stand on a nearby peninsula.

Antigua is a Caribbean paradise, with sun-drenched beaches and lush rainforests. Explore the capital city of St. John’s, where the baroque towers of St. John’s Cathedral stand guard. Visit the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda and see Arawak and colonial antiquities. Glimpse rarely-seen species in the rainforest canopy. Nearby, Barbuda is home to one of the region’s most significant bird sanctuaries. Sample shore excursions: Kayak & Snorkel Adventure; Five Star Bird Island.

Stunning mountain peaks, lush rainforest, and perfectly turquoise water. Discover this Caribbean gem on a Cruise to St. Lucia. This Caribbean island offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the raw power of Mother Nature at her finest. On a Cruise to St. Lucia, visit the only drive-in volcano in the world, explore the natural wonders of the wild or simply relax with a good book on an even better beach. St Lucia truly has it all. Book a Caribbean cruise and discover St. Lucia’s sandy white beaches, vibrant tropical foliage, and authentic island food.

Wonderfully untouched. Take in the thunder of Trafalgar Falls, breathtaking in triplicate; watch for the rare and beautiful Sisserou parrot, found only here.

St. Kitts and Nevis are a pair of islands that form a single Eastern Caribbean nation. Ripe with historical sites, the larger St. Kitts passed hands among the Spanish, French and English, with the latter establishing the strongest foothold. The architecture and layout of its capital city, Basseterre, are all typically British. And the island’s sprawling, colonial-era plantations are a reminder of the tumultuous history of the tobacco, rum, sugar and slave trades that were here for generations. Beyond its rich past, St. Kitts offers golden-sand beaches for relaxing, a lush jungle interior that welcomes heart-pumping adventure, laid-back bars with fantastic sunset views and restaurants serving up über-local fare.

The lovely, European-influenced port of Charlotte Amalie wins the prize for Caribbean shopping thrills. Cameras, jewelry, watches, perfumes are all here. So are beautiful beaches, undersea gardens and tales of Blackbeard. Sample shore excursions: Sea Trekking Helmet Dive & Coral World; Champagne Catamaran Sail & Snorkel to St. John; St. Thomas Ocean Racing; Ultimate Island Experience.

The Caribbean is full of tropical wonders and natural beauty. But there’s nothing like Half Moon Cay, our pristine private island paradise in the Bahamas. Cruise to the Bahamas with Holland America Line and discover the most stunning, highest-rated private-island experience in the region, Half Moon Cay. This island has won Porthole Cruise Magazine’s Best Private Island award 17 consecutive years, and was also named the best in Travel Weekly’s Readers’ Choice Awards. As soon as your toes touch that powdery white sand and your eyes settle on the perfect blue-crystal clear water, you’ll understand why this island is one of the most sought out destinations. Whether you are planning a romantic getaway or a family vacation, book a Bahamas cruise and explore Half Moon Cay’s beautiful beaches, exciting cruise excursions, exclusive beach cabanas and more.

Because of its many canals and waterways, Ft. Lauderdale is sometimes called the Venice of America. It’s home to the annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, one of the largest in-water boat shows in the world; which is one of the many reasons our Fort Lauderdale cruise guests love visiting here. Guests can easily get a taste of the area’s nautical lifestyle by cruising the Intracoastal Waterway on an old-fashioned paddle wheeler. Other options include hopping aboard one of the popular water taxis or Venetian gondolas that glide down the historic New River, which flows right through town.

While Ft. Lauderdale is often overshadowed by its flashy neighbor, Miami, the port city is expanding rapidly as major developers and high-end resorts build up the beachfront and surrounding neighborhoods. Visitors will find world-class shopping on famous Las Olas Boulevard, celebrated restaurants and a cultural explosion in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District. It’s clear that Ft. Lauderdale is solidifying its place as a sophisticated destination, and one of the reasons our Fort Lauderdale cruises are a popular choice for many vacation goers.

The Caribbean is full of tropical wonders and natural beauty. But there’s nothing like Half Moon Cay, our pristine private island paradise in the Bahamas. Cruise to the Bahamas with Holland America Line and discover the most stunning, highest-rated private-island experience in the region, Half Moon Cay. This island has won Porthole Cruise Magazine’s Best Private Island award 17 consecutive years, and was also named the best in Travel Weekly’s Readers’ Choice Awards. As soon as your toes touch that powdery white sand and your eyes settle on the perfect blue-crystal clear water, you’ll understand why this island is one of the most sought out destinations. Whether you are planning a romantic getaway or a family vacation, book a Bahamas cruise and explore Half Moon Cay’s beautiful beaches, exciting cruise excursions, exclusive beach cabanas and more.

Located on the Dominican Republic’s north coast, the port of Amber Cove, near Puerto Plata, is a new phenomenon. Built in 2015, the area was fashioned as an homage to the country’s colonial architecture and features restaurants, bars and shops, as well as an activity center, a pool and cabanas. But it’s the neighboring region, known as the Amber Coast for its plethora of the semiprecious stone, that’s this port’s true draw. Along with golden-sand beaches and dramatic cliffs, there’s the city of Puerto Plata, one of the Caribbean’s oldest, founded in the early 1500s. Another nearby option is Santiago de los Caballeros, known locally as simply Santiago, about an hour’s drive from the port. The second-largest city in the Dominican Republic, it is home to excellent museums, historic buildings and cigar and rum makers.

Massive El Morro Fortress guards Old San Juan, while the benevolent Indian spirit Yuquiyu keeps watch over the entire island from the highest peak in the rain forest. By night there are roulette wheels to spin and fiery flamenco shows to catch. Sample shore excursions: Old San Juan Historic Walking Tour; El Yunque Rain Forest Drive; World Heritage Fortress & Art Museum.

St. Kitts and Nevis are a pair of islands that form a single Eastern Caribbean nation. Ripe with historical sites, the larger St. Kitts passed hands among the Spanish, French and English, with the latter establishing the strongest foothold. The architecture and layout of its capital city, Basseterre, are all typically British. And the island’s sprawling, colonial-era plantations are a reminder of the tumultuous history of the tobacco, rum, sugar and slave trades that were here for generations. Beyond its rich past, St. Kitts offers golden-sand beaches for relaxing, a lush jungle interior that welcomes heart-pumping adventure, laid-back bars with fantastic sunset views and restaurants serving up über-local fare.

An enticing mix of pink and blue buildings, yachts, rum cocktails and pirate lore. Play on a soft-sand beach or sail away to islands of buccaneer legend. Sample shore excursions: The North Shore & Pusser s Landing; Wreck of the Rhone Two-tank Certified Dive; Virgin Gorda & The Baths; Swim with the Dolphins.

Philipsburg is the capital of Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island Saint Martin. Beachfront bars line the boardwalk along Great Bay. Voorstraat, or Front Street, has duty-free shops and casinos. The St. Maarten Zoo is home to parrots, monkeys and a playground. Sint Maarten Museum displays artifacts from the indigenous Arawak people. The ruins of 17th-century Fort Amsterdam stand on a nearby peninsula.

Antigua is a Caribbean paradise, with sun-drenched beaches and lush rainforests. Explore the capital city of St. John’s, where the baroque towers of St. John’s Cathedral stand guard. Visit the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda and see Arawak and colonial antiquities. Glimpse rarely-seen species in the rainforest canopy. Nearby, Barbuda is home to one of the region’s most significant bird sanctuaries. Sample shore excursions: Kayak & Snorkel Adventure; Five Star Bird Island.

Stunning volcanic history (in 1902 Mont Pelee blew open with catastrophic force), rum distilleries and blooms in every tropical hue await on this verdant “Island of Flowers.”

Barbadians, or Bajans in local parlance, consider their island nation the most British of the Caribbean: Queen Elizabeth II is still head of state, and English products are stocked in many of its stores and restaurants. Barbados is known as the birthplace of international pop star Rihanna, but it has also produced some of the biggest Caribbean calypso and soca music stars. The summer Crop Over festival is a huge carnival event. With live music and crafts for sale, the popular Friday fish fry at Oistins Bay is a fun place to mingle with the locals.

Centered around a waterway called the Careenage and its handsome Chamberlain Bridge, the historic center of Bridgetown, the country’s capital, was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2011 for its wealth of British colonial architecture dating from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Among the famous figures who visited Bridgetown when it was at its peak was none other than George Washington, who spent two months in 1751 in a house that still stands today, on his only trip abroad.

Barbados is only 34 kilometers (21 miles) long, and even if your time is limited, you can explore much of the island using Bridgetown as your base. The less populated, rugged east coast of this coral island is strikingly beautiful and home to a number of different turtle species. The west coast, often nicknamed the “Platinum Coast,” is where you’ll find some of the island’s most popular beaches and biggest mansions. The interior, with its 340-meter-high (1,115-foot-high) Mount Hillaby, historic sugar plantations and lush gardens, will lure you away from the beach for a few hours.

St. George’s is the capital city of the Caribbean island of Grenada. In the town center, the 18th-century Fort George offers panoramic views of the island and St. George’s Bay. Nearby, Fort Matthew was formerly a battleground and, later, an asylum, and has underground tunnels. The Grenada National Museum hosts exhibits about the history of the region, including the plantation economy and the whaling industry.

Perched on the hillsides above the Southern Caribbean Sea, Scarborough was the site of numerous territorial disputes between England, France, and the Dutch Republic; the island gained independence in 1962. Explore Fort King George, an 18th century fortification and historic and archaeological museum; discover rare flora at the Botanical Gardens and Orchid House; and shop for local crafts and taste treats at the local market.

Located off the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia, the windswept Dutch island of Aruba feels like another world. When you take a cruise to Aruba, you can relax in the shade of a swaying Divi Divi tree on a pristine beach or explore untamed coastal cliffs in an exotic landscape filled with cacti. Just one day on an Aruba cruise can lead to a lifetime full of stories.

Amsterdam-like canals, gabled Dutch colonial buildings, an exotic floating market. This bustling duty-free port has it all. Plus the world-famous Curaçao Liqueur Distillery and an intriguing coral reef teeming with parrotfish and queen angelfish. Sample shore excursions: Curaçao Dolphin Encounter; Curaçao See & Sea Tour; Highlights of Curaçao with Folkloric Show; Canoe Safari; Willemstad Trolley Train.

On the island that gives sway to reggae, drift dreamily down a tranquil river on a bamboo raft, sip a planter’s punch on the porch of a restored Great House, climb the natural stone steps up Dunn’s River Falls. Sample shore excursions: Dolphin Cove and Dunn’s River Falls; Mountain to Sea by Bicycle; Catamaran Sail & Beach Tour; Firefly – Home of Noel Coward.

Crystalline waters, snorkeling with tame stingrays, civilian submarines: This duty-free port has it all, plus Seven Mile Beach and a charming turtle farm. Sample shore excursions: Stingray City Cruise & Island Drive; Reef & Wreck Snorkel by Boat; Scuba Adventure; Nautilus One Semi-submarine.

A cruise to Cozumel will take you , anto an island in the Caribbean off the eastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Cozumel is a popular destination as , drawsit draws many scuba divers, snorkelers and seekers of sand and sun who are attracted by the reliably sunny and tropical climate. The island and its environs also offer all other manner of on- and around-the-water attractions, many of which are quite unique, such as underwater sculpture gardens, a submarine excursion to see a shipwreck and a sailboat-racing experience that’s second only to the America’s Cup. For visitors who are intrigued by Mexico’s Maya culture, there are several archaeological sites in and around Cozumel, including the UNESCO-inscribed Chichén Itzá and, on Cozumel itself, San Gervasio, once a site where women made offerings to the goddess of fertility and childbirth. When you’re done sightseeing on your cruise to Cozumel, there’s shopping for traditional Mexican crafts, jewelry and leather goods, including custom-made sandals, and excellent food (the seafood, of course, is stellar).

Because of its many canals and waterways, Ft. Lauderdale is sometimes called the Venice of America. It’s home to the annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, one of the largest in-water boat shows in the world; which is one of the many reasons our Fort Lauderdale cruise guests love visiting here. Guests can easily get a taste of the area’s nautical lifestyle by cruising the Intracoastal Waterway on an old-fashioned paddle wheeler. Other options include hopping aboard one of the popular water taxis or Venetian gondolas that glide down the historic New River, which flows right through town.

While Ft. Lauderdale is often overshadowed by its flashy neighbor, Miami, the port city is expanding rapidly as major developers and high-end resorts build up the beachfront and surrounding neighborhoods. Visitors will find world-class shopping on famous Las Olas Boulevard, celebrated restaurants and a cultural explosion in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District. It’s clear that Ft. Lauderdale is solidifying its place as a sophisticated destination, and one of the reasons our Fort Lauderdale cruises are a popular choice for many vacation goers.