America And Caribbean Discovery

The city center is a charming mix of old city walls and a large modern shopping centre. With multiple restaurants, museums, cinemas and theatres there is plenty to be explored. Time spent at embarkation and disembarkation ports may be limited which may restrict availability of shore excursions.

The largest of the Portuguese islands in the Madeiran archipelago, Madeira offers a wealth of sites of historical interest, marvellous fish cuisine and, of course, its own famous Madeira wine. Unusually, Madeira has no sandy beaches, but it does offer the visitors wonderful walks, not only through its towns, but through its mountains and hills.

An island with a split personality, this is one of the few places in the Caribbean where the European powers co-existed peacefully. Hence, this lovely island is a mixture of Dutch, French and Caribbean tastes and delights.

Divers will relish the reefs and grottoes of Dominica. On dry land, shimmering waterfalls and dense rainforest offer another sort of beauty.

Sailors through the centuries have rated it one of the worlds prettiest harbours and it is hard to disagree. Horseshoe-shaped and set in a volcanic crater, Grenadas capital and cruise port St Georges is flanked by two forts, with colourful French colonial style buildings ranged along the front. It is the perfect entrance to one of the Caribbean's most scenic islands. Only 12 miles by 21, it is awash with waterfalls, mountain valleys, rainforests, lakes and volcanic craters. The beaches are to die for, especially Grand Anse - a two-mile stretch of pure white sand just around the bay from St Georges. Grenada is also the island you can smell before you can see it. The 'Spice Island' grows more spices per square mile than anywhere else on the planet with nutmeg its signature seasoning. In fact, gentle haggling with spice vendors is part of the fun of cruising to this laid-back Caribbean island.

Home to calypso and steel band music Port of Spain and, indeed, most of Trinidad is one of the liveliest enclaves in the whole Caribbean.

The least developed of the Caribbean ABC islands (Aruba and Curacao are the others), Bonaire has many good reasons to protect its own extraordinary environment. Bonaires Marine Park, which covers the coral reefs along the islands west coast, has a vast number and variety of fish, and snorkelling and diving amongst these colourful residents is a sheer delight. A more conventional national park spreads across the whole northern part of the island. Originally plantations, this freshwater swampland is now home to pelican, parrots and geese. Pick of the islands beaches is called Pink Beach because of the attractive colour the coral has turned the sand.

The largest island in the Dutch Antilles, Curaçao is home to more than 50 nationalities. Willemstad is full of 17th, 18th and 19th century Dutch and Spanish Colonial architecture. The two sides of the city are divided by Santa Anna Bay, a narrow channel flanked by pastel-tinted, gabled houses and spanned by the spectacular swing-aside Queen Emma pontoon bridge. On one side you will find the 18th century Fort Amsterdam and Breederstraat, gateway to Willemstads main shopping and restaurant district where you can buy everything from Delft pottery to Italian silk ties, Japanese electrical goods, Indonesian batik clothing, locally-made black coral jewellery and, of course, the sapphire-blue liqueur to which Curaçao has given its name.

Cartagena de Indias, to give its full name, is an historic city in Columbia founded in 1533 and ringed with massive walls built by the Spanish to fend off pirates. The city's palaces and the maze of winding streets give the city its unique Iberian character.

Cristobal, at the Atlantic entrance of the Panama Canal, is your gateway for the city of Colon. From here, relive the adventures of Captain Morgan at San Lorenzo Fort, head into the rain forest to meet the Choco Indians or see the amazing Gatun locks in action.

The Panama Canal is the world's biggest short-cut. You will be amazed by its sheer scale and clockwork efficiency.

Limón, commonly known as Puerto Limón, is a district, the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the Limón canton in Costa Rica. It is the seventh largest city in Costa Rica, with a population of over 55,000, and is home of the Afro-Costa Rican community.

Roatan is one of the three beautiful Bay islands located off the north coast of Honduras. Set on a coral reef and beholding scenic reserves, botanical gardens and some of the finest beaches in Latin America and the Caribbean, the eco-tourism sector here is blossoming.

This newly created Mexican cruise port opened in 2000 and is close to the border with Belize. Through the Mayan temple-style entrance into the visitor centre, you will find shops and a small open-air theatre where folkloric shows are staged. There are also classes in local crafts and skills such as guacamole-making.

Discovered by Columbus and visited by Sir Francis Drake, Grand Cayman has its fair share of swashbuckling tales. There's a very British atmosphere here as this island remained in the Commonwealth even when its close neighbour, Jamaica, became independent. Seven Mile Beach (it's nearer six but its desperately impressive for all that!) are well worth a visit,

The worlds most popular cruise port, Cozumel, is just a small (12 miles long) island off Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula but it has a vibrant, pulsating Latin heart. Everywhere is all action and activity from the music-playing downtown bars, cafés and shops to the watersports on offer from the glorious beaches.

Progreso is a port city on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. It’s a common stop for cruise ships, which dock at its landmark long pier. An oceanfront promenade, the Malecón, is lined with beaches and thatch-roofed restaurants. The Faro de Puerto Progreso, built in 1893, is an active lighthouse. The city is a gateway to the inland Mayan archaeological sites of Chichén Itzá, Uxmal and Dzibilchaltún

With its atmospheric French Quarter, New Orleans oozes character quite unlike any other American city. It's the place where anything seems to go - that's why Americans call it the "Big Easy". Its melting pot of influences; African, French and Caribbean, give this city on the Mississippi River a unique vibrancy, not least after dark when the music clubs and bars strike up with authentic jazz and blues sounds. Preservation Hall is only the best known of its many late-night music haunts. The diverse cultural mix also adds spice to its famous Creole and Cajun cuisine. Although a relatively small city, especially by US standards, walking will not get you around all of its sights so why not climb on board one of its historic streetcars, the oldest continuously operating system in the world? Jackson Square in the heart of the Vieux Carre (French Quarter) is a good daytime starting point to explore the area's late 18th century houses with their magnolia-draped balconies and hidden courtyards.

With its atmospheric French Quarter, New Orleans oozes character quite unlike any other American city. It's the place where anything seems to go - that's why Americans call it the "Big Easy". Its melting pot of influences; African, French and Caribbean, give this city on the Mississippi River a unique vibrancy, not least after dark when the music clubs and bars strike up with authentic jazz and blues sounds. Preservation Hall is only the best known of its many late-night music haunts. The diverse cultural mix also adds spice to its famous Creole and Cajun cuisine. Although a relatively small city, especially by US standards, walking will not get you around all of its sights so why not climb on board one of its historic streetcars, the oldest continuously operating system in the world? Jackson Square in the heart of the Vieux Carre (French Quarter) is a good daytime starting point to explore the area's late 18th century houses with their magnolia-draped balconies and hidden courtyards.

Port Canaveral is a cruise, cargo, and naval port in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world with 4.5 million cruise passengers passing through during 2016. Over 6 million short tons of bulk cargo moves through each year

Freeport is the main city on Grand Bahama, an island in the northwest Bahamas off the Florida coast. It's best known for the oceanfront Lucaya district, with beaches, resorts and shopping. Nearby, Deadman's Reef is popular for snorkeling, and the surrounding offshore waters host many dive sites. Up the coast, Lucayan National Park features extensive underwater caves, plus kayaking and nature trails

Bursting with turn-of-the-century Caribbean charm, Grand Turk, the historic capital of the Turks and Caicos is best known for its sugary white shores, calm blue waters and rustic colonial charm. And at just six miles long, and just over a mile, wide this small but perfectly formed island is easy to explore.

Amber Cove is a cruise terminal in Puerto Plata Province in the Dominican Republic. The terminal includes lodging and retail stores

This fabulous Jamaican resort was once home to James Bond's creator, Ian Fleming, who built his home, Goldeneye at the end of the beach.Luckily you don't have to be a secret agent to discover the charms of Dunn's River Falls or the miles of great beaches.

This is the most sophisticated of Jamaica's resorts. Overlooking the famously glorious stretches of white sand, palm trees and calm clear waters are lush mountains dotted with gracious colonial homes.

Here, in the beautiful archipelago of the British Virgin islands, the motto is: “The best thing you can do is do nothing.” The “nothing” that Tortola offers you consists of swimming in opalescent waters, basking in glorious sunshine and strolling along beaches of shimmering white sand.

If you have ever dreamt of the classic Caribbean island, chances are it looked a lot like St. Kitts. You will recognise that mixture of deserted beaches, sleepy villages, lush rainforest greenery and sugarcane fields and maybe even the mini-mountain range with a dormant volcano in its midst.

Guadeloupe, a French overseas region, is an island group in the southern Caribbean Sea. Resembling a butterfly, its 2 largest islands are separated by the Salée River. Hilly Grande-Terre Island has long beaches and sugarcane fields. On Basse-Terre Island, Parc National de la Guadeloupe encompasses Carbet Falls and the volcano La Grande Soufrière. Smaller islands include Marie-Galante and La Désirade.

Martinique is the Caribbean but with a French accent. This will become apparent when you look for a restaurant for lunch and discover menus that wouldn't be out of place at the finest bistros. Elsewhere things revert to type with miles of wonderful beaches and crystal clear waters. Take a trip to mont Pelee if you'd care to see the site of the Caribbean worst ever volcanic eruption.

Tobago is one of the real Robinson Crusoe islands. There is not much of it - just 26 miles by nine - but around every corner, and it seems like at every turn, you find your jaw dropping open at the sheer beauty of another scene.

Watching the Atlantic surf crash down on the rugged east coast of this richly diverse island and, for a moment, you may feel you could be on the Cornish coast but the moment you hear the waves of gospel singing emanating from a tiny local church you realise you could not be anywhere else but Barbados. While, over on the sheltered west coast, the glorious beaches are pure Caribbean. And there are more beaches and a lot more bars, cafés, restaurants and clubs creating a vibrant 24/7 lifestyle on the south coast, too. In the capital and cruise port, Bridgetown, there are intriguing signs of its British colonial past while, across the island, you are really spoilt for choice. You can enjoy every watersport under the sun; stunning nature walks and bike rides; or maybe a trip to the uniquely magnificent Harrisons Cave underground complex of caverns, waterfalls, stalactites and stalagmites.

Praia da Vitória is a municipality in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. With a population of 21,035, the second largest administrative authority on the island of Terceira, it covers an area of 161.27 square kilometres, that extends from the northern coast halfway into the interior.

The city center is a charming mix of old city walls and a large modern shopping centre. With multiple restaurants, museums, cinemas and theatres there is plenty to be explored. Time spent at embarkation and disembarkation ports may be limited which may restrict availability of shore excursions.