South America from Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is Argentina’s big, cosmopolitan capital city. Its center is the Plaza de Mayo, lined with stately 19th-century buildings including Casa Rosada, the iconic, balconied presidential palace. Other major attractions include Teatro Colón, a grand 1908 opera house with nearly 2,500 seats, and the modern MALBA museum, displaying Latin American art

Rio de Janeiro is a huge seaside city in Brazil, famed for its Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, 38m Christ the Redeemer statue atop Mount Corcovado and for Sugarloaf Mountain, a granite peak with cable cars to its summit. The city is also known for its sprawling favelas (shanty towns). Its raucous Carnaval festival, featuring parade floats, flamboyant costumes and samba dancers, is considered the world’s largest.

Cruises to Grenada are ideal for those with a taste for nature and robust flavors. Known as the “Isle of Spice,” Grenada definitely leaves a flavor in your memories after a visit. There’s a reason for this, too… and it’s more than just the island’s role as one of the world’s most important producers of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and allspice. Meshed somewhere in the tropical air, the winding rivers and the fertile soil — a result of the island’s volcanic origins — is a life energy of a distinctly south Caribbean sort. On your Carnival cruise to Grenada, you’ll notice it at the beaches, hear it in the reggae and calypso, and taste it in rich local delicacies… like a dish known as “oildown” (breadfruit and fresh fish). Treat your palate — and all of your senses — to the magic of cruises to Grenada.

The charming island of Martinique is a perfect haven of secluded beaches and uncrowded dive sights. The early Carib people called Martinique "the island of flowers" and indeed, it still is, with plenty of lush vegetation and fragrant flora. The port city of Fort-de-France, its capital, offers chic shopping and plenty of colonial history. Travel up the coast past quaint fishing villages and be sure to visit St. Pierre and the ruins of the city that was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Pelee in 1906.

Explore two colorful nations on one exotic island on one vacation. Split down the middle centuries ago by two European powers, this 37-mile isle offers cosmopolitan culture, international shopping, and world-class cuisine with a laid-back Caribbean atmosphere. Cruise to St. Maarten and you’ll find the island’s natural attributes are equally fine: the rugged coastline shelters silky crescents of sand framed by green undulating hills. Enjoy the laidback vibe of the beach or put on your hiking shoes and explore ruins of historic forts. One thing’s for sure — when you cruise to St. Maarten you’ll come home with amazing memories that will last a lifetime.

Dreaming of an island vacation? Make your dreams a reality with one of Carnival’s year-round cruises from Miami. Because it’s so close to the Caribbean and The Bahamas, Miami is known as the cruise capital of the world. But it’s more than just convenient — rev up for your cruise from Miami with the city’s nonstop action, from party-ready South Beach to the Mediterranean style of Coral Gables, plus spicy Little Havana, which hums to an island beat. Once you’ve experienced all the South Florida architectural beauty, energetic street life and sun-kissed beaches, you may want to extend your stay in the Magic City after your cruise returns.