Miami is the busiest cruise port in the world, hosting a myriad of ships year-round from all over the globe. Although it is technically not on the Caribbean Sea, no other American city exudes more of the diverse tropical appeal of the Caribbean. The city is home to a large and vibrant immigrant population that blends snowbird refugees from more northern climes with emigres from all Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as sizable groups from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. From the hot-blooded Art Deco haunts of South Beach to the natural wonders of the UNESCO-inscribed Everglades and the laid-back charms of the Keys, South Florida offers a bounty of appealing attractions that make an extended stay in the region nearly mandatory for those either embarking or disembarking here.

In the early morning, your ship joins the flotilla of hulls of every shape and purpose from the far corners of the globe. They gather in Limon Bay off the shoreline of Cristobal in the Caribbean Sea to form the day’s convoy. Soon you will parade in file into the mighty Gatun Locks, there to be lifted patiently by inrushing water through three steps and exit into Gatun Lake to begin your transit of the canal. In truth, your ship sails from west to east, threading the jungled Gaillard Cut and before arriving at the Pedro Miguel Locks to begin your descent to the Pacific Ocean. At the Miraflores Locks, your ship files through the three descending steps, lowered gracefully by the outrushing waters into the mouth of the canal, bidding farewell to your convoy, and sailing on into the largest ocean on earth.

After a thrilling day passing through the mighty, water-powered locks and jungled channels of the Panama Canal, reflect on the engineering marvel that you have experienced, as your ship glides majestically out of the canal and into your first night in the Pacific Ocean. As the first stars sparkle in the horizon, lift your glass to the bold visionaries who dreamt of such an accomplishment so long ago, and to the untold thousands who toiled to make it real. VIEW CRUISES

If you are a “pollywog,” who has never crossed the line at sea, you will be expected to undergo a mock trial by King Neptune and his court for the entertainment of the “shellbacks” who have already done so. Mild but hilarious indignities will be conjured, and in the end a good time will be had by most, if not all.

Perched on the banks of the Guayas River, Guayaquil is the country's principal seaport and economic center. Cargo ships, ferry boats and dugout canoes compete for space on the busy waterfront where sailing ships once departed for Europe with stores of gold and silver.

Located in the fertile lowlands near the Gulf of Guayaquil, Machala is said to be the banana capital of the world. Coffee and cacao are also important crops in the surrounding farmlands. The cathedral is impressive, and the church of Nuestra Señora de Chilla has an impressive depiction of the Virgin and child bedecked in golden finery, attended by a rustic, a dog and a goat. Further afield, the Petrified Forest Puyango is the largest array of fossil trees in the world, with some measuring over six feet in diameter and nearly 50 feet long.

A 45-minute drive from the port city of Callao brings you to exciting Lima, the City of Kings. From its founding in 1535 until today, it remains one of the most important cities in all South America. The handsome old buildings from the earliest colonial days surrounding the Plaza de Armas contrast with the soaring modern towers rising in the newer sections of the city.

A 45-minute drive from the port city of Callao brings you to exciting Lima, the City of Kings. From its founding in 1535 until today, it remains one of the most important cities in all South America. The handsome old buildings from the earliest colonial days surrounding the Plaza de Armas contrast with the soaring modern towers rising in the newer sections of the city.