Itinerary

United States 11D ( Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US - Cartagena, Colombia -Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US )

Day 01 : Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Us
DEPARTS 3:00 pm
"Shimmering blue waters, swaying palm trees and soft ocean breezes greet you in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where you'll find yourself somewhere between laid-back island time and the fast pace of a thriving city. In this sun-filled, year-round beach town, pristine beaches are the main attraction, shorts and flip-flops are the daily uniform, and yachts are often the preferred form of transportation. It's a place where you can do as much, or as little, as you desire. 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. Visitors 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.

Day 02 : Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

ARRIVES 8:00 am   DEPARTS 3:00 pm
"If you've ever dreamed of the castaway experience or having a private island of your own and who hasnt, at least once? Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas offers the opportunity to fulfill that fantasy. Also known as Little San Salvador Island, Half Moon Cay is located 16 kilometers (10 miles) southeast of Nassau. In 1996, Holland America Line purchased the island and decided to set aside most of it as a protected wildlife sanctuary only two percent of the island has been developed. This is especially appreciated by photographers and bird-watching enthusiasts as they explore the preserve and its variety of species. At 10 square kilometers (four square miles), the island is small enough that you can see it all in a day, yet large enough to offer a range of activities: horseback riding, snorkeling with stingrays, a range of water sports and, of course, simply lounging on the beach while taking occasional dips in the clear sea to cool off. At the islands Straw Market, you can shop for crafts made in the Bahamas, while the waterfront bars and Tropics Restaurant are ready to serve you a meal or drink when you've finished surveying your private paradise.

Day 03 : Days at sea
Cruising only

Day 04 : Oranjestad, Aruba
ARRIVES 1:00 pm   DEPARTS 11:00 pm
"Located off the coast of Venezuela, the windswept Dutch island of Aruba is otherworldly. Here, the beaches are spectacularly pristine, the waters are romantically restless, the island interior is lunar-like and filled with cacti, and the trees are quite famously bent in the wind. The island's consistent trade winds are part of the destination's allure: They keep the humidity, rain and hurricanes common in much of the Caribbean during its off-season at bay. The main port and capital city, Oranjestad, is a maze of Dutch-colonial architecture painted in a palette of Caribbean pastels. There are some historic sites of note and myriad shops, from boutiques to megastores, selling all sorts of keepsakes, with jewelry and gold being popular items in fact, gold was mined here in the 19th century. In Oranjestad and along the beaches you'll also find a treasure trove of excellent seafood restaurants, while farther afield are lighthouses, gold mine ruins and natural wonders that reflect the rugged appeal of Aruba.

Day 05 : Willemstad, Curacao
ARRIVES 8:00 am   DEPARTS 11:00 pm
"The capital of Curaçao, Willemstad, is almost as old as a more famous Dutch settlement it was founded in 1634, just 10 years after New Amsterdam, later called New York. But while the Dutch control of New Amsterdam was relatively brief, Curaçao remains a part of the Netherlands to this day. Its historic center is a unique mixture of Dutch architecture and Caribbean pastels, its gabled row houses overlooking Sint Anna Bay, a waterway dividing the city in two and connecting the Caribbean to the protected Schottegat Bay. The entire historic center of Willemstad has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While Willemstad's legendary days of yore can be explored at institutions like the Kura Hulanda and Curaçao Maritime Museum, this is a vibrant, living city too. Highlights of this multicultural melting pot might include a stop at its floating market and a visit to a curaçao distillery to taste the famous local liqueur. Natural wonders await as well: Some of the Caribbean’s most stunning diving and snorkeling spots are here. Finally, a meal in Willemstad will let you experience the diversity of the island through the surprising flavors of its cuisine, which reflects European, Caribbean and Latin American influences. 

Day 06: Days at sea
Cruising only

Day 07 :Cartagena, Colombia
ARRIVES 7:00 am   DEPARTS 1:00 pm
The Spanish founded Cartagena, officially known as Cartagena de Indias, in 1533. The city rapidly became a thriving commercial port, where precious stones and minerals from the New World awaited shipment back to Spain. Situated in a bay on the Caribbean Sea, Cartagena had the most extensive fortifications in South America, once guarded by 29 stone forts and a high wall of coral-stone measuring 16-miles long, 40-feet high and 50-feet wide. Completed in 1657, the Castle of San Felipe de Barajas is said to be the most grandiose work of military architecture erected by Spain in the Americas. Today, Cartagena's riches are found in the Boca Grande, an area of the city with beautiful waterfront hotels, trendy restaurants, casinos and boutiques.

Day 08 : Enter Panama Canal Cristobal
ARRIVES 5:00 am   DEPARTS 5:00 am
Think of the Panama Canal, and the image that may come to mind is of the worlds huge tankers and cruise ships passing through a series of locks. That, however, reflects only one aspect of this part of the world. As ships travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific, they also pass colonial towns, historic fortresses and manmade lakes that are today home to sanctuaries for hundreds of different animal and plant species. At the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal, Colón evokes the old Panama of yesteryear, with its historic buildings gradually being restored. Some 77 kilometers (48 miles) to the south, at the canal’s Pacific entrance, Panama City's glittering skyline of office towers and condominiums reflects the countrys dynamic present and future. Traveling between these two cities, an epic tale unfolds before you—an old-school feat of engineering, ambition and courage. As David McCullough recounts in his sweeping history The Path Between the Seas, it was a combination of sheer human might and engineering prowess that today allows ships to cross the Panama isthmus, saving sailors from making the dangerous, almost 13,000-kilometer (8,000-mile) journey around the tip of South America.

Day 09 : Cruising Panama Canal And Gatun Lak
The construction of the Panama Canal is one of those epic tales from the past, an old-school feat of engineering, ambition and courage. Over the span of a decade a little more than a century ago, tens of thousands of workers drilled dynamite holes, drove belching steam shovels and labored with pickaxes, all the while fighting off malaria. As David McCullough recounts in his sweeping history The Path Between the Seas, it was a combination of sheer human might and what was at the time the latest engineering prowess that created a route connecting two oceans. What may come as a surprise to those who have never traveled across the Panama Canal is that only portions of it, at each end, are the narrow channels and locks that are so often photographed. At its heart is the huge manmade Gatún Lake. There, in the middle of one of humankind's greatest engineering achievements, more than 100 species each of mammals and reptiles, as well as some 500 different birds (from colorful toucans to fierce harpy eagles), thrive in the nature reserves on islands in the middle of the lake and along its edges.

Day 10 : Puerto Limon (san Jose), Costa Ric
ARRIVES 6:30 am   DEPARTS 4:00 pm
Costa Ricas Caribbean coastal port gives access to a number of natural attractions. The canopy of the coastal rain forest can be visited by gondolas on aerial cable systems at the Veragua Rain Forest Park, which also offers zip-line adventures, as does the nearby Jungle Breeze park. The mangrove forests of the Tortuguero Canal are an easy way to get close to sloths, monkeys and numerous varieties of birds and reptiles on canal boats. Visitors often combine these with visits to one of the areas banana plantations. Alternatively, its possible to head inland to Costa Ricas cosmopolitan capital, San Jose, just over two hours away by highway through lush highland coffee plantations.

Day 11 : Days at sea 
Cruising only

Day 12 : Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US
ARRIVES 7:00 am   
"Shimmering blue waters, swaying palm trees and soft ocean breezes greet you in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where you'll find yourself somewhere between laid-back island time and the fast pace of a thriving city. In this sun-filled, year-round beach town, pristine beaches are the main attraction, shorts and flip-flops are the daily uniform, and yachts are often the preferred form of transportation. It's a place where you can do as much, or as little, as you desire. 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. Visitors 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.