Fort Lauderdale to Fort Lauderdale

Originally a fort built by the U.S. Army in 1838, during the Second Seminole War, Ft. Lauderdale has little left of its warlike past. Instead the city welcomes visitors with broad beaches and an easy pace of life, plus convenient air and water connections that make the city a perfect place to begin or end a cruise.

Welcome to the capital city of the British Virgin Islands… its Main Street lined with colonial-era buildings painted in shades of pastel with colorful shutters and delicate wood trim. Trek through the rain-forested Mount Sage National Park for sweeping views, or play on spectacular white sand beaches with names like Smuggler’s Cove and Cane Garden Bay (immortalized in Jimmy Buffet’s “Mañana”).

Island of celebrity hideaways and posh bungalows, considered by many to be the most elite and glamorous of all the Caribbean isles, St. Barts is home to 22 incredible beaches. Anse de Flamanes presents camera-ready scenery, Baie de St-Jean serves up beachside bistros, and Anse de Grand Cul-de-Sac offers an array of watersports.

Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe’s largest city, is situated on a limestone plateau on the island of Grande-Terre. The city’s structures were built with shipping and the growth of that industry in mind, and locals, lovingly referred to as “Pointois,” contribute to this continued progress and economic expansion by exporting food crops, animal products and manufactured goods. Visitors enjoy strolling the narrow lanes along the waterfront or shopping the colorful market stalls of the Marché Couvert.

Stunning and dramatic, the emerald green Pitons rise from azure waters on this magical isle of quaint bays and lush landscapes and delightful strains of Creole.

Volcanic in origin, this overseas region of France is a tropical paradise of stunning beaches and rain-forested mountains. Known as the “isle of flowers” to the indigenous Arawak, it is today renowned for its culinary offerings and remains ever-enchanting with colonial architecture and glorious gardens. Adding to its mystic allure is the still-smoldering Mount Pelée that erupted in 1902, wiping out the capital of St. Pierre (today in Fort-de-France), often called the Pompeii of the Caribbean.

British influences abound in Basse-Terre, the capital of St. Kitts. Here you’ll find the domed Treasury Building, the Circus, which was modeled after Piccadilly in London, and the St. Georges Anglican Church. Explore the traditional white-sand beaches or admire breathtaking views of verdant mountains.

Rich in history, La Fortaleza is the oldest governor’s mansion in the western hemisphere; be sure to see the mahogany clock which stopped in time when the last Spanish governor of Puerto Rico struck it with his sword on his way out, heralding the last moment of Spanish rule in the New World.