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.

Looking for a holiday that combines culture and exploration with comfort and relaxation? Tenerife is a true slice of paradise. Explore its foodie treasures, tranquil sunsets burning with tones of pink, orange and yellow and put your underwater camera to good use. There are countless experiences to be had, yet also peaceful and idyllic with sparkling waters and powder-soft sand. Visiting the largest of the Canary Islands, our Tenerife cruises bring you close to one of the world's most dramatic and varied landscapes, ranging from verdant valleys and lush plantations to glorious beaches, vast pinewoods and the volcanic `moonscape' of Mount Teide National Park. Tenerife's cruise port Santa Cruz has grown from a fishing village to a splendid city with classy bars and restaurants, varied shops, fine architecture and interesting museums. With our cruises to Tenerife the action begins right outside the port gates, where you will find a caf-lined boulevard leading to the Plaza de Espana, at the heart of the port's main shopping area. Look out for bargain electrical goods and cut-price CDs, Tenerife's speciality. Prefer museums and galleries? Try the Museo de Bellas Artes, which contains works by Bruegel, or discover the island's history, topography, flora and fauna at the Museo de la Naturaleza y El Hombre.

Recife, the capital of Brazil’s northeastern state of Pernambuco, is distinguished by its many rivers, bridges, islets and peninsulas. Recife Antigo, on its own island by the harbor, is the historic old town center dating to the 16th century. To its south, popular Boa Viagem Beach is sheltered by reefs and lined by tall apartment blocks, modern hotels and restaurants.

Famous for its colourful carnival and fabulous beaches, as well as the dramatic entry to its cruise port, Rio de Janeiro in the south-eastern corner of Brazil has much more to offer than sun and sand. You can enjoy breathtaking views from the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain (the cable car journey up is even more spectacular!), or take a taxi up Corcovado Mountain in the Parque Nacional de Tijuca to view the city's most famous landmark, the 30 metre-high statue of Christ the Redeemer. Make time, too, to visit Praca Floriano, the vast square at the heart of the city which is home to its exquisite Teatro Municipal opera house and close to the city's best art gallery, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Floriana Square is also the place to catch Rio's social life at its best - grab a beer at a pavement caf and tap your feet to the rhythms of the Samba before exploring the shops along the 19th century Rua da Carioca.

Famous for its colourful carnival and fabulous beaches, as well as the dramatic entry to its cruise port, Rio de Janeiro in the south-eastern corner of Brazil has much more to offer than sun and sand. You can enjoy breathtaking views from the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain (the cable car journey up is even more spectacular!), or take a taxi up Corcovado Mountain in the Parque Nacional de Tijuca to view the city's most famous landmark, the 30 metre-high statue of Christ the Redeemer. Make time, too, to visit Praca Floriano, the vast square at the heart of the city which is home to its exquisite Teatro Municipal opera house and close to the city's best art gallery, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Floriana Square is also the place to catch Rio's social life at its best - grab a beer at a pavement caf and tap your feet to the rhythms of the Samba before exploring the shops along the 19th century Rua da Carioca.

Salvador, the capital of Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia, is known for its Portuguese colonial architecture, Afro-Brazilian culture and a tropical coastline. The Pelourinho neighborhood is its historic heart, with cobblestone alleys opening onto large squares, colorful buildings and baroque churches such as São Francisco, featuring gilt woodwork.

With a special mixture of the past, present and future, Fortaleza lies at the mouth of the Pajeu River. Attractions keep a hold firmly on the past with squares, monuments and churches all telling of a colonial history dating back to 1612. Developed around the ancient fortress of Our Lady of Assumption (Fortaleza Nossa Senhora de Assuncao), there's much to do in the old centre, where you can visit museums or bargain in the market for embroidery, lace and other local handicrafts.

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.

Kingstown is the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The port city is known for its Botanical Gardens, founded in 1765 and home to tropical plants and aviaries. On a ridge above the bay, the 1806 Fort Charlotte offers panoramic views of the archipelago. The city center has 19th-century churches such as St. Mary’s Cathedral. The lively Kingstown Market sells local produce. Popular Villa Beach is nearby.

Talcum-soft beaches, world class shopping, glitzy casinos, stunning sea views and tracts of desert landscape scattered with giant boulders and exotic cacti are all yours to enjoy when you visit popular Aruba, jewel of the 'deep' Caribbean. And you will find most of Aruba's attractions without straying far from the capital and cruise port, Oranjestad, a waterfront city endowed with a cosmopolitan population - of Portuguese, Spanish, Venezuelan, Indian, Pakistani and African as well as Dutch origin. This cultural mix makes Oranjestad heaven for adventurous foodies and a great place to `shop the world' as you can pick up Delft china, Dutch cheese, Danish silverware and Madeiran embroidery at low prices. For local colour, visit Schooner Harbour, which is crammed with brightly painted boats and craft stalls, and Willemstad, famed for its 16th century Dutch houses. And water babies will love Eagle Beach, Palm Beach and Baby Beach, all a short distance from the port.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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.

San Juan is the capital of bustling Puerto Rico. A stop here could afford you a look at the island's lush rain forest unless of course the beaches prove just too tempting. Alternatively, you could explore the Spanish style Old Town for an authentic flavour of San Juan.

The duty-free shopping capital of the Caribbean and possibly the world, St. Thomas also happens to be one of the prettiest islands. Its capital and also its cruise port, Charlotte Amalie, boasts one of the most attractive Caribbean harbours, especially when the sun sets behind the sails of the armada of fancy yachts that fill the bay.

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.

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.

Basseterre is the capital of the Caribbean island federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. It’s the gateway to popular Saint Kitts beaches like South Friars Bay. At the city’s heart, Independence Square has an Italian-inspired fountain. Just off the Circus traffic circle, with its Victorian Berkeley Memorial Clock Tower, is the National Museum. In the stately Old Treasury Building, it explores the islands’ colonial past.

Basseterre is the capital of the Caribbean island federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. It’s the gateway to popular Saint Kitts beaches like South Friars Bay. At the city’s heart, Independence Square has an Italian-inspired fountain. Just off the Circus traffic circle, with its Victorian Berkeley Memorial Clock Tower, is the National Museum. In the stately Old Treasury Building, it explores the islands’ colonial past.

The name of Coruna's cruise dock - Transatlantic Quay - reflects its location on the northwestern tip of the Iberian Peninsular making it - you might be surprised to learn - the closest European port to New York. It is a charming mixture of old town and new town also with a couple of beaches along the two-mile stretch of coastline it overlooks. The colonnaded Maria Pita Square is at the heart of the old town, with many shops, bars and restaurants all around. There are various fascinating museums including the interactive House of Mankind plus an aquarium and planetarium. La Coruña is also the main Atlantic gateway to one of the most ruggedly scenic regions in Spain - Galicia. Among its attractions is one of the worlds great pilgrimage destinations: Santiago de Compostela, with its Romanesque cathedral.

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.