Eastern Caribbean Cruise 7 Nights • Miami, Florida • Independence of the Seas

Welcome to the official Cruise Capital of the World, a world-class city with a world-class beach. Before your cruise from Miami, stay and play. Within view of Miami cruises, colorful characters from macaws to monkeys greet you at Jungle Island, with pink flamingos, white cockatoos, and green parrots. In Miami Beach, iconic Lummus Park frames the Art Deco hotels, fashion models, and fancy cars. From South Pointe Park, watch the ships glide out to sea. On Lincoln Road, you could spend three months eating at a different restaurant every day—trust us, we did it. Up the coast at Bal Harbour Shops, designer boutiques challenge fashionistas, who shop till they drop at Haulover Park Beach, where the north end is clothing optional.

Cruises from Miami dock near Bayfront Park, a place to stroll the bay and get a bite. The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science just debuted with a spectacular planetarium, and the new Pérez Art Museum Miami truly embraces its bay-side perch. A bit north, hipsters have turned graffiti into serious street art in the world's most unique arts district, Wynwood, while the Miami Design District attracts fans of interiors and fashion.

In Little Havana, urban pioneers rehab old buildings and open new restaurants, bars, and shops. In Mediterranean-style Coral Gables, you can swim in Venetian Pool, a coral quarry transformed into a giant swimming hole with waterfalls, caves, and grottoes. Woodsy Coconut Grove is a cool neighborhood surrounding a marina where Miami City Hall originally served as the seaplane base. Vizcaya Museum & Gardens displays priceless furnishings and art in a grand estate.

Dining in Greater Miami is fresh on many levels. The seafood served tonight was still swimming this morning. Before cruises from Miami, visitors enjoy Florida lobster, grouper, mahi-mahi, pompano, snapper, and stone crabs. The go-to lunch is a Cuban sandwich, and the coffee is Cuban, too. Enjoy anything orange—slices, juices, sauces, marmalades, and dressings. More fruits include mango, papaya, jackfruit, avocado, and passion. The must-have dessert is sweet, tart, creamy, key lime pie, made from yellow key limes, not green Persian limes. Take advantage of Miami cruises to indulge.

Your ship departs promptly at 4:00 pm, so plan to arrive at least 2-3 hours early to account for checking in and boarding protocols. During this time, many of the ship's amenities are open and operating, so feel free to start your holiday early.

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

In the 17th century, Dutch and French soldiers decided to share this little island, and today it remains happily split between France (Saint Martin, north side) and the Netherlands (Sint Maarten, south side).

Cruise to St. Maarten and explore the dozens of alluring beaches that ring the island. At Orient Beach, sunbathers bask and beachcombers stroll on the white sands, while divers and snorkelers
explore the sunken shipwrecks and marine life just offshore. You'll really get blown away at Jet Blast Beach (officially Maho Beach), next to the airport.

Embrace all the beauty of the island on a tour to the French capital, Marigot, where you can explore the quaint streets and cafés, open-air market, and 18th-century Fort Louis. Take a scenic cruise of Simpson Bay Lagoon, site of luxurious villas and megayachts. More tours show you charming Grand Case and Orient Bay.

Both Philipsburg and Marigot are celebrated culinary capitals, and locals do enjoy outdoor cooking. Try the barbecued ribs and chicken. Leading French chefs flock to Marigot, where they give their sophisticated cuisine a Caribbean twist.

Shoppers find electronics, rum, cigars, jewelry, and designer brands in the hundreds of duty-free and tax-free stores on Philipsburg’s mile-long Front Street.

San Juan, Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico is one of the largest islands in the Eastern Caribbean. Discover the classic signs of a vacationer’s paradise on one of our many cruises to Puerto Rico: gorgeous landscape with lush green mountains, underground caves, balmy waters, white-sandy beaches, delicious rum drinks and so much more. Spend an afternoon snorkeling during your cruise to Puerto Rico and discover the beautiful marine life of the Caribbean Sea while swimming among the fish, coral communities, mangrove forests, and seagrass beds. Or take an evening sail around Old San Juan for amazing views of the 500-year-old walled city as the sun casts gorgeous light on the turquoise waters.

Old San Juan is one of the first cities to be established in the New World. Explore the historical forts that were built to protect the island during Spanish occupation. Navigate through the tunnels, dungeons, and barrack of San Cristobal, San Felipe del Morro, San Juan de las Cruz, and the city walls. Stroll the blue-toned cobblestone streets and uncover various UNESCO sites, museums, historic churches, restaurants and much more along the way.

Take a tour of the Bacardi headquarters and learn about the process of rum making from barrel to bottle. Get a glimpse into the history of the world’s most awarded rum and sample the final product while you’re at it. Visit Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico for the most gorgeous fine art collections on the island, including paintings, sculptures, and carvings as far back as the 17th century.

From roadside stalls serving up delicious local snacks like alcapurrias to the finest restaurants with the freshest seafood on menus, enjoy the fusion of Spanish, Taíno, African, and US influences and flavors of San Juan’s rich culinary traditions. Cruise to San Juan and discover an island with a fascinating history that is one of the most stunning examples of colonial life in the Western world.

Puerto Plata was inhabited by the Taino people for centuries before Christopher Columbus arrived and founded the city in the early 1500s. By the 20th century, Puerto Plata had emerged as the Dominican Republic’s main tourism hub. You can paddle through a manatee reserve or zipline over treetops. Go for a swim at the awe-inspiring 27 Waterfalls complex. Hike through the lush, protected jungle of El Choco National Park, enjoying the park’s two lagoons. Swim with dolphins at World Ocean, the largest manmade dolphin habitat in the world, or grab a kayak and head out on the water at Manatee Reserve. Nature, adventure, history – Puerto Plata has it all.

Welcome to the official Cruise Capital of the World, a world-class city with a world-class beach. Before your cruise from Miami, stay and play. Within view of Miami cruises, colorful characters from macaws to monkeys greet you at Jungle Island, with pink flamingos, white cockatoos, and green parrots. In Miami Beach, iconic Lummus Park frames the Art Deco hotels, fashion models, and fancy cars. From South Pointe Park, watch the ships glide out to sea. On Lincoln Road, you could spend three months eating at a different restaurant every day—trust us, we did it. Up the coast at Bal Harbour Shops, designer boutiques challenge fashionistas, who shop till they drop at Haulover Park Beach, where the north end is clothing optional.

Cruises from Miami dock near Bayfront Park, a place to stroll the bay and get a bite. The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science just debuted with a spectacular planetarium, and the new Pérez Art Museum Miami truly embraces its bay-side perch. A bit north, hipsters have turned graffiti into serious street art in the world's most unique arts district, Wynwood, while the Miami Design District attracts fans of interiors and fashion.

In Little Havana, urban pioneers rehab old buildings and open new restaurants, bars, and shops. In Mediterranean-style Coral Gables, you can swim in Venetian Pool, a coral quarry transformed into a giant swimming hole with waterfalls, caves, and grottoes. Woodsy Coconut Grove is a cool neighborhood surrounding a marina where Miami City Hall originally served as the seaplane base. Vizcaya Museum & Gardens displays priceless furnishings and art in a grand estate.

Dining in Greater Miami is fresh on many levels. The seafood served tonight was still swimming this morning. Before cruises from Miami, visitors enjoy Florida lobster, grouper, mahi-mahi, pompano, snapper, and stone crabs. The go-to lunch is a Cuban sandwich, and the coffee is Cuban, too. Enjoy anything orange—slices, juices, sauces, marmalades, and dressings. More fruits include mango, papaya, jackfruit, avocado, and passion. The must-have dessert is sweet, tart, creamy, key lime pie, made from yellow key limes, not green Persian limes. Take advantage of Miami cruises to indulge.

The cruise might have ended, but there are still some great activities to enjoy in the area. If you flew into this port, be mindful of your departure flight time and plan accordingly.