Southern Caribbean Cruise 9 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 vacation early.

Cruise to Antigua, named by Christopher Columbus in 1493, and discover 365 Caribbean beaches—one for every day, every type of beach—hidden among the countless cliffs and bays. The lush rainforest, dramatic landscapes, and turquoise waters tempt eco-adventurers from swimmers to hikers to zip-line flyers


Swim and snorkel with gentle stingrays—even feed and pet them—and snorkel the coral reefs that ring the island and teem with life. Take a scenic catamaran sail. Stop at Paradise Reef and peer below the surface of the clear Antiguan waters. Lie on a golden beach and sip a rum punch or enjoy some lobster on your St. John’s cruise.

Antigua and neighboring Barbuda form an independent country in the British Commonwealth. The English settled here in 1632 and imported slaves to build sugar plantations. They became independent in 1981. The capital and largest city, St. John's, is one of the more developed and cosmopolitan municipalities in the Lesser Antilles.

Antigua’s hotels and resorts serve excellent European cuisine, featuring the fresh catch of the day. Go native and try the local fungi (like polenta, paired with salt fish), callaloo (a popular West African / Caribbean dish), and hearty pepper pot.

When it's time to go shopping, find Caribbean fashions, local crafts, and designer fashions in the duty-free shops of St. John’s. Browse luxurious Heritage Quay or quaint seaside Redcliffe Quay.

As soon as you get into “Town”, make a stop at one of the island’s 1,500 rum shops. Then spend your day on the seemingly endless pink-and-white-sand beaches. For inland adventures, explore the rolling hills and valleys, sugarcane fields and historic plantations. Or take a dive into the crystal clear turquoise waters filled with captivating coral reefs.

Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis

Explore French and English colonial architecture, breathtaking beaches, and lush landscapes beneath soaring mountain peaks.

Walking distance from the St. Kitts cruise port, find the Circus and Independence Square. The Circus is a roundabout lined by local shops with artisanal batik clothing, leatherwork, and weaving. Stroll another couple blocks to Independence Square, site of the stately courthouse and cathedral.

West of Basseterre, visit 350-year-old Romney Manor estate, once owned by a British earl. The grounds include magnificent gardens with exotic plants and an amazing saman tree—as old as the estate—that covers half an acre.

Tour Brimstone Hill Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage site, 750 feet above the Caribbean. Ride a narrow-gauge train through breathtaking scenery on the St. Kitts Scenic Railway tour. All round the island, take in magnificent views of Mount Liamuiga, a 3,792-foot-high dormant volcano. Of course, pristine beaches and turquoise waters are everywhere.

For lunch, seek out rustic plantation homes that serve hearty West Indian fare like fresh seafood, local rotis, mango ginger chicken, and goat water stew, blending the islands’ staple protein with local papaya and breadfruit.

You'll have so much to discover before returning to the St. Kitts cruise port.

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.

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.