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14-Day Caribbean Sunfarer Holiday

 
 
14-Day Caribbean Sunfarer Holiday
Starting from $2,099*

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US


Ship: ms Volendam


Departure Date :

Optional tours are available from most ports for an additional charge.

 

Itinerary

 
Day Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US
Departs 04:00 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. "
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US
 
 
Day Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
Arrives 08:00 AM Departs 04:00 PM
"If you've ever dreamed of the castaway experience or having a private island of your own—and who hasn't, 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 island's 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. "
Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
 
 
Day At Sea

 
 
Day Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Arrives 09:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM
La Capital, as Santo Domingo is affectionately known, is a UNESCO site and one of the oldest cities in the Caribbean, with Zona Colonial buildings dating back to the 1500s. Santo Domingo is also considered the most modern metropolis in the Caribbean doing a great job of converging old and new. At the heart of the Zona Colonial, a pedestrian-friendly maze of cobblestones and interesting architecture is the first cathedral built in the New World. Find time to sample the aromatic coffee and cacao.
 
 
Day At Sea

 
 
Day Willemstad, Curacao
Arrives 08:00 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. "
Willemstad, Curacao
 
 
Day Oranjestad, Aruba
Arrives 08:00 AM Departs 05:00 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. "
Oranjestad, Aruba
 
 
Day At Sea

 
 
Day Enter Panama Canal Cristobal / Cruising Panama Canal and Gatun Lake / Gatun Lake, Panama / Cruising Gatun Lake and Panama Canal / Exit Panama Canal Cristobal / Colon, Panama
Cruising / Arrives 09:00 AM Departs 10:00 AM / Cruising / Arrives 01:00 PM Departs 01:00 PM / Arrives 03:00 PM Departs 09:00 PM
Think of the Panama Canal, and the image that may come to mind is of the world's 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 country's 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.

Cruising Panama Canal

Gatun Lake, Panama

Cruising Gatun Lake and Panama Canal

"The construction of the Panama Canal is one of those epic tales from the past, an old-school feat of engineering, ambition and courage. A cruise along it today is a journey through the centuries, from the Spanish fortifications near Limón Bay to the glittering skyline of Panama City, not to mention the canal itself. Over the course 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. While the French builders of the Suez Canal ultimately gave up in Panama, American crews persevered and created a route allowing ships to travel across a continent. As David McCullough recounts in his sweeping history The Path Between the Seas, it was a combination of sheer human might and engineering prowess. In 2016 an expansion more than doubled the canal's capacity, ensuring it will continue to be central to the world's maritime traffic."

Exit Panama Canal Balboa

"At the end of your journey along the Panama Canal, you'll reach Balboa, the town that sits at the Pacific entrance of the canal. Its namesake is Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the famed Spanish explorer who was the first European to see the Pacific from the New World. Balboa's journey was historic, a legendary feat of the age of exploration. The construction of the canal that crosses the isthmus today was also a historic achievement, to this day the largest civil engineering project ever. Over the course of a decade at the beginning of the 20th century, a combination of sheer human might and engineering prowess was responsible for the construction of the canal. A journey from Colón, at the Caribbean end of the canal, to Balboa, at its Pacific end, allows you to marvel at this world wonder, as well as see colonial towns, historic fortresses and sanctuaries for Panama's wildlife along the way. Measured by miles, the journey along the canal is relatively short, but it is one with an epic sweep. You will follow in the footsteps of giants from Balboa to the workers who built the canal.
Enter Panama Canal Cristobal / Cruising Panama Canal and Gatun Lake / Gatun Lake, Panama / Cruising Gatun Lake and Panama Canal / Exit Panama Canal Cristobal / Colon, Panama
 
 
Day Puerto Limon (San Jose), Costa Rica
Arrives 07:30 AM Departs 04:00 PM
Costa Rica's 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 area's banana plantations. Alternatively, it's possible to head inland to Costa Rica's cosmopolitan capital, San Jose, just over two hours away by highway through lush highland coffee plantations.
Puerto Limon (San Jose), Costa Rica
 
 
Day At Sea

 
 
Day Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Honduras
Arrives 09:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM
Roatán, about 65 kilometers (40 miles) off the coast of Honduras, is the Central American country's largest island, and it sits atop an ancient, exposed coral reef. If that's not intriguing enough for you, consider this: It is also positioned near the second-largest barrier reef in the entire world, the Mesoamerican Reef. The unique—and fragile—ecosystem is a draw for those who are interested in Honduran flora and fauna (butterflies, hummingbirds and monkeys are among the creatures you might see here) as well as those interested in beaches that invite maximum relaxation. Mahogany Bay, an eight-hectare (20-acre) section of Roatán's port, has about 275 meters (900 feet) of white-sand beach, which can be reached by chairlift. In the Mahogany Bay cruise center, visitors will find unique restaurants and stores, including some selling local art made of salvaged materials. Other opportunities to shop include the Stone Castle Cameo Factory, where you can purchase cameos crafted from Honduran conch shells. Adventures on Roatán are, for the most part, low-key, with excursions ranging from garden visits to kayaking, snorkeling and zip lining.
Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Honduras
 
 
Day Cozumel, Mexico
Arrives 11:00 AM Departs 11:30 PM
Cozumel, an island in the Caribbean off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, draws scuba divers, snorkelers and seekers of sand and sun who are attracted by the reliably sunny and tropical climate. The island and its environs also offer all other manner of on- and around-the-water attractions, many of which are quite unique, such as underwater sculpture gardens, a submarine excursion to see a shipwreck and a sailboat-racing experience that's second only to the America's Cup. For visitors who are intrigued by Mexico's Maya culture, there are several archaeological sites in and around Cozumel, including the UNESCO-inscribed Chichén Itzá and, on Cozumel itself, San Gervasio, once a site where women made offerings to the goddess of fertility and childbirth. When you're done sightseeing, there's shopping for traditional Mexican crafts, jewelry and leather goods, including custom-made sandals, and excellent food (the seafood, of course, is stellar).
Cozumel, Mexico
 
 
Day At Sea

 
 
Day Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US
Arrives 07:00 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. "
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US