2016-17 CCL Caribbean POC R2 by Onboard Media

FUN ASHORE 2016 –17 CARIBBEAN SAILING SEASON REGION 2

FUN ASHORE GETTING THERE WITH CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE

FABULOUS FIVE The making-over of five in the fleet

KEEPING IT CLEAN Environmental efforts show care for the planet

ISLAND WEDDINGS What to do before ‘I do’

STAR SEARCHES Celebrity sighting in the tropics

PLEASE READ, ENJOY AND LEAVE IN STATEROOM AT CRUISE’S END

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2 016 -17 CARIBBE AN SAILING SE ASON

TIM McGRAW Country superstar joins Carnival LIVE

GUIDE TO PORTS

What to do, where to shop starting on page

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WELCOME ABOARD!

CONTENTS

A message from Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

2016–2017 Sailing Season

FUN TAKES / Keeping Up With Carnival Cruise Line

New ships on the horizon, new ways to explore the ports and more news from the fleet.

THE FABULOUS FIVE

A look at the making-over of five ships and their exciting new ways to sip, savor and shop. By Lena Katz

PRETO PEROLA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

CARNIVAL SHOWS IT CARES

The cruise line is a dedicated steward of the environment, with technology and practices meant to help create a sustainable future. By Kelly Liszt

COVER STORY / Tim McGraw

The country superstar, who joins the 2017 Carnival LIVE lineup, looks back on his roots, his meteoric rise and how he stays on top. Plus, two legendary comics and a Grammy Award-winning band will also perform with the innovative concert series. By Lauren Comander

CARIBBEAN WEDDINGS

Here’s what to do before ‘I do.’ By Lena Katz

STAR SEARCHES

Celebrity sighting in the tropics.

A FUN DAY IN PORT

What to see, where to go, how to save — it’s all at your fingertips with the Fun Finds Map.

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

Jewelry and watches from the top names in design are sparkling keepsakes of the perfect cruise vacation.

GUIDE TO PORTS

History, culture and attractions in the ports of call, including the top shore excursions. 6

You are here (or will be soon).

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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1691 Michigan Avenue, Suite 600, Miami Beach, FL 33139 Tel: (305) 673-. 0400, Fax: (305) 674.9396 www.onboardmedia.com Robin Rosenbaum-Andras Senior Vice President, Marketing Carrie Julier Vice President and General Manager Editorial & Design Virginia C. Valls Publishing Director Kate McClare Managing Editor Beth Wood Senior Art Director Dayana Ramirez Art Director Christian Rosario Associate Art Director Raquel Figueroa Associate Art Director Jose Cuevas Graphic Designer Kat Williams Graphic Designer James Perdomo Production Coordinator Gail Abrams Ad Services Director Violeta Manco-Rojas Ad Services Manager Contributing Writers/Editors John Anderson, John Bigley, Christine Blank, Suzanne L. Carmel, Richard Carroll, Sara Churchville, Lauren Comander, Michael De Freitas, Michelle da Silva Richmond, Ginger Dingus, Joanna Hall, Jen Karetnick, Lena Katz, Marjorie Klein, Marty Leshner, Kelly Liszt, Linda Marx, JoAnn Milivojevic, Raymond Niedowski, Paris Permenter, Cele Seldon, Lynn Seldon, Jonathan Siskin, Iliana Soto, Jim Thompson, Richard Varr, Chelle Koster Walton, Deborah Williams, Deborah Wilson, Eleanor Wilson, Gerald Zarr. Advertising Sales Anna Riekstins Director of International Sales & Brand Marketing Rod Musum Executive Director of Sales Tyler Condon Sales Manager Stephanie Yonskie International Sales Coordinator Video/Film Production Todd Hedge Executive Producer Dan Shaw Director, Operations Kevin Maschke Senior Editor Juan Carlos Peña Director of Photography Enrico Caschetta Assistant Editor Alexa Caravia Videographer/Editor Port Shopping Revenue Robert Yonskie Manager of Cruise Revenue Vince Mikulus Regional Marketing Manager Andrew Vrzal Regional Marketing Manager Jimmy Marks Retail Program Manager Port Shopping Jennifer Szewczyk Director of Operations Rina Alvarado Operations Coordinator Anaias Gonzalez Operations Sales Coordinator Nadine Winter Customer Relations Manager

©2016 Onboard Media. No claim to original works of CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE or advertisers. Ships’ registry: PANAMA AND THE BAHAMAS All rights reserved. The entire contents of this publication are protected by copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Printed in CANADA. All articles, descriptions and suggestions concerning activities, tourist attractions and other vacation opportunities described in this publication are merely expressions of opinions by contributing writers, do not constitute the opinions of Onboard Media Inc. or CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE, and under no circumstances constitute assurances or guarantees concerning the quality or safety of any such attraction or activity. Onboard Media Inc. and CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE specifically disclaim any liability for damages incurred due to the attendance or participation by readers of this publication in any such activity or attraction, and the attendance or participation in any such activity or attraction shall be made solely at the reader’s own risk. We and our content providers (“we”) have tried to make the information in this publication as accurate as possible, but it is provided “as is” and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. Cover image by: Mary Ellen Matthews/Corbis Outline

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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Deep roots bloom forever.

Diamonds International | Na Hoku | R&I Patton St. John, USVI | Mati Jewelers Made in the USA | kabana.com

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MESSAGE

MT ID S E HE PR

Dear Valued Guest, On behalf of all of us at Carnival Cruise Line, I’d like to personally welcome you aboard and say thank you for allowing us the privilege of creating fun, unforgettable vacation experiences for you! Looking for innovative ways to enhance what we offer our guests has been a hallmark of the Carnival culture for 45 years. Our team takes great pride in continuously bringing new and fresh programs and features to life onboard each of the 25 ships in our fleet. And we are proud to showcase some of these exciting new experiences in this edition of Fun Ashore. As you can see from our cover photo, we continue to invest in world-class entertainment offerings such as the Carnival LIVE concert series, bringing new, exciting talent to the lineup every year. Tim McGraw, Jeff Foxworthy, Jay Leno and Little Big Town are among the acts joining the family in 2017. In addition to Carnival LIVE, we have added many new entertainment options across our entire fleet that will delight the whole family. Be sure to check out the Fun Times each day and listen for announcements from your cruise director so you can experience everything we have to offer! We also continue to make investments in our fleet. Carnival Magic, Carnival Valor and Carnival Inspiration, for example, have all undergone enhancements and are all featured in this issue. We are excited to share the details, which include new dining and bar venues, such as a new Guy Fieri restaurant and Cherry on Top! We think you’ll love them. Of course, we know that some of the best vacation memories can also be created ashore, which is why our shore excursion team has been hard at work to bring new, one-of-a-kind experiences to our ports of call, such as the new Cozumel Plus program. You can read all about these features and much more in the following pages. Once again, thank you for choosing Carnival, America’s Cruise Line, for your vacation! Have a great time and Bon voyage!

Christine Duffy President Carnival Cruise Line

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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™ and A Diamond is Forever™ are Trade Marks used under license from The De Beers Group of Companies. ™, © Forevermark Limited 2016. Forevermark™,

I T ’ S A LO N G J O U R N E Y TO B E CO M E T H E O N E . In our constant pursuit of absolute beauty, every Forevermark® diamond undergoes a journey of rigorous selection. This is why less than one percent of the world’s diamonds are worthy of the Forevermark® inscription our promise of beauty, rarity and responsible sourcing.

1-800-51-JEWEL • www.DiamondsInternational.com

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FUN TAKES: Keeping Up With Carnival Cruise Line

ON THE

HORIZON

Looking ahead to Carnival Horizon with a few of our favorite things about the Vista Class.

The new Carnival Vista is a hit, praised for technological achievements and for an impressive list of program innovations. But while the rest of us were thrilling at IMAX or chilling at the Havana Bar and Pool, the dedicated designers and builders at Carnival were working at the drawing board, coming up with a second Vista Class ship to be launched in March 2018. The subsequent ship in the next generation of fun is Carnival Horizon. She’ll offer many of the hugely popular indoor and outdoor dining, bar, entertainment and activity options available on Carnival Vista, with a few surprises of her own. While you wait for the new sibling, we thought we’d share just a few of the features that have made Carnival Vista such a winner: Excellent entertainment. It’s all kinds of fun: first-run movies at the first IMAX theater at sea; ultra-cool 3D shows at the Thrill Theater; and cool themed events like the South Beach-inspired Serenity Nights, the Rock-N-Glow 80s Deck Party and an Island Deck Party. When in port, you can even see top singers, musicians and comedians performing on the ship as part of the Carnival LIVE concert series. Tasty treats. There are lots of palate pleasers — nearly 30 different dining and bar venues — but the sweetest spot is Cherry on Top, the candy-and-more store. This is the biggest Cherry on Top in the Carnival fleet, stocking more than 120 kinds of bulk candy as well as a wide selection of party accessories. It’s also the first to have its own ice cream parlor, with lots of tempting ice cream flavors and luscious toppings. Dig in! Thrills and spills. We’d call it groundbreaking, but a lot of the action is way off the ground: 150 feet in the air, in the case of the SkyRide aerial attraction. A little lower but no less mind-blowing is the Kaleid-o-Slide, which sends you on a colorfully crazy ride down a twisting, turning slide.

FROM TOP: Zipping along SkyRide 150 feet in the air; the Kaleid-o-Slide, a new twist on cruising. 14

Room to shop. On Carnival Vista, The Fun Shops take up two decks of retail bliss, making room for an irresistible shopping experience. It starts with the glamorous main shopping venue, Effy Fine Jewelry, known for meticulously crafted and utterly original gemstone designs. Brands are meant to satisfy the most style-conscious shoppers; you’ll find top names like Tommy Bahama, Fossil, TAG Heuer, Ralph Lauren, Estée Lauder and Tom Ford. The stores were built for maximum visual impact, designed for the first time with boutique shops showcasing key merchandise categories and highlighting top assortments across major brands. The goal is to keep guests coming back again and again for new brands, new products and especially for new experiences. One thing hasn’t changed: The Fun Shops are still staffed by expert associates who love nothing more than helping guests find perfect gifts for loved ones or themselves.

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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GOT KIDS? BUT WAIT — THERE’S MORE! Why stop with just one new ship? Carnival Horizon will be followed by a second and then a third new ship, debuting in 2020 and 2022, respectively. At 180,000 gross registered tons and about 5,200 passengers each, they’ll be the largest in the Carnival fleet. They will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the world’s cleanest-burning fossil fuel, under Carnival Corporation's exclusive “green cruising” design — an initiative that extends Carnival’s tradition of environmental stewardship. (See “Carnival Shows It Cares.”) “These ships signify an extraordinarily exciting future for Carnival Cruise Line and the opportunities that lie ahead to introduce a variety of magnificent new features and innovations to further enhance our outstanding guest experience,” says Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy.

The 5 best things for kids (and teens) on your cruise. It’s 3 p.m. Do you know where your kids are? If they’re aboard this cruise, they’re probably not with you. There’s just too much cool stuff for them to do everywhere else onboard, from getting wet and wild at the waterslides to getting their groove on at the teen club (in which case, check the spa for pre-party prep).

HERE ARE JUST FIVE OF THE BEST: 1. WaterWorks. Thrills and spills for all ages, from spritzing toys for tots to fast-moving slides for big kids. Perched on the top deck of select ships, it’s good clean fun. 2. SkyCourse. Best for older kids, this adventurous attraction is a ropes course 150 feet above sea level. After slipping into their safety harness, they‘ll traverse an adventurous aerial course that includes rope bridges and suspended beams. It’s offered on select ships. 3. Teen Worlds. The older sibs of Camp Ocean cruisers get special spaces, too, with Circle “C” for 12- to 14-year-olds and Club O2 for 15- to 17-year-olds. There’s so much to do: active sports and video games, dance parties and karaoke jam sessions and, on select ships, learning how to mix beats at Spin U, created with Carnival’s official music master, DJ Irie. 4. Seuss At Sea. On select ships, kids and their families get immersed in the whimsical wonders of Dr. Seuss. An exclusive program by Dr. Seuss Enterprises, it offers all the fun you’d expect, from the zany Seuss-a-Palooza parade to special character breakfasts featuring — what else? — green eggs and ham. 5. Build-A-Bear Workshop At Sea. Carnival has joined with one of the world’s most beloved toy makers to offer the first of its kind off land. Build-A-Bear Workshop At Sea provides children of all ages an opportunity to make their own cuddly bear that can be customized with a variety of outfits and accessories, from tutus and high-top sneakers to, appropriately enough, vacation wear like bathing suits and sunglasses. This is all so much fun — no wonder Carnival hosts 700,000 kids every year! Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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Fun Takes | Keeping Up With Carnival Cruise Line

Exploring the beach at Tulum.

MORE TO

EXPLORE

There’s only one thing wrong with a visit to Cozumel. Eventually, you have to leave. Luckily, that time will come a lot later if you’re on a Cozumel Plus itinerary, which gives you hours more in one of the most diverse ports in the Caribbean. Hours more to spend snorkeling or diving. Hours more for exploring fascinating Mayan ruins or enchanting caves and caverns. Hours more to savor that incredible Mexican cuisine. You get up to eight hours in port on Cozumel Plus itineraries, which depart from six U.S. home ports on the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico. They’re offered on 17 ships sailing more than 750 four- to eight-day cruises. The longer time in por t ma kes Cozumel’s shore excursions more exciting than ever. You can spend the whole day experiencing ruins like Chichen Itza — one of the Seven Wonders of the World, dating back to A.D. 750 — or snorkeling the exquisite turquoise waters

of Xel-Há, a magnificent group of lagoons connected by a series of bridges. Explore the famed underground waterway known as the “secret river,” swim with whale sharks or discover why Cozumel is world-renowned for its fishing and diving. Relax on one of Cozumel’s pristine beaches or at a seaside café. No matter what Cozumel itinerary you sail on, your arrival begins at Puerta Maya, Carnival’s modern three-berth facility which offers easy access to the various tours. Save a little time for the shops, boutiques and restaurants there. “Cozumel is the Caribbean’s premier cruising region,” says Christine Duffy, president of Carnival, “and our Cozumel Plus itineraries provide our guests with the opportunity to create wonderful vacation memories.” To get more out of your next cruise to Cozumel, just look for the “Cozumel Plus” notation on itineraries listed at Carnival.com or call 1-800-CARNIVAL

Pyramid at the Maya ruins in Chichen Itza.

PHOTOS BY: (BEACH) IRINA KLYUCHNIKOVA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (PYRAMID) SUBBOTINA ANNA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM.

Cozumel Plus itineraries give you more time in port.

JOURNEYS OF ENRICHMENT Cozumel Plus is one more way Carnival is helping guests make the most of their cruise experience. Here’s another: Carnival Journeys, a series of longer cruises which provide enriching experiences aboard and amazing destinations ashore, delivered with the flair of classic cruising. In this case it truly is about the journey as much as the destination, for you also get to enjoy special onboard experiences in dining, entertainment and enrichment. Opportunities are varied and depend on your itinerary. You might get to sample an onboard cooking demonstration, or watch performances of local music, dance and other folkloric shows. Some Journeys offer Throwback Sea Day, taking you back to 1987 and all the trimmings of 1980s cruising. Or you could enroll in the Academy of Fun for a lively education in celestial navigation, social media, photography or other topics. You could even get an inside view of shipboard life from the ship’s captain, cruise director, hotel director or other crew member. Start your Journey at carnival.com/journeys.

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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T H E PA N D O R A S T O R E AT ARUBA Paseo Herencia Palm Beach Noord, Aruba 297.586.5625 ST. THOMAS 31 Main Street St. Thomas VI, 00802 340.774.3672

ARUBA L.G. Smith Blvd 15 Oranjestad, Aruba 297.587.7060

ST. MAARTEN 12-2 Front Street Philipsburg, St. Maarten 1.721.542.1109

ST. THOMAS Havensight Mall • Bldg. 2 Suite B St. Thomas VI, 00802 340.776.8550

ST. MAARTEN 5 Harbour Point Village Philipsburg, St. Maarten 1.721.542.9364

MIAMI INTERNATIONAL MALL 1455 NW 107th Ave Doral, FL, USA, 33172 305.471.4713

BAHAMAS 329 Bay Street Nassau, Bahamas 242.698.0539

BRICKELL CITY CENTRE 700 Brickell Ave Miami, FL 33131 305.450.0000

CURACAO Heerenstraat 4B, Punda Willemstaad, Curacao 5999.465.4774 THE MALL OF SAN JUAN 1000 San Juan Blvd. Puerto Rico, 00924 787.302.0404

Find us on Facebook

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Fun Takes | Keeping Up With Carnival Cruise Line

DIAMONDS ARE FOR EVERY

Day

Fun ways to rock your daytime style.

That old rule against wearing diamonds before evening is as obsolete as the one against wearing white before Memorial Day. (But you still can’t wear your tiara to the office. Sorry.)

If you want to add some sparkle to your day, we have a couple of ideas: The Right-hand Ring. Why wait for some guy to put a ring on it? Or limit yourself to one diamond ring? The right-hand ring is for anyone who can’t get enough of those brilliant flashes of dancing light. This rule is for all the single ladies (and married and engaged ones too): “Left hand for We, right hand for Me.”

Need some more inspiration? Visit The Fun Shops onboard and speak with one of the Fine Jewelry associates. They love helping you conjure up dreamy new ways to wear diamonds.

AVEMARIO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Diamond Studs. Hardly new, but their total practicality is. They can be worn at any age, in any situation: a 2-yearold toddler, a 97-year-old grandmother, and anyone at any age in between. You can wear them to work, shopping, to the PTA meeting, relaxing at home, swimming — and, of course, to a formal event. You literally never need to take them off. This is one purchase that gives you so much for your money, why not spend a little more and get the pair you really want? No matter the occasion, diamond studs fit beautifully.

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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Fun Takes | Keeping Up With Carnival Cruise Line

CRUISE

CONNECTION

You take a vacation to disconnect from the workaday world, but not from your world — your family, your friends, your cat video sources. You don’t have to cut the links you like when you’re at sea, thanks to Carnival’s enhanced Internet packages. The packages give you dramatically increased bandwidth and speed, and you can choose from a variety of packages: from unlimited Web access for using a wide range of applications and checking email, sports scores and weather; to a premium package that lets you use video calling sites like Skype. You’ll never miss a moment with your social network, now that you have unlimited access to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Pinterest and other popular social media sites. You can also stay up to date with what’s happening on the ship, with the Carnival HUB mobile app. Available for download at the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, Carnival HUB gives you a convenient, at-a-glance view of the ship’s many facilities and features, along with updates on events and happenings taking place on your cruise. The app is free; for a nominal fee you can add a mobile chat feature. It includes dayby-day schedules of hundreds of onboard events, information on food and beverage venues, searchable deck plans, itinerary details, your Sail & Sign account balance and more. “Fast, affordable and reliable social media channels and the Internet have become essential on today’s cruise ships,” says Gabriela Gonzalez, vice president of guest technology. “We have thoughtfully approached this area to ensure we are providing options that guests sailing throughout our fleet find truly valuable and reliable.”

PHOTO BY: MICHAELJUNG/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM.

Enhanced Internet packages make it easy to stay in touch.

Download your free Carnival HUB at the Apple or Google Play app store.

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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C AV I A R C O L L E C T I O N S

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M Y L A G O S M Y W AY

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RUMS, RUM CAKE & GOURMET TREATS

Proudly Baked in Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Bahamas. We Ship Worldwide

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Available throughout the Caribbean. www.tortugarumcakes.com #tortugamoments

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The Fabulous Five | Ship Makeovers

THE

FABULOUS FIVE

BELOW: Selections to savor at onboard dining venues (clockwise from top left): Entrée from Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse; sausages on grill at Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse; tacos from BlueIguana Cantina; sushi from JiJi Asian Kitchen.

A look at the making-over of five ships and their exciting new ways to sip, savor and shop

Key West inspirations. Craft cocktails with a hipster twist. Partnerships with Food Network icons. Nobody can dispute that when it comes to fabulous dining and top-notch beverage experiences, Carnival has always led the cruise industry. While Carnival Vista has gotten most of the limelight since its launch, the other ships in the fleet have received plenty of TLC. In fact, five ships — Carnival Inspiration, Carnival Magic, Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Triumph and Carnival Valor — have received exciting Fun Ship 2.0 updates. From a Fantasy-class favorite to one of the relative youngsters in the Dream class, these ships are made over not just cosmetically, but also experientially. Here’s an overview of all that’s new and exciting onboard the fabulous five.

By Lena Katz

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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DINING: CASUAL, DIY AND DELICIOUS

Guy’s Burger Joint

Guy’s Burger Joint, a partnership with Carnival and Food Network star Guy Fieri, has been a massive success on every Carnival ship to receive it. The formula is simple but unbeatable: a selection of sizzling-fresh burgers and handcut fries made to order, with a condiment bar to load up your burger the way you like. All five of the featured ships welcomed Guy’s burgers onboard in their last major round of renovations. Carnival Magic, though . . . She’s making the other ships jealous, especially over the spanking-new addition of Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse. This first in fleet ’cue joint does slow-smoked meats and comfort food sides, offered with typical over-the-top Fieri sass. Less flashy but still very satisfying to the tummy is BlueIguana Cantina, another poolside eatery which serves Mexican-American burrito and taco standards with a salsa bar for cruisers to customize their selection. This venue is also an under-the-radar treasure for freshly made breakfasts with a bit of spice. All five featured ships received BlueIguana Cantina during Fun Ship 2.0 updates. As the middle sister in the young and shiny Dream class, mega-ship Carnival Magic has been well appointed with outlets and offerings since her debut, and the latest updates even beyond Guy’s are sure to make everyone drool. Expanding upon Carnival’s legendary 24-hour pizza concept, Pizzeria del Capitano is a 24-hour eatery serving hand-tossed crisp-crusted pizzas with the family-style Italian ambience of the popular Cucina del Capitano. Carnival Magic is one of only a few ships fleet-wide to have this concept.

Pizzeria del Capitano

Guy’s Pig & Anchor

And what are the others? Well, Carnival Vista, of course, is an easy guess. But the other ship with serious WOW factor on the dining front is the gloriously reimagined Carnival Sunshine. She’s enjoying a second youth after the most extensive stem-to-stern renovation ever seen in the cruise industry, with specialty restaurants that lead the Carnival fleet. She has Cucina del Capitano and the Pizzeria offshoot; she has Guy’s and BlueIguana; she also was the first to get alternative Pan-Asian eatery JiJi Asian Kitchen. Rounding out the dining offerings, the sleek Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse is where trendy design meets classic steakhouse taste. It’s a highlight of the cruise experience for a nominal per-person surcharge. “Our guests are loving the additional dining venues, evident by the one-thousand-plus burgers and five-hundred-plus tacos and burritos we serve daily,” says Cyrus Marfatia, vice president of food and beverage. “The Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse is truly smoking with thirteen-hundred-plus guests addicted to the mouth-watering barbecue on Carnival Magic on sea days. Watch out,” he promises. “More surprises to follow!” Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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The Fabulous Five | Ship Makeovers

BARS/LOUNGES: FROM CRAFT COCKTAILS TO SELF-SERVE SIPPERS No, you’re not seeing double. Three featured ships now boast two distinct RedFrog watering holes. Carnival Magic and Carnival Valor have been entertaining cruisers for years in the RedFrog Pub, while Carnival Sunshine got the biggest-ever pub in the fleet during its major makeover. And post-updates, all three ships have an additional RedFrog Rum Bar on the Lido pool deck. Carnival Triumph and Carnival Inspiration also received their own RedFrog Rum Bar — a first in this bar brand for each of them. Moreover, all five of the ships got a BlueIguana Tequila Bar, located exactly across the Lido deck from RedFrog Rum Bar. Cruisers can switch up their cocktail rounds — margaritas today, rumrunners tomorrow, and so on and so on and so on . . . Carnival Sunshine might just have the most intellectual day-drinking concept at sea: the Library Bar, which offers self-serve wine dispensers to improve your quiet afternoon of reading. Full bar service also is available. Another new addition to the five featured ships: Alchemy Bar, a popular contemporary cocktail concept where the menu is themed, tongue-in-cheek, after an old-fashioned apothecary’s stash of elixirs. The menu offers some straightforward classics like the French Kiss, and Caribbean twists on standards like the Island Old-Fashioned made with rum instead of scotch and “The Antioxidant” vodka martini with Belvedere Grapefruit. All the featured cocktails are made with top-shelf liquor. Customers can also make their own cocktail requests. Finally, sports fans should take a peek at the updated SKYBOX Sports Bar on Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Triumph and Carnival Valor. This venue offers video games to entertain fans even when there isn’t a big game to watch.

FROM TOP: Mixing it up at RedFrog Pub; game on at SKYBOX Sports Bar; smooth moves at Alchemy Bar.

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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The Fabulous Five | Ship Makeovers

SHOPPING FUN

Ready to browse and buy? The elegantly glossy new aesthetic and temptingly expanded product lines in The Fun Shops of Carnival Magic, Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Triumph and Carnival Valor elevate the shipboard retail experience. New developments include an enhanced jewelry section, an exciting new selection of luxury timepieces and dedicated trunk show space for featured brands. Adding to the fun factor: special trunk show events that take place two or three times per sailing, creating “pop-up shop” buzz within the already fizzy energy of the Fun Ships. “This newly enhanced shopping environment allows us to create true retail theater, whether we are unveiling an exciting new trunk show with lots of attention or creating a more intimate moment within a semi-private consultation area,” says William Butler, vice president of retail services.

PRECIOUS TIME

Watches have always been one of Carnival’s most popular gift selections, and there are more choices than ever in the expanded and enhanced timepieces boutique. Lending dazzle to the displays: the latest, greatest and sexiest new designs by longtime favorite brands including TAG Heuer, Invicta, Citizen and Fossil. Additionally, new designers have been added to the mix, including Nixon and TechnoMarine. Besides watches, Butler says, Carnival is shining a brighter spotlight on fine jewelry, fashion jewelry, beauty products and apparel. All five categories have been updated to reflect what the modern-day cruiser wants from a shipboard boutique.

SWEET SPOT

Three ships — Carnival Inspiration, Carnival Triumph and Carnival Valor — were treated to Cherry on Top, Carnival’s popular candy-and-more store. Life is truly sweet in this shop, where you’ll find bins of bulk candy, fanciful gifts and novelties, custom apparel and lots of other treats. If you’re sailing on one of these ships and crave a sugary mid-afternoon treat, or you’re buying a souvenir the grandkids will happily devour, this colorful store is sure to satisfy.

FROM TOP: Elegant surroundings for timepieces; Carnival-branded apparel and souvenirs; they all scream for ice cream at Cherry on Top. 30

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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Carnival Shows It Cares | The Environment

CARNIVAL

SHOWS IT CARES The cruise line is a dedicated steward of the environment, with technology and practices meant to help create a sustainable future. By Kelly Liszt When it comes to choosing the right cruise, travelers have always considered things like choice of accommodations, onboard amenities, level of service and range of destinations. But with the rise of environmental consciousness, more guests are also factoring in how well a cruise line minimizes its carbon footprint. Carnival Cruise Line stands out in its measures to protect the planet. “We know it’s our duty to promote environmental responsibility toward a sustainable future,” says Rabih Aboudargham, environmental operations director for Carnival. “Our ultimate goal is to reduce our carbon footprint and reduce environmental and social impact.” The line’s newest ship, Carnival Vista, has a number of measures in place to do just that and is setting environmental standards that future ships will follow. Carnival Vista: A Shining Example One feature that guests will notice right away is long-life LED lighting in every stateroom, which saves replacement costs. A behind-the-scenes measure (or, rather, an underneath-the-waterline measure) is an innovative Azipod propulsion system. Located at the very bottom of the aft end of the vessel, twin 170-ton propellers rotate a full 360 degrees, optimizing maneuverability and increasing fuel efficiency. The ship also features different engine sizes, creating

more efficiency by optimizing the engine loading. An indirect cooling glycol system reduces the amount of refrigerant circulating throughout the vessel. Carnival worked with naval architects to optimize Carnival Vista’s hull design, reducing drag in the water. The ship also features an advanced wastewater treatment system plant, a first for the cruise line. In addition, the ship’s waste heat recovery system was fitted with a power-generating steam turbine, which helps recapture the exhaust heat of the engines. Carnival Vista boasts the most measures to reduce its carbon footprint, yet other ships in the fleet feature fuel-efficiency and waste-reduction measures. These include different engine sizes, chillers with glycol, non-ODS (non-Ozone-Depleting Substance) Freon and exhaust gas cleaning systems. Subsequent Carnival ships will feature more efficient hull designs, energy-efficient lighting and waste heat recovery systems. That will start with two new ships launching in 2020 and 2022. They will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the world’s cleanest-burning fossil fuel, under Carnival Corporation’s exclusive “green cruising” design. “These new ships are being designed for maximum energy efficiency and environmental friendliness,” says Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy. It’s an innovative approach that is becoming the standard for Carnival.

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Carnival Shows It Cares | The Environment

BEYOND THE ENGINE ROOM

Carnival’s environmental stewardship approach includes use of shore power in select ports, as well as a donation program for used but serviceable items from its ships, such as mattresses, furniture, unused paint and building materials. Crews volunteer their time at beach cleanups and tree plantings. In addition, the cruise line provides training and education programs for shipboard and shoreside personnel, ongoing fleetwide efforts to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, and an extensive management plan for all waste generated aboard Carnival vessels. Carnival also engages guests in its shipboard recycling activities and encourages them to conserve water, towel and air-conditioning within their staterooms. It has also developed an education program for kids, where they can visit their ships to see firsthand how their environmental program works.

RECOGNITION FOR A JOB WELL DONE

TELLING THE WORLD

Doing more than what is required extends to Carnival’s transparency and reporting. Carnival Corporation, Carnival Cruise Line’s parent company, publishes an annual detailed sustainability report, including all data from Carnival ships as well as the processes and proactive approaches taken. “We are very transparent,” says Aboudargham. “Our stakeholders, whether they’re guests, employees or investors deserve to know what we do, what has worked, how we can do better and our commitment to constantly improve.”

TOP and CENTER: Carnival Vista under construction. RIGHT: A clean beach is what environmental stewardship is all about. 34

PHOTOS BY: (WELDER) WI6995/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (BEACH) AVESUN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM.

Carnival’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. Carnival Vista has been awarded the ECO Class Notation (Environmental, Construction and Operations beyond statutory requirement) certification from Lloyd’s Register. “This certification demonstrates Carnival’s commitment to go above and beyond the expected,” says Aboudargham, “by recognizing the voluntary standards we adopted for environmental ship design, construction and operation.” In 2016, the cruise line was honored by the Port of Seattle with the inaugural Program Innovator Award, recognizing creativity in environmental practices, including innovations in fuel efficiency and waste reduction. In addition, Port of Seattle praised Carnival for partnering with the Nature Conservancy, developing groundbreaking exhaust gas cleaning technology and implementing an environmental program for shipboard employees. Carnival also received the 2016 Green Gateway Partners Award for exceeding regulatory requirements and helping support Port of Seattle’s mission to be the most energy-efficient port in North America. Aboudargham feels inspired to be acknowledged by one of the leaders in seaport environmental innovation: “Receiving this recognition is truly an honor.”

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Cover Story | Tim McGraw

e l b m u H and

Tim McGraw’s love of country music goes back to his childhood trips with his stepdad, a long-haul trucker.

PHOTO BY NINO MUÑOZ

d n i K

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e l b m u H and That’s not just a lyric for country music superstar Tim McGraw, one of the top acts on the 2017 Carnival LIVE roster. McGraw looks back on his roots, his meteoric rise and how he stays on top (hint: “I try not to get thrown off!”)

m d i n T Ki w By Lauren Comander

When Tim McGraw was a little boy, he’d hit the road in an 18-wheeler with his stepfather, a trucker who hauled cottonseed around Louisiana and Texas. They’d pass the hours by singing along to the tunes of country greats, the likes of Merle Haggard, Charlie Pride and George Jones. When they’d get to a truck stop, little Tim would find his favorites on the jukebox. He still remembers every time “Country Bumpkin” came on; it’s one of the first songs he knew all the words to as a kid. “My first memory of singing songs was country music,” McGraw recalls. “I remember being at the truck stops at four in the morning, getting ready to ride horses and round up stray cattle down in Louisiana with my stepdad, having breakfast and listening to all those old, great songs.” Now it’s Tim McGraw’s songs that the kids and parents sing so often they’ve memorized the words. He’s one of the best-selling country music artists of all time, a three-time Grammy Award winner who has sold more than 40 million records worldwide, with 41 singles hitting No. 1 and 11 albums debuting at No. 1. You can call it the golden touch. Or the platinum touch. Regardless, there’s no slowdown in sight for McGraw, a seemingly ageless heartthrob who turns heads not only with his powerful voice but also with his six-pack abs and buff biceps — all making for a memorable tour with Carnival LIVE in March 2017 in Nassau, The Bahamas.

a r G c

MODEST BEGINNINGS McGraw’s icon status is a long way from his humble

PHOTO BY NINO MUÑOZ

childhood in Louisiana where, back from the road, he spent much of his time outside amid cotton fields and the bayou, fishing and riding bikes. When he was 11 years old, he found a copy of his birth certificate and discovered his biological father was baseball legend Tug McGraw, but they didn’t grow close until years later. “We didn’t have a lot growing up, but most of our friends didn’t have a lot growing up either so we never felt like we were without,” McGraw says. “But I certainly appreciate what I’m able to do for my children. And in turn, you hope that they realize how fortunate they are — and that they take advantage of that to do something great for the world.” McGraw graduated as his high school’s salutatorian and dreamed of becoming a lawyer, inspired by Al Pacino in the movie …And Justice for All. But when he got to Northeast Louisiana University, he instead picked up a guitar and became a hard-partying fraternity bro. On the day his hero Keith Whitley died in 1989, McGraw quit college, sold his belongings and bought a one-way Greyhound bus ticket to Nashville. Five years and a lot of hard work and persistence later, his Not a Moment Too Soon became Billboard’s best-selling album of the year. The musical successes have been piling up ever since. After the elder McGraw passed away of brain cancer, the singer released “Live Like You Were Dying,” the lead single from the album of the same name. It spent seven weeks atop the Billboard country music charts and was later dubbed the biggest country song of the year.

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PHOTO BY DANNY CLINCH

Cover Story | Tim McGraw

“It’s a tightrope walk, a balancing of the very emotions that propel achievement.” — Tim McGraw, writing in his book, Humble and Kind.

HOMERUN ON THE HOMEFRONT Meantime, he’d found a different kind of success on the homefront, from a lasting love with his wife of 20 years, country star Faith Hill, to their three teenage daughters, who have impressed fans with their poise. He and Hill married in 1996, after he proposed to her in his trailer dressing room and found her answer — “Yes” — scribbled in lipstick on the mirror after the show. They’ve worked to keep their daughters, Gracie, Maggie and Audrey, out of the spotlight of their fame. “We just try to live our life normally and do things with our kids — go to high school football games, go to our kids’ functions, go out to dinner with our kids and be involved in their lives and the things that they’re doing,” McGraw says. “When it’s time to go to work, we put on the cowboy hat and the high heels and go to work…me with the cowboy hat, her with the high heels. Although occasionally we’ll switch it up!” They love to travel as a family, especially to The Bahamas. “I love the sand and salt water. Our whole family does — it’s just part of who we are,” he says. “Any time we can get in the ocean and go spearfishing, snorkeling and spend time on the beach and in the sun, we’re happy.” HUMBLE TRIUMPHS McGraw’s personal life intersected with his professional one when, inspired by his oldest daughter leaving for college, he recorded “Humble and Kind,” a poignant song offering advice for graduates that prompted him to reflect on his own values. “[Humility] is something that you work on,” he writes in the introduction to Humble and Kind, a keepsake book inspired by his song of the same name. “It’s a tightrope walk, a balancing of the very emotions that propel achievement: proud, but not boastful; good, but not self-righteous; confident, but not arrogant; grateful, but never entitled.” McGraw relies on his work ethic and laser-like focus to stay on top. 38

Or, put another way, “I try not to get thrown off!” He doesn’t have a secret to success, exactly. “You work hard and be prepared for a moment that you can stand up and do something,” he says. “When I’ve had the most success, focus is the thing that really works.” When McGraw resolved to focus on his health, he didn’t look back. He quit drinking the day he launched his Live Your Voice tour, adopting grueling customized CrossFit workouts and a meticulous Paleostyle diet. He credits his wife and three daughters for the motivation to give up partying, telling Men’s Health in 2014: “When your wife tells you it’s gone too far, that’s a big wake-up call.” A man of many (cowboy) hats, McGraw — dubbed country music’s first metrosexual by W magazine — has garnered rave reviews for roles in award-winning movies like Friday Night Lights and The Blind Side. His latest flick, The Shack, is a Christian drama. “It’s a very moving film,” he says. “I’m very proud of it. I like acting because it expands your artistry, and it sort of makes you see music differently in a good way.” ACTS OF KINDNESS Fans are seeing kindness in a new way, thanks to a movement McGraw inspired on StayHumbleandKind.com, where thousands of people write about everyday acts of kindness. For his part, McGraw has long been known for his work with military veterans, partnering since 2012 with Chase and Operation Homefront to provide 144 homes (as of this writing) for military families. “It doesn’t matter what your views are politically,” McGraw says. “We can all agree that the people who put their life on the line for us in an all-volunteer military deserve our praise, our congratulations, our support, our thank you’s — and they deserve our respect.” Spoken like a truly humble and kind country soul.

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Cover Story | Tim McGraw

CAR EER

highlights ST U DIO A LBUMS

1993 Tim McGraw 1994 Not a Moment Too Soon 1995 All I Want 1997 Everywhere 1999 Place in the Sun 2001 Set This Circus Down 2002 Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors 2004 Live Like You Were Dying 2007 Let It Go 2009 Southern Voice 2012 Emotional Traffic 2013 Two Lanes of Freedom I know you got mountains to climb But always stay humble and kind When the dreams you’re dreamin’ come to you When the work you put in is realized Let yourself feel the pride But always stay humble and kind

— “Humble and Kind,” Tim McGraw

2014 Sundown Heaven Town 2015 Damn Country Music MOV IES

2004 Friday Night Lights 2006 Flicka – Feature role and executive producer of soundtrack album 2008 Four Christmases 2009 The Blind Side 2010 Country Strong 2016 The Shack

PHOTO BY NINO MUÑOZ

2015 Tomorrowland

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Shopping Made Easy

Find the FUN in Shopping. For only $25, this value package includes over $2,000 in deals from our guaranteed shops ashore. You’ll also find hundreds of dollars in free gifts — even diamond jewelry! Whether you’re looking for luxury items or souvenirs for family and friends, the Fun Finds Coupon Book brings the fun to shopping in our ports of call.

See your Shopping Expert to purchase your very own Fun Finds Coupon Book.

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Cover Story | Carnival LIVE

SHOWTIME AT SEA

Carnival LIVE offers big names, big laughs and big hits in 2017.

Country music great Tim McGraw is part of a brilliant galaxy of stars featured in the 2017 lineup of Carnival LIVE, the innovative and intimate concert series that brings the best in live music and comedy to cruise guests. Legendary comedians Jay Leno and Jeff Foxworthy will bring the funny aboard in 2017, while chart-topping country band Little Big Town returns with their Grammy Award-winning sound. Performances take place while the ship is in port and are staged in the main show lounges, which range in capacity from 900 to 1,300. The smaller onboard venues create “an incredibly intimate experience for the artists and fans alike,” says Carnival LIVE Director Bernie Dillon. “With a state-of-the-art sound system and sight lines that are second to none, our artists can literally make eye contact with everyone in attendance,” he says. “This creates an enormous energy level that

feeds back and forth between those in attendance and the artists. Intimacy is the one word that best describes Carnival Live.” Performances take place while the ships are in port. Leno, whose long tenure as host of NBC’s The Tonight Show helped put him in the Television Hall of Fame, performs in Cozumel in May 2017 on Carnival Vista and Carnival Victory. Foxworthy is the biggest-selling comedy recording artist in history, a TV and movie star best known for his “You might be a redneck if…” jokes. He performs in Nassau in June 2017 on Carnival Freedom and Carnival Ecstasy. Nassau also hosts Little Big Town, the Platinum-selling band that has earned nine Country Music Association awards. Returning for a second round of tour dates since touring with Carnival LIVE in 2015, the band takes the stage in May 2017 on Carnival Dream and Carnival Valor. Dillon loves to watch guests respond to the performers. “You can feel the buzz that starts from the arrival terminal right through the performance,” he says. “Our guests leave feeling that Carnival has provided something no other cruise line can. To see their favorite artists in a wonderful setting while they are on vacation with Carnival makes the entire experience the time of their lives. You can see it in all the faces and hear it in the comments and for me, it is tremendously gratifying.” For a full listing of all Carnival LIVE performances, visit www. carnival.com/CarnivalLIVE. For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.

Tim McGraw

Jay Leno

Little Big Town

Jeff Foxworthy 42

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Jeff Foxworthy

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for Him

for Her

Men’s Fine Leathers

Gold • Blue Diamonds • Mexican Exotic Opals Tanzanite • Pearls • Tennis Bracelets • Men’s Rings • Watches Sapphire • Ruby • Emeralds & Diamond Jewelry

OLD SAN JUAN: 151 Fortaleza, San Juan, Puerto Rico • 787 723 8420 COZUMEL: Puerta Maya Pier & Downtown on Rafael E. Melgar Ave • 213 291 8164

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SO, YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT A CARIBBEAN CRUISE WEDDING?

Here’s what to do before ‘I do’ By Lena Katz A cruise wedding in a Caribbean destination is truly the best of two wedding experiences. You’re getting a pop-up wedding that’s also a vacation, with as many bells and whistles (or violins and veils) as you want. If you prize barefoot fun and photo ops over tradition and extended family obligations, a cruise-powered destination wedding could be ideal for you. Here’s how to plan the perfect wedding with Cupid’s (aka Carnival’s) helpers at host venues on-island. Trust the Experts This might go without saying, but don’t try to cut corners and book a cruise wedding without the line involved. “When we receive direct calls from couples interested in booking a destination wedding as a part of their cruise, the resort encourages them to book through Carnival. This way if there are any issues at port or changes to the cruise itinerary, Carnival coordinates,” says Lorena Leonard, romance director at the Bolongo Bay resort in St. Thomas. Booking a cruise wedding doesn’t mean all the anxiety and perfectionism around planning will disappear. It’s normal to stress the details. However, the coordinators at Carnival and on-island are professional romantics. They’ve vetted the vendors (florists, officiates, musicians) and will help arrange each detail with ultimate care. Bolongo Bay actually encourages brides and grooms to call and introduce themselves before setting sail, so that upon arrival, they know what friendly face will greet them. “A wedding is one of the most important days in a couple’s life. We prefer that the vendors who have proven their ability be the ones to help us orchestrate the experience,” says Jennifer Levering, catering manager at Westin Key Resort & Marina in Key West.

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The happy couple gets to actually enjoy paradise when the cruise line’s wedding experts plan the details.

Honey, I Do — But We Can’t Elope The wedding experts at Carnival and at its partner venues on the islands have arranged weddings in six months, six weeks, even six days in advance. But generally, more notice is better. You want to allow everyone plenty of time to get the details right. In order to get a Virgin Islands marriage license, for instance, the St. Thomas courthouse must have your completed application eight business days before you arrive. In The Bahamas, you and your intended need only apply in person 24 hours prior to the ceremony. “Not researching the legal requirements of the intended host country is the biggest mistake that would-be-weds make,” says Jean Anderson, marketing manager at Grand Lucayan, Grand Bahama Island. The workaround if you don’t want to deal with local paperwork is to get legally married at home and then have a celebratory ceremony during the trip. Getting to the Church — and Back — On Time Everyone has that one friend or cousin who’s prone to going AWOL during social events and causing panic in the group. One of the major benefits of a cruise wedding is that cruise lines are logistics experts. While bride and groom go collect the marriage license, cruise line vendors will systematically wrangle guests over to the ceremony venue, make sure gifts/attire are sorted and ensure everyone’s properly rehearsed. The host venue will arrange flowers, music, catering and the rest. After the celebration, the same logistics magicians will make it their priority to get every guest — even Cousin AWOL — safely back on the ship. Enjoy the Moment “Some couples will try to plan every moment of their big day, but we find that the attendees may have different likes and interests. With a wide variety of activities available, it’s best to keep everyone’s schedule open,” says Jean Anderson of Grand Lucayan. So, what’s possible in a cruise destination wedding? A private island ceremony. Brunch on the beach. A deep-sea fishing bachelor party. Bachelorette spa day at sea; 18k gold gifts for the mothers-in-law; champagne and strawberries for the bridesmaids. Basically, anything you could dream of, and much more. The bride and groom’s role is simply to enjoy it. To start planning your dream Caribbean wedding, contact Carnival at 800-933-4968 or weddings@carnival.com.

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THE BEST BUYS OF YOUR VACATION ARE RIGHT HERE ONBOARD!

LOOK FOR THE BEST BUYS SYMBOL IN

TAX & DUTY FREE

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RIGHT, FROM TOP: Eric Clapton, Sir Richard Branson, Cameron Diaz, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Gwyneth Paltrow.

STAR SEARCHES

CELEBRITY SIGHTING IN THE TROPICS Seeking famous faces? Here’s where to look. They’re prettier, richer and usually better dressed than most of us, but Hollywood stars share one trait with those in lesser galaxies. They, too, are irresistibly drawn to the romance and beauty of the Caribbean. They’re also drawn to the anonymity that faraway tropical lands afford them; it seems the more remote the island, the more celebrities you’ll find there. It’s not hard to spot the stars, and with the help of our Hollywood star chart you might just run into one of your favorite personalities. If you do, remember to play it cool — make a fuss and you could ruin it for the rest of us!

OPPOSITE, FROM TOP: Oprah Winfrey, Selma Hayek, Ryan Seacrest, Sofia Vergara, Nicki Minaj.

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PHOTOS BY: (ERIC CLAPTON) FEATUREFLASH PHOTO AGENCY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (RICHARD BRANSON) S_BUKLEY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (CAMERON DIAZ) HELGA ESTEB/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (MARIAH CAREY) TINSELTOWN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (LENNY KRAVITZ) HELGA ESTEB/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (RIHANNA) TINSELTOWN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (TAYLOR SWIFT) HELGA ESTEB/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (GWYNETH PALTROW) HELGA ESTEB/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (OPRAH WINFREY) DFREE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (SALMA HAYEK) DENIS MAKARENKO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (RYAN SEACREST) TINSELTOWN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (NICKI MINAJ) HELGA ESTEB/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (SOFIA VERGARA) DFREE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (JAMAICA) RUTH PETERKIN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM.

Star Searches | Celebrity Sighting

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ANTIGUA

The secluded beauty of Antigua romanced entertainment empress Oprah Winfrey and rock legend Eric Clapton to buy homes here. You might also see Virgin mega-entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson on its sister island, Barbuda, although he’s more likely to be hanging on his private Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands.

BAHAMAS: HARBOUR ISLAND, ELEUTHERA

Solitude also marks the spot on this sparsely populated outpost that draws actress Cameron Diaz, singer Mariah Carey and musician Lenny Kravitz.

BARBADOS

Generous portions of British Colonial days remain on Barbados, which has often lured actress Gwyneth Paltrow for quiet vacations. It’s no vacation for singer Rihanna, a native Barbadian who’s simply going home when she returns to this island paradise.

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

Grammy-laden superstar Taylor Swift was not only spotted in Virgin Gorda with beau-of-the-moment Harry Stiles in 2016, but she also thrilled her many fans by posing for photos with them. The B.V.I. was already well known to such stars as actresses Selma Hayek, Jaime King and Molly Sims.

MEXICO CABO SAN LUCAS/CANCUN

The Mexican Riviera has long appealed to Hollywood royalty since Liz (Taylor) and Dick (Burton) first appeared in Puerto Vallarta. These days, it’s a playground for reality star Kim Kardashian and celebrity maven Ryan Seacrest.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

Top pop star Nicki Minaj often goes home to Trinidad & Tobago, which also calls out to singers Shakira and Sting.

TURKS & CAICOS

If you’ve ever been there, you know why actress Sofia Vergara and actor Joe Manganiello chose this romantic island for their honeymoon in 2015. Actors Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner also married here, in Providenciales, although their happily ever after hit a few bumps.

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FUN DAY IN PORT

Bring your Fun Finds Map into port. Tuck it into your purse or pocket and put the port at your fingertips.

CAN BALCIOGLU/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

The Fun Finds Map is available from your onboard Shopping Expert at any of their live events or scheduled desk hours. Check your Fun Times for more information.

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OBJECTS

DESIRE

Perfect your look with one of these little luxuries: a dramatic pendant, a sparkling ring, a shimmering bracelet or a top-quality timepiece. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a vacation memory of the best kind.

Le Vian Ocean Wave Gladiator ring

TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 watch

Crown of Light Orchid ring

Kabana Alhambra Collection earrings

Zenith El Primero Chronomaster Grande

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OBJECTS OBJECTS

DESIRE DESIRE

Jewelry to rock your world: Diamonds top the must-have list, but they’re not the only way to attract a crowd. The looks that matter? Whatever matters to you.

Marahlago Surf necklace

Danyal Paraiba Orion’s Belt ring

Safi Kilima Kilehe Trillion Tanzanite bangle

TrueLove Diamonds Infinity bracelet

Forevermark Halo ring

Fendi Selleria watch

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OLD SAN JUAN: 151 Fortaleza, San Juan, Puerto Rico • 787 723 8420 COZUMEL: Puerta Maya Pier & Downtown on Rafael E. Melgar Ave • 213 291 8164

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CARLOS AMARILLO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

OF THE

See our guide to the distinctive creations that make the Caribbean so exceptional, in select ports.

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Guide to

PORTS Belize Cozumel Falmouth Freeport Galveston Grand Cayman Grand Turk Half Moon Cay Key West Mahogany Bay Montego Bay Nassau New Orleans Ocho Rios Port Canaveral

CARLOS AMARILLO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Progreso

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Seattle

Los Angeles Catalina Island

San Diego

Ensenada

New Or Galveston

Hawaii

Cabo San Lucas

Mazatlรกn

MEXICO

GULF OF MEXICO

Progreso

Puerto Vallarta

Belize City CENTRAL AMERICA

BELIZE

GUATEMALA

PACIFIC OCEAN

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Canada

Charleston

Bermuda

Mobile Jacksonville

New Orleans

PORTS of Call

Port Canaveral

Tampa

FLORIDA Freeport Fort Lauderdale Miami THE BAHAMAS

Key West

Nassau

ATLANTIC OCEAN

Half Moon Cay

CUBA TURKS AND CAICOS

greso

Grand Turk

Cozumel

Amber Cove

Grand Cayman

Montego Bay

DOMINICAN St. Thomas San Juan HAITI REPUBLIC PUERTO RICO

Falmouth Ocho Rios JAMAICA

St. John St. Maarten/ St. Martin

St. Kitts

Antigua

Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatรกn

CARIBBEAN SEA HONDURAS

St. Lucia Barbados

Aruba Curaรงao COSTA RICA

Bonaire

Cartagena COLOMBIA

VENEZUELA

PANAMA SOUTH AMERICA Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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ERIC LEMAR/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Ports of call | Belize

Belize’s barrier reef is one of the longest in the world, making it a popular spot for divers.

BELIZE

For a country of its tiny size, Belize is blessed with an incredible share of natural treasures — including the world’s only jaguar preserve and the Western Hemisphere’s longest barrier reef. Belize also boasts numerous historical and cultural artifacts, especially in the ancient ruins of the Mayan civilization that called Belize home. 60

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FUNTREKS

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here are just a few of the many tours you can experience during your visit. See your onboard shore-excursion specialist to book today. Please ask about age requirements, physical considerations, proper dress and other details.

Shark, Rays, Barrier Reef Snorkel & Island Escape

Enjoy the rich, pristine waters and abundant marine and reef life. After snorkeling the Barrier Reef, you will proceed to Shark & Ray Alley, where you will have the amazing experience of swimming in the water with these nurse sharks and gentle rays. After this amazing, personal encounter with sharks and rays, it’s back to the Caye Caulker Island to relax on the beach.

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Xunantunich Mayan Ruins

Guests explore this famous Mayan archaeological site and then have a Belizean lunch in San Ignacio Town. Next they take a relaxing scenic journey to the Mopan River and then a five-minute ferry ride across the river to the remote ruins. The tour includes lunch in the San Ignacio area.

Lamanai Mayan Ruins & River Boat Safari

Lamanai is one of the largest and most excavated Mayan sites in Northern Belize. Explore these ancient Mayan ruins and climb to the top of one of the largest ceremonial temples in Meso America. Pass through historic villages on the way to Ayinha Eco Park. Experience the best nature river cruise on your way to the world-famous Lamanai Ruins.

Jaguar Cave Zipline & Tubing Combo with Lunch

Quick Guide

Experience the best of both worlds: Belize’s cave tubing and jungle zip lining! Jaguar Cave Zip Line Cave Tubing Combo tour starts with zip lining through Jaguar Cave and finishes with cave tubing through Darknight Cave offering guests the world’s only zip line through a cave plus a cave tubing experience.

Famed for: Diving, nature preserves and beaches. It’s a Fact: The Garifuna people of Belize are descendants of the original Caribbean residents, the Caribs and Arawaks. Signature Souvenirs: Mayan astrological charts and pendants, tropical fruit preserves and nance liqueur, made with cherries grown in the Yucatán. How to Get to Town: Cruise guests take a tender from the ship to Belize’s Tourism Village, a 15-minute ride from the ship. Taxis into the city are available at the village.

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Ports of call | Belize

PORT VIEW

The ruins at Tikal present fascinating Mayan history.

Things We Love About Belize Belize is a country with a rich natural and cultural mix — from jungle animals and colorful fauna to Mayan ruins and artifacts to its watery landscape of more than 200 tropical island cays making up the nearly 200-milelong Belizean Barrier Reef. The largest one, Ambergris Caye, can be reached on a shore excursion where manatee-watching is a must, and where a dazzling variety of colorful marine life awaits scuba divers and snorkelers. Caye Caulker, just south of Ambergris, has quiet beaches for a relaxing day trip. A short walk along Albert Street, on Belize City’s waterfront, leads visitors to the Fort George Lighthouse and to the nearby House of Culture Museum, which was 62

once the governor’s residence. The Marine Terminal houses the Coastal Zone Museum, which showcases the barrier reef’s marine life. Mayan history, through artifacts and pottery, awaits visitors at the Museum of Belize. Many shoppers also snap up hand-carved treasures made from local wood at Market Square. Outside the city limits, visitors flock to the Belize Zoo, with its native ocelots and jaguars, or to the Community Baboon Sanctuary, where Black Howler monkeys frolic. The si x th-centur y Temple of the Green Tomb and the Temple of Masonr y Altar dominate Altun Ha, Belize’s most extensively excavated Mayan ruin. — Richard Varr

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Come visit

CLIMBERJAK/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Freeles Samp

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Ports of call | Cozumel

Ruins of a Mayan temple face the sea.

COZUMEL

This lovely stop on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula is known for its amazing dive sites and for wellpreserved archaeological remnants of the Maya. It was once a sacred destination for that ancient civilization, making it a top attraction for history lovers.

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FUNTREKS

Passion Island by Power Catamaran

Travel by motorized catamaran along Cozumel coast to Isla Pasion, a beautiful picture perfect private island where white sandy beaches are surrounded by crystal clear turquoise waters. Children 5 and under are free!

Tulum Temples & Mayan Village with Lunch

Visit the Mayan Temples of Tulum and enjoy a lunch in a Mayan Village hideaway. A Carnival exclusive!

Dolphin Swim & Ride, With Unlimited Food & Drink

This is the optimum dolphin adventure that offers couples and families the opportunity to swim with dolphins for 40 minutes in calm, protected ocean coves. Children 5 and under are free!

RANTON_IVANOV/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Adventure Jeep & Snorkel At Punta Sur

Explore Punta Sur Park, Cozumel’s famous Ecological Reserve. Travel through the beautiful landscape in an off road Jeep Wrangler, then jump in for an amazing snorkel excursion at Cozumel’s marine park.

All Inclusive Chankanaab Beach Day & Sea Lion Show

The original natural aquarium of the island, this is paradise found. If you love nature, it’s the perfect place to enjoy a day with family, friends and an array of natural and cultural activities.

Quick Guide Famed for: Beaches, diving and eco-parks. It’s a Fact: At the Parque Punta Sur eco-park on the south end of the island, whistling can cause crocodiles in the lagoon to rise to the surface. Signature Souvenirs: Silver jewelry, serapes and embroidered Mayan blouses. How to Get to Town: The Punta Langosta pier is right in the downtown area. From the International Pier or the Puerto Maya terminal, you’ll want to take a taxi.

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Ports of call | Cozumel

PORT VIEW

Sea sponges and colorful fish surround a striking brain coral.

Things We Love About Cozumel Cozumel neatly balances its cultural experiences with its more playful reputation for shopping. In San Miguel, a charming town that hugs the waterfront, tourists can find locally made treasures of silver, turquoise and leather goods, as well as pottery, stone carvings and wooden masks by Cozumel artisans. The port also claims its share of duty-free shops offering diamonds, watches and designer jewelry. The avenidas (avenues) and calles (streets) of the town’s center are easy to explore by foot. Pleasant encounters are likely with some of the Caribbean’s friendliest people, the Maya, who first settled in Cozumel some 1,700 years ago.

Many still live in the thatch-roofed homes originally designed by their ancestors. Lunch in town should always begin with guacamole; Cozumel’s restaurants are said to serve some of Mexico’s best versions of this classic avocado dip. Many visitors, especially families, head south from San Miguel to visit the dolphins and sea lions at Chankanaab Park. Other attractions include the landmark Punta Sur Ecological Park and Lighthouse, home to a Mayan-ruin site, and the Celerain Lighthouse, as well as a navigation museum. The road to ruins leads many visitors to the archaeological site of San Gervasio, near San Miguel. — Richard Varr

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Introducing the

Angelika Ring The

Infinity Ring

Commemorate your cruise with our signature TrueBlueÂŽ, Vivid Brown & Vogue Black Diamond collections, renowned for using only the most sought-after colored diamonds.

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Ports of call | Cozumel

Island Highlights Diving Paradise Teetering on the shelf of a 3,280-foot drop teeming with brilliantly colored marine life, Palancar Reef is the second-largest natural coral formation in the world and is considered one of the world’s outstanding diving destinations. Cochinita Pibil This traditional Yucatán Mayan dish is still one of the most popular foods served in Cozumel and throughout the region. Originally the dish was made with wild boar covered with achiote, or annatto seeds, wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in a coal-fired stone pit. Today achiote paste and banana leaves are still a mandatory part of the preparation, although the boar has been replaced by pork and an oven is the preferred cooking method. Bitter-orange juice and various local spices are added to the achiote marinade, and the banana leaves give a distinctive flavor. Mexican Flag You’ll see the distinctive green, white and red colors of the bandera mexicana, or Mexican flag, celebrated everywhere from cocktails to quilts. Green symbolizes the hope of the independence movement that ended in 1821; white, the purity of the Catholic faith; and red, the union of Mexico after its rebellion against Spain. The eagle on the crest symbolizes its Aztec heritage. Mezcal It looks exactly like tequila, but this spirit has a few important distinctions. For one, it’s made from agave plants other than the blue agaves of Jalisco that are used in true tequila. For another, the agave piñas — pineappleshaped, pulpy bulbs from which the fermentable juice is extracted — are baked in underground wood-charcoalfired ovens rather than in steam ovens, giving them a smoky flavor that’s even more enhanced in mezcal añejo, which is aged in oak barrels for at least one year.

PHOTOS BY: (SCUBA) BRIAN LASENBY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (PLATE) PETER KIM/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (FLAG) TRAPPY76/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (PLANT) TINA_RENCELJ/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

By Sara Churchville

FROM TOP: A scuba diver explores a coral reef; a plate of cochinita pibil; the Mexican flag; an agave plant.

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Ports of call | Cozumel

Visitors flock to ruins of the Mayan temple at Tulum.

A TALE OF TULUM Set against a backdrop of aquamarine Caribbean waters, Tulum’s awe-inspiring temple remains a striking sight.

PATRYK KOSMIDER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Perched high on the cliffs of the Yucatán Peninsula is the ancient city of Tulum, the only Mayan city known to have been built on the coast. Following the paths, visitors can visualize the indigenous religious ceremonies that took place here, and appreciate the magnificent beauty of this sacred locale. Today there is little to fear from the sacrificial pit, and the only ritual that must be followed is paying a fee to use your video camera. Generally coupled with a trip to Tulum is a visit to Xel-Há Lagoon. An oasis on a hot day, this soothing inland sea contains a natural underwater park and provides a wonderful respite after exploring.

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Ports of call | Cozumel

Shopping in

Cozumel Here’s the ultimate insider guide to what’s hot in town. See it? Like it? Buy it!

Hublot Classic Fusion Dwyane Wade

A cenote near Tulum.

Crown of Light Unity ring with champagne diamond

John Hardy Classic Chain Collection reversible bracelet in sterling silver and 18k gold

FIDEICOMISO PARA LA PROMOCIÓN TURÍSTICA DE LA RIVIERA MAYA

Kabana Rose Collection pendant

UNDERGROUND WONDERS Cozumel has no surface lakes or freshwater rivers, but it does have many underground ponds and sinkholes known as cenotes (seh-NOH-tays). Some reach a depth of 210 feet — and to add to their mystery, they have openings that build from the bottom up. A cenote forms when a combination of water and carbon dioxide dissolves underground limestone. This process cuts fissures in the rocks and creates upward-reaching caverns resembling reverse holes. Their vertical walls continue to erode, filling the bottom of the pits with debris and causing the “holes” to rise. The early Maya people believed cenotes were inhabited by gods and provided an underground gateway to heaven. In gratitude to Chac, the god of water, they would drop gifts into the caves. — Eleanor Wilson

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Ports of call | Cozumel

NATURE REIGNS AT COZUMEL’S SMALL SEA

Not far from the busy shops, restaurants and bars of San Miguel, Chankanaab Park provides nature lovers with 450,000 square feet of pristine space to revel in.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEXICO TOURISM BOARD

Though the name means “small sea,” the park is really a little slice of paradise, with botanical gardens, a lagoon, a beach and a replicated Mayan village. The sparkling Chankanaab Lagoon is home to colorful coral, fish and turtles, as well as a Dolphin Discovery facility. Snorkeling and scuba diving are available from the beach. Pleasant pathways wind through botanical gardens where several hundred species of tropical plants thrive. The archaeological park contains reproductions of stone carvings from well-known ruins around Mexico and is staffed by guides to explain their significance. —Suzanne L. Carmel Turtles make their home in the park.

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PHOTOS BY: (MAIN) PAOLO GIANTI/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (LOWER) HANK SHIFFMAN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Ports of call | Falmouth

An aerial view of the port.

FALMOUTH With a rich past as a major Caribbean trading center, history buffs will fall in love with the grand estates and colorful architecture of Falmouth, while rain forests and pristine beaches beckon guests to the Jamaican countryside.

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PHOTOS BY: (MAIN) PAOLO GIANTI/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (LOWER) HANK SHIFFMAN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Falmouth's deep-water cruise pier.

Quick Guide Famed for: Elegant architecture, Jamaican coffee and tasty jerk dishes. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Fact: Falmouth is the birthplace of Usain Bolt, winner of nine Olympic gold medals and widely regarded as the fastest person in history. Signature Souvenirs: Original artwork, wood carvings and jerk seasonings.

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KKULIKOV/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Ports of call | Falmouth

PORT VIEW

A boat rests on the beach at Falmouth.

Things We Love About Falmouth Falmouth and its surroundings are steeped in sights that make this port the gateway to historic and natural attractions, from stately great houses and stirring rain forests to strong Jamaican coffee and tasty jerk dishes. The faded but reviving Georgian architecture, exemplified by the impressive Palladian design and Doric column façade of the central courthouse, makes Falmouth one of the Caribbean’s most notable Georgian towns — a reminder of a time when tall-masted ships crowded the harbor

during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Step back into Jamaica’s rich history by exploring Falmouth on a walking tour. You will be guided leisurely through the town on streets laid down more than two centuries ago. You’ll learn interesting facts about the town and its residents, and you’ll view examples of its famed Jamaican Georgian structures, such as the grand Courthouse, built between 1815 and 1817, and the Anglican church, built in 1796. — Richard Varr

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Lines

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FALMOUTH PIER Falmouth Pier SHOP 106 Tel: 876-632-4875 Falmouth • Jamaica

MONTEGO BAY

Shoppes at Rose Hall SHOP 24 Tel: 876-953-9755 Montego Bay • Jamaica

OCHO RIOS

Island Village Downtown - Dockside Tel: 876-675-8998 Ochos Rios • Jamaica

info@casadeoro.com / www.casadeoro.com

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Ports of call | Falmouth

ISLAND HIGHLIGHTS By Sara Churchville

Jamaican National Flag “The sun shineth, the land is green and the people are strong and creative” is the symbolic meaning of the flag. The black triangles on each side represent the strength of the people; the green triangles at the top and bottom, the lushness of the land; and the gold diagonal cross, sunlight and wealth. The flag was first hoisted in 1962, the year Jamaica declared independence from Britain. "Lightning" Bolt Falmouth’s favorite son has to be Usain Bolt, the record-busting runner. He has earned an astounding nine gold medals at the Olympic Games — three each in Beijing (2008), London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016), a feat known as "the triple triple." Bolt won his first medal at a high school track meet, taking home a bronze in the 80-meter hurdles. Born in Trelawny Parish, he was also a promising cricket bowler in those days, according to his official bio.

PHOTOS BY: (FLAG) DAVID N MADDEN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (USAIN BOLT) A.RICARDO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

ABOVE: Jamaican flag. LEFT: Usain “Lightning” Bolt.

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IGNITE SOMETHING O N LY T H E P E R F E C T C U T C A N U N L E A S H A DIAMONDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BRILLIANCE.

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H E A R T S O N F I R E S T O R E S , A U T H O R I Z E D R E TA I L E R S , H E A R T S O N F I R E . C O M

Shoppes at Rose Hall | Montego Bay Island Village Plaza | Ocho Rios Historic Port of Falmouth | Falmouth 876.953.4600 jewelsandtime.com

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Ports of call | Falmouth

PAST GLORIES, FUTURE HOPES By Danielle Cohen

During the late 1700s and early 1800s, thanks to the sugar industry, Falmouth thrived as one of Jamaica’s busiest ports and was one of the most lavish towns of its time. Sweet Success Falmouth’s population boom occurred as a result of Jamaica’s emergence as the world’s leading sugar producer. Planters — with slaves — arrived on the North Coast in droves. By the late 1820s, close to 30,000 slaves worked Trelawny’s almost 100 plantations, amassing sugar and rum for export. At the Central Wharf, imports such as food, iron, furniture and household wares were unloaded into the burgeoning town. Merchants, mariners, masons, carpenters, craftsmen, brothels, hotels and taverns set up shop in Falmouth, which rapidly developed into a wealthy and progressive place to live. In fact, Falmouth residents were the first in Jamaica to experience the luxury of running water, pumped from the Martha Brae River by the Falmouth Water Company at the beginning of the 19th century. By the mid-century, five newspapers circulated in town.

TRATONG/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

The city sits on a thoughtfully planned grid of wide thoroughfares named for 18th- and 19th-century British royals and heroes, such as Victoria Street, named for Queen Victoria, and King Street, in honor of the monarchy. Falmouth is the capital of Jamaica’s Trelawny Parish, which itself was named after Sir William Trelawny, a British politician who eventually became governor of Jamaica. Falmouth is the namesake of his birthplace in Cornwall, UK Founded in 1769 by planter Thomas Reid, Falmouth was mostly developed from waterfront property owned by Edward Moulton Barrett, grandfather of celebrated English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. He sold plots to planter friends, retained some seaside land for himself and bestowed the remainder for public use. Fewer than 20 homes stood in the early 1780s, but by the middle of the following decade, upward of 200 had been built.

Sugarcane plantations were a major economic force for Falmouth. 86

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PROGRESS: ENERGIZED BY THE FIRE INSIDE TO SUCCEED AND EXCEED. NOVAK DJOKOVIC

Perpetual Solar Chronograph *If there are changes in the region / time zone, manual time zone selection may be required.

A V A I L A B L E AT

FALMOUTH PORT | JAMAICA Falmouth Pier Shop #305 Ph: 876.632.2342 | E-mail: kotai@cwjamaica.com

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Ports of call | Falmouth

Slavery — and Freedom As Jamaica’s biggest slave port, Falmouth was a hub of activity. Tens of thousands were forced to perform hard labor in sugar production, which enabled the area to flourish. The size of Trelawny’s slave population also brought the attention of abolitionists, whose movement gained momentum in Falmouth thanks to British missionary William Knibb. The anti-slavery advocate traveled to Jamaica to help lead the cause. The UK finally moved to free the slaves in 1833. Economic stagnation followed, but the loss of free labor was not the only cause. Also contributing were Falmouth’s shallow harbor, which kept steamships from entering, and the railroad’s skirting around Falmouth to nearby Montego Bay. Kingston surpassed Falmouth to become Jamaica’s shipping center. Sugar production decreased by more than 70 percent. While many former slaves left after emancipation, others stayed. They built wooden cottages among Falmouth’s affluent Georgian-style brick mansions. This economically mixed area is officially designated today as Falmouth Historic District, where the assortment of intact Georgian buildings is unsurpassed in all the Caribbean.

The revitalized Historic Falmouth Port.

FLORIDASTOCK/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Falmouth of the Future The town’s condition worsened after damage wrought by several hurricanes. But its fortunes have begun to rise. The Jamaican government recognized the entire town as a national monument in 1996. Its rich heritage has inspired groups such as the nonprofit Falmouth Heritage Renewal, which has spent the last decade restoring Falmouth one landmark at a time. The project got an emotional boost in March 2008 with a visit from Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. The Port Authority of Jamaica now welcomes cruise ships to a revitalized, multimillion-dollar cruise port terminal: Historic Falmouth Port, a 120,000-square-foot village in Georgian architectural style. Its streets connect to the existing town streetscape and feature themed restaurants, retail shops offering a variety of international and local branded merchandise, local handicrafts and other tours and attractions. Tour options include horse-and-buggy rides, a sightseeing tram to nearby Falmouth landmarks, walking tours and on-site attractions. The selection of duty-free jewelry, resort clothing, accessories and souvenirs includes some of the best brands and retailers available in the Caribbean. With its themed architecture, rich Falmouth history, stateof-the-art services, amenities and eclectic mix of product and services, Historic Falmouth Port is well-positioned to become one of the best cruise port destinations in the Caribbean. With enduring dedication and continued revitalization, the splendor that was Falmouth in the 1700s and 1800s will surely return.

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Ports of call | Falmouth

The Historic Homes

OF FALMOUTH By Christine Blank

At one time, Falmouth — located between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay on the north coast of Jamaica — was a busy port rich from the profits of sugar, rum, and slavery. The cosmopolitan town, founded in 1769, quickly became known as “The Paris of the Indies,” thanks to the novelty of running water and numerous markets and shops. Today, the relics of the life of Falmouth citizens of a foregone era include magnificently restored plantation-style mansions and public houses. In fact, the town contains the largest collection of Georgian architecture in the Caribbean. Even the small, private homes of emancipated slaves and artisans have been restored, so visitors can get a full picture of how life was at the time.

The top architectural and historical sites every visitor must see include: • Baptist Manse, an expansive stone building with a wooden staircase, is said to be home to the first Masonic Temple in Jamaica. Its most notable owner was Rev. William Knibb, a famous Baptist preacher and abolitionist. The manse has become a centerpiece of the community. It now contains an art gallery featuring local artists. • Bellefied Great House is a 300-year-old plantation mansion on a 3,000-acre estate with lush, tropical gardens. The house preserves many classic family heirlooms. • The immaculately preserved Greenwood Great House, which is more than 200 years old, was owned by the family of famous English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. • Good Hope Estate, which opened in 1774, offers visitors a true feel of Falmouth’s history. It began as a sugar estate and developed into a village to support the workers after emancipation.

SHIPFACTORY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

One of Falmouth's magnificent homes has an equally stunning view.

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Ports of call | Falmouth

DESCENDING INTO HISTORY By Richard Varr

When it comes to the thrill of exploring nature’s underground world, Jamaica sits high on the avid spelunker’s list.

PHOTOS BY: (WATERFALL) KKULIKOV/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Near Discovery Bay, along the island’s lush and whitesand northern shores, sit the Green Grotto Caves — a labyrinth of rugged stalactites and stalagmites in wideopen caverns and fissured chambers, with daylight beaming through cracks and holes in the earth. But what makes these caves particularly enticing is Grotto Lake, a subterranean waterway that could be a setting for the Jules Verne classic Journey to the Center of the Earth. Modern-day Hollywood, in fact, did feature the caves as the lair of the villainous Dr. Kananga in the 1973 James Bond movie Live and Let Die. Nearly a mile long and about 40 feet deep, the subterranean wonder allows modern-day cave explorers to trace the steps of those who passed through long ago. Archaeological fragments reveal the Arawak and Taíno took shelter there. Pirates and runaway slaves used the caves as a hiding place — hence the popular name Runaway Bay Caves — as did the Spanish fleeing the British. During the first half of the 20th century, barrels of rum lay in storage, and smugglers used the caves to run arms to Cuba. Today’s visitors need only bring sturdy spelunking shoes and a hard hat for an underground tour complete with tales of the myths and legends of one of Jamaica’s most intriguing natural phenomena.

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THE E TE RNAL MOVE ME NT Ulysse Nardin, from the movement of the sea to the perpetual innovation of Haute Horlogerie. For over 170 years, the powerful movement of the ocean has inspired Ulysse Nardin in its singular quest: to push back the limits of mechanical watchmaking, time and time again.

Freak Blue Cruiser Flying carrousel-tourbillon 7-day power reserve Silicium technology ulysse-nardin.com

Taj Mahal Plaza 路 Ocho Rios 路 974-2769 Port of Falmouth 路 Falmouth 路 620-4141 colors@cwjamaica.com

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Ports of call | Falmouth

It may look like beer, but this bubbly nonalcoholic drink has a flavor all its own — sweet and intense, with the sharp bite of ginger. Originating in England, ginger beer was imported by early colonists and quickly became an island favorite. Whether it’s enjoyed straight from the bottle, blended with beer to make a shandy or mixed with rum in a Dark and Stormy for an extra kick, ginger beer is a delightful way to keep the heat at bay.

Refreshing ginger beer is an island favorite.

PHOTOS BY: (BEER) BRENT HOFACKER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

CHEERS TO GINGER BEER!

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Ports of call | Falmouth

COCKPIT COUNTRY By Joanna Hall

It’s the lush, green heart of Jamaica and a haven for plants and animals found nowhere else. stunning biological diversity, is home to more than 66 endemic plants, as well as uncommon species of reptiles, frogs, fireflies and insects, including bioluminescent click beetles known as “peeny wallies.” It’s the last refuge for many rare and endangered species that have vanished across the rest of the island, such as the black-billed amazon, a small parrot with green plumage and red-tipped wings, and the Jamaican giant swallowtail butterfly, with a spectacular 6-inch span of yellow and black wings that make it the largest swallowtail in the Western Hemisphere. There’s also the island’s largest predator, the Jamaican yellow boa, a colorful, nonvenomous snake that can grow to more than 6 feet. With so many finding refuge in Cockpit Country, a proposal was put forth to make Cockpit Country a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, a move designed to protect its unique landscape, fauna and flora. Accessible only by a single road that offers visitors exquisite scenic drives and hikes, Cockpit Country remains a natural paradise like no other.

Jamaica's lush, green interior

ARCIN SYLWIA CIESIELSKI/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Beyond Jamaica’s renowned, sun-filled beaches, there lurks a mysterious interior landscape few get a chance to visit. Known as Cockpit Countr y, the region is one of the Caribbean’s last reserves of pristine wilderness and contiguous rain forest. Described by early English missionary William Knibb as “one of the most lovely spots on earth,” Cockpit Country is nestled in the west of Jamaica, an hour south of Falmouth. Its name is derived from its spectacular landscape, referred to by geologists as “cockpit karst.” It’s an alien, pockmarked terrain of irregular, star-shaped hollows, some more than 300 feet deep. The surrounding area is steep, with conical hills, ridges and valleys eroded from the limestone bedrock. Its history dates back to the Maroon Wars of the 1700s, when Cockpit Country served as the mountain stronghold for the Leeward Maroons — escaped slaves who fought for independence, gaining their freedom from British rule in 1739. This island-within-an-island ecosystem, blessed with

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MAKE SOUVENIR SHOPPING A PIECE OF CAKE Available throughout the Caribbean. We Ship Worldwide. Proudly Baked in Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Bahamas.

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RAMUNAS BRUZAS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Ports of call | Freeport

The endless stretch of Taino Beach.

FREEPORT At first sight, you’ll love Freeport for its Lucaya resort scene. Then you’ll discover the natural side of 96-milelong Grand Bahama Island and realize that this is much more than just another pretty tourist magnet.

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FUNTREKS

All Inclusive Beach Getaway

A package for those who want it all! Air-conditioned transport to your day in paradise: swim in the crystal Caribbean waters; participate in activities based both on land or water. Play volleyball or challenge a friend to a spirited game of chess. Take in the stunning views from our beach bar with friendly staff onsite ensuring your visit is highly enjoyable. Our all-inclusive package offers round-trip transportation, entrance to beach facilities, open bar and our delicious Bahamian buffet.

Freeport Kayak & Nature Experience

Explore Freeport’s Lucayan National Park as you paddle through the inland creeks of the mangroves and walk on the pathways through the forest.

Dolphin Close Encounter

RAMUNAS BRUZAS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

This educational and interactive encounter begins with a short bus ride to the UNEXSO facility in Port Lucaya. Then, take a 20-minute boat ride through the canal systems of Grand Bahama Island to arrive at Sanctuary Bay, a natural 9-acre lagoon and home to fourteen Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins. Learn about these dolphins while they splash and jump around you, and then step onto a 3-foot-deep submerged platform where you will pet, kiss and hug a dolphin.

VIP Luxury Sail

Quick Guide Famed for: Diving with dolphins and sharks, quiet beaches and old fishing settlements. It’s a Fact: For the scenes in Pirates of the Caribbean filmed in the Bahamas, moviemakers built a special, maneuverable, seaside platform to give the pirate-ship set the illusion of pitching and yawing. Signature Souvenirs: Make-your-own perfume, junkanoo music CDs and batik-fabric clothing.

Experience luxury and relaxation onboard our magnificent 50-foot Beneteau sailing yacht. Designed for voyage sailing and comfort with modern facilities, this unique “all-inclusive” adventure allows you to explore the stunning Caribbean Sea in style. Cruise out of the marina and sail along the coastline, enjoying the beautiful Taino beach view.

My Bahamian House: A Select Retreat!

Relax in an exclusive Bahamian-style home complete with your own chef, bartender and friendly host. Live the island dream and join a small, select group for a relaxing day of sun, to savor the flavors of the islands with unique cuisine and cocktails away from the crowds.

How to Get to Town: Lucayan Harbour lies 10 minutes west of Freeport. Taxis and limos line up to meet the cruise ships.

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Ports of call | Freeport

PORT VIEW

Find your patch of shade on the beach at Freeport.

Things We Love About Freeport Grand Bahama, the most diverse island in the Bahamas, flexes its vacation muscle well beyond the Freeport-Lucaya resort scene. The ultimate island-swimming experience involves dolphins at UNEXSO (Underwater Explorers Society). The Lucaya-based operation also offers scuba-diving excursions. A number of other tour operators take you underwater for snorkeling at lovely Peterson Cay National Park or on brilliant offshore reefs, where tropical fish and spiny lobsters hang out. At Paradise Cove resort, west of the port, you can snorkel to Deadman’s Reef from the beach. Nature lovers can head east to the lush and historic Garden of the Groves for a serene tour of nature's finest 100

and lunch at the café. More active sorts can kayak and hike through Lucayan National Park, where ecosystems range from bat caves to remote beaches. Lively activities at Grand Lucayan Beach & Golf Resort include water sports and a waterslide, and a variety of restaurants and bars lay footsteps away. For more seclusion, find soft, white beaches that beg for bare feet and splashing in marbled blue-green waters at Taino Beach just east of Lucaya. The beach is also a short walk from the authentic Bahamian settlement of Smith’s Point. For those seeking local culture, outlying beachfront settlements and funky conch shacks make an intriguing introduction. — Chelle Koster Walton

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See the Shore Excursion Desk for details.

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Ports of call | Freeport

Island Highlights By Sara Churchville

Androsia Batik Cloth One of the artisanal prides of the Bahamas, Androsia is made on the small island of Andros and sold all over Freeport. The fabric is waxed, hand-dyed, cut and sewn at the island factory. The brightly colored fabric is decorated with stenciled shapes of shells, birds, fish and flowers. Conch The sweet meat of this mollusk, similar to clam, is used in various dishes in the Bahamas and elsewhere in the Caribbean. Conch chowder may remind you of Manhattan-style clam chowder, but there's nothing else like batter-fried conch fritters. Guava If you like jelly rolls, you’ll love the Bahamas’ signature dessert: guava pulp, flour, butter, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, all topped with a hard sauce of butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla and rum. If you can find guava pulp, you can make this at home.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Bright batik fabric; queen conch shell; guava, the start of something sweet; the local brew.

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PHOTOS BY: R. GINO SANTA MARIA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; ROBERT FREEMAN

Kalik Beer Locals take this Bahamas-brewed beer as seriously as any other culinary treasure of the islands. The name itself is mimicry of the sound of cowbells, an instrument in junkanoo bands. Though Heineken is a major investor in the firm, the beer — in original, light and higher-proof gold — is most popular on the islands.

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with Dancing Diamonds, Hersheyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kisses and much more! The finest gemstones like Emeralds, Rubies, Sapphires and Diamonds. Wide selection of Swiss & Fashion Watches Cigars, Ray-Ban and other fashion sunglasses

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SWIM WITH DOLPHINS At our facility or in the open ocean or participate in our close encounter

SHOP â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;TIL YOU DROP Largest selection of swimwear, resort wear and souvenirs in Freeport 4063L-R.indd 2

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DIVE INTO THE BLUE With our world renowned dive crew; explore wrecks, reefs and marine life

WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;VE GOT IT ALL AT UNEXSO! Freeport, Grand Bahama

Next to Port Lucaya Marketplace find us on See your Shore Excursion Desk for Details

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

Grand Bahama

NATURE TOURS E

xperience the natural beauty, history and culture of Freeport, Bahamas, through a variety of tours and attractions.

A leisurely 12-mile bike ride takes you along the shoreline, through a historic settlement and to a tropical garden for lunch. You will have time for a dip in the ocean at Junkanoo Beach Club and even a shopping stop at Port Lucaya Marketplace. Would you like to experience a pristine mangrove creek by kayak, swim and enjoy a picnic lunch on Gold Rock Beach — one of the Bahamas’ most spectacular beaches — and then follow your guide into the forest to observe native vegetation and birds? The Kayak, Nature and Beach Excursion will be the perfect choice for you. How about an adventurous ATV ride through forested terrain and along the Grand Lucayan Waterway, with breathtaking vistas over the turquoise ocean? This excursion allows you to spend time at Garden of the Groves and at Junkanoo Beach Club as well. Another exciting way to see the island is by driving your own Jeep in a convoy led by an experienced island guide. There will be many interesting stops of historic interest and natural beauty as well as time for lunch, a stroll in a tropical garden and a dip in the ocean. The Garden of the Groves is a lush tropical garden, dedicated in 1973 to Freeport’s founder, Wallace Groves. It is an informal garden with ponds, waterfalls and wildlife. Visit the historic chapel on the hill or walk the only spiritual Labyrinth in the Bahamas. Browse and buy authentic Bahamian souvenirs at the quaint shops. Relax for lunch or sip a cool Bahamian drink on the deck of the Garden Café overlooking the ponds and waterfalls. The Garden Cafe is one of the top restaurants on the island offering freshly grilled local delicacies, salads from the Garden’s own organic Aquaponic farm and its popular “Conch Burger” topped with the taste of fresh conch salad. Check with your Shore Excursion Desk for the popular Western Heritage Sightseeing and Snorkel Excursion as well as the Brewery, Perfume Factory and Sightseeing Tour.

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FREEPORT - BAHAMAS

The Junkanoo Beach Club

Jeep, Beach and Garden Excursion

Biking, Beach and Shopping Tour

ATV, Tropical Garden and Beach Adventure

Kayak, Nature and Beach Experience

The Tropical Garden of the Groves

SEE YOUR SHORE EXCURSION DESK FOR DETAILS

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Ports of call | Freeport

SHACKING UP AND CHOWING DOWN

A refreshing conch salad

More than a dozen open-air, no-need-for-shoes shacks populate Grand Bahama’s sandy shores. Here, local cooks chop up fresh conch, fry up the day’s catch and dispense cold Kalik beer and Bahama Mama rum cocktails like there’s no real world beyond their beaches. Yo u c a n s t a r t y o u r b e a c h s h a c k- h o p p i n g j u s t w e s t o f Lucayan Harbour, in the settlement of Eight Mile Rock, where a strip of lollipop-colored shacks known as Sunset Village spec i a l i z e s i n f r ie d c h ic ke n , s te w e d c onc h a nd t he c atc h of the day. Billy Joe’s, an old favorite in Lucaya, specializes in grilled conch. Roasted conch and Gully Wash cocktails star at Tony Macaroni’s on silky-sanded Taino Beach. Next door, in Smith’s Point, Outrigger Beach Club is the place to nosh and sip. In William’s Town, check out barefoot places with names like Bikini Bottom and Toad’s on the Bay. If you’re headed to the island’s East End, stop at Bishop’s Beach Club in High Rock for authentic cracked conch, barbecued ribs, broiled lobster, burgers and a superlative get-outta-town beach.

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BLUEORANGE STUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

By Chelle Koster Walton

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BLUEORANGE STUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Big selection of 10kt and 14kt gold earrings, anklets, chains and more

TANZANITE EMERALDS RUBIES SAPPHIRES

All precious gemstones and large selection of silver jewelry

Goldylocks Jewelry

#1 Port Lucaya Marketplace, Freeport Bahamas * #1 International Bazar, Freeport Bahamas Tel: 242.351.6145 Circle One Mall / 242.373.5920 Port Lucaya CSR * International Guarantee * US Service Centre

SHOP â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;TIL YOU DROP Largest selection of swimwear, resort wear and souvenirs in Freeport Freeport, Grand Bahama, Next to Port Lucaya Marketplace

find us on Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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PHOTOS BY: TREE OF LIFE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; GRIGORY KUBATYAN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; MICHAEL J. THOMPSON/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; IDESIGN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Ports of call | Freeport

BATS TO BEACHES

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Kayaking through the mangroves; bats in a cave; belted kingfisher; a hummingbird hovers.

By Chelle Koster Walton

Lucayan National Park on Grand Bahama Island contains the entire range of Bahamian ecology, from limestone caves where bats nest to mangrove tidal creeks and beautiful, secluded beaches. Twenty miles east of Freeport, along a lonely road lined with Caribbean yellow pines, the park encompasses 40 acres of land and three hiking trails. On the north side of the road, the trail leads to two caves you can climb down into — doorways to one of the longest mapped underground cave systems in the world. Archaeologists once discovered the remains of ancient Lucaya people in the Burial Mound Cave. Ben’s Cave is where you’ll find the bats, and it closes in June and July for nesting season. But they’re not the only unusual creatures here. A rare species of the crustacean class Remipedia, with no eyes or pigmentation, was discovered and exists only in Ben’s Cave. Across the road, one trail crosses a tidal creek popular 110

with kayakers. Birds are the most gregarious wildlife in this part of the park; look for great blue herons, green herons, hummingbirds, belted kingfishers and the Bahama yellowthroat. Winter is the best season for sightings, because birds are migrating and most plentiful. Mornings and low tide are the best time to catch them actively feeding. The Creek Trail boardwalk snakes through the mangroves to Gold Rock Beach — a good place for a swim and a picnic. The return Mangrove Swamp Trail is older and sometimes wetter, but reveals an entirely different environment of orchids and native shrubs. All in all, Lucayan National Park is the easiest way to access the “bush,” as locals call it, without the assistance of a native guide.

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Ports of call | Freeport

THE JEWELLERY BOX

Port Lucaya, Freeport, Grand Bahamas â&#x20AC;¢ 242.373.8319 112

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Ports of call | Galveston

GALVESTON

An island off the Texas coast south of Houston, Galveston offers 32 miles of beaches and a charming historic downtown.

Quick Guide Famed for: Victorian architecture — the city has one of the nation’s largest and best-preserved collections of the fancifully designed houses. It’s a Fact: Galveston’s 10-mile-long seawall protects the city from storms and is covered in miles of murals depicting underwater life.

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Signature Souvenirs: A piece of art or sculpture from Gallery Row, between 21st and 23rd streets on Post Office Street.

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Ports of call | Grand Cayman

Limestone forms the craggy edge of Smith Cove in Grand Cayman.

GRAND CAYMAN Once a sanctuary for plundering pirates and shipwrecked sailors, Grand Cayman is now a haven for nature lovers, scuba divers and pleasure-seeking visitors from around the world. The diving is especially good in the turquoise waters that surround this former British colony. Back on land, visitors busy themselves with shopping, dining or explorations of local history and nature.

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FUNTREKS

Stingray Encounter & Turtle Swim

This tour consists of the island’s two most famous attractions, where you snorkel with the stingrays and swim with the turtles.

All Inclusive Tiki Beach — Seven Mile Beach Getaway

An enjoyable and relaxing way in which to spend your day in Grand Cayman with family and friends, on world famous Seven Mile Beach! Children 5 and under are free and special child rates are available.

Dolphin Swim & Stingray City

Experience the fun of swimming with bottlenose dolphins and interacting with stingrays in this combination tour.

JO ANN SNOVER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Coral Gardens & Stingray Sandbar

Snorkel over the Coral Gardens Reef formation. Afterward, stop at the famous stingray sandbar and get up close and personal with the stingrays as you swim around.

Explore Cayman By Land & Sea

Experience the best that Grand Cayman has to offer, both above ground and beneath the sea.

Quick Guide Famed for: Seven Mile Beach, considered by expert sunseekers to be one of the Caribbean’s best and least-crowded stretches of sand. It’s a Fact: The Cayman Islands are home to people of more than 120 nationalities. Signature Souvenirs: Replicas of pirates, blue iguanas and the Caymans’ mascot, Sir Turtle. How to Get to Town: Take the ship’s tender to Royal Watler Pier, a 15-minute ride. Turn right from the pier to explore downtown.

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PORT VIEW

Yes, you can swim with stingrays in the waters of Grand Cayman.

Things We Love About Grand Cayman Grand Cayman is well-known as a hub of international banking and finance, but more visitors are lured here by its extensive natural and man-made attractions. It’s a favorite getaway for many Hollywood celebrities who are drawn by its serene beauty and the variety of things it offers to see and do. The centerpiece of the island is the magnificent Seven Mile Beach, a vast expanse of powdery-white sand. Famed for diving, the island offers more than 200 named sites. Other natural attractions include the Mastic Trail, a restored 200-year-old footpath that meanders through a 2-million-year-old forest and mangrove swamp in the heart of the island; Pedro St. James National Historic Site,

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a restored great house dating from 1780; and the 59-acre Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. You will take a tender into port, where you’ll have plenty of time to explore. At lunchtime, save room for dessert: a slice (or more) of Grand Cayman’s world-famous rum cake. Shopping is especially rewarding in the capital of George Town, home to some of the Caribbean’s best duty-free shopping — at attractive discounts. Great finds include black-coral jewelry, luxury watches, fine perfumes and gracious dinnerware. Seekers of unique souvenirs choose caymanite — a hard stone with striations ranging in color from pale pinkish beige to deep russet — found only in the Caymans. — Jim Thompson

PHOTOS BY: (STINGRAY) JO ANN SNOVER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (CORAL) CAYMAN ISLANDS DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM; (FLAG) GARY YIM/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (IGUANA) FRONTPAGE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM, (PARROT) ELLIOTTE RUSTY HAROLD/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Ports of call | Grand Cayman

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WE HAVE SOME OF THE FRIENDLIEST LOCALS YOU WILL EVER MEET. ( THAT GOES FOR OUR PEOPLE TOO. )

Stingray City, Grand Cayman

Welcome to your new favourite port-of-call in the Caribbean. We hope you enjoy your stopover with us by making the most of every minute you have in the Cayman Islands. We look forward to having you back for a longer stay in the future, so that you can ďŹ nd your Caymankind in even more of our unique experiences.

visitcaymanislands.com

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Ports of call | Grand Cayman

Island Highlights By Sara Churchville

Black Coral Carvings Divers are thrilled to come across expanses of black coral at sites off Grand Cayman, and jewelry carved from the coral is one of the island’s most popular gift items. Cayman Islands Flag The islands’ flag is a pairing of Britain’s Union Jack with the Cayman Islands’ crest against a dark-blue background. At the top of the crest is a pineapple, representing the islands’ one-time dependence on Jamaica. Under it, a turtle, the national symbol of the Caymans, stands on a thatch rope — the manufacture of which was once a thriving industry on the islands. The Lion of England signifies the obvious ties to Britain, while the three green-and-gold stars on blue-and-white waves represent the three Cayman Islands and the sea. Grand Cayman Blue Iguana Like the Grand Cayman parrot, the blue Grand Cayman iguana (Cyclura nubila lewisi) is only found on the island. With its blue coloring, it should be easy to spot, but because it’s endangered and not very social, it may take some searching to locate one. A subspecies of the Cuban rock iguana, the blue iguana can grow to be as long as 5 feet. Grand Cayman Parrot Grand Caymanians once took in these loudly squawking birds as pets, but this practice is now illegal. About 4,000 Grand Cayman parrots, so-called because they are found nowhere else in the world, are still on the island. This green, red and white subspecies of the Cuban parrot is the island’s national bird.

FROM TOP: Black coral growing underwater; Cayman Islands flag; a rare blue iguana, also known as a Grand Cayman iguana; a Grand Cayman parrot.

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PHOTOS.COM

Ports of call | Grand Cayman

FROM PRIVATEERS TO MASTER FISHERMEN

Seagoing adventurers have long been drawn to the Caymans.

By Marjorie Klein

The wide beaches and cool caves of Grand Cayman echo with the rich history of its early inhabitants: turtles, crocodiles, pirates, sailors, soldiers, settlers and slaves. Beginnings Christopher Columbus first spotted the islands he called “Las Tortugas” on May 10, 1503, when his ship was blown off course from Panama to Hispaniola on his final trip to the New World. The three islands, so populated with tortoises that they looked like rock piles, became a way station for sailors to replenish their freshwater supply and stock up on turtle meat. Perhaps the presence of turtle on the menu resulted in the animals’ decline; by 1586, crocodiles had become so dominant that Sir Francis Drake, the first recorded English visitor, renamed the islands Caiman (the Carib word for “crocodile”), from which their present name Cayman is derived. The Cayman Islands’ population stayed the same — comprising primarily sailors and pirates — until Oliver

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Cromwell’s British army defeated Spain in 1655. The Treaty of Madrid brought both the Caymans and Jamaica under British rule and made Grand Cayman a destination for settlers. Rule, Britannia! The first influx of settlers arrived: immigrants from England, Holland, Spain and France, plus refugees from the Spanish Inquisition and deserters from Cromwell’s army. Privateers, the genteel name for pirates such as Sir Henry Morgan who had their governments’ permission to plunder ships — ostensibly to retrieve wealth stolen from their country — discouraged these early settlers, many of whom hightailed it back home. Blackbeard, as well as other pirates, found the caves, nooks and crannies of Grand Cayman to be the perfect

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Ports of call | Grand Cayman

hideout. Some pirates never made it to land, their ships having been lured onto the reefs by the beacon fires of the Caymanians, who strenuously resisted these invaders. By 1700, the first royal land grant in Grand Cayman signaled permanent settlement, followed by others throughout the island. The first recorded inhabitant was Isaac Bodden, grandson of the original settler, a soldier from Cromwell’s army for whom Bodden Town was named. Other districts can be traced back to that period of settlement as well; among them is Hog Stys, once the site of a pigpen the name of which — thankfully — was changed to George Town in the early 18th century in honor of King George III. In 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht officially ended privateering (although freelance pirates continued to attack ships regardless), encouraging settlers to set up camp permanently and call Grand Cayman home. Many of these early settlers brought slaves with them to help farm crops such as cotton, which they exported, and corn, yams, plantains, melons, citrus fruit and sugarcane grown for their own consumption. An 1802 census shows 933 people, 545 of whom were slaves. Democracy Is Born Self-rule for the Caymans began on December 5, 1831, when a historic meeting of residents took place to form the first representative government, and elections were held. The Emancipation Act of 1833 brought an end to slavery on an island where slaves outnumbered whites 5 to 1. A Tourist Mecca Tourism and banking became Grand Cayman’s primary economic sources in the 20th century. On February 22, 1937, the Atlantic, the first cruise ship to bring tourists to the island’s shores, deposited 450 wealthy, mostly elderly passengers ashore for the day. During World War II, the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard operated bases on the island. When Bob Soto opened the first dive shop in 1957, Grand Cayman became the birthplace of recreational scuba diving. In 1962, the Caymans chose to remain a British Crown Colony, a decision that helped lead to the introduction of major banking legislation in 1966. The face of Grand Cayman has changed dramatically from that first sighting by Columbus; those turtles and caimans that once roamed the island now smile at us from a respectful distance on T-shirts.

Grand Cayman

Timeline

1503

Columbus spots islands he names “Las Tortugas.”

1655

The islands come under British rule.

1700

Permanent settlement begins with the first royal land grant.

1713-14 Piracy officially ends with the Treaty of Utrecht.

1831-33 1962

Caymanians opt to remain a colony of Britain.

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First elections are held; slaves are emancipated.

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CAYMAN ISLANDS DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM

Ports of call | Grand Cayman

FREEDOM’S HOME

The Pedro St. James historic site has cultural artifacts on the grounds and throughout its rooms.

Known as “the birthplace of democracy in the Cayman Islands,” the Pedro St. James National Historic Site has been likened to the United States’ Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Caymanians met here on December 5, 1831, and voted to form their first elected parliament. They gathered at “the Castle” on May 3, 1833, to hear the proclamation ending slavery in the British Empire. The mansion was originally the private home of planter William Eden. The three-story landmark was built from quarried native rock in about 1780. It was the only survivor of a 1785 hurricane, making it the Caymans’ oldest stone structure. The family abandoned it in 1877, and it was put to 128

various uses until the Cayman government purchased it in 1991. Restoration work on Pedro St. James took seven years. Guests enter through the Visitors Center, which perches on a bluff overlooking the Caribbean Sea and surrounds a landscaped courtyard. The featured attractions include a 20minute multimedia theater presentation of Cayman history and a self-guided tour of the imposing great house.

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TORTUGA DUTY-FREE LIQUORS Â®

ESTABLISHED 1984

The Finest Rums and Liquors at the BEST DUTY-FREE PRICES in the Caribbean! Cruise ship Recommended and Guaranteed, WE DELIVER TO YOUR SHIP! VISIT OUR FACTORY AND BAKERY located at Tortuga Rum Ave.

Home of the world famous TORTUGA Rum & TORTUGA Rum Cake. Free Rum and Rum Cake samples at all our Grand Cayman locations.

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Ports of call | Grand Cayman

SNORKELING THE CAYMANS

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Swimming with fish in the sea always seems to be reserved for elite divers like Jacques Cousteau and his companions, or for island water babies who learned to swim before they could walk. But the Cayman Islands, long a mecca for divers and marine ecologists, welcomes snorkeling aficionados to swim with sea creatures in a crystal-clear aquamarine sea. Filled with miles of healthy coral reefs, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the perfect home for a dazzling array of sea life. Slipping away from the constraining bonds of land, snorkelers on a soft ecotourism adventure will see the flower-like beauty of the sea anemone, revel in splendid displays of fan-shaped coral and be awed by reefs splashed with such vivid hues of orange, pink, violet, red and blazing yellow that might have been created by Picasso. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Richard Carroll

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Ports of call | Grand Cayman

A diver faces a bluespotted stingray.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

One of Grand Cayman’s most popular city visits isn’t to a city at all — at least not in the usual sense of the word. Meet the inhabitants of Stingray City and its neighbor, Stingray Sandbar. People are merely drop-in visitors who dive down to discover what makes this stretch of real estate so attractive to the rays. Fortunately, the area’s southern stingrays seem to relish all the attention. They certainly like being fed the handfuls of squid offered by cruise guests and other visitors. And they know the ropes. As soon as a tour-boat motor stops, a flotilla of rays gracefully glides onto the scene. From the deck of the boat, the saucer-shaped rays, which may reach 132

up to 6 feet across, can be seen approaching. Visitors have the choice of watching them from above the surface or jumping in the waist-high water and swimming beside the fierce-looking but gentle creatures. Before it became a popular tourist attraction, Stingray Sandbar served as a protected area where fishermen cleaned their catch en route to shore. The chance for a free lunch attracted the rays then, just as it does now.

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Ports of call | Grand Cayman

Shopping in Grand Cayman Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the ultimate insider guide to whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hot in town. See it? Like it? Buy it!

OF THE

Where to find local mementos in port

TAG Heuer Calibre 8 watch

Sterling & Stone

This small boutique sells duty-free jewelry specializing in Caymanite and sterling silver. Also selling a range of gemstones, charm bracelets and stainless-steel styles. Caymanite jewelry fashioned by local artists. At the corner of Harbour Drive in the heart of Cayman dutyfree shopping.

Kabana Eden Collection butterfly pendant

Cayside Courtyard, Shedden Road, George Town 345-925-8955

Crown of Light Galaxy bracelet

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Discover the

adventure

Visit the Cayman Islands’ #1 land-based attraction. Meet the turtles, enjoy the wildlife, snorkel in our lagoon and splash down our water slide. It’s a full day of fun and adventure. Opening hours: Mon – Sat 8:00am – 4:30pm | Inquire about Sunday hours Book with your Shore Excursion Desk today! 786 Northwest Point Road, West Bay, Grand Cayman

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Ports of call | Grand Turk

FUNTREKS

Catamaran Sailaway, Beach & Snorkel

Experience a great combination of sailing aboard one of the most beautiful catamarans in the Caribbean, a white sand beach and extraordinary snorkeling. You’ll have a magical experience sailing along the crystal clear turquoise waters aboard the spacious catamaran.

Horseback Ride & Swim

Spend an afternoon embracing your outdoor spirit on this fun-filled horseback adventure!

All Inclusive Private Beach Break

A special day at the beach — enjoy a white sand beach, turquoise water and an island lunch at Grand Turk’s premier beach location. This all-inclusive package includes unlimited local beer and rum punch, fruit punch and sodas, a local lunch and a beach lounge chair and umbrella, plus one hour’s use of snorkel gear.

Home Sweet Home! Your Caribbean Retreat

Escape the crowds and enjoy Grand Turk’s greatest features: a beautiful beach and a private beach house. Come and be our guests as a select group of guests have the house as their own for the day. Read a book, bask in the sun, or snorkel or kayak on the clear blue waters. Enjoy some local drinks and local cuisine, our chef will prepare some local treats like conch salad for you to try — everything is included in this day package.

Ultimate Land & Sea

GRAND TURK Turks and Caicos is an idyllic archipelago of islands and cays with 230 miles of white, sandy beaches and some of the world’s most preferred dive sites. The main island is Grand Turk, where the capital, Cockburn Town, boasts pretty frame houses with gingerbread verandas.

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Discover Grand Turk by land and by sea on this action-packed adventure, the . Adrenaline High Wire Challenge & Zip. Navigate through the maze of ropes, rigs, ladders and zip lines at 45 feet above ground. Ride well-trained horses along scenic trails overlooking the beautiful aquamarine waters. Explore the island on Dune Buggy through the town and along the stunning coastline. Sail away to the perfect snorkeling spot. Jump in and get up close and personal with the vibrant underwater wildlife.

Quick Guide Famed for: Pristine beaches, thrilling scuba diving and pretty pink flamingos. It’s a Fact: After orbiting the Earth in 1962, astronaut John Glenn’s Friendship 7 space capsule splashed down off Grand Turk. Signature Souvenirs: Natural sea salt, seashell art and colorful postage stamps.

PHOTO BY: (VIEW) RAMUNAS BRUZAS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

The waters off Grand Turk promise incredible diving.

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CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES

Ports of call | Half Moon Cay

Horseback riding is one of many activities on the island.

HALF MOON CAY Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plenty of fun to be had at this island getaway in the Bahamas. Splash it up at the water park, enjoy a cocktail at the open-air Bahamian bar or shop at the craft market. Want more? Book a shore excursion to explore the island and the surrounding waters.

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FUNTREKS

Half Moon Cay Snorkel by Boat

Put on your snorkeling gear and bring your sense of adventure. Travel by boat to a site off the coast of Half Moon Cay. Get an up-close view into the crystal clear waters of the sparkling Caribbean. Snorkel from the boat in waters teeming with gloriously colored fish, anemones and coral.

Horseback Riding by Land & Sea

Saddle up for the horseback riding experience of a lifetime! Enjoy a great photo opportunity and panoramic view of Half Moon Cay and the surrounding Bahamian islands. Continue along the bay en route back to the corral where you will enjoy a refreshment while your horse is “dressed” for swimming in specially designed pad and rope halter (no saddle).

Stingray Adventure

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES

Enjoy an educational encounter with the southern stingrays that make Half Moon Cay their home.

Tropical Kayak Adventure

Join our island naturalist on a relaxing but invigorating kayak adventure on Bone Fish Lagoon. Kayak part of the lagoon that comprises over 1,400 square acres of protected habitat. See the numerous species of flora ranging from red mangroves to the ornamental silver buttonwood tree.

Aqua Trax Watercraft Adventure

Experience Half Moon Cay from the seat of your own Aqua Trax watercraft.

Quick Guide Famed for: Recreation and relaxation in this private paradise, also known as Little San Salvador Island. It’s a Fact: Half Moon Cay is 17 miles from the nearest island neighbor. Signature Souvenirs: Bahamian arts and crafts sold by local vendors.

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Ports of call | Key West

Key West is the center of the universe for those who fall under its spell.

KEY WEST

Located at the southernmost point in the continental United States, Key West — with its balmy weather and Bohemian atmosphere — is a free spirit that holds a special place in our hearts. How can you not love a place that has a party every day to celebrate the sunset?

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FUNTREKS

Key West Parasailing

This ride combines the thrills of offshore power boating with parachuting, ballooning and gliding. Guests ride in pairs and launch directly from the onboard flight deck, enjoying fantastic views of Key West and its beachfront while soaring hundreds of feet above the Atlantic Ocean.

Catamaran Sail & Snorkel

The 60-foot catamaran Fury takes guests to a coral reef in the waters off Key West, which teem with dolphins and flying fish. Instruction and snorkel equipment are provided, and refreshments are served on the way back to the ship.

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Ultimate Key West Water Adventure

If you love action, this Ultimate Adventure tour delivers you 3.5 hours of excitement. Enjoy parasailing, jet skis, swimming, and water toys for a fun day on the water.

Nature Kayak Tour

Explore the amazing ecosystem of Key West from the seat of a kayak.

Quick Guide Famed for: Sunsets, the green flash (a special glint of light in the water at sunset) and Ernest Hemingway’s old haunts. It’s a Fact: President Harry S. Truman loved Key West so much, he chose the island to build his winter White House there. Signature Souvenirs: Key lime juice, conch shells and sunkentreasure replicas. How to Get to Town: Key West’s historic Old Town, with its many charming shops and attractions, is only a few blocks from the dock. It’s easy to reach on foot, which also happens to be the best way to explore. Old Town is split approximately in half by Duval Street, which leads to Mallory Square. Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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Ports of call | Key West

S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G F E AT U R E

Mel Fisher

TREASURES Key West has an incredibly rich maritime heritage, including the most famous shipwreck-treasure find in history. The ship Nuestra Señora de Atocha was the Almirante, or admiral, of Spain’s Tierra Firme fleet. On Sept. 4, 1622, the fleet set sail from Havana, Cuba, heading back to Spain with an unprecedented amount of copper, silver, gold and priceless jewelry. Just days into the voyage, the fleet was struck by a massive hurricane and sank 35 miles off the coast of Key West. The Spanish attempted to salvage the Atocha for 70 years without success. Hundreds of years later, Mel Fisher’s search for the famed Atocha made international headlines as he uncovered the richest treasure find in history. So far the haul is valued at over $500 million, with hundreds of millions in treasure still to be found. Although it takes dedicated professionals to be successful in

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the salvage business, Mel Fisher’s Expeditions welcomes you to discover firsthand the fun, romance and adventure of treasure hunting, with no scuba-diving experience needed. To find and hold an artifact after it’s been on the ocean floor nearly 400 years sends tingles from the tips of your toes to the top of your head; the feeling is indescribable. You are encouraged to experience it for yourself. While in Key West, you can visit 200 Greene St. to learn more about joining the hunt for the Atocha and experiencing the adventure of a lifetime. Hold authentic shipwreck treasure in the palm of your hand and go home with your very own piece of history. As Mel Fisher always believed, today’s the day!

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Ports of call | Key West

PORT VIEW

Key West beckons.

Things We Love About Key West This picturesque enclave offers delights of many kinds, from its pastel-toned homes and shops to its offbeat sunset celebration, where colorful characters enliven the day in Mallory Square. Many visitors devote a good bit of their day to shopping on Duval Street and the network of charming routes that connect with it. Best buys include dazzling local art, tropical home accessories and hand-rolled Dominican cigars. Collectors of the unique are drawn to beautiful treasure-coin jewelry, made from authentic pieces recovered from old shipwrecks near the island. Key West has many historic stops, most notably the landmark home of writer Ernest Hemingway; the Audubon House and Tropical Gardens, honoring naturalist John 144

James Audubon; museums devoted to the shipwrecks and lore of the island’s past; and the Truman Annex, site of the winter White House during the presidency of Harry S. Truman. Families can enjoy the breathtaking natural beauty of the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory. One of the most popular mementos is a photograph snapped at the Southernmost Point, which notes Key West’s unique geographic status in the continental United States. For food and refreshment, the Historic Seaport is filled with colorful waterfront restaurants. The island’s signature Key lime pie stars on almost every menu, and souvenir bottles of tart Key lime juice are available for sale almost anywhere.

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Two Friends Patio Restaurant & Bar a Key West Icon since 1967 2016 Key West People’s Choice Awards winner for Best Bloody Mary. And nominated for Best Business, Best Overall Restaurant, Best Family Owned Business, Best Happy Hour, Best Breakfast, Best Fish Sandwich and Best Bartender.

The Best Daily Live Entertainment in the Southernmost City Happy Hour Daily 4–7 pm & Drink Specials 11am — 7 pm

Happy Hour Mango Mojito

Breakfast

Crab Cake Benedict

Lunch

Mahi-Mahi sandwich

Dinner

Lobster combo

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Ports of call | Key West

Island Highlights

Famous Writers Tennessee Williams and Ernest Hemingway lived here, and Key West still manages to lure many writers who are charmed by the city’s eccentricity. The written word is celebrated each winter with the Key West Literary Festival. Grand Entrance This is how you know you’ve arrived. Cross the Seven Mile Bridge, linking Marathon in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys. Key West is about 40 miles farther on. First built in 1912, the bridge was replaced by the current span in 1982. Saloons Sloppy Joe’s, the infamous Hemingway hangout, is the quintessential saloon in a city where friendly spots for enjoying a cold beer on a warm night, often outdoors, are almost the raison d’être. The saloon names — Hog’s Breath, Green Parrot, Lazy Gecko — still evoke the area’s history of piracy, rum running and general Margaritaville-style lazing.

PHOTOS BY: (PIE) ANJELIKAGR/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; FLORIDA KEYS TOURISM BOARD; (BRIDGE) PICTURIN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (SALOON) DANIEL KORZENIEWSKI/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Key Lime Pie This cool, creamy, sweet and tart mixture of condensed milk, Key lime juice and egg yolks is folded into a graham cracker crust, baked, refrigerated until firm and served with a meringue topping or a dollop of whipped cream. Not to be confused with the green fruit you find in most parts of the country, the Key lime is small, yellow and very tart.

FROM TOP: Key lime pie; the Tennessee Williams House; the historic Seven Mile Bridge; Sloppy Joe’s, a popular gathering place.

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Ports of call | Key West

LOST AND FOUND

Row of cannons in Fort Zachary Taylor.

Many have come to Key West to start lost lives over and find their fortunes.

By John Anderson

This southernmost point on the map was the last stop for many a castaway and dreamer, and few ever looked back. Beginnings Spanish explorers first arrived on Key West in 1521 and dubbed the place Cayo Hueso, or Bone Island, due to the discovery of human bones supposedly found in mangrove clumps. But for centuries after, the area was largely left to its own devices. Eventually, settlers were drawn there for a number of reasons. Among the new residents were Bahamians known as conchs, who harvested the hardwood trees; Cuban fishermen; salty New Englanders; and marauding pirates who had been plundering ships in the Caribbean for years. Ceded to the United States in 1819, Cayo Hueso became anglicized and was soon known simply as Key West. In 1821, US businessman John W. Simonton bought the island for $2,000 and divided it into 148

four parts; he sold three to fellow businessmen John Fleming, John Whitehead and P.C. Greene — you’ll find streets named after them today — and kept one for himself. Simonton next convinced the US Navy that Key West would be an ideal base of operations for the northern Caribbean region. Thus, in 1823, following Lt. Matthew Perry’s assessment that desperados were a bigger problem than malaria and mosquitoes, the Navy sent in Capt. David Porter and his West Indies Anti-Piracy Squadron. However, after dispatching the pirates, the islanders found themselves under Porter’s military dictatorship until a court-martial finally rid the residents of both the pirates and Porter himself. The Richest Town in America In the 1800s, Key West was an industrious place, with fishing and sea turtle canneries as mainstays of the economy for decades. From 1830 until the Civil War, salt

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Ports of call | Key West

production was a huge industry as well; the island supplied much of the country’s salt. But by 1860, it was the fortunes made from shipwrecks on the coral reefs just 7 miles offshore that made Key West the richest US town per capita. People came from all over to bid on the salvaged bounty at the newly established customhouse. Millions of dollars’ worth of wreckage was being adjudicated on the island, supplying the fine furnishings and chandeliers found in local homes and the formal clothes people wore around town. With the building of the reef lighthouses in the late 1800s, the profitable wrecking business began to wane. Fortunately, two other businesses picked up the slack and kept Key West in the money: sponging and cigar production. Hundreds of skiffs patrolled the surrounding waters, harvesting millions of sponges from shallow seabeds; the sale of the sponges accounted for 90 percent of all sponges sold in the United States. At the same time, the cigar industry began to flourish when Cubans came to the island to escape their country’s revolution from Spain. By 1890, 129 cigar factories were in operation in Key West. The 20th Century and Beyond Key West was an isolated island accessible only by boat until Henry Flagler built his Overseas Railway in the early 1900s. Completed in 1912, the massive undertaking included one of the world’s longest bridges, which connected Key West to the mainland. While the rail business Flagler foresaw never materialized, another industry began to flourish in the 1920s with the passing of Prohibition: bootlegging. Newly rich smugglers from Key West supplied beer and rum from Cuba and whiskey from Nassau. This devil-may-care environment attracted the many writers who helped make Key West famous. Ernest Hemingway, Robert Frost, Tennessee Williams and a long list of Pulitzer Prize winners have called the island home at one time or another.

Key West

Timeline

1521

Spanish explorers arrive and name the island Cayo Hueso (Bone Island).

1819

Florida and the Keys are ceded to the United States.

1821

John Simonton buys Key West for $2,000.

1860

Key West becomes known as the wealthiest town in America.

1912

1982

In a humorous protest, Key West “secedes” from the United States and becomes the Conch Republic.

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Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railway is completed.

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Ports of call | Key West

S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G F E AT U R E

Flowers

OF THE SKY The 13,000-square-foot pavilion houses a glass-enclosed greenhouse, which is home to hundreds of free-flying butterflies and exotic, colorful birds. The conservatory is a top-rated attraction in Key West, ranking No. 2 on Trip Advisor and winning the People’s Choice Award four times. Visitors can examine the butterfly world with a wall-size map that identifies butterflies by country of origin, provides illustrated information on butterfly anatomy and physiology and offers a detailed look at

the incredible Monarch migration. Guests also get a rare close-up view of a variety of caterpillars feeding and developing on their host plants. The conser vator y offers a journey through a collection of flowering plants, colorful birds, cascading waterfalls and trees that set the stage for the magnificent “flowers of the sky.” View 50 to 60 varieties of butterflies, over 25 bird species and some 3,500 plants that share the tropical, climate-controlled environment of the greenhouse.

PHOTOS BY: (BUTTERFLIES) KEY WEST BUTTERFLY AND NATURE CONSERVATORY.

Excite your senses and expand your mind at the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory.

The final point of interest is the specially designed display nursery, offering a unique look at the miracle of metamorphosis. Witness butterflies and moths develop, emerge in their adult form and get released into their idyllic environment. Wings of Imagination, the conservatory's art gallery, offers the works of artist and founder Sam Trophia. The gift shop also offers a wide assortment of butterfly and nature-related items.

UARE MALLORY SQ

, T S E W Y KE RIDA

Cruise Ship Port

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BORN IN KEY WEST - SINCE 1971

MILE MARKER 0

Experience our Island with a FREE Salt Scrub Demo! . 1075 Duval St. Duval Square Key West, FL 33040 305-517-6365 . 416 Greene St. Key West, FL 33040 305-735-4927 152

HERNTMOST SOUTPOIN NAVAL AIRON STATI FOLLOW US @KEYWESTALOE

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Walk Among Hundreds of Living Butterflies and Colorful Birds

Voted #1 Attraction in Key West by Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choice Awards, TripAdvisor and Yelp See Your Shore Excursion Desk For Tickets 5013.indd 1

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Ports of call | Key West

Key West’s

CUBAN CONNECTION

Key West is closer to Cuba than any other US city — both geographically, at less than 100 miles, and culturally.

A New Home Cubans began emigrating to Key West in the early 1830s, establishing a strong presence and bringing with them their culture, their traditions and a thriving cigar industry. They continued through two revolutions: in 1868, when thousands came to work in Key West’s thenflourishing cigar factories, and in 1959, when millions began fleeing political oppression by the Communist dictator Fidel Castro. Cuba’s proximity became a sobering reality during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, when US President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev narrowly averted what may have been the closest the world has come to nuclear war since World War II. Memories Remain Key West has several tangible reminders of its Cuban past. The San Carlos Institute, on Duval Street, was founded in 1872 to preserve Cuban culture and promote freedom. Revolutionary leader José Martí ignited passion in 1892 with a stirring speech from the institute’s balcony. Still revered today, Martí is honored with a memorial in Bayview Park. A monument to the USS Maine, located at the historic cemetery in the center of Old Town, is another important link with Cuba. The monument is dedicated to the more than 260 men who lost their lives when the battleship, which sailed from Key West, exploded in Havana Harbor in 1898, touching off the Spanish-American War. — Jim Thompson CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Salsa and merengue dancers; a Latin bongo drummer; arroz con pollo. 154

PHOTOS BY: (PEOPLE DANCING) ARENA CREATIVE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (PERCUSSIONIST) ROXANA GONZALEZ/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (CUBAN DISH) ROXANA GONZALEZ/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

The rhythms of Cuban music in Key West night spots pulsate with a beat born in Africa and influenced by jazz, Big Band, reggae, salsa and hip-hop. Cuban food — fusing Spanish, African, Caribbean and even Chinese cuisine — is also easy to find. Stop for a cup of Cuban coffee or café con leche. Dine on sweet fried plantains, black beans, arroz con pollo or a Cuban sandwich. In Key West, you don’t have to look far for Cuban music, cuisine and culture.

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Ports of call | Key West

A marker notes Key West’s status as the southernmost point in the continental United States.

Conch If You

LOVE KEY WEST

The Florida Keys are home to two distinctly different varieties of conch (pronounced “konk”).

Rebellion and Reunion Residents of the Keys still call themselves citizens of the Conch Republic, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in April 2012. Spurred by a Border Patrol checkpoint on the main road in and out of the Keys, which caused traffic jams and headaches for islanders and residents alike, Keys residents “seceded” from the Union and founded the Conch Republic in 1982. They elected a Cabinet and declared war on the United States — and immediately surrendered and requested $1 billion in foreign aid. The Conchs returned to the Union with no ill will, of course, and those who celebrate the annual Conch Republic Independence Day do so with their tongues planted firmly in their cheeks.

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There’s the conch, a mollusk with sweettasting meat similar to that of a clam. It’s batter-fried in fritters, stewed in chowder or steamed and eaten in salad. The queen conch is the largest occupant of the pretty pink-and-white shell and a popular collectors’ item. However, keep in mind that it’s illegal to take queen conch without a license in most US waters. Then there’s the Conch, proud human inhabitants of the Keys archipelago. You could look it up: This definition is even listed in the dictionary.

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Ports of call | Key West

NO EXCUSES

NEEDED Not that it needs one, but Key West has plenty of reasons to celebrate. Sunsets, for one. Late in the afternoon, visitors and locals flock to Mallory Square to be entertained by jugglers, mimes, animal trainers and musicians while applauding the sun as it sinks into the Gulf of Mexico. Around Halloween time, the costume party is raised to high art in Key West’s very own Fantasy Fest, when lavish floats and outrageously dressed (or undressed) revelers parade down the streets until the wee hours of the morning. Most visitors don’t resist the urge to stop at one of Duval Street’s famous bars. Key West was a favorite watering hole of Ernest

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“Papa” Hemingway, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. Key West honors its Papa each July with Hemingway Days. Literary tours, theatrical events and a fishing tournament pay tribute to Hemingway, as does the Running of the Bulls, a simulation of the event in Pamplona, Spain, which Hemingway helped make famous. The centerpiece of the week is the Ernest Hemingway Look-Alike Contest. Fun and games are not limited to dry land. The waters surrounding Key West teem with world-class game fish pursued by anglers in fierce tournaments throughout the year.

A band plays during the sunset celebration.

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Every Day’s a Party

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Ports of call | Mahogany Bay

A perfect beach awaits in Mahogany Bay.

FUNTREKS

Maya Key Private Island Snorkeling With Lunch

Escape to your private island for the day. Maya Key is your 11+ acre oasis of fun and relaxation. Your adventure begins with a 10-minute bus ride to the ferry for a short scenic boat trip across the bay to Maya Key. Enjoy the natural setting of pristine beaches, lush gardens, tropical waters and the Meso-American coral reef. Other experiences include our animal rehabilitation and rescue facility

Jolly Roger Catamaran Sailing & Snorkel with Lunch

Mahogany Bay, on the serene isle of Roatán, is famed for its splendid diving. Some 95 percent of the Caribbean’s known corals are found here. It’s also a delight for those who prefer to stay dry, offering butterfly and iguana reserves and colorful botanical gardens.

Quick Guide Famed for: Housing part of the largest barrier reef in the Caribbean Sea, with easily accessible dive sites offering visibility from 50 to 100 feet. It’s a Fact: Local wildlife includes the basilisk, which is often called the Jesus lizard because it can run across water. Signature Souvenirs: Carved wooden designs and ceramics hand-painted by Lenca natives.

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Top 10 Best of Roatán

This is the only tour that delivers Roatán’s top 10 attractions!

Mayan Princess All Inclusive Resort With Open Bar

Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy a perfect beach getaway! Mayan Princess is located on a stretch of Roatan’s finest beach, where you will treat yourself to a day in paradise.

Canopy Tour & Tabyana Beach

Glide from the ridge of the mountain into beautiful Gumbalimba Park, followed by some beach time

PHOTOS BY: TONY MORAN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (UNDERWATER) JOHN A. ANDERSON/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

MAHOGANY BAY

This is your perfect shore excursion for Isla de Roatan! We offer incredible value with a free open bar, free digital photographs of your tour and even free local Honduran currency to take home as a souvenir! Join us aboard one of our spacious catamarans for hours of fun in the sun as we cruise along the coast of this gorgeous island we call home.

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MICHAEL J. PALMER

Ports of call | Montego Bay

MoBay, as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s known, shimmers under the Caribbean sky.

MONTEGO BAY In this exuberant resort area, the streets are something of a local theater, and the beaches buzz with vacationers frolicking in the sun. But the best of MoBay, as the port is known, was here long before vacationers discovered the place. As at most everywhere else on the island, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find warm, open-hearted people eager to share their culture.

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FUNTREKS

The Big 3: Sky Explorer, Canopy & Bobsled

This tour combines the Sky Explorer chairlift, the Jamaica Bobsled and a zipline canopy in one adventurous tour at Mystic Mountain. After riding the chairlift 700 feet up the mountain, participants ride the bobsled down the mountain, covering 3,280 feet of twists and turns. They then get an orientation and equipment and fly across the jungle canopy on a series of cables and pulleys. Lunch is included.

All Inclusive Family Beach Resort Getaway

This all-inclusive five-star resort is located in the northeast area of the island, surrounded by white-sand beaches where a wide range of services are offered.

Bobsled Jamaica & Dunn's River Falls

Enjoy three of the most popular attractions in Ocho Rios — the world-famous Dunn’s River Falls, the Sky Explorer chairlift and Jamaica Bobsled — on this comprehensive adventure!

MICHAEL J. PALMER

Dolphin Swim & Doctor’s Cave Beach

The tour begins with a narrated journey along Jamaica’s coastline to Dolphin Cove Negril. After a brief orientation, guests interact with dolphins in the water and experience the thrill of riding the creatures; they may even get a kiss or two. Visitors then go to Doctor’s Cave Beach in Montego Bay.

Catamaran Sail & Snorkel

Quick Guide Famed for: Plantation houses, jerk shacks and golf courses. It’s a Fact: When Columbus sailed into Montego Bay in 1494, he called it the Gulf of Good Weather.

A state-of-the-art catamaran takes guests on a ride to either Athol or Rose Island reef for an afternoon of snorkeling and sea exploration. The 82-foot sleek ocean voyager allows for a relaxing ride to and from the reef with fellow passengers. After donning gear and a life vest, guests descend into the clear waters. On the return, they can enjoy refreshing complimentary rum or fruit punch.

Signature Souvenirs: Jamaica rum, jerk sauce and Blue Mountain coffee. How to Get to Town: Montego Bay’s downtown and shopping area is about 2 miles from the pier. There are two ways to get there: by jumping in a taxi or taking an all-day shuttle that stops at all the important sites in town, including the City Center Shopping Center.

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Ports of call | Montego Bay

PORT VIEW

Doctor’s Cave Beach

Things We Love About Montego Bay Montego Bay scores a hole-in-one with travelers in search of world-class golf, great shopping and even ghost stories. None of MoBay’s photogenic great houses are as popular among visitors as Rose Hall, said to still be haunted by the ghost of the murderous Annie “the White Witch” Palmer. The Rose Hall area hits all three pursuits. Besides phantasmic Annie, it is well known for its championship golf courses and delightful shopping at The Shoppes at Rose Hall and Half

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Moon Shopping Village. Both tempt travelers with jewelry, Jamaica rum and lignum vitae wood carvings made from the wood of Jamaica’s national tree. The coolest spot is downtown’s Doctor’s Cave Beach for a swim followed by a taste of Jamaica’s famed jerk chicken and pork. Enjoy this treat with sweet festival bread and a cup of the island’s famous Blue Mountain coffee, and you may have a true taste of paradise. — John Bigley and Paris Permenter

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Ports of call | Montego Bay

Island Highlights By Sara Churchville

Jamaican National Flag “The sun shineth, the land is green and the people are strong and creative,” is the symbolic meaning of the flag. The black triangles on each side represent the strength of the people; the green triangles at the top and bottom, the lushness of the land; and the gold diagonal cross, sunlight and wealth. The flag was first hoisted in 1962, the year Jamaica declared independence from Britain. Doctor’s Cave Beach Tourism in Jamaica essentially began at this beach in the early 20th century, when wealthy North American and English bathers were attracted by its purported curative mineral springs, lapping waves and constantly warm temperature. The doctor in question was Alexander James McCatty, who began a private bathing club accessible only by cave. Today, the cave, the club and the doctor are gone, but the beach remains a tourist attraction.

Red Stripe Beer Few can claim to have left the island without trying this nationally produced beer at least once. Islanders swear by it as a way of cooling down after a meal of curried goat, jerk chicken or the national dish of akee and saltfish.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Jamaican flag; Doctor’s Cave Beach; delicious soursop ice cream; locally brewed Red Stripe beer.

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Soursop Ice Cream Made from soursop purée, ginger, lime juice, vanilla and condensed milk, soursop ice cream is one of the most popular desserts in Montego Bay. The yellowish fruit from which the purée is made is sometimes called guanabana.

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H E A R T S O N F I R E S T O R E S , A U T H O R I Z E D R E TA I L E R S , H E A R T S O N F I R E . C O M

Shoppes at Rose Hall | Montego Bay Island Village Plaza | Ocho Rios Historic Port of Falmouth | Falmouth 876.953.4600 jewelsandtime.com

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Ports of call | Montego Bay

A Plantation

PAST By Marjorie Klein

WALTER QUIRTMAIR/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Sugarcane field.

Like many other Caribbean ports, Montego Bay looks back on a past formed by a plantation economy and marked by adventure, rebellion and ghost stories — a tale that usually begins with Christopher Columbus. Beginnings In 1494, when Columbus first sailed into what is now “Montego” Bay, he named it “El Golfo de Buen Tiempo,” or Fair Weather Bay. The name Montego evolved from the Spanish word for “lard,” when the bay was known as “Bahía de Manteca,” or Lard Bay, because it was the export point for lard produced from roaming herds of wild hogs hunted by the settlement’s Spanish inhabitants. Sadly, the native Taíno people (also known as the Arawak), who had inhabited this region since A.D. 600, disappeared after 80 years of Spanish occupation, decimated by the diseases contracted from their conquerors. 170

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Ports of call | Montego Bay

The British Occupation In 1655, Spain relinquished Jamaica to Britain, surrendering with little resistance and leaving almost no evidence of its occupation. Founded in 1671, St. James was one of the poorest parishes, due to a scarcity of real towns. There were few inhabitants, and there was little commerce besides lard production. The fortunes of the parish turned when plantation owners began bringing slaves from Africa to work their sugar crops, and the sugar economy boomed. By the end of the 18th century, Montego Bay was a bustling port city; 150 ships arrived annually, importing slaves and supplies and exporting sugar. In 1720, Capt. Jonathan Barnett subdivided a portion of his sugarcane fields and created Charles Town. Merchants and planters became wealthy and built elaborate homes, one of which became the setting for the most famous legend in the parish: The White Witch of Rose Hall.

Montego Bay

Timeline

1494

Columbus sails into Montego Bay.

1655

The British conquer Spanish occupants.

1671

St. James Parish is founded.

1770

Rose Hall is built.

1795

Fire destroys the town.

1831

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Sharpeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christmas Rebellion occurs.

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PRIMAVER A COLLECTION

Montego Bay: Shoppes at Rose Hall

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PHOTOS BY: JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD; JESSICA THOMAS; GREENWOOD GREAT HOUSE

Ports of call | Montego Bay

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Rose Hall great house; Annie Palmer’s bedroom in Rose Hall; Greenwood great house ballroom.

MoBay’s

GREAT HOUSES Jamaica’s second-largest city boasts a number of great houses, sprawling plantation homes dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, when the area served as a primary port for the export of sugar and bananas. Today the main remnants of this industr y are the magnificent homes of the prosperous sugar barons. Rose Hall is one of the Caribbean’s most famous great houses. Situated on a hillside 10 miles outside Montego Bay, this mansion dates back to 1770 and has been restored to its former splendor. Many legends surround Rose Hall’s early mistress, Annie Palmer, the notorious, voodoo-practicing White Witch. Annie purportedly murdered her three husbands, numerous lovers and anyone who got in her way. 174

A tour guide will gladly provide the gory details. After your tour, relax in Annie’s Pub — where Annie kept “the dungeons” — and sample a drink called the Witch’s Brew in the eerie ambience. The ownership of Greenwood, on the same hillside, but 4 miles further on, is traced back to relatives of English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The house still contains many of the Browning family’s original books, letters, musical instruments, furniture and other household items. Visitors can also walk around the grand verandas offering views of the sea. — Marty Leshner

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Montego Bay: Shop 6, Shoppes of Rose Hall Tel: 876-953-2254 Email:Customerservice@theroyalshop.com

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ROYAL SHOP GIA and EGL certified Diamonds.

Recommended and Guaranteed by Major Cruise Lines.

Montego Bay Cruise Terminal Tel: 876-953-2254 Email:Customerservice@theroyalshop.com

10/1/15 3:52 PM

Ports of call | Montego Bay

A TEETH-TANGLING TIME by JoAnn Milivojevic

It’s a fruit that delights all the senses. When ripe, it mimics the setting sun, turning a scarlet-golden hue, and its sweet fragrance scents an entire room. Its slippery-soft texture and honey-peachy flavor is heaven in your mouth. fingernails. Mission impossible. I managed to loosen a few, but seemingly hundreds were embedded. The effect was like a stubborn popcorn kernel stuck between each one of your teeth. Images of dental floss and toothpicks danced in my head. Ugh. Nigel caught my eye from across the boat. I grinned at him, careful not to reveal my pearly whites for fear of exposing the mango threads that dangled from my teeth like dreadlocks. In my hand dripped the culprit that stole my smile. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Nigel ambled across the deck. “Le’ me show you how to eat mango de island wey,” he whispered. He picked one up and began to knead it slowly. “You roll it round and round,” he instructed, “mash it up good.” A mango the size of a grapefruit looked more like an orange in his large, calloused palms. He bit the thin skin, peeled back a sliver and sucked out the juice. He handed me the fruit and I sipped the sweet nectar. Voilà! Oh joy, oh rapture, oh sunset in my mouth. I could now have my mango and eat it too!

PHOTOS BY: ELXENEIZE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; MAKS NARODENKO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM.

It’s the mango. But beware! If you don’t know how to eat fresh mango, you could get tangled up in more than you bargained for. My affair with the mango began during a gentle sailing excursion in the Caribbean. Though melt-in-your-mouth a mango may be, many varieties are riddled with long fibers that catch and cling between your teeth. Biting into a mango, the way you would a peach, is no way to eat this fruit. It’s like eating a peach filled with hair. But before I could turn my back on the scrumptious fruit, I was duly rescued by Nigel, a Caribbean-born able-bodied landscaper. He taught me how to eat mango “de island wey.” Under a powder-blue sky, warm breezes propelled our sailboat from one small island to its nearby sister island. The crew had brought along a variety of island produce, including mangoes. I had just eaten my first one. The sweet juice stuck to my hands, the honey-peachy taste lingered on my lips, and the tangling fibers invaded my teeth. My tongue pulled furiously at the threads. I tried to be lady-like and discreetly pick at the fibers with my

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Ports of call | Montego Bay

Shopping in

Montego Bay Here’s the ultimate insider guide to what’s hot in town. See it? Like it? Buy it!

Hearts on Fire Beloved pendant

Alex & Ani Stackable set

Technicolor

TEMPTATIONS If a pickled parrot lands next to a hummingbird, would you find they are closer to a big bamboo or to a dirty banana? Whichever one you answered — you’re absolutely right. Pickled Parrot, Hummingbird, Big Bamboo and Dirty Banana are all colorful Jamaican tropical drinks. What these concoctions have in common are tropical fruit juice, plus Jamaica rum or Tia Maria. For a Purple Rain drink, just mix vodka, Blue Curaçao, fruit syrup, lime juice and grenadine. It’s No Problem

blends fruit juices with coconut rum and crème de banana. Here’s a simple recipe dating from the heyday of the sugar plantations: “sour, sweet, strong, weak.” The translation? Mix one part lime juice, two parts sugar, three parts rum and four parts fruit juice (your choice). For Pur ple R ain without the haze or Pickled Parrot without the punch, skip the “strong” kick. Then see if you can find the real hummingbird near that big bamboo. — Ginger Dingus

Shinola The Gomelsky watch

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PHOTOS BY: BOULE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; CREPESOLES/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

TrueLove Diamonds Angelika ring

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Ports of call | Montego Bay

AND JAMAICA

For nearly 30 years, Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash, made the Cinnamon Hill great house their home away from home. Surrounded by tropical beauty, the Cashes enjoyed peace, privacy and the restorative nature of the island. “Jamaica has saved and renewed me more times than I can count,” the late, legendary musician wrote in his autobiography. Cash praised the down-to-earth atmosphere of the countryside, which he compared to his childhood home. The Nashville star gave back to Jamaica as well. Starting in the early 1970s, Cash and his wife worked to establish an SOS Children’s Village for orphaned and abandoned children in

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Barrett Town. The duo financed the first family home at the village by performing concerts at the nearby Rose Hall Great House to raise funds for the project. Cash also wrote “The Ballad of Annie Palmer,” inspired by the supposed haunting of Rose Hall by its voodoo-trained mistress. All profits from the song were donated to the children’s home. Today the connection between Cash and the Children’s Village lives on. One of Jamaica’s premier musicians, Abdel Wright, who has shared the stage with U2’s Bono, grew up at the SOS Village, where he often saw Cash perform in concert. — John Bigley and Paris Permenter

PHOTOS BY: (JOHNNY CASH) CATWALKER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; OPPOSITE PAGE) JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD.

Johnny Cash grew up a country boy, sang about country life, made it big in country music and, when it was time for a little R&R, turned again to the country — in the hills near Montego Bay.

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A STICKY WICKET Cricket comes across as an utterly preposterous game to those who aren’t in the know. But to the knowledgeable, cricket is nothing of the sort. It is the national sport of Jamaica and mirrors the essence of life in this former British colony. The game has vague similarities to American baseball. But cricket games are long — and that is a real understatement. A cricket match can last 30 hours spread over five or six days, with breaks for lunch, tea and restroom visits. Given the time span of typical cricket matches, scores can range from 200 to 500 runs per team. On rare occasions, teams have tallied more than 1,000 runs in two innings. Largely because of the prowess of Jamaican cricket players, the West Indies has dominated the sport since the mid-1970s. Jamaicans at all levels of society love their cricket. When there are no matches at home, important test matches across the sea bring the entire island to a near standstill. Ears are glued to radios. Parties begin early and continue all night because of the time difference. — Deborah Williams

Cricket players.

PHOTOS BY: (JOHNNY CASH) CATWALKER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; OPPOSITE PAGE) JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD.

We carry a beautiful and extensive collection of

Souvenirs, T-Shirts, Usain Bolt shirts, Bob Marley shirts, Island wear, Crystal and Island Jewelry Swimwear, Toys, Outfits, Gifts galore

Shoppes at Rose Hall # 10

Montego Bay, Jamaica Tel: 876 953-3236 e-mail: aanchall@hotmail.com

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Ports of call | Montego Bay

Edible

STARS

Irresistible Slices of Carambola By Toni Crane

The exotic-tasting carambola fruit originated in China, where the tree is still grown as both an ornament and a fruit. The Portuguese introduced the tree to Brazil, and from there it found its way to the Caribbean. But some varieties are much tarter than others. Carambola contains ascorbic acid and oxalic acid: the more oxalic acid, the tarter the fruit. When using the tarter variety, the cook can trim away the ribs, where most of the oxalic acid lies, without spoiling the star shape. The crisp, juicy, yellow flesh, which has a lemony-apple flavor, can be eaten raw, but the fruit tends to be more delicious cooked and served with fish or made into jellies or desserts. The carambola is difficult to produce commercially because it needs to ripen on the tree and spoils very quickly once picked. However, carambola trees can be found in many backyard gardens in the Caribbean, and the fruit is now available in the produce markets of many cities in the United States. Try it — the pretty shape will add to the appeal of your dinner-party table.

PHOTOS BY: (CARAMBOLA) THEWADA1976/SHUTTERESTOCK.COM; SMIT/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (SOCCER BALL) NATTANAN726/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

The spreading carambola tree normally grows to a height of about 30 feet. Its light-green, feathery leaves close at night and open again in the morning; they also close up during high winds. The small, pinkish flowers, which have a pleasant fragrance, usually grow directly out of the trunk or main branches. These are followed by the striking, bright-yellow-orange, waxy fruits, which give the carambola tree the appearance of a stumpy yellow cucumber. Carambola is popular among chefs throughout the world for the unique star-shaped pieces obtained by cutting the fruit in slices. That’s why the fruit is also called star fruit. All varieties of carambola appear much the same, up to about 5 inches long with five distinctive ribs running the length of the fruit that turn brown as the fruit ripens.

The pretty carambola yields star-shaped fruit. 182

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MAKE VACATION A PIECE OF CAKE Available throughout the Caribbean. We Ship Worldwide. Proudly Baked in Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Bahamas.

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www.tortugarumcakes.com #tortugamoments

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PAM BLIZZARD/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Ports of call | Nassau

A lighthouse overlooks the entrance to Nassau Harbor.

NASSAU The focal point of Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, has always been the harbor, which has lured gangs of buccaneers, bootleggers and various other wily adventurers over the years. Beyond the harbor are many more delights: brightly painted buildings, intriguing history and alluring shopping, for starters.

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FUNTREKS

Private Island Beach Day with BBQ Lunch

Take in the aqua-blue waters of the Bahamas at Balmoral Island Beach; your deluxe experience includes transportation, beach chair and a BBQ Burger lunch. The luxurious island experience features four bars, an indoor food venue with specialty coffee, a plunge pool and a pristine whitesand beach.

Atlantis Aquaventure Full Day with Lunch

Carnival guests may explore the Caribbean’s largest water-themed attraction. The 141-acre waterscape of pools, water coasters, body slides and rivers holds over 20 million gallons of freshwater and seawater and is home to more than 50,000 sea creatures. Shopping and casino gaming are also available, and the tour includes lunch.

PAM BLIZZARD/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Catamaran Sail & Snorkel

A sleek catamaran takes guests to lush coral gardens filled with colorful tropical fish. Upon arrival at the snorkel spot, participants get an orientation and may then explore the reef, with time to lounge on the deck and take in the serene view. The return trip includes complimentary lemonade.

Private Island Dolphin Swim & Beach Day

An incredible dolphin experience you will cherish for a lifetime! A unique opportunity to free-swim with dolphins on a beautiful private island.

Quick Guide Famed for: Pink-hued buildings, Junkanoo revelers and pirate lore. It’s a Fact: American rebels briefly occupied the British port after the two-day Battle of Nassau in 1776. Signature Souvenirs: Local crafts from the Straw Market.

Tropical ATV Adventure & Beach

ATV along the trails that wind through the tropical forests and breathtaking natural shoreline at Clifton Heritage Park, home to Nassau’s most beautiful scenery. You will experience a variety of trails, from silky smooth beachfront trails to rough and rugged forest trails and palm-laden jungle trails, as you are guided on your ATV to explore the park’s many features.

How to Get to Town: It takes almost no time to reach the center of Nassau and its many shops and attractions — it’s all just a short walk from the pier.

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CARLOS ARGUELLES/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Ports of call | Nassau

PORT VIEW

Colorful homes line Nassau’s waterfront.

Things We Love About Nassau Slip on your walking shoes if you plan to get to know the spirit and culture of the Bahamas in one day. If you’d rather save your feet, or want to add an element of romance to your visit, hire a horse-drawn surrey ride from the dock. Near the dock, you’ll pass all of Nassau’s most important and impressive government buildings, churches and monuments. Some of downtown’s historic buildings house specialty museums, such as the thought-provoking Pompey Museum of Slavery & Emancipation at the old slave marketplace, and The Balcony House Museum,

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believed to be the Bahamas’ oldest wooden structure. Families will want to stop at the interactive Pirates of Nassau Museum. Downtown’s Bay Street shopping area offers everything from duty-free jewelry and perfume, to the vibrant work of local artists. For the wares at the Straw Market, you’ll need cash if you want to bargain. Among the islanders’ favorite local secrets found on West Bay Street is Arawak Cay, a collection of casual and colorful eateries and shops where fresh conch salad prepared ceviche-style is the specialty and made to order before your very eyes. — Chelle Koster Walton

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ALWAYS AMAZING Atlantis holds a lifetime of spectacular memories. Only at Dolphin Cay can you get up close to playful dolphins and friendly sea lions. Enjoy a chance to Snorkel the Ruins of Atlantis, or take the Discover Atlantis Tour, a journey through iconic attractions and thrilling ocean life. And at Aquaventure, one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest and most amazing water parks, every day is filled with non-stop fun and adventure. Atlantis. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no such thing as too much amazing.

To book one of these once-in-a-lifetime excursions, visit your Shore Excursions Desk.

Deep Water Swim Foot Push For ages 6 and up.

Splashers Kids Pool

DOLPHIN CAY MARINE HABITATS

The Rapids River

Sea Lion Interaction

Shallow Water Interaction Free for kids ages 3 and under; if accompanied by a paying adult. Proof of age required.

Atlantis is proud to be accredited by:

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Ports of call | Nassau

Shopping in

Nassau

Here’s the ultimate insider guide to what’s hot in town. See it? Like it? Buy it!

MARCHING FLAMINGOS Almost everyone has seen marching horses and marching elephants. But marching flamingos? You can see them yourself every day at Ardastra Gardens, Zoo & Conservation Centre, a cool retreat amid the bustle of Nassau. Audiences wait in eager expectation of the arrival of the more than a dozen flamingos trained to spread their wings and march on command, responding to the voice of their trainer. All spectators are invited to enter the show arena after the performance for a close-up encounter with the amazing pink birds. Animal lovers can also see a meerkat family as well as parrots, iguanas, lemurs, monkeys, sloths and even kinkajous. — Deborah Williams

Korite Column set

Pink flamingos.

Safi Kilima Tanzanite oval ring

John Hardy Classic extra-small chain bracelet with pavé diamonds 188

PHOTO BY: (BOTTOM) PAGINA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (TOP) ILYA AKINSHIN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM.

Bulova Precisionist Chronograph

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PARADISE ISLAND STRAW MARKET

FORT CHARLOTTE STRAW MARKET FORT CHARLOTTE PLEASE VISIT ONE OF OUR LOCATIONS:

Downtown Straw Market - Woodes Rogers Wharf/Bay Street Paradise Island Straw Market - Paradise Island Fort Fincastle Straw Market - Fort Fincastle Fort Charlotte Straw Market - Fort Charlotte Pompey Straw Market - Cable Beach

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Ports of call | New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS

It’s the diverse heritage that makes this city uniquely alive with tradition. The Big Easy entertains visitors with its food, its music and its own special take on Southern hospitality.

Quick Guide Famed for: Mardi Gras, unique architecture and creole cuisine. It’s a Fact: With a long history of being associated with many diverse music styles, New Orleans is universally recognized as the birthplace of jazz.

Succulent seafood, like this plate of crawfish, is one of the many delights of New Orleans cuisine. 192

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Signature Souvenirs: Mardi Gras masks, chicory-style coffee from Café du Monde and a bottle or two of hot sauce.

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CRUISE NEW ORLEANS A JOURNEY & A DESTINATION

It’s no secret that New Orleans is one of America’s most vibrant and exciting cities. And if you’re planning a cruise, keep us in mind. Carnival sails year-round to destinations in the Eastern and Western Caribbean. But most passengers sailing from New Orleans enjoy two vacations in one by staying in the Big Easy before or after their cruise. • Aquarium of the Americas • 1,000+ 5-star restaurants • Historic French Quarter • Audubon Zoo • Swamp tours • World War II Museum • Antebellum plantation homes • World-class shopping and art • Steamboat excursions

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R. GINO SANTA MARIA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Ports of call | Ocho Rios

Ocho Rios beckons visitors to its verdant shore.

OCHO RIOS Jamaicaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural beauty is evident at every turn in the road. In Ocho Rios, rivers rush down mountains covered in thick foliage, the sea laps golden shores and tropical flowers accent every view.

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FUNTREKS

Tranopy Adventure

The Sky Explorer chairlift, the Jamaica Bobsled ride and a zip-line adventure are combined in this triple-threat outing to Mystic Mountain. The chairlift takes riders up 700 feet to the top of the mountain, where they get in the bobsled and plunge down 3,280 feet of twisting track. Back at the top, they get a safety orientation and fly through the jungle canopy on a series of cables and pulleys.

Horseback Ride & Swim with Dunn’s River Falls

Guests saddle up for a ride along the coastline overlooking the ocean. At Chukka Beach, they unsaddle for a bareback horse ride along the Caribbean Sea. After visiting the gift shop, they climb up 600-foot-high Dunn’s River Falls.

Canopy Adventure & Dunn’s River Falls with Lunch R. GINO SANTA MARIA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

A series of high platforms and rope pulleys takes guests across the jungle canopy of Cranbrook Flower Forest. Participants swing along traverses from 105 to 600 feet long, with views of the valley and mountains carved from ancient waters. Participants then enjoy a Jamaican lunch and climb 600-foot Dunn’s River Falls.

Dolphin Swim & Dunn’s River Falls

After climbing the 600-foot-high Dunn’s River Falls, guests travel to Dolphin Cove for a brief presentation and swimming session with the marine mammals. The tour includes time for shopping.

Bamboo Beach Club VIP Package

Quick Guide Famed for: Soulful reggae music, gorgeous beaches and breathtaking waterfalls like the one at Dunn’s River. It’s a Fact: Ian Fleming named his James Bond 007 character while living in Jamaica.

Enjoy all the services and amenities offered at Bamboo Beach Club but receive extra special VIP treatment Jamaican style! As a VIP guest, you will be taken to a gorgeous section of the beach, which has been sectioned off for your exclusive use. You'll have unlimited access to the regular Bamboo Beach Club, but you can also relax and enjoy the tranquility of this beautiful area.

Signature Souvenirs: Red Stripe beer, Rastafarian knit caps and all things Bob Marley. How to Get to Town: Your ship docks just a few steps from the heart of Ocho Rios’ shopping and dining area. Taxis are readily available at the pier.

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FOODIO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Ports of call | Ocho Rios

PORT VIEW

Traditional jerk cuisine.

Things We Love About Ocho Rios Ocho Rios may not have the eight rivers its name implies, but you wouldn’t know that standing in the powerful cascade of Dunn’s River Falls. The island’s most recognized site offers one of the Caribbean’s most unusual experiences: climbing through 600 feet of rushing mountain water, holding hands in daisy-chain formation with other adventurers. The climb ends in one of the island’s busiest craft markets, where vendors sell wood carvings and straw goods, but most travelers prefer to

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head to the numerous duty-free malls for more relaxed shopping. Popular purchases at Soni’s Plaza, Harbor Shops, Taj Mahal and Island Village are fine jewelry, watches, Jamaican rum and cigars. Spices are highly sought to bring home a taste of the island’s signature jerk cuisine. Ocho’s elegant side is revealed in such attractions as Firefly, the serene estate where famed British playwright Noël Coward often came to find ‘‘room to write.’’ — John Bigley and Paris Permenter

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Ports of call | Ocho Rios

Island Highlights

By Sara Churchville Paper Heroes Jamaica’s currency bears the portraits of several men revered as national heroes. On the $100 bill is Sir Donald Sangster, for whom Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay is named. Activist leaders Sam Sharpe and George William Gordon are on the $50 and $10 bills, respectively. On the $20 bill is Noel N. Nethersole, the revered former finance minister whose work on Jamaica monetary policy earned him the title “father of the Central Bank.”

Swallowtail Butterfly The world’s largest swallowtail butterfly, the Papilio homerus, is found only in Jamaica, where it’s called a bat — as are all butterflies and moths. The black-andyellow butterfly has a wingspan of 6 inches, making it the largest butterfly in the Americas. It’s also larger than the 3-inch-winged Jamaican fruit bat, a “rat-bat” as the nocturnal creatures are called. The endangered P. homerus is commemorated on Jamaica’s $1,000 note.

Jamaican Tody This red-throated, upwardly staring Jamaican bird is said to have gotten its color from a drop of blood from the Crucifixion. Unlike other birds, it makes its nest underground. It appears topside often enough, however, and is a common sight for birders.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Jamaica’s $20 note bearing the likeness of Noel N. Nethersole; a swallowtail butterfly; lush tropical ferns are long-lived; the tiny Jamaican tody.

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PHOTOS BY: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; KAREN GIVENS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD

Tropical Ferns Ferns aren’t exactly rare in tropical climates, but Ocho Rios, with its nearby rain forest, has more than the norm. In fact, a deep ravine with some 500 species of ferns is located from the Ocho Rios beaches to about 4 miles inland up the mountains. The area is called, with unceremonious accuracy, Fern Gully.

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Shoppes at Rose Hall | Montego Bay Island Village Plaza | Ocho Rios Historic Port of Falmouth | Falmouth 876.953.4600 jewelsandtime.com

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Ports of call | Ocho Rios

THE VIBE KEEPS HOLDING STEADY

Artist’s depiction of St. Ann’s Bay.

By Marjorie Klein

Ocho Rios has attracted visitors since Christopher Columbus made landfall in 1494. The area has evolved through rollercoaster times: England’s triumph over the Spanish, the huge influence of wealthy plantation owners, the subsequent slave revolution, international industrialization and the tourism of today. Beginnings The advanced culture of the original settlers in Jamaica, the pre-Columbian Taíno people, is reflected in what remains of their Arawak language — still spoken today — in the ruins of ceremonial ballparks and in their complex religion, which is based on cosmology. Incredibly, the Taíno managed to survive for centuries. Columbus first anchored in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica, in 1494. A few years later, on another voyage, problems with his ships caused him to be stranded in Maima, the first and largest Taíno settlement, located just a few miles west of Ocho Rios, and renamed Sevilla la Nueva. He remained there for a year, abandoning two ships that archaeologists are still seeking. Sevilla was later the site of the island’s first sugar mill, which fueled an industry that became central to Jamaica’s economic growth. The Taíno were expected to acknowledge the king of Spain, 202

pay a gold tribute, provide work and convert to Christianity. The demands went unmet, and between the retribution they suffered and the diseases they contracted from their conquerors, the Taíno disappeared from Jamaica only 80 years later. Soon the Spanish would be displaced as well. England Brings Prosperity and Slavery The British wrested control of Jamaica from the Spanish in 1658, although skirmishes continued sporadically. They ended 150 years of Spanish rule with a decisive victory at Rio Nuevo, a small river that also lends its name to a village outside Ocho Rios. Today a monument honoring the Jamaican people who fought alongside the Spanish marks the battlefield site. Sugar plantations spread across Jamaica, bringing great wealth to their owners, whose costs were cut by the free labor of slaves they brought from Africa. Runaway slaves called Maroons are said to have hidden in the Green Grotto caves near Ocho Rios, as well as in the mountainous interior. With Jamaica as the largest producer of sugar in the world, plantations formed the basis of the country’s economy until the emancipation of slaves in 1834. Then agriculture became more diversified and fishing became a major industry.

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Dual Time Unique time zone quick setting Self-winding manufacture Silicium technology ulysse-nardin.com

Taj Mahal Plaza 路 Ocho Rios 路 974-2769 Port of Falmouth 路 Falmouth 路 620-4141 colors@cwjamaica.com

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Ports of call | Ocho Rios

From Sleepy Village to Industrial Magnet Away from the bustling fishing piers, in the hills just north of Ocho Rios, one Sir Alfred d’Costa suspected that the strange red dirt on his ranch was responsible for the distressing condition of his cattle. Analysis revealed a high content of bauxite, a principal source of aluminum, which quickly attracted the attention of Reynolds Aluminum and accelerated the good fortune of Ocho Rios in the 1940s. Fishing piers evolved into deepwater shipping piers fed by conveyor belts that reached 6 miles to the mines. In 1984, Reynolds Jamaica Mines decided to leave the island altogether and pulled out of both the port and the mines. Today the Reynolds pier is used mainly as a cruise-ship port — an indication of Jamaica’s next economic phase. Tourism Thrives After gaining independence from Britain in 1962, Jamaica focused on celebrating its multiple virtues as a draw for vacationers, and the tourism industry boomed. In Ocho Rios, grand hotels and excellent restaurants sprouted along its beaches. Historic sites, with their explosive tropical beauty, became destinations unto themselves: Dunn’s River Falls; Shaw Park; Noël Coward’s home, Firefly; and, in Nine Mile, the Bob Marley Mausoleum honoring Jamaica’s father of reggae.

Jamaica’s beautiful countryside has inspired a thriving tourism industry.

Ocho Rios

Timeline

1494

Columbus anchors in St. Ann’s Bay.

1655

The British conquer Spanish occupants; Ocho Rios is named.

1940

Bauxite is discovered; Reynolds Aluminum begins mining operations.

1952

The first shipment of Jamaican bauxite leaves the port of Ocho Rios.

1962 Today Beautiful beaches are among the biggest draws in Ocho Rios.

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JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD

Jamaica gains independence from Britain.

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ALOR.cOM

ST. KITTS

ISLAND VILLAGE | OCHO RIOS JAMAICA

JAMAICA FALMOUTH PORT

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JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD

Ports of call | Ocho Rios

BUILDING ON THE PAST

By Linda Marx

Ocho Rios has grown into a thriving resort town with a mix of eye-popping architecture — from gingerbread to Georgian, from plantation-style to mega-modern.

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With its popularity as a destination for the rich and famous, it is not unusual to see wellpreserved colonial buildings located next to glistening high-rises. The island boasts an abundance of 1880s plantation homes that are still in use long after their construction. The White River Valley, located high in the hills, has an especially vast array of classic homes. Here a visitor is transported into a world of Jamaica’s intriguing past, viewing the many styles of Georgian architecture that seem to tell the story of Ocho Rios itself. Another fascinating find is the Village of Flowers, where the beautifully colored buildings look like they could be framed inside a watercolor painting. Other parts of the property feature the ruins of an old plantation home and smaller houses re-created in their original design.

Harmony Hall, a mid1800s Methodist manse east of Ocho Rios, has been showcasing the finest Jamaican arts and crafts since 1981.

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Ports of call | Ocho Rios

FLOWERS, FERNS AND WATERFALLS By Ginger Dingus

When Christopher Columbus first arrived in Jamaica, he called it the fairest isle of all. Landing in what is now St. Ann’s Parish, Columbus saw a lush, verdant landscape that would earn the nickname ‘‘the garden parish.’’ Today, some 500 years later, St. Ann’s natural beauty is in full bloom. Visitors can see, sniff, touch and photograph gorgeous flowers, ferns and waterfalls at tropical gardens tucked away in the countryside a short ride from the cruise pier. Coyaba Gardens A sparkling stream runs through this tranquil oasis set midway up the amazingly green hills behind town. The name coyaba says it all. It comes from the Arawak word for “paradise.” Pathways wind past pink ginger plants, lipstick-red heliconia, giant cedars and banyan trees. The waters of Mahoe Falls splash down rocky cliffs into a tempting plunge pool. In British colonial days, these grounds were part of a plantation. The few remaining buildings house a gift shop and small museum displaying artifacts from Jamaica’s pre-Columbian inhabitants, the Taíno.

Cranbrook Flower Forest The 130-acre haven welcomes visitors to discover its tropical flower forest, wander through a rain forest, wade in the Little River or simply enjoy the birds. Hundreds of orchids flourish in the greenhouse, and there’s a restored sugar mill to explore. FROM TOP: Shaw Park Gardens; Mahoe Falls at Coyaba Gardens. 208

PHOTOS BY: FOTOSEARCH.COM; COYABA GARDENS

Shaw Park Gardens This botanical garden, named after sugar plantation owner John Shaw, is considered one of Jamaica’s finest. The property was transformed into an exclusive resort in the mid-1900s, when Flora McKenzie Pringle Stuart applied her green thumb to the landscape. Her magic touch lives on in hundreds of flowering plants nurtured by a picturesque waterfall.

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Ports of call | Ocho Rios

GOING WITH THE FLOW IN OCHO Legend has it that Martha Brae, an Arawak girl, once used magic to divert the flow of a river to drown her Spanish captors. Some of that magic still remains on the river that bears her name.

Rafters set a leisurely pace on the Martha Brae River. 210

DIGITAL VISION PHOTOS

The Martha Brae River winds through a pristine forest full of bamboo, exotic fruits and many species of tropical birds. The best way to see all this is from the river itself. Travelers ride 30-foot bamboo rafts along the river’s gentle waters. Once used by plantation workers to haul bananas down the Rio Grande on the east coast, the rafts became tourist attractions back in the 1940s, when Hollywood swashbuckler Errol Flynn used them to entertain his friends. Today, they come with cushioned seats for one or two passengers, and the guides, who navigate with long poles as they stand on deck, talk a bit about their homeland or even stop to grab a fruit or flower from the riverbank. This is not a whitewater experience; the stable rafts and tame currents won’t even get a traveler’s feet wet. Lasting an hour or more, the tours are a relaxing, up-close look at Jamaica’s Eden-like beauty.

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DUNN’S RIVER FALLS By Marty Leshner

Jamaica’s most celebrated site, without question, is Dunn’s River Falls — a location that’s been featured in numerous magazine advertisements and television commercials promoting this Caribbean hot spot. These often-photographed falls cascade down a rocky mountainside on the right, rush under the road and join the sea at the white-sand beach on the left — not only a sight to see but to tackle, as well. For those not afraid to get their feet wet, climbing 600 feet to the top of the cascades is a real high. But this get-wet experience (there’s no escaping the water) calls for old sneakers or scuba boots with reliable soles. Join a conga line of hand-holding tourists and pick your way gingerly up the slippery rocks and boulders. Guides will hold your cameras, take your picture under the falls and point out placid pools among the lively rapids. Traditionally, climbers top off their trip with a cold Red Stripe beer, one of Jamaica’s most famous exports.

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PHOTOS BY: (LEFT) NEWPHOTOSERVICE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (RIGHT) COL/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Ports of call | Ocho Rios

Dunn's River Falls

The Name Game A common belief is that Ocho Rios takes its name from the Spanish words for ‘‘eight rivers,’’ which is the literal translation. That interpretation is faulty, for the town doesn’t have eight rivers. The name instead may have been a corruption of las chorreras — Spanish for ‘‘rapids,’’ as in the rushing waters of Dunn’s River Falls. Jamaica itself has had many names, as the English struggled to spell the word the way they heard it. According to VisitJamaica.com, in its early years, the nation was called Gemecoe, Gemegoe, Jamico, Jammaca, Xaymaca, even Mamecah. The younger brother of Christopher Columbus, Bartholomé, was the first to put Jamaica on a map — although he spelled it “Jamaicha.”

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PHOTOS BY: (LEFT) NEWPHOTOSERVICE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (RIGHT) COL/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Ports of call | Ocho Rios

A STATELY VIEW Compared to the massive Rose Hall and Greenwood great houses, the manor at Prospect Plantation is an unassuming structure. Though hardly small, it comprises just a few compact rooms in two stories, unlike the sprawling mansions of those better-known landmarks. Rising gracefully from the broad, manicured lawn leading from the road, it first seems less like a historic estate and more like the upscale vacation home of a modern family. Inside, however, the house’s history comes alive in rich wood wall accents and antiques that fill the smallish rooms. From the columned veranda on the rear of the house is a sumptuous view of colorful gardens leading down stone steps, with the Caribbean Sea seeming close enough to touch.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The great house’s veranda offers a majestic view of the Caribbean; the front entrance, set on a sweeping lawn; the home’s gardens; a flower-adorned stairway. 214

PHOTOS BY: KATE MCCLARE

Fertile History The great house was built in the early 1800s, but the plantation itself dates from 1721. After three ownership changes, it was purchased in 1936 by Sir Harold Mitchell of Scotland, an Oxford-educated scholar and former vice chairman of Britain’s Conservative Party. Mitchell later founded Prospect College, an all-boys school that still operates on the plantation grounds. The plantation is now owned by a sightseeing company, which offers tours by open-air jitney, horses and, surprisingly, camels. Views include White River Gorge and the spot where Christopher Columbus was shipwrecked for more than a year during one of his visits to the New World. The plantation is lush with plants, trees and agricultural crops that include bananas, cassava, sugarcane, coffee and allspice. Famous visitors, including Sir Winston Churchill, Henry Kissinger, Charlie Chaplin, Pierre Trudeau, Noël Coward and Drew Barrymore, planted many of the trees. — Kate McClare

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PROGRESS: POWERED BY A STROKE OF GENIUS, ONE AFTER ANOTHER. NOVAK DJOKOVIC

Kinetic GMT

*If there are changes in the region / time zone, manual time zone selection may be required.

A V A I L A B L E AT

ISLAND VILLAGE | OCHO RIOS JAMAICA

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NORMAN POGSON/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Ports of call | Ocho Rios

Firefly affords a sumptuous view of the Blue Mountains.

AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART

Like an eagle’s nest overlooking the Caribbean Sea, Noël Coward’s beloved home, Firefly, is perched on a 1,000-foot hill some 20 miles east of Ocho Rios. From this vantage point, visitors can see the Blue Mountains to the south and the north-coast headlands surrounding Port María — an absolutely awe-inspiring vista. It was here that the famous British man-about-town, author, playwright, actor and composer found peace, happiness and “the time to write.” It was at this charming Jamaican dwelling that Coward wrote his only novel, Pomp and Circumstance. Firefly Hill also served as the site of countless parties and social gatherings, with Coward entertaining the likes of Sir Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth II and celebrities including John Gielgud,

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Katharine Hepburn, Claudette Colbert, David Niven, Joan Sutherland and Errol Flynn. Coward even personally cooked for the Queen Mother at his Caribbean home. The house, which is open to the public, is much as Coward left it. Tour guides take visitors through the interior while painting such a vivid picture of his life that it is easy to imagine the owner will appear at any moment. Coward died suddenly in his big, mahogany fourposter bed on March 26, 1973, at the age of 74. His grave, marked by an engraved marble headstone, is on the property. Coward’s friends thought it only fitting that he should be buried here.

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Ports of call | Ocho Rios

Shopping in

Ocho Rios Here’s the ultimate insider guide to what’s hot in town. See it? Like it? Buy it!

Le Vian Chocolatier Sea Blue Aquamarine earrings

Korite Solara pendant

JAMAICAN JERK A highlight of any visit to Jamaica is a taste of jerk meat, prepared in a unique cooking style. This island nation has a particular way of barbecuing seasoned meats over a wood fire for a one-of-a-kind flavor. Jerk seasoning is a fiery mix of as many as 20 spices, including Scotch bonnet peppers, pimento (allspice) and scallions. Bite-size pieces of chicken, pork and beef are marinated, or “jerked,” and then thrown over slats of green pimento wood stretched across a pit in the ground or, sometimes, a garbage can or anything else that will do. The result is a spicy, savory meal that must be washed down with an ice-cold Red Stripe beer. If you want some of the best Jamaican jerk, try one of the ubiquitous roadside stands. Or buy a jar or two of prepared jerk marinade to enjoy at home — the price is right. — Lynn Seldon

PHOTOS BY: THEODOROS STAMATIADIS/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; BONCHAN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Mark Henry Alexandrite & diamond pave band

Philip Stein Signature Chronograph

FROM TOP: Jerk chicken plate; a feast for roadside gourmets. 218

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Ports of call | Ocho Rios

MAGIC BEANS

Why is Jamaica’s Blue Mountain coffee the world’s most expensive and sought after? Biology and economy.

PHOTOS BY: TOMAS HAJEK/DREAMSTIME.COM; (COFFEE BEANS) ANDRII GORULKO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Of the island’s 23,000 acres of coffee trees, only 10,000 produce Blue Mountain coffee, which legally must be planted above 2,000 feet. At this elevation, the daytime-nighttime extremes provide the perfect climate for a slow-ripening process that produces a unique bean, blue-green in color, with little resistance to pests and disease. Its frailty means small yields. Blue Mountain coffee cherries, furthermore, are hand-picked to ensure optimal ripeness. The other factor is supply and demand. Blue Mountain farmers can’t seem to grow enough coffee, so they can theoretically set their prices as high as they wish. Stateside, the beans go for $50 a pound; in Jamaica, you can buy them for about $15 a pound.

Coffee plants thrive at high elevations. 220

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POIS MOI COLLECTION

Island Village Shopping Centre, Ocho Rios, Jamaica

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Ports of call | Ocho Rios

PICK A PEPPER

The Scotch bonnet pepper has a special kind of heat.

JOOP HOEK/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Chili peppers are a trademark ingredient in Caribbean cuisine, dating to the time of the Arawak Amerindians. The most famous pepper of the islands, the Scotch bonnet, has 50 times the firepower of the (relatively) wimpy jalapeño. It goes by the name “bonney” in Jamaica, “habanero” in the Spanish islands and “goat pepper” or rocotillo in the Bahamas.

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ACROSS FROM THE CRUISE SHIP PIER

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Ports of call | Ocho Rios

Curry:

THE SPICE OF ISLAND LIFE By Jen Karetnick

Clara is worried that the Iqbals, who are Bangladeshi, will find her Caribbean curry unfamiliar, a different species entirely from Southeast Asian curry. Curry is an ambiguous label for a fish or meat course stewed with a mixture of pungent spices. The Caribbean and Southeast Asian varieties are not in fact dissimilar, though each has a unique flavor.

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KRZYSZTOF SLUSARCZYK/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

In Zadie Smith’s novel White Teeth, Jamaica native Clara, who lives in London, notes to her husband, “You said the Iqbals are comin’ to dinner. I was just thinkin’ … if they’re going to want me to cook dem some curry — I mean, I can cook curry — but it’s my type of curry.”

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Ports of call | Ocho Rios

SPECI A L A DV ERT ISING FE AT U R E

Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Jamaica Blue Mountain® Coffee has a strong heritage, dating back to the early 18th century. Today, JABLUM® Jamaica Blue Mountain® Coffee maintains its rank as one of the world’s most sought-after coffees. Vibrant, bright, smooth as silk — often described as the “best coffee in the world” — Jamaica Blue Mountain® Coffee is in great demand from coffee connoisseurs globally.

Christopher Columbus is almost directly responsible for the parallel: A little more than 500 years ago, when he stumbled on the islands of the West Indies as he looked for new trade routes to India, he discovered chili peppers, one of the prime components of curry. Colu m b u s br o u gh t t h e n a t i v e C a r i b b e a n c h i l ie s — wh ic h a re refer re d to a s Scotc h bon net , Congo , h abanero or bird peppers, depending on the island culture or language — to India and China, which incorporated them into their cuisine. Ironically, about 200 years later, when Indian and Chinese immigrants settled on many Caribbean islands, they brought chili peppers with them. That’s when they introduced the islanders to curry, which in addition to chili peppers, occasionally contains ginger, a root that has taken so well to the Jamaican climate it might as well be an indigenous crop; you can find ginger in the marketplaces in its natural root form, crystallized or as a powder. The Indian method of preparing curry became common, so much so that in Jamaica, curry goat is practically a national dish. In the end, the only real difference between Jamaican and Indian curry is the inclusion of allspice, also known as pimento, a dried berry native to Jamaica that tastes like a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Likewise, Scotch bonnet chilies and allspice berries are the main ingredients of Jamaica’s rightfully famous jerk seasoning, which is a combination of up to 20 different spices.

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PHOTOS BY: (SPICES) L.F/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Spices and herbs.

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RUMS, RUM CAKE & GOURMET TREATS Available throughout the Caribbean. We Ship Worldwide. Proudly Baked in Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Bahamas.

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Ports of call | Port Canaveral

PORT CANAVERAL

The deep-water harbor of Port Canaveral leads visitors to the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral. Miles of sandy shoreline stretch along the cape, and the hugely popular theme parks are not far away.

Quick Guide Famed for: Kennedy Space Center. It’s a Fact: The nearby Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge has more endangered species than any other natural haven in the country. Signature Souvenirs: A miniature Space Shuttle, freeze-dried ice cream and other artifacts of Space Age memorabilia.

FUNTREKS

• Kennedy Space Center Tour • Airboat Tour & Alligators

• Walt Disney World • Magic Kingdom®

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SONGQUAN DENG/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

• Universal Studios® Theme Park

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Ports of call | Progreso

A rustic vessel on the sands of Progreso.

PROGRESO

This slow-paced resort town on the Yucatรกn Peninsula offers a generous, well-kept beach caressed by placid waters; a pretty seaside promenade, El Malecรณn, lined with restaurants and shops; and friendly people who welcome the increasing numbers of visitors.

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FUNTREKS

All Inclusive Beach Resort Getaway

RUI CHARLES HARKER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Get away in VIP style at the all-inclusive Reef Club Beach Resort, with open bar and traditional Mexican snack buffet. Children 5 and under are free.

Dzibilchaltun Mayan Ruins & Beach Break Combo Take a journey back in time to explore the ancient Dzibilchaltun Mayan Ruins, followed by a relaxing beach break. Children 5 and under are free.

Chichen Itza Mayan Ruins Tour Chichen Itza, one of the most important archeological sites on the American continent and once the home of the great Mayan Empire.

Discover the Yucatán and the Mayan World Witness how history has shaped the lives of the Mayan people with this journey into Mexico’s past and have some fun at an exclusive beach where you’ll relax in the sun and enjoy a Mexican lunch buffet.

Sacred Cavern Expedition & Snorkel Adventure This tour will bring you to one of the most amazing miracles of nature, you will see why the Mayan culture believed the cenotes were a sacred creation.

Quick Guide Famed for: Ancient Mayan history and natural wonders on the Gulf of Mexico’s Emerald Coast. It’s a Fact: Thousands of pink flamingos make their home at Celestún National Wildlife Refuge. It's one of the world’s largest year-round flocks of the pretty pink birds. Signature Souvenirs: Handmade crafts from local villages.

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BE PART OF OUR STORY Kirk Freeport Plaza Ltd. has been a premier retailer of duty-free jewelry, watches, fragrances, leather, crystal, china, and accessories in the Cayman Islands since 1972.

TRADITION : QUALITY : SELECTION Owned by the Kirkconnell family, local business and community leaders for six generations, Kirk Freeport is proud to be the Official Rolex Retailer of the Cayman Islands. Visit Bayshore Mall: Home to the largest jewelry and watch store in the Caribbean, hosting the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most sought after luxury brands, local eateries, pharmacy, souvenirs, free Wi-Fi, and much more. Look for the red

TURN RIGHT WHEN YOU EXIT THE PORT

roofed mall on the George Town waterfront

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