2018 CCL Fun Ashore Caribbean Region 2

FUN ASHORE 2017 –18 CARIBBEAN SAILING SEASON REGION 2

FUN ASHORE GETTING THERE WITH CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE

2 017-18 CARIBBE AN SAILING SE ASON

LL COOL J Living the Legacy

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

BRINGING THE BIG SHOWS TO LIFE

CARNIVAL HORIZON

UNITED WE SAIL

THE FUN SHOPS NEW WAYS TO ROCK YOUR STYLE

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

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WELCOME ABOARD!

Greetings from Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy.

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FUN TAKES

Big things on the horizon (Carnival Horizon), tropical brews and more news from around the fleet.

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CELEBRITY PROFILE: LL COOL J

He’s risen from upstart rapper to acclaimed artist, and LL Cool J keeps blazing new trails.

By Elizabeth Fernandez

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CARNIVAL ADVENTURES

It’s fun out there! And thanks to a comprehensive approach to shore excursions and other cruise experiences, the fun begins even before you board.

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CONTENTS

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

With a state-of-the-art rehearsal studio and some of the world’s most talented casts and crews, showtime at sea is more exciting than ever.

By Sharon Geltner

2017–2018 Sailing Season

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THE FUN SHOPS

What’s happening at The Fun Shops? Plenty! Exciting new looks in the stores, famous brands, events that make shopping completely unforgettable — all at amazing tax and duty free savings.

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JAMES BOND ROCKS THE CARIBBEAN Island locales star in many of the dashing spy’s movies.

By Michelle da Silva Richmond

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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.

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OBJECTS OF DESIRE

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

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GUIDE TO PORTS

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

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You are here (or will be soon).

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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Editorial & Design

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Contributing Writers/Editors

John Anderson, John Bigley, Christine Blank, Suzanne L. Carmel, Richard Carroll, Sara Churchville, Michael De Freitas, Ginger Dingus, Elizabeth Fernandez, Gloria Geanette, Sharon Geltner, Jen Karetnick, Marjorie Klein, Marty Leshner, Linda Marx, JoAnn Milivojevic, Raymond Niedowski, Paris Permenter, Michelle da Silva Richmond, Cele Seldon, Lynn Seldon, Melissa Alvarado Sierra, Jonathan Siskin, Jim Thompson, Richard Varr, Chelle Koster Walton, Deborah Williams, Deborah Wilson, Eleanor Wilson, Gerald Zarr.

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Port Shopping Revenue

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Port Shopping

Rina Alvarado Operations Coordinator

Candice Ewing Operations Coordinator

Nadine Winter Customer Relations Manager

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©2017 Onboard Media. No claim to original works of CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE or advertisers.

Ships’ registry: BAHAMAS, MALTA, PANAMA 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: Peter Yang

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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EN

F

RO

T

A

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 with you!

We’re always looking for fresh new ways to enhance what we offer our guests. Our team takes great pride in continuously bringing new innovations and features to life on board each of the 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, rap legend LL Cool J has made a special appearance in this issue in recognition of our Lip Sync Battle Carnival program. We invite you to channel your inner pop star at sea during this authentic re-creation of the immensely popular show, produced in collaboration with Spike TV and part of the diverse entertainment lineup aboard Carnival Cruise Line.

World-class entertainment is one of the things Carnival does best, with offerings such as the Carnival LIVE concert series, bringing new, exciting talent to the line-up every year. Carnival also hosts a record 25,000 shows a year at our Punchliner Comedy Clubs. Many of our exciting new entertainment choices are tuned to perfection at our own state-of-the-art land-based rehearsal venue, Carnival Studios. 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’re committed to enhancing every aspect of your experience — which includes, of course, onboard shopping.

As part of an ongoing effort to provide our guests with the widest variety of choices at sea, we have recently transformed the shipboard shopping experience across many of our ships with renovated spaces and popular items from some of the world’s best-known retailers, including Victoria’s Secret, Swarovski, Pandora, TAG Heuer and others. Through these enhancements, our guests can enjoy some “retail therapy” and take home a unique and memorable keepsake from your Carnival vacation.

Carnival continues to make investments in other areas as well. We’ve upgraded dining options on many ships, including the addition of popular favorites Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina, as well as new pop-up sushi venues on several ships and the New England-inspired Seafood Shack on many others. We’ve also enhanced the outdoor fun on several of our ships with splashy new WaterWorks aqua parks. We think you’ll love them. Meanwhile, we can’t wait for you to experience our newest ship, Carnival Horizon, debuting in spring 2018.

Of course, we know that some of the best vacation memories are also made ashore, which is why our Carnival Adventures program takes fun, excitement and convenience to a whole new level, bringing you shore excursions, ground transportation and other services to create a highly memorable concierge-like experience for all of our guests.

You can read all about these features and much more on 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 8

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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CAPTURING YOUR HEART SINCE 1975

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FUN TAKES

Keeping Up With Carnival Cruise Line

UNITED WE SAIL

FROM LEFT: Carnival Horizon Cloud 9 Spa; Havana Pool.

Carnival Horizon brings together the essential elements of the cruise.

Sky, sea and land come together on the horizon, and so too are they united on Carnival Horizon. The new ship in the Vista Class is all about unity. It’s easy to see the harmonious theme coming to life throughout the vessel and its many spectacular features.

Bringing the three elements together is a breeze with SportSquare, where guests can hit the sea running, playing or cycling. Here, guests will find some of their favorite (previously landlocked) activities such as outdoor soccer, volleyball, ping-pong, mini bowling and more. Those seeking to reach new heights can get swept off their feet with SkyRide, an exhilarating two-lane bike course suspended 150 feet in the air, and SkyCourse, an insanely fun and challenging rope course high above the deck. It’s a truly elevated experience at sea.

One of the most exciting pairings in this unifying ship, however, has to be the merging of two of Carnival’s greats: Seuss at Sea and WaterWorks.

Splash into big fun with the first-ever Dr. Seuss WaterWorks, only aboard 12

Carnival Horizon. Here, guests can find their favorite Dr. Seuss characters as well as two can’t-miss centerpieces: The Cat’s Hat and Fun Things, dual slides that take you through the wacky world of red and blue with side-by-side racing action. There are lots of other exciting ways the new ship is raising the bar set by her older sister, Carnival Vista. For starters: Carnival's first teppanyaki restaurant at sea; BBQ guru Guy Fieri's first full-service version of his smash-hit Guy's Pig & Anchor eatery; a whole new stateroom category (an aft view with extended balcony in Family Harbor); and an exciting new gift shop layout.

Meanwhile, continents come together with Carnival Horizon’s unique list of itineraries and destinations. From Europe and Bermuda to the Caribbean and transatlantic voyages, guests can choose from an expansive list of exotic tours to experience aboard this remarkable new ship — which means that wherever you’re headed, you’ll find your destination on the horizon. — Iliana Soto

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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FAMILY FUN The only question is, where to begin?

Now that you’re all here, it’s time to create great family stories — Carnival-style. Families really dig Carnival (it’s the No. 1 cruise line for families) and for good reason. With dedicated spaces for each member of the gang, everyone gets busy exploring. Features vary by ship, but you’re bound to find something for everyone in the clan.

Cheers from Colin Presby, Carnival Vista brewmaster.

Cheers!

Fill your mug with local flavor, at Carnival Vista RedFrog Pub and Brewery.

Thirsting for a taste of the tropics? You have several satisfying choices on Carnival Vista, home of the RedFrog Pub and Brewery, the only brewery at sea. Each is a flavorful reminder of the ports visited by the ship.

Miami Guava Wheat, for instance, was inspired by the popular pastries of Miami’s Cuban culinary scene.

“Since Carnival Vista began sailing from Miami, I’ve become fascinated by tropical fruit and Cuban cuisine so I’m beyond thrilled to create Miami Guava Wheat for our guests to enjoy,” says Colin Presby, the ship’s expert brewmaster.

Miami Guava Wheat delivers a light body and palatepleasing notes of the tangy tropical fruit.

Along with the refreshing brew, guests can enjoy ThirstyFrog Port Hoppin’ IPA, which delivers aromatic floral and hoppy notes with tropical and citrus overtones for continued island vibes; ThirstyFrog Caribbean Wheat, an unfiltered wheat beer with flavors of orange and spices; and FriskyFrog Java Stout, a rich and creamy take on a traditional stout with hints of coffee.

Guests can find these proprietary blends, along with a full selection of craft beer, on their next cruise aboard Carnival Vista. — Iliana Soto

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE. Soaking fun and aerial thrills await with WaterWorks, where families cool off and splash together for hours. SportSquare gets you in the game with soccer, volleyball and basketball, while indoor warriors can get game with pool, foosball and ping-pong.

YOUTH PROGRAMS. Kids can get creative with talent shows, finger-painting and dancing at hula parties thanks to Camp Carnival, while teens enjoy playing video games, singing karaoke songs and even going on exciting shore excursions through the Circle “C” and Club O2 programs. No matter the age, there’s always something exciting for kids happening onboard.

IMAX. Offered on select ships, the IMAX theater experience brings families together to enjoy a great movie (from Hollywood blockbusters to award-winning documentaries) on a truly huge screen, with stunning visuals and powerful sound to match.

SERENITY. When mom and dad need a vacation from the vacation, the Serenity spa is the place to disconnect and recharge their batteries. While the kids and the cruise fun will still be close by, parents will be spending time in another world. Hammocks for two, an exclusive bar and the salty ocean breeze will surely help mom and dad unwind.

SEUSS AT SEA. The playfully quaint world of Dr. Seuss goes aquatic with Seuss at Sea, where the kiddos and their families enjoy whimsical parades, enchanting story times, and green eggs galore. This is fun for kids of all ages, including those who are kids at heart.

SHORE EXCURSIONS. Carnival knows how to have fun both on board and ashore. By hand-selecting the best local tour providers and taking care of all the details, the Carnival Adventures crew makes sure families and other groups have extraordinary excursions in every port. Tours abound and include exploring ancient cities, interacting with gentle sea animals, zip-lining through tropical jungles and so much more. (For more, see “Carnival Adventures” in this issue.)

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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Fun Takes | Keeping Up With Carnival Cruise Line

SMOOTH

Sailing When the U.S. Coast Guard called upon a Carnival ship to divert from its course in order to help a nearby vessel in trouble, the Carnival captain complied without hesitation. But aid was rendered with no disruption or delay of passengers’ vacations, for Carnival’s Fleet Operations Center was able to offer a faster course for reaching the distressed ship.

The quietly successful maneuver was one of numerous victories made possible by Carnival Corporation’s three Fleet Operations centers (FOCs) — in Hamburg, Germany; Seattle, Washington; and Miami, Florida, which opened in late 2017. They’re the most technologically advanced in the commercial maritime industry.

The FOCs provide state-of-theart tracking and data analysis for Carnival Corporation’s entire fleet, enabling real-time information sharing between ships and onshore support teams. The centers use Neptune, a cloud-based technology from Microsoft, to capture thousands of data points and provide real-time analytics for 28 distinct parameters of navigational safety.

Not only do they enable immediate response to existing conditions, but they can also perform predictive analysis to further improve safety and operational performance.

"Our teams have done a remarkable job in developing the most sophisticated and capable system in the cruise and commercial maritime industry for taking safety management to a completely new level,” says Vice Admiral Bill Burke (ret.), chief maritime officer for Carnival Corporation.

And if the teams and their systems work properly, you’ll never know it, says Richard Miller, vice president of Nautical & Safety Operations.

“If your cruise goes off without a hitch, the Fleet Operations Center is doing its job,” he says.

Industryleading Fleet Operations Centers bring safety and performance to new levels.

FROM TOP: Carnival Corporation's newest Fleet Operations Center enables real-time voyage monitoring, for maximum safety and efficiency.

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Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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and

™

are Trade Marks used under license from The De Beers Group of Companies.

Fun Takes | Keeping Up With Carnival Cruise Line

FUN AT YOUR

FINGERTIPS

Carnival’s smartphone app just keeps getting better and better, with a growing list of can’t-cruise-without-it features: • Booking tool for purchasing shore excursions.

• On select ships, view your photos on the app and order digital or print copies.

• Chat feature (for a low activation fee).

• Day-by-day schedule of onboard activities.

PHOTO BY: MICHAELJUNG/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM.

Carnival HUB app is the ultimate cruise companion.

• A “favorites” feature that shows you see which events your friends plan to attend.

• Search tool to locate family and friends on board.

• Dining menus from onboard restaurants.

• Itinerary details.

• Searchable deck plans, with key areas highlighted.

• Daily weather reports.

Download

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

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• Countdown clock that keeps track of the time until your cruise departs.

The Carnival HUB app is free to download from Google Play and iTunes. You can access it through your ship’s free WiFi and, except for the chat feature, it’s free to use on board.

To avoid roaming charges from your cell provider, use it on airplane mode.

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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Cover Story | LL COOL J

g n i v i L e h t cy

He’s risen from upstart rapper to acclaimed artist, and LL Cool J keeps blazing new trails.

a g Le

By Elizabeth Fernandez

Described in the Washington Post as “rap’s first true superstar,” LL Cool J has had a trailblazing career. Since first making a name for himself in the 1980s in New York City’s young hip hop scene, he has become a multi-platinum Grammy Awardwinning recording artist as well as an actor, author and entrepreneur. He’s a living legend, an innovator whose impact reaches far beyond the rap world — all the way to the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors, which made him its first solo rap honoree in 2017.

“I never could have predicted that I’d still be out here rocking it more than two decades after my debut,” LL said recently, wearing one of his trademark grins. “But here I am.”

On the Rise Raised by his grandparents in Queens, New York, James Todd Smith — the future LL Cool J — started rapping when he was 9, inspired by rap pioneers Treacherous Three and influenced by rock and roll legend Fats Domino. As early as 13, he was already in demand. Jay Philpot, better known as DJ Cut Creator, recognized his raw talent and wanted to work with him. “But I told him, yo, you’ve got to ask my grandmother,” LL reminisced in a recent episode of Oprah’s Master Class.

After young James’ grandmother made Philpot promise to keep him out of trouble, they began making music together. Under his new stage name, an abbreviation for “Ladies Love Cool James,” LL honed his skills, making demo tapes with equipment he’d received from his supportive

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grandfather, a musician himself. Before long, he attracted the attention of famed producer and Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin. By 1984, he was considered Def Jam’s flagship artist. His platinum debut album Radio was one of the earliest commercially successful hip hop albums.

After that came a string of hit records, including the triple platinum Bigger and Deffer, his biggest of all time, featuring “I Need Love,” the first-ever successful rap ballad. This was quickly followed

by Walking with a Panther in 1989 and the doubleplatinum Mama Said Knock You Out a year later.

It was a smash success and the title track won LL his first Grammy.

With his music career soaring, in 1992, LL landed his first major acting role in Toys, sharing the screen with the legendary Robin Williams. He gained success as quickly as he had in the music world, and by 1995 had landed his own sitcom, In the House.

He released even more groundbreaking albums, including the double-platinum Mr. Smith, packed with well-received songs like “Doin’ It” and “Hey Lover,” which won him yet another Grammy. On his next album, 1997’s platinum-selling Phenomenon, LL collaborated with fellow iconic rappers like Method Man, Redman and DMX.

Beyond the Music Since 2000, LL has released six more albums, including No. 1 debuting platinum G.O.A.T. and 10, featuring tracks produced by Pharrell Williams.

His Authentic, released in 2013, included a broad range of collaborators who have admired and been

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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I never could have predicted that I’d still be out here rocking it more than two decades after my debut, but here I am. — LL Cool J

PETER YANG

Vitatem ipicatu stibus eatqui occus cum harum elesto tem iunt que solo quo et earcid et doluptam nonserat.

Axima nusciistem es

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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PETER YANG

Cover Story | LL COOL J

To be able to come from the corner of Farmers Boulevard in Queens, banging on a garbage can, all the way to the Kennedy Center Honors, that’s a long journey.

— LL Cool J influenced by LL through the years, such as Snoop Dogg, Fitz and the Tantrums, Eddie Van Halen and Seal, as well as famed R&B super group Earth, Wind & Fire.

In 2012, the two-time Grammy winner hosted the Grammy Awards, a gig that would last for a record five years. He’s continued acting, appearing in more than 30 movies opposite such stars as Queen Latifah (The Last Holiday); Al Pacino, Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz (Any Given Sunday); and Robert De Niro (Grudge Match). He received a Blockbuster Award for his comedic performance in Deep Blue Sea. He stars in the long-running primetime drama NCIS: Los Angeles, winning four NAACP Image Awards in a row for his role as Special Agent Sam Hanna.

He has also expressed himself in books, from his 1997 autobiography I Make My Own Rules to his 2002 children’s book, And the Winner Is. He’s having a blast serving as both host and producer of Lip Sync Battle, Spike TV’s most-watched original program ever and a two-time Emmy nominee. Celebrities such as Dwayne Johnson and Anne Hathaway have flocked to the show, but two guests have eluded him. “I want to see Obama versus Michelle — that would be amazing,” he told BUILD Series. “Can you imagine Obama doing Busta Rhymes?”

He still finds time for music, touring in 2017 to play music festivals like Jazz in the Gardens in Miami. “It’s my first love, going out and playing live music,” he told Billboard. He’s been giving back to the people of his hometown since 2004, with Jump & Ball, a free and fun-filled camp every Saturday and Sunday during the month of August for hundreds of kids from Southeast Queens. The program was developed as an opportunity for the kids in the community to not only learn the game of basketball but also to learn team building and leadership skills critical to life off the court.

“A Long Journey”

The last two years have been filled with awards and accolades: He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in January 2016 and the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal — Harvard’s highest honor in the field of African and African-American Studies — in October 2017. That very same week, he got his fourth nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Finally, in December 2017, he received the Kennedy Center award — one of his most meaningful awards in a career full of them. As he told The New York Times, “To be able to come from the corner of Farmers Boulevard in Queens, banging on a garbage can, all the way to the Kennedy Center Honors, that’s a long journey.”

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Cruise Guests Star in

Lip Sync Battle Carnival Do you have what it takes to be a star, just by belting out a tune without actually singing a note? Here’s your chance to find: by competing on Carnival’s own version of the hit TV show Lip Sync Battle, offered through an exclusive partnership w it h Spi ke T V (wh ich be comes Pa ra mou nt Ne t work in January 2018).

Performed live on select Carnival ships, Lip Sync Battle Carnival is an authentic re-creation of the popular show hosted

by LL Cool J. While the rap legend isn’t part of the shipboard production, the show is otherwise quite true to the original.

Contestants perform at the beginning of their cruise.

Two finalists are selected, and work with Carnival’s onboard entertainment experts to perfect their performance. Then, it’s showtime!

The second round is a full-scale production — costumes, sets and lighting — and the finalists interpret their chosen song by re-creating a scene from a well-known music video. The winner is selected by an audience vote and receives a special prize unique to the reality show.

Lip Sync Battle Carnival further expands on the already wide range of entertainment options on board, which includes Carnival Live, Playlist Productions, The Punchliner Comedy Club and Hasbro, The Game Show.

“We’re delighted to offer this exciting new entertainment activity to our guests,” says Carnival President Christine Duffy. “Lip Sync Battle Carnival takes the brand’s participatory fun to the next level, providing our guests with a chance to showcase their talents and demonstrate their creativity with their fellow guests cheering them on.”

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Cover Story | LL COOL J

CAR EER

highlights STUDIO ALBUMS

1985 Radio 1987 Bigger and Deffer 1989 Walking with a Panther 1990 Mama Said Knock You Out 1993 14 Shots to the Dome 1995 Mr. Smith 1997 Phenomenon I think when you move past your fear and you go after your dreams wholeheartedly, you become free.

Know what I’m saying? Move past the fear.

2000 G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) 2002 10 2004 The DEFinition 2006 Todd Smith 2008 Exit 13 2013 Authentic TOP TV AND MOVIE ROLES

1992 Toys

— LL Cool J

1999 Any Given Sunday 1999 Deep Blue Sea 1999 In Too Deep 2000 Charlie’s Angels 2001 Kingdom Come 2002 Rollerball 2003 Deliver Us from Eva 2003 S.W.A.T. 2006 Last Holiday Since 2009

NCIS: Los Angeles

2013 Grudge Match Since 24

2015 Lip Sync Battle

(producer and host)

KATHY HUTCHINS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

2005 Slow Burn

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Live life in color.

PICTURED HERE: NATURAL RUBY AND SAPPHIRE.

A ARUBA • BARBADOS • BONAIRE • CABO SAN LUCAS • COZUMEL • CURACAO • GRAND CAYMAN • GRAND TURK • GRENADA JAMAICA • JUNEAU • KETCHIKAN • MAZATLAN • NASSAU • SAN JUAN • SKAGWAY • ST KITTS • ST MAARTEN • ST THOMAS

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ARUBA • BARBADOS • BONAIRE • CABO SAN LUCAS • COZUMEL • CURACAO • GRAND CAYMAN • GRAND TURK • GRENADA JAMAICA • JUNEAU • KETCHIKAN • MAZATLAN • NASSAU • SAN JUAN • SKAGWAY • ST KITTS • ST MAARTEN • ST THOMAS ARUBA • BARBADOS • BONAIRE • CABO SAN LUCAS • COZUMEL • CURACAO • GRAND CAYMAN • GRAND TURK • GRENADA JAMAICA • JUNEAU • KETCHIKAN • MAZATLAN • NASSAU • SAN JUAN • SKAGWAY • ST KITTS • ST MAARTEN • ST THOMAS

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Fun Ashore | Carnival Adventures

CARNIVAL

ADVENTURES It’s fun out there! And thanks to a comprehensive approach to shore excursions and other cruise experiences, the fun begins even before you board.

When you get home from this cruise, chances are you won’t be thinking of it as a series of disconnected pieces but as one continuous experience, all the pieces aligned into one unforgettable Carnival vacation.

That’s the idea behind Carnival Adventures. It’s a comprehensive approach to the cruise vacation, taking several once-separate elements and aligning them into one seamless experience. It begins even before you arrive on board — taking you from the airport to your ship, from your ship to your shore excursions and finally to the moment you realize you want to do it all again.

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The Adventure Begins It seems mundane, but the airport pickup and transfer process could be the most important part of your cruise. It can set the tone for the whole vacation, so Carnival Adventures’ transfer specialists work hard to make sure it starts right. The experience begins with a friendly greeter to direct arriving guests to their comfortable motor coach. The welcoming treatment continues right up to your arrival in port, as you embark the ship.

“We’re always looking for ways to enhance the experience,” says Alberto Chocron, director of commercial strategy and business for Carnival Adventures. “We put the fun in Carnival Adventures from the beginning — from the moment you get to the airport to the moment of your return.”

Excursions that Excel As you head out to sea you’ll have a lot to look forward to, both on and off the ship. If you didn’t sign up for shore excursions when you booked your cruise, there’s still time — and it’s easier than ever. You can visit the

ABOVE: The private beach house of La Casa en La Playa, a special excursion in Cozumel.

LEFT: The Carnival HUB app in action.

onboard excursion desk or simply book through the Carnival HUB app, which is free to download to your smartphone and free to use through the ship’s complimentary WiFi (talk about smart!)

You’ll find an ever-changing selection of tours, which are regularly tweaked and upgraded to be more in line with your interests. “There’s always something new. We’re always refreshing things,” says Erika Tache, Carnival’s director of product development, tour operations. She leads Team Orange, the onboard excursions staff. They’re easy to spot: Just look for the bright orange polo shirts and the big, friendly smiles.

Team Orange is something like a concierge service for shore excursions, helping both individual and group cruisers get the most out of their visits.

“They’re the first ones on the ship before the cruise starts and the last to come back from a tour,” says Tache. They’re dedicated to personal service on and off the ship. Carnival doesn’t make its groups wait for their tour guides in the hot sun on the pier. “We meet guests in a lounge on the ship and lead them directly to their tour bus or car,” she says. “On family tours we give assistance to families, like carrying their strollers for them.”

Tache and her team are continually developing tours tailored for today’s traveler, offering experiences that are more authentic, more relevant, less “been there done that.” Guests can visit local communities to get a truer sense of the people and their culture. There’s also a growing list of exclusive tours for guests who prefer to be in smaller groups where they can enjoy personalized experiences. In Freepor t, the Bahamas, for instance, guests can try My Bahamian House, a delightful day on a private beach with a personal chef, an in-house bartender and recreation such as kayaking and snorkeling. Want to reserve a different private beach or arrange a special tour themed just for your group? How about a supervised outing just for the kids, with a seat where you can relax and watch the fun in true comfort? See Team Orange.

Carnival Adventures also has a generous assortment of tours offering unique and even profound experiences. Social impact tours enable guests to give back to the communities that offer such unforgettable vacation memories to visitors from around the world. Tache is proud of the tours that work with an orphanage in Cozumel and a school in Montego Bay, among other projects. Not only do these projects help the communities, but they also offer a glimpse at the islands’ everyday reality. “People go to the ports for many reasons,” says Tache, “but they never really see the place. Now you do have the opportunity to do it all.”

Guests on select sailings can choose Cozumel Plus tours that offer extended stays in the Mexican port. With more time in port, you can explore and enjoy so much more: Get a closer look at the famed archaeological site Chichén Itzá or try the thrills of swimming with whale sharks.

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Fun Ashore | Carnival Adventures

All tours are offered only after thorough research, to keep the long-standing promise of offering the best tours at the best price and with absolute peace of mind (your ship will never leave without you if your tour is delayed returning to port).

“We always research the tours a lot,” Tache says. Five researchers are assigned to the ports to make sure Carnival’s high standards are upheld and look for details to recommend the best tours. They know the can’t-miss experiences each port is known for, so you’re always on the right tour in the right port at the right time.

To encourage quality, Carnival recognizes its top tour operators with awards based on guest feedback. The first top award, 2016 Tour Operator of the Year, went to Experiencias Xcaret (Naturama Tours & Adventures), whose tours include the adventure parks Xenses,

Need to Know More?

Shore Excursions: Carnival.com/shore-excursions Airport Transfers: Carnival.com/cruise-transfers Carnival MasterCard: Visit Carnival.com and click the Carnival MasterCard link.

El Castillo, the famed pyramid at Chichén Itzá. The ancient Mayan site is part of the Cozumel Plus program, in which guests can spend more time exploring.

Xcaret, Xel-Ha and Xplor in Playa del Carmen near Cozumel.

Carnival also is proud of the guest feedback it receives about staff.

“It’s amazing the number of comments that have the name of a Carnival Adventures team member,” says Renata Ribeiro, Carnival’s senior vice president, guest commerce.

Use the Carnival MasterCard and earn reward points faster than ever.

The Rewards of Cruising With so much expert knowledge of Caribbean and Alaska ports, the Carnival Adventures staff is the perfect choice to manage the Future Cruise and FunPoints loyalty programs.

They do so much more than take your cruise reservation. “They’ll book your whole cruise,” Ribeiro says. “They’ll help you plan your whole vacation.” Want to visit Alaska? Carnival Adventures will tell you the best times to go and help you choose the perfect shore excursions to get in everything you want to see and do.

They can also help you get the most of your membership in FunPoints, the loyalty program offered in partnership with MasterCard. The program gives you reward points whenever you use the Carnival MasterCard for purchases from Carnival or anywhere else that accepts MasterCard. Points are generous: 20,000 just for joining, and twice the points for anything you purchase within Carnival. Then use your FunPoints toward the purchase of future cruises or onboard products and services.

Team Orange is always ready with information, service and smiles.

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All About the Guest It’s all about creating the best possible experience for the guest. From the moment you decide to book a cruise to the moment you realize you’re having so much fun you have to do it again, Carnival Adventures takes care of the details so you can focus on the fun.

“We always try to put ourselves in the mind of the guests,” Ribeiro says.

“They’re on vacation — they shouldn’t have to think too much.”

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Audubon House & Tropical Garden Tours

Explore the elegant mid-19th century home of Captain John Geiger, a wealthy maritime pilot and master wrecker.

Wander lush tropical gardens that evoke John James Audubon’s paintings of the 22 birds of the Florida Keys.

Visit the Audubon House Gallery and Museum Store and take home your own piece of Key West history with an original hand-colored Audubon lithograph or unique item.

GARDENS ARE AVAILABLE FOR WEDDINGS AND CORPORATE EVENTS

OPEN DAILY 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM (LAST TOUR 4:15) (305) 294-2116 • 205 Whitehead St. www.audubonhouse.com

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Carnival Studios | Behind the Curtain

BEHIND CURTAIN THE

With a state-of-the-art rehearsal studio and some of the world’s most talented casts and crews, showtime at sea is more exciting than ever.

By Sharon Geltner

Scene from Flick, a Carnival show from Playlist Productions.

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America Rocks, from Playlist Productions.

Outside a rehearsal room at Carnival Studios, the sign reads, “Studio 2.”

But it sounds more like Studio 54, with the cast belting out Chic’s 1978 disco hit “Le Freak” (“Ah, freak out!”). Down the hall, in a larger studio, two dozen dancers get a signal from their choreographer and suddenly spring into the air like wild animals. Around the corner, in a band room, musicians are working on a jazz tune.

All the action takes place at Carnival Cruise Line’s high-tech rehearsal space, a $5 million complex that holds six large performance studios and eight band rehearsal rooms and offers state-of-the-art audio, Bluetooth and LED equipment. The giant entertainment space covers 44,500 square feet under 35-foot ceilings, with empty space reserved to develop future productions for mega-class ships. It opened in May 2017, west of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

This means Carnival guests get to enjoy the gold standard of onboard entertainment, with an even larger selection of entertainment on board, says Chris Nelson, Carnival’s senior director of entertainment.

“We’ve raised the bar high,” he says. “Cruise ship entertainment has evolved and this is a new ilk of performances. The choreography is very technical and the vocals are complex. We have partnered with Broadway, Las Vegas and London’s West End designers and choreographers. Our music program has expanded and engages the emotional center of our guests.”

The Best for the Best To bring the shows to life, Carnival hires the top talent from 20 cities around the world. More than 3,000 people audition each year; an additional 2,400 apply online. The cruise line hires just 10 percent of the applicants, the high-quality “triple threats” who can sing, dance and act.

Technicians come from all over the world, and Carnival’s versatile musicians often play in several different styles, from jazz to country.

“We don’t just hire a band,” Nelson says. “We hire each musician, teach them material and form a band. This creates cohesion and bonding. Our unique approach is a game changer for our guests.”

Perhaps they’re lured by the quality of the equipment they get to work with. “Carnival is the only cruise line to equip every studio with a complete sound system that mirrors the ship and technical operator for rehearsals,” Nelson says.

The land-based Carnival Studios has also freed up space on the ships that once had to be used for rehearsals. That has reduced congestion on board and creates more room for programming and guest staterooms.

There are 20 to 120 performers and entertainment technicians in Carnival Studios at one time. More than 1,000 performers and technicians come through annually. They rehearse four to six weeks, twice a year.

Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse Some More Carnival has prioritized treating its casts well, fostering a happy, energetic vibe that is reflected on stage. The cruise line houses the cast and musicians across the street from the studios, not only for convenience and comfort but also to help build camaraderie. Even local performers move into the apartments, in the name of teamwork, cooperation, collaboration and friendship.

There is a Carnival staffer on site full time, to introduce new performers and help them learn their way around. “We have supervised, safe, clean living conditions for the performers. All of this contributes to the environment,” Nelson says.

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Carnival Studios | Behind the Curtain

Scene from Amor Cubano, Playlist Productions.

The methods to encourage friendship and bonding are certainly working. The cast was delighted during one rehearsal when an actor got down on one knee and proposed to his shocked and thrilled cast mate. Another couple, a dancer and a music supervisor, are getting married. Earlier, a baby girl was born to a couple who met on board. “We also throw team holiday parties,” Nelson says. The cast celebrates in its own sunny and spacious “green room.”

Part of the fun is rehearsing in the high-tech surroundings. The floors are made of a sprung wood, which has “give” and is topped with springy rubber. These materials absorb shock and protect the dancers’ shins and feet as they practice eight to 10 hours a day.

The cast is increasingly incorporating video with the music, so a performer can dance with her own shadow or in front of scenery which matches her lyrics. She can wave her hand to the right, and words and other graphics instantly appear on the right side of the screen.

Each studio meticulously duplicates the same size and shape stage on board, so the cast will be familiar with the dimensions when performing at sea. Numbers and guidelines are painted on the floor so the cast always hit their marks. Once they move on board the ship, the performers get their sea legs in about a week.

The Chic rehearsal in Studio 2 is for Studio VIP, one of Carnival’s shows in Playlist Productions. Playlist is a series of 14 shows, each representing a different musical era, presented to be as fun and personalized as the playlists on guests’ smartphones. Studio VIP combines the funky flair and fashion of Soul Train with New York City nightlife in the 1970s.

Studio 3 is the biggest studio of all, where all five types of Carnival stages fit in one gargantuan cavern, nicknamed the Development Studio.

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This is where the cast experiments with new concepts for shipboard shows, such as Lip Sync Battle Carnival and the children’s puppet show Towel Animal Theater. Studio 3 is also where plans were hatched for entertainment on Carnival Horizon, the second of the Vista Class ships.

Curtain Up

Lip Sync Battle Carnival is a live version of the hit TV show hosted and produced by rapper LL Cool J. In the onboard show, Carnival guests compete for the most impressive lip-sync performance, with back-up from the professional cast and voting by fellow guests. (For more on the show, see our profile of LL Cool J in this issue.)

Towel Animal Theater was inspired by the clever towel animals you find on your stateroom bed each evening. It was scripted by none other than the writers of the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit, Avenue Q — which could explain why audiences include many adults along with the kids.

Seuss at Sea is also very popular with younger guests, who get to eat green eggs and ham for breakfast on plates decorated with Seuss characters and served by waiters dressed as the Cat in the Hat, Horton, the Lorax and other beloved Seuss characters.

It’s an exciting place for a performer to be, and there’s no shortage of talented people who want to experience it. “Many aspiring performers audition five to six times before they make it aboard Carnival,” Nelson says. “They keep coming back and when they make it, they realize all those auditions were a big part of their professional development and growth. It means a lot to them that they are talented enough to perform on board.”

He smiles. “We are confident that we hire the best people out there.”

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EMPRESS

ARUBA • BARBADOS • BONAIRE • CABO SAN LUCAS • COZUMEL • CURACAO • GRAND CAYMAN • GRAND TURK • GRENADA JAMAICA • JUNEAU • KETCHIKAN • MAZATLAN • NASSAU • SAN JUAN • SKAGWAY • ST KITTS • ST MAARTEN • ST THOMAS

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THE FUN SHOPS: MORE FUN THAN EVER Fun Ashore | The Fun Shops

What’s new at The Fun Shops? Plenty! Already as much fun as the rest of the cruise, the onboard shopping destination offers enhanced spaces and a bigger selection of top brands.

The shipboard retail experience has also been enhanced with fun activities, special promotions and giveaways, in-store parties and more.

“Carnival is committed to enhancing every aspect of our operations,” says William Butler, vice president of retail services. “That includes onboard shopping, of course. Our expanded and enhanced retail offerings provide guests with an opportunity to enjoy some ‘retail therapy’ and take home a unique and memorable keepsake from their Carnival vacation.”

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Effy Fine Jewelry’s updated boutique is one of many enhancements to The Fun Shops on several ships in the Carnival fleet.

Retail Rejuvenation The shopping makeovers are one facet of an overall enhancement across much of the fleet, which have added thrilling new entertainment and recreation features. Carnival Elation, for instance, returned to sea in October 2017 with popular venues such as Guy’s Burger Joint, RedFrog Rum Bar, BlueIguana Cantina and BlueIguana Tequila Bar, as well as an all-new décor in its shops: enticing new colors, flooring and product displays.

Carnival Conquest underwent similar upgrades.

The shops on Carnival Sensation a nd Carnival Valor have been completely overhauled, including fully branded spaces for fine watches and improvements in the shops’ design and layout.

All About Those Brands The most exciting news may be the shops’ brand assortment. The Fun Shops offer in-demand labels to please the most trend-conscious shoppers — those you’ve dreamed of possessing and new ones to discover. Whether you’re looking for something cute and chic or elegantly au courant, the brands on board are sure to satisfy.

Pandora has brought its customizable jewelry to Carnival Elation, Carnival Breeze and Carnival Glory, where you’ll also find the alluring scents of Victoria’s Secret and a stunning new façade for the Effy Fine Jewelry boutique. The brilliant designs of Swarovski are on board select ships, along with style stars like Alex and Ani, Lovita and Salt Life.

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Fun Ashore | The Fun Shops

Anne Klein and TAG Heuer are among the popular watch brands available in The Fun Shops.

Shop Talk Here are some of the new offerings at The Fun Shops, on select ships across the fleet: Effy Fine Jewelry: Known for unique design and meticulous craftsmanship, with tax and duty free savings and a lifetime guarantee.

Invicta: High-end retailer offers a full line of fashion watches, with hundreds of different styles to choose from.

Los Cinco Soles: Mexican-themed retailer offers sterling silver jewelry, souvenirs, T-shirts and authentic arts and crafts created by local artisans.

Pandora: Top fashion jeweler presents a selection of custom bracelets, rings, necklaces and charms.

Swarovski: One of the world’s leading retailers of fashion jewelry; renowned for stunning designs using hand-cut crystals.

TAG Heuer: A leading manufacturer of high-end luxury timepieces worn by celebrities and sports stars the world over.

Victoria’s Secret: Purveyor of top beauty products, including mists, lotions and perfumes.

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FROM TOP: Some of the most desirable timepieces are offered at The Fun Shops; fashionable sunglasses by top brands including Michael Kors, Oakley and Ray-Ban.

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 are the latest, greatest and sexiest new designs by longtime favorite brands including Citizen, Fossil, Invicta, Movado and TAG Heuer, plus exciting innovators like Daniel Wellington, Nixon and TechnoMarine.

Select ships also feature stand-alone kiosks with “wearable tech” accessories that include the latest fitness trackers, pedometers and heart rate monitors by Fossil and other brands.

An Eventful Shopping Experience What truly sets The Fun Shops apart are interactive events that take shopping beyond mere transactions. Guests don’t just shop for handcrafted jewelry from Los Cinco Soles, for instance — they’re transported to the Mexican Fiesta marketplace. Personal beauty consultations, exclusive previews of new jewelry collections, interactive watch seminars and other experiences turn shopping into an event.

“Retail on cruise ships is meant to be fun and engaging,” Butler says.

“We do everything possible to present a positive experience for the guest.

We create a whole variety of events so guests have a reason to come back each and every day.”

It’s what The Fun Shops are all about: an engaging, entertaining experience to help you relive your cruise again and again.

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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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Fun Ashore | James Bond

JAMES BOND

Rocks the Caribbean

Daniel Craig as James Bond from Casino Royale, filmed at Ocean Club on Paradise Island, the Bahamas.

Island locales star in many of the dashing spy’s movies.

By Michelle da Silva Richmond

JAMAICA

The first Bond film, Dr. No (1962), and the later Live and Let Die (1973) were filmed near Fleming ’s beloved estate. Scenes for Dr. No were filmed in Kingston. It ’s here that Ursula Andress rose from the sea in one of cinematic history’s most enduring moments. Other gripping scenes were filmed at Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios, in the Blue Mountains and in Montego Bay. The former San Souci resort (now Couples San Souci) in Ocho Rios played host to James Bond, as did the Morgan Harbour Hotel in Port Royal. The Green Grotto caves in Runaway Bay had their 15 minutes of fame in Live and Let Die when Bond was about to be fed to hungry sharks in a cave.

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THE BAHAMAS

In 1965, Thunderball finds the dapper spy chasing atom bomb thieves to the Bahamas. Who will ever forget the scuba-diving skirmish between Bond and company and a host of bad hombres near Staniel Cay? More placid scenes took place — in bot h Thunderball and Never Say Never Again — at the British Colonial Hilton in Nassau, which is now an elegant resort on Nassau’s only private beach. Other vestiges of Thunderball can be found in the Mardi Gras-style junkanoo parades on Bay Street in Nassau and in the refurbished Café Martinique, scene of Bond’s first meeting with his nemesis Largo and Bond girl Domino (Claudine Auger).

The One and Only Ocean Club on Paradise Island, which featured prominently in the reboot of Casino Royale in 2006, actually exists, and the four-bedroom Hibiscus Villa where Bond stayed is even available for rent. The movie — this time with Daniel Craig as Bond — also showcases Atlantis Resort, Coral Harbor and Nassau International Airport.

Ian Fleming once asked himself a haunting question: “Would these books have been born if I had not been living in the gorgeous vacuum of a Jamaican holiday? I doubt it.”

Fortunately, we’ll never know.

PHOTOS BY: (PARADISE ISLAND, ATLANTIS BAHAMAS) DMITRIJS MIHEJEVS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (DANIEL CRAIG) © 2006 DANJAQ, LLC, UNITED ARTISTS CORPORATION AND COLUMBIA PICTURES INDUSTRIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Meet: Bond. James Bond.

The fictional character created by novelist Ian Fleming staged many of his daring escapades in the Caribbean, and Fleming himself had strong ties to the area. The English writer built himself a vacation estate he named Goldeneye on Jamaica’s Oracabessa Bay and it was from this cozy perch that he penned all of the 14 Bond books.

With the renowned fictional character taking center stage yet again with the filming of the 25th film in the series, this might be the perfect time to investigate some of Bond’s favorite haunts in the Caribbean.

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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 today to purchase your very own Fun Finds Coupon Book.

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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.

CKP1001/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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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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OBJECTS

DESIRE

Perfect your look with one of these little luxuries: a sparkling ring, a top-quality timepiece or a pair of shimmering earrings. It’s a vacation memory of the best kind.

Le Vian Ocean Wave Gladiator ring

Crown of Light Orchid ring

TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 watch

Kabana Alhambra Collection earrings

Zenith El Primero Chronomaster Grande

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WHAT’S YOUR FUN FIND? It's the memory you bring home to remember this perfect vacation forever.

Ta x & Dut y Free

Find your favorite brands at the lowest prices guaranteed!

TAX & DUTY FREE

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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

Bremont Women’s watch

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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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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 Amber Cove Aruba Belize Cozumel Curaรงao Fort Lauderdale Grand Cayman Grand Turk Half Moon Cay Mahogany Bay Miami Nassau Port Canaveral San Juan St. Kitts St. Maarten/St. Martin

CARLOS AMARILLO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

St. Thomas

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Los Angeles Catalina Island

San Diego

Ensenada

New Or Galveston

Cabo San Lucas

Mazatlรกn

MEXICO

GULF OF MEXICO

Progreso

Puerto Vallarta

Belize City CENTRAL AMERICA

BELIZE

GUATEMALA

PACIFIC OCEAN

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Bermuda

Charleston

Jacksonville

New Orleans

PORTS of Call

Port Canaveral

Tampa

FLORIDA Freeport Fort Lauderdale Miami THE BAHAMAS

Key West

ATLANTIC OCEAN

Nassau

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

Ocho Rios JAMAICA

St. Maarten/ St. Martin

St. Kitts

Antigua

Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatรกn

CARIBBEAN SEA HONDURAS Barbados

Aruba Curaรงao

Bonaire

COSTA RICA Panama Canal

COLOMBIA

VENEZUELA

PANAMA SOUTH AMERICA Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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Ports of call | Amber Cove

AMBER COVE

Colorful cottages welcome you to Amber Cove, a multi-faceted destination on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic.

This idyllic spot in the Dominican Republic offers all you could ask for in a Caribbean vacation: a little history (including pirate lore), a little culture (fine and folk art, delicious food) and a lot of fun with the many recreational opportunities. Does your idea of fun involve relaxing on a beach with a tropical drink in hand? There’s plenty of that, too.

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OF THE

Where to find local mementos in port

FUNTREKS

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here are some fun ways to explore during your visit.

Want more? Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

Coco Caña Lounge

Coco Caña Lounge offers a unique gastronomic experience mixed with the warmth and the party soul of the local people.

Come to enjoy the best Dominican cocktails while dancing with us!

Amber Cove Port, Maimon Bay; Buildings 18, 7 & 30 Instagram: @cococanaloungerd

El Cibao Coffee Shop

El Cibao is entirely dedicated to the ancient and noble drink of coffee.

In a friendly environment you can: • Enjoy the taste of espresso, cappuccino, different cold coffee drinks, smoothies and desserts • Learn about the process of coffee manufacturing • Buy high-quality Dominican organic coffee, packaged in different sizes

Amber Cove Port Building 2/B, Maimon, Puerto Plata 829-974-5996 or 809-895-6376 lscordari@naturabellasrl.com Facebook: Cafeteria "Café el Cibao"

Island Treasures and T-shirt Island

Your one-stop shopping emporium, Island Treasures offers gifts for everyone on your list. It is locally owned and operated, with friendly service and great prices. Island Treasures carries over 2,000 items, from local arts and crafts, souvenirs, Caribbean décor, chimes and apparel to table and wall art and a wide variety of T-shirts. Stop by and say hi to Ana — hers is the friendliest store in town!

Next to the Amber Cove sign at the dock 829-344-4613

Waterfalls of Damajagua – Adrenaline Adventure Visit one of the Dominican Republic’s best natural escapes, exploring the unique personalities of the waterfalls of Damajagua. This thrilling adventure will take you hiking through breathtaking scenery, canyoneering through narrow passages, jumping off cascades and sliding down natural waterslides.

Deluxe Catamaran Sail & Snorkel

Relax on one of the island’s finest luxury catamarans during a fun-filled adventure on the high seas. Soak up the scenery on the way to Sosua for a guided snorkeling tour that brings you among Sosua’s living corals and a myriad of tropical fish in every color of the rainbow.

Outback Dominican Adventure with Lunch

Experience a way of life that has remained unchanged for over a century. You’ll see how coffee and chocolate are locally grown, harvested and processed, then meet a local family in their countryside home and visit a local school (subject to local school holidays). The last stop of the day is at a beautiful secluded beach.

Dolphin Swim & Ocean World Day Pass

TURQUESA GIFT SHOP

Turquesa Gift Shop

Check everyone off your gift list at your one-stop gift and souvenir shop in Amber Cove!

Amber Cove Port 787-721-7972 turquesapr@gmail.com

You’ll interact with two playful dolphins on a 20-minute swim in deep water. After a brief orientation, you’ll get to hug, kiss, dance with and feed the dolphins. A dorsal pull by two dolphins, foot push and swimming with dolphins is sure to be the highlight of your visit to Amber Cove Puerto Plata.

All-Inclusive Coconut Cove Beach Break

Quick Guide Famed for: Endless fun at pools and beaches; shopping and dining along the Malecón; swimming with dolphins, stingrays and even sharks at Ocean World.

It’s a Fact: Fort San Felipe in nearby Puerto Plata is one of the oldest military colonial period fortresses in the region, dating back to 1577.

Have it all when you visit our private Coconut Cove Beach. An open-air truck takes you on rugged outback roads for a peek into rural life. Then, enjoy our white-sand oasis at your leisure. Experience the many water sports, take a short trek on local trails or just lounge on the beach with an island cocktail. The day includes a buffet-style lunch of sumptuous Dominican cuisine and locally grown fruits.

Signature Souvenirs: Jewelry made from top-quality amber, found in great abundance here; art and handicrafts from local galleries and markets.

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Ports of call | Aruba

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ARUBA

Colorful boats tie up at the dock on Palm Beach.

It has some of the best beaches in the Caribbean and interesting inland landscapes. Aruba also draws visitors to its capital city, Oranjestad, where the island’s Dutch heritage is evident in colorful architecture and the wares in its shops.

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FUNTREKS

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here are some fun ways to explore during your visit.

Want more? Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

Best of Aruba & Beach

Discover the natural wonders of Aruba, and then enjoy some time at one of Aruba’s lovely beaches.

Sights include the California Lighthouse, the Casibari Rock Formation, the collapsed Natural Bridge and the Baby Natural Bridge; the tour also offers a one-hour beach break.

Sailaway Snorkel & Beach Cruise

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Enjoy sailing, snorkeling and beachcombing, as well as a delicious barbecue lunch, on this fun-filled catamaran excursion. The snorkel stops include shallow reefs featuring coral heads and a variety of tropical fish and the wreck of the Antilla, a WWII German freighter, which is now home to tube sponges, corals, angelfish, snapper and parrotfish.

De Palm Island Beach & Snorkel

This all-in-one getaway offers three hours of fun on De Palm Island. Besides its white, sandy beach, the island boasts a water park and a coral reef that is one of Aruba’s best snorkeling spots. A buffet lunch, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks are included; the island is equipped with lounge chairs, freshwater showers and changing rooms.

Aruba by Land & Sea

Quick Guide

Famed for: Palm Beach, windsurfing and jeep rides into the countryside.

It’s a Fact: The unusual, sculptured-looking watapana (aka divi-divi), the national tree of Aruba, always points to the southwest. It’s shaped by the trade winds that constantly blow from the northeast.

Experience the full beauty of Aruba on a tour that takes you around the island and under the sea in air conditioned comfort.

North Coast Jeep Safari

Go off road to explore Aruba’s north coast, including a visit to the island’s Donkey Sanctuary, where a great number of them have been rescued.

Signature Souvenirs: Wheels of Gouda and Edam cheese, aloe products and Delftware porcelain.

How to Get to Town: To reach the colorful shops and attractions of Oranjestad, just walk through the cruise terminal and turn left onto L.G. Smith Boulevard.

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Ports of call | Aruba

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PORT VIEW

Colorful architecture lines Aruba’s streets.

Things You Can’t Miss in Aruba Everything Dutch comes alive in Oranjestad — from gabled architecture to delicious cheeses and exquisite blue Delft china. But not all of its attractions are imported.

Oranjestad’s picturesque harbor boasts many tempting boutiques at the Renaissance Mall and Marketplace.

Treasures such as Mopa Mopa art await in the shops along Caya G.F. Betico Croes, a delightful setting with classic Dutch-gabled, pastel-hued store facades. The legacy at the Numismatic Museum is a rich one — literally. It contains some 40,000 historic coins and paper money from more than 400 countries. More heritage is on display at the Aruba Historical Museum. It can be reached with a walk down

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bustling L.G. Smith Boulevard to Fort Zoutman and the King Willem III Tower.

At lunchtime, try a bowl of tasty keshi yena, an island specialty made with minced tenderloin and chicken stewed with golden raisins, prunes and nuts, all stuffed into a round ball of Dutch Gouda cheese.

Adventurous types can explore the rugged, arid north side and famous natural bridges, or head to De Palm Island for snorkeling and swimming. It might be wise to first visit the Aruba Aloe Museum and Factory, where Aruba’s signature moisturizing miracle and sunburn remedy is extracted from the island’s bountiful aloe plants. — Richard Varr

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Ports of call | Aruba

Natural Bridges Aruba has several bridges formed naturally from coral limestone, but one was known above all: the Natural Bridge. Spanning 100 feet and rising 23 feet above sea level, it was a national treasure.

Unfortunately, it collapsed in 2005. The nearby Baby Natural is only 25 feet long and 3 feet high, but it has taken the original’s place as a favorite attraction for visitors and locals alike.

Sand Dunes and Lighthouses Explorers of the island’s desert topography on foot will find tumbleweed, aloe, cacti — and sand dunes. The California Lighthouse, named for a ship that sank offshore in 1910, stands amid the sweeping sand dunes of Hudishibana, on the northwest tip of Aruba. The area around the structure is a popular spot for picnics and beach strolling, and the waters off the beach offer excellent swimming and snorkeling.

Rock Formations Hikers can experience a bit of Stonehenge in the Caribbean thanks to Aruba’s as-yet-unexplained rock and boulder formations. Some of the formations are full of quartz-diorite, while others, like the ones at Ayo, are decorated with petroglyphs.

A few even seem to have been stacked atop each other, though apparently not by human hands. If you scale one, you’ll be rewarded with wonderful views of the island.

Pastechis These pastries, served at any meal and filled with dried fruit, spices and meat or seafood, are one of the island’s best-loved specialties.

The Power of a Wish

PHOTOS BY: FERNANDO ARRONIZ/ARUBA TOURISM BOARD; PRASAD GONDI/WIKIPEDIA.COM; LIMEINTERACTIVE/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Pieces of Paradise

Wear Your Wish & Believe

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Available at: Oroubo Plaza - L.G. Smith Blvd., Weststraat #13 (Next to Main Bus Terminal) Oranjestad, Aruba TEL: (297) 588-9587 | togaruba@gmail.com

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a day of play under the sun or a night of romance under the stars, Coconuts’ extensive selection of swimsuits, sunglasses, beach toys, dresses, sandals and gifts will meet all your fashion and souvenir needs.

Special Advertising Feature

Treasure Coins of the Caribbean

Piece of Eight

By Bernard Reller, American Numismatic Association R-159127 Copyright 2014 Shortly after Christopher Columbus “discovered” the New World in 1492, Spanish conquistadores arrived to conquer and subjugate the indigenous peoples of present day Mexico, Central and South America and exploit the vast riches of silver and gold found there. They soon established mines and mints to refine metal and strike coins for trading in the colonies and to finance the ever expanding debt of the Spanish Monarchy in Europe. The wealth and produce of the New World was shipped to Spain via convoys of sailing ships guarded by heavily armed galleons which carried most of the silver and gold. Many of these convoys would fall victim to violent hurricanes and marauding pirates.

The units of currency of the Spanish colonies were the silver real and the gold escudo and valued at sixteen reales to one escudo. The coins of the New World were first produced under crude conditions. A thin slab of metal would be poured, then discs or “planchettes” would be cut from this bar. The planchettes were further clipped to a precise weight then hand struck between two hand carved dies.

Early coins carried on one side an image of pillars and waves. The other side carried a simple shield bearing lions and castles. Later, more elaborate shield designs were introduced to represent

various other lands under the control of Spain.

With the introduction of the screw press in 1732, these gradually gave way to round “milled” coins known as “Pillar Dollars” and the later “Bust Dollars” bearing a likeness of the monarch.

Minting in the colonies continued until 1825.

For 300 years, Spanish coins served as the currency for much of the world including the early North American Colonies. The Spanish eight real coin or famous “piece of eight” was based on the avoirdupois ounce of approximately 28 grams. The gold “doubloon” later came to apply to other denominations of gold coins. The Spanish “piece of eight” ultimately gave rise to the United States dollar.

Over the years, most of this crude Spanish coinage found its way into the melting pots of Europe and the world, but today treasure hunters and salvage divers, using modern equipment, are recovering long-lost caches of treasure, much of them in the waters of the Caribbean.

The most famous shipwreck treasure was found in the waters of the Florida Keys. The Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha struck a reef and sank on September 6, 1622. After 15 years of searching the waters, famed treasure hunter Mel Fisher, and his company Treasure Salvers

Reller Atocha Coin

Coins available at Touch of Gold Inc., discovered the main wreck site on July 20, 1985. They ultimately recovered over 160,000 Spanish Colonial coins and over 1,000 eighty pound silver ingots. The Atocha has the distinction of being the richest Spanish treasure galleon recovered to date.

Currently around the Caribbean, shipwreck treasure in the form of gold and silver jewelry is frequently worn by salvage divers, sailors, adventurers...and of course by their women. The trend harkens back to those swashbuckling days... when pirates roamed the Spanish Main...and life was lived on “the edge.”

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Ports of call | Aruba

A Diverse, Friendly

POPULATION

By Gerald Zarr

Aruba is home to a mixture of people from South America, Europe, the Far East and other islands throughout the Caribbean.

Beginnings Two thousand years ago, the Arawak people settled Aruba and were still there in 1499 when the Spanish conquistador Alonso de Ojeda came to claim the island for Queen Isabella of Spain.

The Spanish didn’t think highly of Aruba, finding it too arid for cultivation. Spain left Aruba alone for more than a century.

The Dutch Come to Stay The Spanish didn’t resist too fiercely when the Dutch came calling in 1636 to seize Aruba and the sister islands of Bonaire and Curaçao.

The Dutch left the Arawaks to graze livestock on the parched landscape. With the exception of a short period during the Napoleonic Wars, when the island fell to the British, Aruba has remained Dutch.

Nineteenth-Century Gold Rush In 1824 ,Aruba experienced its first economic boom when gold was discovered on its northern coast.

A flood of gold-hungry immigrants arrived from Europe and Venezuela, and the gold rush was on. A 66

smeltery at Bushiribana processed over 3 million tons of raw material until 1916, when the mines were shut down. After gold petered out, Aruba became the world’s top producer of aloe, just as the sunbathing craze was taking off in the United States. One can still visit the Aruba Aloe Balm Factory and see the production process from aloe leaf to finished lotions and creams.

Twentieth-Century Black Gold Rush Oil gave Aruba its next economic boom. In 1929, the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey (now ExxonMobil) built what was then the world’s largest oil refinery in San Nicolas, on the southeastern coast. This refinery employed more than 8,000 people — 16 percent of Aruba’s population — making San Nicolas the island’s second-largest city. ExxonMobil closed the refinery in 1985 during a global oversupply, but the Coastal Oil Company of Houston, Texas, reopened it in 1991.

Modern Tourism Aruba now boasts more than 6,000 hotel rooms and over a million visitors each year.

Having surpassed oil as a source of revenue, tourism is now the mainstay of the island economy.

ZINA SELETSKAYA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Keen linguists, the people of Aruba use Dutch, English, Spanish and Papiamento with ease, often all in the same conversation.

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Shopping in

Aruba CURAÇAO

Here’s the ultimate insider guide to what’s hot in town.

See it? Like it? Buy it!

Safi Kilima Cushion tanzanite pendant

Korite Tennis bracelet

John Hardy Classic Chain Collection bracelet in sterling silver

ZINA SELETSKAYA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Bulova Precisionist Chronograph

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Ports of call | Belize

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BELIZE

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

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.

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FUNTREKS

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here are some fun ways to explore during your visit.

Want more? Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

Shark, Rays, Barrier Reef Snorkel & Island Escape

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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.

Altun Ha Mayan Site & River Wallace

Altun Ha Mayan Site & River Wallace offer a truly interesting insight into Belize’s ancient past and the natural wonders of the country. Enjoy an exhilarating 1 1/2-hour boat ride along the city’s scenic coast and along the Rio Wallace and a guided tour of the ruins.

Xunantunich Mayan Ruins

Discover the magic of this famous Mayan archeological site, followed by a Belizean lunch in San Ignacio Town.

Situated just 2 miles from the Guatemala border, the Xunantunich ruins were a major ceremonial center during the Classic Period.

Lamanai Mayan Ruins & River Boat Safari

Quick Guide 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.

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 Mesoamerica. 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.

Exclusive Crystal Cave Tubing & Zipline With Lunch

Your quest for the perfect mix of adventure starts with ziplining through the jungle and finally cave tubing during a Mayan cave expedition along with a Belizian lunch.

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

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PORT VIEW

The ruins at Tikal present fascinating Mayan history.

Things You Can’t Miss in 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-mile-long 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 once the governor’s residence.

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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 s i x t h- c e nt u r y Te mple of t he G r e e n Tomb and the Temple of Masonr y A ltar dominate A ltun Ha, Belize’s most extensively excavated Mayan ruin.

— Richard Varr

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Best Selection of Clothing T-shirts

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Best Selection of Brands Exists Paradise Cotton Natural India Boutique Bamboo Cay

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Don’t Miss out on the Largest Selection of gift Souvenirs made in Belize!!!

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Ports of call | Belize

SACRED CENTER ROCKWORTH/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Thirty miles north of Belize City and a few miles in from the coast lie the remains of one of the most important centers in the Mayan world: Altun Ha (Water of the Rock), a major trading center for the Maya from a.d. 250 to 900, when, like the rest of the Mayan civilization, it fell into decline.

The site consists of 13 temples and structures grouped around two plazas. Among the artifacts that have been recovered here are numerous pieces of jade, a gemstone which was important in Mayan society but is not native to the region; thus its presence is proof that Altun Ha was a trade hub. One of the pieces found is Kinich Ahau, a 6-inch-high jade bust of the Mayan sun god, the largest piece of Mayan jade sculpture ever recovered. The image now adorns Belizean currency notes.

Temple of the Masonry Altars at Altun Ha

DEEP-BLUE BELIZE

in the world, bested only by Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Without the reef’s protection against erosion by strong ocean waves, Belize’s Ambergris Caye likely wouldn’t exist.

And that’s not the only credit due to this natural spectacle. Divers here immerse themselves in one of the world’s most complex and diverse underwater ecosystems, with over 500 species of fish and over 100 coral species. Sites like Shark Ray Alley and Hol Chan Cut, a few miles south of Ambergris Caye, show off some of the ocean’s most elusive creatures, including spotted eagle rays soaring along the sandy floor and nurse sharks weaving through its narrow coral channel. There’s no telling what you might discover lurking behind the reef’s undulating sea fans, or flitting through the electric-blue currents; schools of rainbow-hued tropical fish, gently coasting sea turtles and a barracuda showing off its sharp teeth are just a few thrilling possibilities.

A diverse coastal geography of cays (pronounced “keys”) and offshore atolls, as well as the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, create some of the most exciting underwater experiences in the world for beginner and seasoned scuba divers alike.

Descending into Belize’s electric-blue waters, divers encounter a vast and varied ecosystem. At the Great Blue Hole, a perfectly circular coral sinkhole set off the mainland, divers can descend as deep as 200 feet to witness fascinating stalactites and limestone formations, as well as shrimp and hundreds of

colorful tropical fish. Divers experienced enough for deeper waters may even spot a hammerhead or black-tip tiger shark.

But though the country boasts plenty of unique dive sites, its most famous is the Belize Barrier Reef — and for good reason.

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EDITORIAL CREDIT: PETE NIESEN / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Crystal-clear turquoise water. Abundant sea life. Temperate conditions year-round. Divers enjoy all this and more when they explore beneath Belize’s surrounding waters.

Blue Hole, Belize

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SILVER MAYAN FACTORY 20% to 30% off Everything in the store!

Beautiful and Exquisite Silver Jewelry Come Experience our Color-Changing T-Shirts

8 Front Street Front Street Tourism Village Belize City, Belize

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Ports of call | Cozumel

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COZUMEL

Ruins of a Mayan temple face the sea.

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

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here are some fun ways to explore during your visit.

Want more? Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

All Inclusive 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!

Ancient City of Tulum

Experience the ancient Mayan paradise kingdom rising high above the magnificent crystal blue Caribbean Sea.

Dolphin Swim with Unlimited Food & Drinks RANTON_IVANOV/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Embark on a premium dolphin adventure during a 40-minute dolphin program, including fin shake, kiss and an exciting swim! Children 5 and under are free!

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

For a closer look at select tour experiences in Cozumel, see “Exclusive Excursions” later in this section.

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

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PORT VIEW

Sea sponges and colorful fish surround a striking brain coral.

Things You Can’t Miss in 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.

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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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Ports of call | Cozumel

EXCLUSIVE EXCURSIONS La Casa en La Playa – A Select Retreat

Those searching for a slice of solitude in paradise need look no further. Experience the famed beaches of Cozumel from a private beach house complete with all the amenities and comforts you could need, including a chef, bartender and waiters. This luxurious getaway transports you and a limited number of guests to an exclusive Caribbean-style beach house and secluded private beach.

Swim the warm Caribbean waters or relax in the umbrella-covered lounge chairs on the white sand away from the crowds. A chef will be onsite to prepare your choice from several traditional Mexican meals. Other guests can roll up their sleeves and head to the kitchen to learn the recipes being made and practice their culinary skills. Meals can be taken beach-side or enjoyed throughout the home. Meanwhile, a skilled bartender will be mixing up refreshing cocktails — including fresh margaritas, of course — throughout the day. Food, drinks and transportation are included in the excursion price.

VIP Luxury Champagne Catamaran Sail & Snorkel

FROM TOP: Luxurious seclusion at a private cottage on the beach in Cozumel; taking in the island's coastline during a VIP catamaran sailing.

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Indulge in a luxurious sail along the Caribbean shores of Cozumel. Hop aboard a pristine catamaran conveniently located a short walk from your ship, where you will be greeted by the captain before setting sail on an intimate VIP experience.

Enjoy cheese, fresh fruit, light snacks and unlimited drinks while taking in the beautiful views of the beaches and jungles of Cozumel's coastline. At your first stop you will be provided with equipment to snorkel in crystalclear waters and explore the colorful marine life.

Once you are back onboard, the attentive and friendly crew will pamper you with personal service throughout your voyage and ensure your glass is never empty of Champagne or mixed cocktails. They will serve a freshly prepared lunch for you to enjoy en route to your second stop. Here you will discover a sandbar perfect for swimming in the Caribbean waters. After a day of swimming, snorkeling and sipping, you'll head back on an exhilarating ride to port.

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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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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

Shopping in

Cozumel Here’s the ultimate insider guide to what’s hot in town.

See it? Like it? Buy it!

Hublot Dwyane Wade watch

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

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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

Cozumel - Los Cabos Cancun - Riviera Maya Puerto Vallarta

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Ports of call | Cozumel

THE REMARKABLE

MAYA

The Maya fashioned one of the most advanced cultures of the Western Hemisphere during the period A.D. 200 to 900.

A Mayan pyramid

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They flourished throughout the Yucatán Peninsula in southeastern Mexico — including today’s Cozumel island — erecting huge, imposing pyramids and temples, creating striking stone sculptures, and achieving a remarkable proficiency in mathematics and astronomy before mysteriously falling into decline.

The Maya believed Cozumel to be sacred. A shrine to Ixchel, a moon goddess, invited visitation at least once in a lifetime. She was often depicted with crossbones and a serpent. When feeling particularly nasty, Ixchel unleashed calamitous rainstorms and floods on the earth from a large water jug. No wonder common folk were eager to appease the goddess by visiting her shrine. But she also had a bright side — they called her Lady Rainbow — and was worshiped as the protector of weavers and also of women in childbirth. Ixchel’s mate was Itzamná, a mellow moon god who balanced out his spouse’s temper tantrums. — Raymond Niedowski

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Beautiful Cozumel Charms

Special Cozumel Bangles

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Ports of call | Cozumel

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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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Ports of call | Curaçao

HARRIS SHIFFMAN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

CURAÇAO

Willemstad’s waterfront is lined with colorful buildings as pretty as dollhouses.

Willemstad, Curaçao’s picturesque capital, is built around a well-formed natural harbor and glows in soft pastel shades. The Dutch influence pervades the port, with its manor houses, neatly kept streets and delicious varieties of cheese and chocolate.

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FUNTREKS

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here are some fun ways to explore during your visit.

Want more? Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

Beach Break by Boat

A scenic boat ride alongside Curaçao’s coastline offers views of the island’s notable monuments and beautiful beaches. During the four-hour trip, participants can relax, take a refreshing swim or stroll along the beach. Guests are dropped off at the Sea Aquarium beach, which has a restaurant and bar.

Discover Curaçao Island Tour

Behold Curaçao’s countryside and the city of Willemstad, and visit three of the island’s highlights.

HARRIS SHIFFMAN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Dolphin Encounter

Dolphin trainers brief guests before the interactions with the friendly dolphins begin. Participants may touch, hug and kiss a dolphin on a submerged platform, and they will learn about the dolphin’s anatomy and social behavior.

Sea & See Curaçao

This excursion combines a trip on the Seaworld Explorer semi-submarine with a tour of the city’s highlights. The state-of-the-art vessel takes passengers five feet below the surface to view marine life through large glass windows.

The tour includes a trip across the famous Queen Juliana Bridge and a visit to Chobolobo, where Curaçao Liqueur is distilled in 100-year-old barrels.

Quick Guide Famed for: Dutch architecture, plentiful shopping and Christoffel National Park.

It’s a Fact: The Amstel Brewery on the island is the only one in the world that uses seawater in its beer recipe — desalinated, of course.

Signature Souvenirs: Wooden shoes, painted porcelain windmills and Curaçao liqueur.

How to Get to Town: Willemstad’s shopping area, called Punda, is about a 15-minute walk from the pier. Some visitors prefer to take a taxi.

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Ports of call | Curaçao

LUCIA PITTER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

PORT VIEW

A building in Willemstad’s Old Town.n.

Things You Can’t Miss in Curaçao Willemstad is a history museum within itself. One look at its classic waterfront reveals why this natural harbor and scenic city center are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The brilliant Caribbean hues of the Dutch-designed buildings along Santa Ana Bay, with their rows of gable-roofed townhouses gleaming with red tiles, make this one of the most photographed Caribbean waterfronts.

Just getting from the Punda district to Otrobanda is a treat: over Santa Ana Bay on the swinging 19th-century Queen Emma Bridge. Crossing into Otrobanda, you’ll find winding and narrow streets with gabled, Dutch-style houses that delight sightseers and locals alike.

Many visitors begin with a trolley tour from Fort Amsterdam, where a British cannonball remains embedded in the 1769 Dutch Reform Church. Popular destinations include the renowned Kurá Hulanda Museum of African history, which courageously highlights the past slave trade, and the Mikvé IsraelEmanuel Synagogue — the oldest one in the Western Hemisphere, dating from 1651 — which has a unique floor of beach sand.

Amid the kaleidoscope of colors in Otrobanda’s Floating Market is a vast selection of fresh tropical fruits and vegetables, unloaded from Venezuelan schooners. More-lasting mementos are available in the Punda district, along Heerenstraat and Breedestraat, where bargains range from cameras to highend jewelry.

If you’re in the market for something to help you remember this colorful island, the famed Curaçao liqueur or a wheel of Edam or Gouda cheese is a wise choice. — Richard Varr

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OF THE

Where to find local mementos in port CARIBBEAN PARADISE

Caribbean Paradise

• Batik and exotic beach and resort wear • Ladies sarongs, beach cover-ups, short and long sets, dresses, caftans • Embroidered linen, Indian clothing, batik dresses, swimwear, beach towels, bags • Men’s Hawaiian shirts, color-change T-shirts, logo polos, shorts, children’s clothing • Souvenirs: banana-leaf photo albums, chess sets, ladies’ and men’s straw hats, caps • Authorized distributor for Rima Beach World beachwear

31 Heerenstraat | cp@jethani.com | 599-9-461-9822

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Ports of call | Curaçao

Floating market at Willemstad

DEEP DUTCH ROOTS

by Richard Varr

The ornate gables on Willemstad’s colorful waterfront buildings highlight some of the most intriguing architecture in the Caribbean.

They are a reminder of how Curaçao was governed and influenced by the Dutch, who claimed this arid island in 1634, and, since then, have helped to shape its history and culture. Similar to the Dutch capital of Amsterdam, Curaçao espoused racial tolerance through the years and opened its doors to many faiths. Today about 50 different nationalities call this beach-lined island home.

Beginnings Curaçao was one of the first inhabited Caribbean islands. Archaeological studies have revealed traces of native settlements some 4,500 years ago.

At the turn of the 16th century, the Spanish, under the leadership of Lt. Alonso de Ojeda, were the first Europeans to reach Curaçao; they arrived a mere seven years after Christopher Columbus initially landed in the New World.

According to legend, de Ojeda’s crew suffered from scurvy, and upon eating citrus fruit they were “miraculously” cured. The sailors named the island Corazón, or “heart.” In 94

1526, a small group of Spanish settlers and slaves arrived and set up small ranches and farms; they maintained control of Curaçao for just over a century.

Dutch control A dramatic shift occurred on the island in 1634. Tipped off that the Spanish colony was very small, a Dutch fleet of warships and soldiers sailed in and conquered Curaçao. The Dutch West India Company now ruled and appointed the one-legged Peter Stuyvesant, who would later become governor of New Amsterdam (New York), as governor of the island. In the decades that followed, Stuyvesant set up a slave depot that grew to be the largest in the Caribbean; close to half of all slaves who crossed the Atlantic passed through the port. It was also a hub for merchants trading goods along the South America-Caribbean-Europe trade routes.

During the height of the slave trade, Curaçao became the birthplace of the Papiamento language. A mixture of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and different African dialects,

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Ports of call | Curaçao

Papiamento evolved as a means for slaves to communicate with Europeans. At the same time, Jews from Europe and South America fled to Curaçao to escape the Spanish Inquisition; these included the Sephardic Jews from Brazil, who became successful merchants. By the early 1700s, the island’s Jewish community topped 2,000. They built the Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue in Willemstad, one of the oldest in the Western Hemisphere, which remains a house of worship today.

In the meantime, the importance of Curaçao along the trade routes captured the attention of England and France.

The island came under both English and French control for short durations, but Dutch rule prevailed once again in 1815 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

Emancipation and the 20th century Curaçao had several plantations, but was not a particularly active agricultural society. Nonetheless, slaves did revolt, unsuccessfully, in 1765 and 1795. Not until 1863 did the Netherlands’ King William III proclaim the abolition of slavery, and more than 6,000 slaves on the island finally gained their freedom.

Following emancipation, the island’s economy suffered until 1915, when the Dutch established a Shell oil refinery.

Subsequently, a large influx of workers took place as Shell became the island’s largest employer.

During World War II, the Allies established a military base on Curaçao for refueling aircraft; after the war, the island sought independence. However, in 1954, Curaçao instead settled for being part of the Netherlands Antilles, with the seat of government in Willemstad.

While tourism is thriving today, Curaçao is still a major trading hub with one of the largest and most active ports in the world.

Curaçao

Timeline

1499

Curaçao is discovered

by Alonso de Ojeda, a lieutenant of Christopher Columbus.

1634

The Dutch conquer Curaçao.

1642

Th e D u t c h We s t I nd i a Company appoints Peter Stuyvesant as governor.

1815

Dutch rule prevails with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

1863 1954 Kurá Hulanda Museum

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Curaçao becomes part of the self-governing Netherlands Antilles.

CURACAO TOURIST BOARD; MUSEUM KURA HULANDA.

Netherlands’ King William III proclaims the emancipation of slaves.

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#BornToDare

BLACK BAY CHRONO

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AV A I L A B L E AT

39 (P) BREEDSTRATT PUNDA, WILLEMSTAD, CURAÇAO

VISIT US AT SHIPWRECK •

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Ports of call | Curaçao

Aloe vera field

Lotions And Potions:

ALL ABOUT ALOE Name the miracle plant used to soothe sunburns, moisturize dry skin and concoct a feel-good health drink. It helps treat insect bites, rashes and stings.

In ancient Egypt, it’s said Cleopatra applied it to make her skin glow. Today, it’s found in refreshing body wraps in upscale spas. In fact, there’s a good chance you’re already using extracts of this plant without even realizing it.

The answer is aloe vera, nature’s one-plant wonder.

Aloe is a common ingredient in hand creams and a must for cooling burns caused by too much fun in the hot Caribbean sun. The fleshy leaves produce both a gel and a juice.

Although the healing properties of aloe vera have been espoused for centuries, it wasn’t until the 1700s that the first plants arrived in Curaçao. They came from Africa via ships loaded with slaves. The sun-loving, drought-resistant plants adapted readily to the island’s desert-like climate and thrived on vast plantations overseen by Dutch entrepreneurs. In the beginning, the money-making crop was harvested for the bitter resin in the leaf’s outer layer, rather than for the soothing sap.

The resin was boiled, turned into a laxative and shipped to Europe and the United States.

Unlike early plantation owners, the Creole people took advantage of the healing benefits of aloe’s gooey sap.

The pure gel contains more than 50 nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. In the local Papiamento language, aloe vera is called sentebibu. Loosely translated, it means “live to be 100.”

Visitors of all ages can learn how aloe is cultivated by touring the Curaçao Aloe Vera Plantation. The farm, created in 1999, boasts 100,000 organically grown plants. Each plant takes three to five months to mature and can be harvested for up to 10 years, cutting a few leaves at a time. To obtain the purest gel, workers collect the succulent leaves at dawn. Once unloaded in the factory, the spiney leaves are washed by hand and fed into machines to extract the juice. The liquid is the prime ingredient in the plantation’s various lotions and potions. — Ginger Dingus

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Ports of call | Curaçao

Fort Beekenburg

Several forts were built to protect Curaçao from attack. They figured in key moments in the island’s history.

CURAÇAO’S FORTS The original center of Willemstad was Fort Amsterdam, built by the Dutch around 1675 and now serving as the seat of the government of the Netherlands Antilles.

Fort Amsterdam is also the official residence of the governor and is not open to the public.

Initially, Waterfort was the outer defense of Punda, one of the capital’s two districts. The original structure was built in 1634 and replaced two centuries later. An imposing building with 136 turrets, Waterfort played an important role during World War II. Riffort, erected in 1828, is the most recent fort. It was constructed across from Waterfort, complementing the earlier fort while defending the outer section of Otrobanda, the city’s other district. During World War II, a steel net was stretched across the bay between the two forts to keep alien ships out.

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Fort Nassau was named after the Royal House of Orange.

This massive structure dates back to 1797 and has been preserved almost in its original state. For years, it was the office from where the Queen Emma Bridge was opened and closed.

In 1804, Fort Waakzaamheid was besieged by the English captain William Bligh, who commanded the infamous Bounty. During World War II, Americans mounted guns here.

Fort Beekenburg was named after Director van Beek, who created the design for Willemstad. The fort fought off pirates as well as both the French and the English throughout the 18th century. The tower and the fort itself are in a well-preserved state. — Marty Leshner

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Ports of call | Curaçao

Willemstad’s bustling shopping areas, the Otrobanda and Punda districts, boast a few hundred shops and vendors offering an enticing grab bag of international items: Italian silks, French perfumes, Swiss watches, Lladró collectibles from Spain, Hummel figurines from Germany. But what about finding a gift that specifically reflects the island’s proud Dutch heritage?

Among the most popular mementos are blue Delft porcelain and ceramic, crafted into lovely pieces such as plates, tea sets, tiles, candleholders and decorative replicas of Dutch windmills and houses. Hand-embroidered linens from Holland add a cozy touch to home décor. Shoes, clogs and even tulips carved of wood are famed national symbols.

Other gifts satisfy the palate. Wheels of Dutch cheeses (aged Gouda, slightly salty Edam) are easy to transport home. Dutch chocolate can be of the dark variety, mintflavored or mixed with hazelnuts and raisins. Dutch cookies and jams make great welcoming gifts for those visiting Curaçao for the first time.

Curaçao’s artists combine both Dutch and island heritage in their work. An oil or watercolor painting with a scenic view of Willemstad’s timeless Dutch architecture is an unforgettable keepsake. — Richard Varr

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GAIL JOHNSON/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

SHOPPING SPREE

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Ports of call | Fort Lauderdale

FUNTREKS

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here is one fun way to explore during your visit.

Want more? Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

Everglades Experience w/ FLL Airport Transfer

Take time before your flight home for an adventure through South Florida’s unique ecosystem. Board an airboat and glide across the Everglades at speeds of up to 50 mph. View alligators, birds and other native wildlife as your captain explains a little bit about this unique ecosystem and the effect it has on South Florida. The park features a restaurant where you may purchase lunch or a light snack. Transportation to the airport is included in the price of this excursion.

FORT LAUDERDALE With more than 300 miles of navigable waterways, a waterfront park in the middle of downtown, miles of spiffy beaches and the International Swimming Hall of Fame, it’s no wonder Fort Lauderdale has a reputation for loving all things aquatic.

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Quick Guide Famed for: Beautiful beaches to the east, unspoiled Everglades to the west.

It’s a Fact: The city became the No. 1 spot for college kids on spring break after the 1960 movie Where the Boys Are was filmed here.

Signature Souvenirs: Seashells, alligator trinkets and juicy oranges.

TOP:IVAN CHOLAKOV/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / BOTTOM: RUTH PETERKIN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Ready for fun on the water at Fort Lauderdale's beach.

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Ports of call | Grand Cayman

JO ANN SNOVER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

GRAND CAYMAN

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

Turquoise waters, white-sand beaches and a rich history attract pleasureseekers from all over the world to Grand Cayman. Scuba divers and nature-lovers are drawn to famed dive sites, while land-based attractions include a bustling shopping mecca, fascinating local history and catchof-the-day dining. The infamous pirates may be long gone, but this magnificent island remains a treasure.

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FUNTREKS

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here are some fun ways to explore during your visit.

Want more? Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

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.

Dolphin Swim & Stingray City

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

Coral Gardens & Stingray Sandbar JO ANN SNOVER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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.

Gatsby-Inspired White House Beach Escape and Lunch

Quick Guide Famed for: Seven Mile Beach, considered by expert sun-seekers 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.

Enjoy a relaxing day and bask in the sun on your beach lounge chair at an exclusive private colonial mansion.

The Gatsby-inspired facility is located directly on the Caribbean Sea, with a beautiful white sandy beach.

Take a stroll or take a dip in the warm Caribbean and enjoy a delicious lunch as you lounge on the large deck overlooking the picturesque sea.

Exclusive Seven Mile Beach Getaway with Lunch

Let your cares melt away under the Caribbean sun while you enjoy the facilities of Hemingway Beach on a funfilled day of powder-white sand, crystal clear waters and the warm rays of the Caribbean sun. Lie back and soak up the rays, go for a swim in these crystal blue waters, relax by the swimming pool or take a stroll on the beach and enjoy your complimentary lunch with a beautiful view.

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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GRAND CAYMAN

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Bayshore Mall offers everything you need for a wonderful day in port. After browsing Kirk Freeport’s premier house brands like Rolex, Breitling, Cartier, A. Lange and Söhne, Tag Heuer, Patek Philippe and Omega, head next door for a bite to eat at Lucky Slice or take a break from the sun with a delicious scoop of Haagen-Dazs ice cream.

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A world of glamour and sophistication awaits you just minutes away from the port. Rivaled only by world centers such as London and Paris, George Town shopping district offers luxury shopping in a tax and duty free paradise. George Town is able to hold such a reputation due, in large part, to the highly reputable Kirk Freeport network of stores. With over 40 years as Cayman’s premier retailer of duty free jewelry, watches, fragrances, leather, crystal, china and accessories, Kirk Freeport’s reputation precedes them.

In 2013, Kirk Freeport expanded into Bayshore Mall, becoming the largest jewelry store in the Caribbean and quickly became the centerpiece of downtown George Town.

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

Things You Can’t Miss in 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

PORT VIEW

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Ports of call | Grand Cayman

Pieces of Paradise 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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GRAND CAYMAN HARBOUR DRIVE, GEORGE TOWN KIRKFREEPORT.COM

TWO STUNNING BOUTIQUES, NEXT DOOR TO EACH OTHER ON THE WATERFRONT OF GEORGE TOWN, GRAND CAYMAN.

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Discover the Western Caribbean’s largest and latest collections from the stunning worlds of TAG Heuer and Breitling. Brought to you by Kirk Freeport.

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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.

Colorful coral reefs attract divers.

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First elections are held; slaves are emancipated.

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Thanks to the unmatched assortment of designer beauty products, La Parfumerie continues to be the top duty-free fragrance, skin care and cosmetics retailer in the Caribbean.

Brought to you by Kirk Freeport.

GRAND CAYMAN

BAYSHORE MALL & CARDINALL AVENUE, GEORGE TOWN +1 (345) 815 7492 • KIRKFREEPORT.COM

MAKING CAYMAN BEAUTIFUL FOR GENERATIONS

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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

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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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GRAND CAYMAN BAYSHORE MALL, CARDINALL AVENUE, HARBOUR DRIVE GEORGE TOWN : KIRKFREEPORT.COM

WORLD EXCLUSIVE TO KIRK FREEPORT IN GRAND CAYMAN

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BAYSHORE MALL & CARDINALL AVENUE, GEORGE TOWN +1 (345) 815 7492 • KIRKFREEPORT.COM

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LOOSE DIAMONDS · JEWELRY · WATCHES · SOUVENIRS · CIGARS · LIQUOR · APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES · CRYSTAL AND CHINA · PERFUME AND COSMETICS · RUM CAKE AND SWEET TREATS · LOCAL FOOD AND BEER · WIFI · RESTAURANTS · BARS · SNORKELLING · DIVING · OCEAN TRAMPOLINE · ATM LOCATIONS · POST OFFICE · SHOPPING MALLS · AND MUCH MORE!

When you arrive in Cayman, turn right out of the cruise terminal and head to the traditional shopping district of George Town on Harbour Drive and Cardinall Avenue. Packed with malls, restaurants, bars, ocean activities and travel essentials like ATMs and free WiFi, the George Town Shopping District offers the finest in tax-free shopping and local dining in the Caribbean.

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GRAND CAYMAN

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Owned by the Kirkconnell family, local business and

IT ALL STARTED IN 1972

community leaders for six generations, Kirk Freeport has grown from just a few jewelry counters in the community grocery store in 1972 to a world-class marketplace of 22 stores.

The Official Rolex Retailer of the Cayman Islands is the Caribbean’s premier retailer of duty free jewellery, watches, fragrances, leather, crystal and china, and accessories.

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Ports of call | Grand Cayman

SNORKELING THE CAYMANS

A vibrant coral colony.

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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, it’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. — 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 130

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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Shopping in Grand Cayman Here’s the ultimate insider guide to what’s hot in town.

See it? Like it? Buy it!

OF THE

Where to find local mementos in port

Breitling Avenger Hurricane Military

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 duty-free shopping.

Kabana Eden Collection butterfly pendant

Cayside Courtyard, 7 Shedden Road, George Town 345-925-8955

Crown of Light Galaxy bracelet

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ISLAND STYLE S T E R L I N G S I LV E R J E W E L R Y INSPIRED BY SUM M ER

T H E PA N D O R A S T O R E AT ARUBA Paseo Herencia Noord, Aruba 297.586.5625

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

THE MALL OF SAN JUAN 1000 San Juan Blvd.

Puerto Rico, 00924 787.302.0404

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BAHAMAS 329 Bay Street Nassau, Bahamas 242.698.0539

CURACAO Heerenstraat 4B, Punda Willemstad, Curacao 599.9.465.4774

BRICKELL CITY CENTRE 700 S. Miami Ave • 3rd Level Miami, FL 33131 786.220.1817

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

ST. MAARTEN 12-2 Front Street Philipsburg, St. Maarten 721.542.1109

ST. MAARTEN 5 Harbour Point Village Philipsburg, St. Maarten 721.542.9364

ST. THOMAS Main Street at Drake’s Passage 5124 Dronningens Gade St. Thomas VI, 00802 340.774.3672

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

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Ports of call | Grand Cayman

ONE HELL OF A TOWN

If your cruise director tells you to go to Hell, don’t be insulted. He’s probably just recommending a tour that includes the town of Hell.

FROM TOP: Limestone formations inspired the town’s name; the devil’s gift shop.

Caymans’ One-Stop Store for all your Sterling Silver & Stainless Steel jewelry from silver ear studs and charms to steel money clips and chains. We invite you to come in and explore our large inventory of semiprecious stones set in sterling silver…the collection includes earrings, rings and pendants. Our friendly, helpful staff awaits your visit!

Located in the heart of Cayman duty-free shopping Cayside Courtyard 7 Shedden Road George Town, Cayman Islands Tel. 345-925-8955 136

PHOTOS BY: KATE MCCLARE; CAYMAN ISLANDS DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM

That’s the town’s real name, inspired by the jagged limestone formations resembling menacing flames, which jut up from much of the ground in this small hamlet near George Town.

People do live here, but you’re more likely to meet one of the island’s ubiquitous green iguanas.

Hell’s chief export? Postcards, available at the gift shop and the post office, on which visitors scrawl such devilishly clever greetings as “Having a Hell of a time — wish you were here.”

Inside the gift shop, a staff member in a red devil suit demands with mock impatience, “What the Hell do you want?”

It’s a must-do for the first-time Grand Cayman visitor — if only so you can say you’ve been to Hell and back.

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Ports of call | Grand Cayman

CAYMAN Q&A How long is Seven Mile Beach?

The beautiful, powdery white sands actually stretch along the waterfront for only about five and a half miles.

Why is the water surrounding the islands so clear?

There are no rivers or streams flowing from the islands into the sea, so there’s no runoff to spoil the renowned clarity of the water.

If Grand Cayman doesn’t have any mountains, why is it called “the Switzerland of the Caribbean”?

George Town alone has more than 500 banks, a financial community which reminds many of that in Zurich.

— Ginger Dingus Sun setting over Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman

JO ANN SNOVER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Who is Sir Turtle?

The whimsical, peg-legged pirate/turtle serves as the mascot and logo of the Cayman Islands. He was designed in 1963 by Suzy Soto and later sold to the Department of Tourism for $1.

Sir Turtle commemorates the prime role played by both turtles and pirates in the islands’ history.

PROUD PALM The silver thatch palm is a tall tree with fanlike fronds. To fully appreciate its name, one has to observe this indigenous tree by moonlight, when the undersides of the fronds beam in silvery splendor atop trunks that often grow 30 feet tall.

The fronds’ qualities provide an excellent roof thatch — they’re rainproof, unusually tough and resistant to heat absorption. Once the fronds are picked, thatchers must work quickly. If the leaves dry out before you use them, the ends curl and the roof will leak.

At one time, the palm was the principal component of the islands’ main industry: rope making. While the men went out to sea to fish, women and children hiked inland to gather the fronds. After hanging the leaves to dry for a few days, they split them into strands and wove them into long cords.

Today, this kind of rope is found in local craft shops in the form of attractive woven hats, baskets, fans and mats. — Eleanor Wilson

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TORTUGA

®

DUTY-FREE LIQUORS The Finest Rums and Liquors at the BEST DUTY-FREE PRICES in the Caribbean!

Cruise ship Recommended and Guaranteed.

WE DELIVER TO YOUR SHIP!

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

Visit our three locations in the heart of George Town.

Visit our factory and bakery located on Tortuga Rum Avenue.

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Ports of call | Grand Turk

FUNTREKS

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here are some fun ways to explore during your visit.

Want more? Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

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.

Reef & Rays & Beach Getaway

Experience the two premier attractions in the turquoise waters of Grand Turk: pristine coral reef snorkeling and stingrays at play.

The waters off Grand Turk promise incredible diving.

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.

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

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.

Aqua Thrill Seeker

Indulge in Grand Turk’s finest aquatic adventure where you will snorkel, power-snorkel and visit a secluded beach in one fun-filled day!

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.

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Ports of call | Half Moon Cay

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES

HALF MOON CAY

Horseback riding is one of many activities on the island.

There’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

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here are some fun ways to explore during your visit.

Want more? Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

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.

Combo, Eco Bike & Hike Tour

Quick Guide

Enjoy a bike ride throughout this tropical paradise, exploring behind the scenes, followed by a hike with magnificent views of the surrounding islands.

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 | Mahogany Bay

FUNTREKS

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here are some fun ways to explore during your visit. Want more?

Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

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 Mesoamerican coral reef. Other experiences include our animal rehabilitation and rescue facility.

Jolly Roger Catamaran Sailing & Snorkel with Lunch

This is your perfect shore excursion for Isla de Roatán! 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.

Jungle ATV Adventure & Beach Escape

Enjoy a half-day adventure off the beaten path and into the jungle on a powerful all-terrain vehicle, followed by time on a private beach.

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 Roatán’s finest beach, where you will treat yourself to a day in paradise.

MAHOGANY BAY

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.

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Canopy Tour & Tabyana Beach

Soar through the trees on horizontal traverses 18 to 30 feet above the ground; seven traverses, from 120 to 600 feet apart, are followed by a stop at Tabyana Beach, where the jungle meets a powdery white sand beach.

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.

TONY MORAN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

A perfect beach awaits in Mahogany Bay.

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Ports of call | Miami

A colorful lifeguard tower on the sands of Miami Beach.

MIAMI

History, culture and entertainment converge with unsurpassed synergy in Miami, a city that has remade itself time and again. It began as an Old South outpost and in latter days has been a magnet for fashion models and business moguls.

It’s still a hot spot for beautiful people, but you needn’t be wealthy or famous to find a warm welcome here.

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FUNTREKS

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here are some fun ways to explore during your visit.

Want more? Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

Everglades Tour with Airport Transfer (MIA & FLL) ALEXANDER DEMYANENKO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

For guests leaving from Miami International Airport, a tour of the Everglades is a memorable final look at South Florida.

The adventure includes an airboat ride across the water, with likely sightings of alligators, exotic fish and tropical birds.

South Beach Experience with Airport Transfer (MIA & FLL)

Guests waiting to fly home via Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport can spend their time exploring worldfamous South Beach, including the historic Art Deco District.

After a guided bus tour, participants can explore the area on foot, shopping at the designer boutiques along Collins Avenue or relishing lunch and a cocktail at one of the many outdoor cafés on beachfront Ocean Drive.

Top 10 Best of Miami with FLL Airport Transfer (MIA & FLL)

Enjoy a guided adventure in the comfort of an airconditioned sightseeing vehicle, discovering the TOP TEN BEST OF MIAMI!

Hop-On, Hop-Off Miami City Tour with Airport Transfer (MIA & FLL)

Enjoy sightseeing, shopping, beaches, restaurants and bars as this fully narrated tour allows you to hop on or hop off the transport at over 33 locations throughout the city of Miami.

Quick Guide Famed for: Neighborhoods such as Little Havana, Coral Gables and Coconut Grove.

It’s a Fact: Many hit TV shows have been filmed or set here, from The Jackie Gleason Show and Flipper in the 1960s to Miami Vice in the 1980s and, more recently, Dexter and CSI: Miami.

Signature Souvenirs: Postcards from an Art Deco hotel, a pink plastic flamingo or a jersey from the Miami HEAT. How to Get to Town: It takes about 10 minutes to drive to downtown Miami and a few more minutes to get across Biscayne Bay to Miami Beach. The best mode is by taxi; you’ll find cabs readily available at the port.

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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Ports of call | Nassau

PAM BLIZZARD/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

NASSAU

A lighthouse overlooks the entrance to Nassau Harbor.

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

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here are some fun ways to explore during your visit.

Want more? Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

Private Island Beach Day with BBQ Lunch

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

Atlantis Aquaventure

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.

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.

Sea & See Tour

This excursion combines the Seaworld Explorer tour, where you will have the chance to observe a variety of tropical fish through the clear glass windows while sitting 5 feet below the surface in air-conditioned comfort along with a one-hour island tour of Nassau.

Signature Souvenirs: Local crafts from the Straw Market.

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.

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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Ports of call | Nassau

CARLOS ARGUELLES/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

PORT VIEW

Colorful homes line Nassau’s waterfront.

Things You Can’t Miss in 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

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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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

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

TAG Heuer Calibre 8 watch

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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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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LESS STRESS more focus

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Kay’s Fine Jewelry King’s Court Building (Across from the Straw Market)

Bay Street. Nassau, Bahamas.

Tel : 1-242-424-2173

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Ports of call | Port Canaveral

FUNTREKS

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here are some fun ways to explore during your visit.

Want more? Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

Kennedy Space Center Tour

Visit Kennedy Space Center and experience the thrilling past, present and future of America’s space program.

Airboat Tour & Alligators

Explore the heart of the Central Florida Everglades on this exciting airboat adventure and educational tour.

Universal Studios® Theme Park

Take an unforgettable journey through remarkable islands where all your favorite myths, legends, comic books, cartoons and children’s stories come to life.

Delight in classic attractions, enchanting fireworks, musical parades and beloved Disney characters across six whimsical lands. See fantasy become a reality as you explore Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Main Street, U.S.A.

Kennedy Space Center’s Rocket Garden still fascinates.

SONGQUAN DENG/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom®

Quick Guide Famed for: Kennedy Space Center.

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.

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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.

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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Ports of call | San Juan

GERARDO BORBOLLA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

SAN JUAN

Colorful buildings abound in Old San Juan.

Struck by two major hurricanes that hit backto-back in 2017, San Juan — all of Puerto Rico — suffered unimaginable devastation so widespread that the island may still be unrecognizable to those who have enjoyed its beauty and hospitality. Puerto Rico, which is a U.S. territory, suffered massive power failures and severe food and water shortages, and many roads were impassable for weeks

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and months. Even if San Juan has recovered as you read this, the attractions featured in the following page may still be rebuilding.

Consult your excursion team for updates on conditions ashore.

Once San Juan has returned to welcome visitors again, we urge you to support local businesses and help them return to prosperity.

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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FUNTREKS

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here are some fun ways to explore during your visit.

Want more? Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

Rainforest Drive

Guests see El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in the United States territory. Sights include the Luquillo mountain range, featuring spectacular jungle vegetation. The tour stops at La Coca Falls, a natural pool and the Tourist Recreation Center, as well as at handicraft and local product stores.

Rainforest Horseback Riding Adventure

Enjoy the ride through the north part of Puerto Rico to the eastern side through the Central Mountain Range.

GERARDO BORBOLLA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Deluxe Beach Escape At Vivo Beach Club with Lunch

Escape to Vivo Beach Club. Swim in the crystal Caribbean waters; participate in activities on land or water.

Window Cave Experience

Prepare yourself to have an astonishing ecological adventure. Your tour will depart San Juan on a 1 ¼-hour sightseeing ride to Arecibo.

Xtreme Zipline Adventure & The Beast

Quick Guide Famed for: The walled Old San Juan district, with 400 restored buildings dating to the 16th and 17th centuries.

Enjoy one of Puerto Rico’s tropical forest reserves while on an exhilarating zipline adventure. This tour consists of eight regular zip lines and The Beast, the famous “superman.” At 4,745 feet — almost a mile — it’s considered to be the secondlongest and second-highest zip line in the world.

It’s a Fact: The piña colada, that creamy concoction of rum, pineapple and coconut, was invented here.

Signature Souvenirs: Guayabera shirts and folk art found in local-designer clothing boutiques and art galleries.

How to Get to Town: The ship will dock at one of three different piers in San Juan: Pier 1, Pier 4 or the Pan-American Pier. From Pier 1, it’s just a short walk to the Old San Juan historic district and shopping area. Pier 4 is a 10-to-15-minute walk or a short taxi ride to town. From the Pan-American Pier, you’ll want to take a taxi, as it’s not within walking distance.

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Ports of call | San Juan

SONGQUAN DENG/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

PORT VIEW

The ocean view from Old San Juan

Things We Love About San Juan The heart and soul of the island is Old San Juan, the historic district, which dates to the 1500s. Visitors explore historical and cultural attractions throughout the cobblestoned and walled city, strolling by the ramparts where Spanish soldiers once held watch.

An energetic nightlife, including casinos and creative dining, draws visitors to different districts in San Juan. In SOFO, the “South of Fortaleza” Street neighborhood, fine restaurants double as bars for after-hours entertainment.

A 10-minute drive leads to the beautiful beaches of the chic Condado, Isla Verde and Santurce areas, where sea kayaking, surfing and windsurfing are popular sports during the day,

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and lounges and nightclubs fire up at night.

Across the lagoon from Condado, Santurce is a cultural center with attractions that include the Museum of Art, the Fine Arts Center, Central Park and La Placita de Santurce, an open-air plaza with diverse local cuisine that turns into an all-out street fest on weekend nights.

Outside the city, the El Yunque rain forest is a must for those seeking Puerto Rico’s natural side. As the only rain forest in the US Forest System, it offers 28,000 acres of walking and hiking trails, bird-watching opportunities and idyllic waterfalls in which to take a refreshing dip, with rappelling and zip-lining for the more adventurous types.

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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John Hardy and Modern Chain Collection are Registered Trademarks.

The Artisan Handcrafted Modern Chain Collection

250 Fortaleza Street, Old San Juan 787-977-5555 www.bluediamondgems.com

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Ports of call | San Juan

Pieces of Paradise Coqui Frog This tiny, indigenous frog — even the largest measures only about an inch — is the national symbol of Puerto Rico. The “ko-kee” song of the male, which begins at dusk and continues throughout the night, is one of the distinctive sounds of San Juan and the island.

Salsa Music Salsa may have been born in New York, but its roots are deep in the traditional rhythms of Puerto Rican folk music. The very first salsa bands were formed by Puerto Rican transplants making it big in the Big Apple by blending jazz, funk and Afro-Caribbean beats with the sounds they loved from back home. And salsa returned to its roots with a passion, where it has remained one of Puerto Rico’s most popular music styles.

FROM TOP: A cute coqui frog; Bacardi 8 served over ice; mofongo, a classic island dish.

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PHOTOS BY: (COQUI) PANACHAI CHERDCHUCHEEP/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (BACARDI) JOSHUA RESNICK/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (MOFONGO) OTOKIMUS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Cocina Criolla San Juan is teeming with restaurants and cafés specializing in cocina criolla, the local cuisine that reflects Puerto Rico’s centuries of varied cultural influences. Two of the most distinctive local foods are bacalaitos (codfish fritters) and mofongo. Made of tostones (deep-fried green plantains) mashed with olive oil and garlic, mofongo can come in any number of presentations, including stuffed with seafood, pork or chicken and sometimes topped with tomato and garlic sauce.

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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Ports of call | San Juan

THE WALLED CITY

By Gerald Zarr

If the explorers had their way, you would be visiting the city of Puerto Rico on the island of San Juan, rather than San Juan on the island of Puerto Rico.

CEDRIC WEBER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Christopher Columbus landed on the beautiful island in 1493 and named it San Juan Bautista. In 1511, Juan Ponce de Leรณn named the town Puerto R ico. An unknown mapmaker seems to have switched the names in the 16th century, however, and it has stayed that way ever since.

Ocean view from El Morro.

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Ports of call | San Juan

Beginnings One of the oldest European cities in the Americas, San Juan is known as The Walled City, because of its massive encircling stone wall anchored by the mighty forts of El Morro and San Cristóbal. The wall was started in 1539 and finished in 1782. Up until 1897, the city was accessible only through five enormous, heavily guarded wooden doors that closed at nightfall.

Spain’s Neighbors Come Calling The wall was not merely for show. San Juan Bay soon became the central hub for the export of New World riches and a magnet for British, Dutch and French privateers, as well as pirates, who sought fame and fortune, while their motherlands lusted for the most lucrative piece of real estate in the Western Hemisphere.

With all this attention, it’s surprising how infrequently the city was overrun. The British managed to seize and burn San Juan in 1598, but dysentery did them in. On their heels, the Dutch attacked in 1625, but were also overcome by disease and had to retreat.

Irish Interlude As Spain’s prominence declined in the 18th century, Puerto Ricans became resentful of getting so little in return for their labor from the Spanish. Islanders were not allowed to participate in government, and Spain’s mercantilist practices did not allow them to trade with other nations.

As a result, the Puerto Ricans took to trading sugar and rum illegally.

Because of that, the Spanish Empire took decisive action and sent two Irishmen to take charge. The first was Tomas O’Daly, an experienced engineer, who fortified San Juan’s defenses. The second was his boss, Field Marshal Alejandro O’Reilly, an Irish mercenary who fought in the Spanish Army and quickly rose through the ranks.

O’Reilly built schools and roads, dropped trade restrictions and lowered taxes; consequently, Puerto Rico’s economy boomed in the late 18th century.

O’Reilly is also known as the father of the Puerto Rican militia, because he built up and reformed a local constabulary force. After leaving San Juan, O’Reilly went to New Orleans to become the governor of Spanish Louisiana.

Under the American Flag Following the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico came under American rule. In 1917, Puerto Ricans became American citizens. They have since voted overwhelmingly to retain their commonwealth status, making San Juan the oldest city under the US flag today.

Old San Juan’s Rescue After the city walls came down in 1897, the city expanded to include Miramar, Santurce, Condado, Hato Rey and Río Piedras, but Old San Juan remained its heart and soul.

In 1973, Old San Juan gained the coveted title of UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once considered a dingy assemblage of colonial ruins that seemed to have crumbled in tandem with the empire that constructed them, the seven-block square comprising Old San Juan is now considered the best repository of Spanish colonial architecture in the Western Hemisphere.

The charming blue cobblestones that pave the streets originally served as ballast on Spanish ships. La Fortaleza, one of the old city’s jewels, is the oldest executive mansion in the Western Hemisphere.

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San Juan

Timeline

1493 Columbus reaches Puerto Rico.

1511 1782

San Juan is settled.

The great encircling wall is completed.

1898 Puerto Rico comes under US rule.

1947 The governor becomes popularly elected.

1973 Old San Juan becomes a World Heritage Site.

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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SEE THE WONDERFUL Remember every adventure with our NEW collection

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264 Fortaleza Street Old San Juan, PR 00901 787.977.7777 10/18/17 8:49 AM

Ports of call | San Juan

Shopping in

Colonial street to La Fortaleza, the governor’s mansion

San Juan Here’s the ultimate insider guide to what’s hot in town.

See it? Like it? Buy it!

Mark Henry Alexandrite pendant Pavé Collection

Marahlago Alexandria necklace

Philip Stein Signature Chronograph with black alligator strap

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THE OLDEST MANSION

Old San Juan is filled with hundreds of preserved buildings that tell the history of the city and the island.

La Fortaleza, the Western Hemisphere’s oldest executive mansion in continuous use, has been home to more than 200 Puerto Rican governors. Its original single tower and patio were built in 1540 to protect the Spanish population from the Carib tribe.

Its more palatial elements were 19th-century additions, including the polished reception rooms, the stately mahogany staircase and the mosaic-lined chapel that was once used as a storeroom for gold bullion.

ANTIGUA TOURISM BOARD

Hearts on Fire Aerial Diamond right hand ring

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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TAG HEUER CARRERA CALIBRE HEUER 01

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250 Calle Fortaleza Old San Juan, Puerto Rico 787-977-5555

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Ports of call | San Juan

COLONIAL CHARM

in Old San Juan

Besides the area’s rich heritage, the district offers plenty of shopping, dining and nightlife opportunities in and around beautiful courtyards encircled with striking arches and ornamented with colorfully patterned tiles.

Three stunning Spanish Colonial structures that are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites are located within Old San Juan’s walls: La Fortaleza palace and the forts of El Morro and San Cristóbal.

El Morro is the best place from which to set out. The fortress boasts walls 20 feet thick and 140 feet high on the western point of the peninsula. Built from 1539 to 1783, this massive edifice defended Puerto Rico from a slew of enemies over the years. Sir Francis Drake was one of the first to attack it in 1595, and it was last bombarded by US troops in 1898.

One of the few buildings in the city older than El Morro is Casa Blanca, built in 1521 as the residence of the Ponce de León family.

Casa Blanca remained in the explorer’s family for 250 years. In modern times, the structure has been restored as two museums, one of which features much of the original wood furniture.

Back in the heart of Old San Juan, the buildings and historical sites are much more concentrated. Some of the best stops are the San Juan Museum of Art and History, the Pablo Casals Museum, the San Juan Cathedral, La Puerta de San Juan (the original port) and the Museum of the Americas.

The district’s best photo spot is probably La Garita del Diablo, which is one of the oldest areas in the San Cristóbal fort and was built in 1634.

With all of the incredible scenery in Puerto Rico, digital photographers will be glad they don’t have to worry about running out of film.

FROM TOP: El Morro; La Garita del Diablo.

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PHOTOS BY: (GARITA) JOHN WOLLWERTH/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (EL MORRO COURTYARD) ALBERTO LOYO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

If you are drawn to historic cities, the seven blocks that make up Old San Juan will enchant you.

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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PHOTOS BY: (CIGAR) VOLODYMYR KRASYUK/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (CIGAR MAKER) DOTSHOCK/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Ports of call | San Juan

Puerto Rican

LEFT: Rum and a cigar, the perfect pair.

ABOVE: A cigar-maker at work.

DELIGHTS

Think of San Juan, and quite likely three little words come to mind: Coffee, rum and cigars.

Once the mainstays of Puerto Rico’s economy, these locally made delights still have their place at the table.

Coffee made its Caribbean debut in the 1700s, when plants imported from the Old World first arrived on the scene. The shiny green shrubs flourished on Puerto Rico’s mountain slopes.

Plantation owners grew rich, and coffee mills soon dotted the landscape. Although production has decreased over the years, a few top estates still grow the island’s prized black gold.

Rum and alcohol are nearly synonymous in Puerto Rico. Distilled from fermented molasses,

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a byproduct of sugarcane processing, this island spirit has a long history in the region. The best rum is aged in oak barrels, either charred to give the spirit color, or left uncharred for clear, white rum.

Cigars, as the story goes, date back to the island’s pre-Columbian inhabitants, the Taíno.

They cultivated tobacco and rolled the dried leaves into cigars, which the Europeans observed in their early encounters with the natives.

Intrigued, the explorers took their newfound habit back to Europe — and the cigar craze began.

More than 500 years later, hand-rolling remains the preferred method of making fine cigars.

— Ginger Dingus

Fun Ashore Carnival Cruise Line

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NORDSTROM • SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

American Cut Bar & Grill Ann Taylor Anthropologie BCBGMAXAZRIA Brio Tuscan Grille Burger & Beer Joint Carmen Steffens Coach Daniel Espinosa Jewelry Finish Line Fit2Run, The Runner’s Superstore Geox Giuseppe Zanotti Design Herve Leger by Max Azria

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Over 80 stores and restaurants ENTERTAINMENT Karaoke Nights on Thursdays 7pm-10pm Live Music on Fridays and Saturdays 4 Coffee Shops 6 Restaurants Gelato Parlor Happy Mondays •All day long “happy hours” at our restaurants Children’s Play Area Kids Club on Tuesdays from 2pm-6pm • Free, fun activities • Kids eat free all day long – all restaurants 5088.indd 1

TOURIST AMENITIES • Passport to Shopping Discount Booklet • Complimentary Luggage Storage • Free WiFi • Complimentary Shopping Packages • Complimentary Wheelchairs • Personal Shopper at participating stores • 5 minutes away from Luis Muñoz Marín Airport • 15 minutes away from ports

Out-of-town guests, pick up your PASSPORT TO SHOPPING at Customer Service and enjoy exclusive visitor offers!

themallofsanjuan.com

Access through Piñero Avenue and the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge

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Ports of call | San Juan

A Gastronome’s

TOUR

Dining is an integral part of discovering Old San Juan, as much as sightseeing or shopping.

The SOFO neighborhood — South of Fortaleza — is known for fine dining and outdoor food festivals that draw many a hungry crowd. In the chic Condado and Isla Verde areas, chefs combine modern Latin-fusion meals with traditional Creole cuisine, and diners enjoy mouthwatering blends of Latin, French, Asian and even Indian dishes.

Traditional Tastes The lively town of Santurce is home to fashionable Spanish restaurants, a local farmers market and the delightful fondas: small eateries serving homestyle Puerto Rican cooking. You might enjoy asopao, a hardy chicken-and-rice gumbo. Your meal will likely come with a generous helping of arroz blanco (white rice) and habichuelas — beans stewed in sofrito, a blend of onions, peppers, cilantro, garlic and salt pork.

And you’re sure to want a dessert of flan (baked custard topped with a caramel glaze) or tembleque, a bread pudding made with coconut milk and custard.

Of course, no meal is complete without a cup of rich Puerto Rican coffee.

THE PUERTO RICO TOURISM COMPANY

¡Buen provecho!

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257 Cruz Street Old San Juan, PR 00901 Tel 787 723-2432 www.butterflypeople.com cemilinc@coqui.net Copyright © 2005 The Butterfly People. All Rights Reserved.

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Ports of call | San Juan

Statue of Christopher Columbus in San Juan

Circles & SQUARES

By Ginger Dingus

In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue. He landed in Puerto Rico during his second voyage in 1493, only to sail right back home across the Atlantic.

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Now he has come full circle. The explorer has returned to San Juan in the form of a statue, an impressive figure that stands on a pedestal in the Plaza de Colón.

A more recent homage to Columbus, Plaza del Quinto Centenario was created to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the European voyage to the Americas. The multilevel square, located on the highest hill in the old city, overlooks a busy harbor filled with cruise ships and a multitude of other vessels.

Old San Juan’s colonial central square, the Plaza de Armas, was originally used for military drills — hence its name. Graced by a fountain and statues representing the four seasons, the plaza is a lively gathering spot for locals and a convenient place for visitors to take a break from the shopping circuit.

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Ports of call | St. Kitts

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ST. KITTS

Historic Brimstone Hill Fortress offers fascinating history and breathtaking views.

Often regarded as the jewel of the Caribbean, this volcanic island offers some of the region’s most dramatic panoramas and dynamic photo opportunities. Formally named St. Christopher, St. Kitts is part of the two-island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis (pronounced NEE-vis).

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FUNTREKS

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS

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Here are some fun ways to explore during your visit.

Want more? Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

Dolphin Swim

It’s time to meet your dolphin pal! Fun awaits you for your chance to kiss, caress and swim with a dolphin.

Catamaran Fan-Ta-Sea & Nevis Beach Break

Set sail along the coast of St. Kitts for a memorable day on the water, enjoying time to snorkel and relax on the beach as well as a delicious buffet lunch.

St. Kitts by Rail & Sail

The St. Kitts Railway offers a memorable journey around this beautiful island, followed by a relaxing catamaran sail back along St. Kitts’ southwestern coastline.

Deluxe Catamaran Sail & Snorkel with Open Bar

Board your catamaran and sail the crystal clear waters to Shitten Bay for a rewarding snorkeling experience.

Sky Safari Zip Lining

Adrenaline runs high on this “flight” over the rainforest, 25 stories above ground. Participants travel by Land Rover to the zip-line course, which crosses valleys and a stream and goes through tunnels of vegetation to the landing point.

Quick Guide Famed for: The romantic aura that makes this place a popular honeymoon destination.

It’s a Fact: In 2007, St. Kitts and Nevis became the smallest nation to host the Cricket World Cup. Signature Souvenirs: Locally designed batik print clothing and sculptures created from dried coconut shells.

How to Get to Town: You can walk to the historical center at Basseterre in just a few minutes — no taxi needed.

Coming Back from the Storm The 2017 hurricanes did great damage in St. Kitts. While recovery is under way, some attractions featured here may still be undergoing cleanup and rebuilding. Consult the onboard shore excursions team for the latest conditions ashore.

We encourage you to support local businesses and help them return to prosperity.

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Ports of call | St. Kitts

St. Kitts is a colorful stop in the Caribbean.

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PORT VIEW

Things You Can’t Miss in St. Kitts Through the centuries, changes in governments gave many Caribbean islands a mélange of influences seen in cuisines, languages and architectural styles.

St. Kitts’ British heritage is showcased at Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, where one needn’t be a military buff to enjoy the view of Nevis, Montserrat, Saba, St. Maarten and St. Barts on a clear day. An even loftier summit is found atop Mount Liamuiga, an allday challenge.

The easiest sightseeing experience is aboard the his-

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toric St. Kitts Scenic Railway, a 30-mile ride around the island aboard a narrow-gauge railway that once carried sugarcane from the plantations.

The train returns to the capital of Basseterre, the home of the island’s shopping scene, where batik and local artwork are especially popular buys. For serious shoppers of crystal, gold jewelry, watches, china and porcelain, shops along the Circus and in the Pelican and TDC malls offer a wide assortment of tempting, duty-free goods. — John Bigley and Paris Permenter

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Port Zante, St.Kitts

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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

Ports of call | St. Kitts

Pieces of Paradise National Flower The flamboyant, a flowering tree with vibrant red-andyellow blossoms and long black seedpods, blooms from May to August. It’s also known as the royal poinciana, after Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy, the island’s first French governor. No matter what you call it, St. Kitts has chosen this beauty as its national flower.

Honored Heritage St. Kitts may be small, but that doesn’t mean it can’t have its own coat of arms. The main features include a barge in full sail, a red chevron, royal poinciana flowers and a Carib native’s head flanked by a fleur-de-lis and a rose.

These symbolize the island’s early inhabitants and its French and English influences.

National Bird St. Kitts also has a national bird — the brown pelican.

Graceful and swift, these large brown-and-white creatures with seemingly never-ending beaks patrol the sea for tasty morsels, soaring in lazy curves before plunging toward lunch or dinner. What better symbol of the island than these free spirits?

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The St. Kitts coat of arms; a royal poinciana flower; the flag waving on Brimstone Hill Fortress; a brown pelican.

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St. Kitts Flag The colors of St. Kitts’ national flag reflect the past and present — green for the land’s fertility, red for the struggle from colonial slavery to independence, black for the island’s African heritage and yellow for — what else? — the year-round sunshine. Its two white stars represent hope and liberty.

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Marriott Resort 858 Zenway Blvd Frigate Bay, St. Kitts 1-869-466-7106

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Ports of call | St. Kitts

ST. KITTS TOURISM BOARD

St. Kitts offered European nations an important base in the Caribbean.

A FERTILE LAND

St. Kitts boasts some of the oldest settlements in the entire Caribbean.

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For centuries, the island of St. Kitts had been an attractive home to various tribes. Its rich, productive, volcanic soil earned it the name Liamuiga, or “fertile land,” by the Carib people who arrived around A.D. 1300. It was the northernmost island in the Caribbean that the tribe would settle.

St. Kitts’ central location made it an important base for trade throughout the Caribbean. On his second voyage to the New World in 1493, Christopher Columbus discovered the island and named it San Jorges. Inaccuracies in maps of the time made it difficult to distinguish between the islands, and San Jorges was misidentified and renamed San Cristobal after Columbus’ patron saint. The name was later anglicized to St. Christopher. Though widely known as St. Kitts, its formal name remains St. Christopher Island.

In 1623, hungry for a foothold in the Caribbean, Englishman Thomas Warner landed on St. Kitts and claimed it as the first British territory in the West Indies. He established a colony a year later.

A French ship badly in need of repair appeared in the harbor in 1625 after a run-in with the Spanish army. Warner took pity and allowed the French to settle on the island, which made St. Kitts the first French colony in the Caribbean.

St. Kitts changed hands numerous times between the French and English throughout its early history, until the 1783 Treaty of Versailles definitively recognized British rule. The island’s economic fortunes were bolstered when they began to harvest sugarcane in 1640, eventually becoming the leading sugar producer in the Caribbean. But from the late 1800s onward, sugar industry profits began a long, slow decline.

In 1967, St. Kitts, along with its sister island, Nevis, became an associated state of Britain, and attained full independence as a single nation in 1983.

With its intriguing coves, exhilarating hiking paths, dramatic panoramas and palm-lined beaches, St. Kitts is a classic Caribbean destination.

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Punctually Unpredictable

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CRAZY CARATS A twist of the crown magically reveals different gemstones, your different moods.

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BASTIONS OF BRAVERY

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Ports of call | St. Kitts

The Citadel at Brimstone Hill Fortress

Perched on a hill high above the northern coast of St. Kitts is a 38-acre stronghold aptly referred to as the Gibraltar of the West Indies, otherwise known as Brimstone Hill Fortress.

The massive fortress, which played a pivotal role in the battle for control of the Leewards, takes its name from the lingering odor of sulfur (brimstone) constantly being released from nearby volcanic vents.

In 1690, after dislodging the French from the island, the British decided to construct the behemoth. Over the following decades, some 2,000 slaves worked every day to build five bastions linked by walls of burnt-black stone 7 to 12 feet thick. Fifty cannons were positioned in strategic locations across the walls.

Its British builders believed that Brimstone’s vantage point at 800 feet above the Caribbean Sea made it impregnable, but it was stormed successfully by the French in 1782. After their surrender, as a tribute to their bravery, the British soldiers were permitted to march out in uniform with drums beating and colors flying. A year later, the British retook the fort and accorded the French the same honor.

Of the original five bastions, three have been fully restored, including the Prince of Wales Bastion, which was completed in 1973. The old barracks and officers’ quarters now contain interesting displays of artifacts and paintings related to the fort’s construction.

Etched into the inside walls of the barracks, the names of many of those who fought and died at the fortress are still visible, silent but powerful reminder of the island’s violent past. — Michael De Freitas and Deborah Wilson

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THE WHISTLE BLOWS Since the first sugarcane was planted in St. Kitts’ fertile soil around 1650, sugar has been the mainstay of the island’s agriculture-based economy. In 1912, the small individually owned estate mills and boiling houses scattered throughout the island were replaced by one large sugar refinery capable of processing the island’s entire crop. During this time, a narrow-gauge railway was built between the pier in Basseterre Bay and a drop-off point about a mile north in order to haul cane and construction material for the new factory.

By 1925, the railway had been extended around the island in a single loop, and remains in operation today. In all, the railway covers 40 miles and 26 bridges. The original steam locomotive, Number 8, taken out of service many years ago, still sits in the sugar factory’s yard. During the peak harvest period, the new diesel engines haul over 2,700 tons (900 wagon loads) of cane each day.

Currently, the railway is one of only six operating systems in the Caribbean. It still remains a vital part of the island’s economy. So railway enthusiasts needn’t fret — the clatter of wheels and locomotive whistles will be heard for many years to come. — Michael De Freitas

PHOTO BY: JASON PATRICK ROSS/SHUTERSTOCK.COM

The railway cuts through the verdant St. Kitts countryside.

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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.

Executive Skeleton Tourbillon Silicium technology 170-hour power reserve ulysse-nardin.com

PORT ZANTE, ST-KITTS

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Ports of call | St. Kitts

UNSPOILED CARIBBEAN SPLENDOR

It takes only 20 minutes to completely circle the rounded island of Nevis, a lush, unspoiled tropical paradise.

Calm and quiet prevail: no crowds clamoring on beaches, hardly a traffic jam — not even a traffic light.

Plantations that once dotted the landscape are now home to quaint inns and bungalows, many with old water cisterns and towering stone-chipped sugar mills transformed into plush sleeping accommodations and fine dining rooms.

Often cloaked in puffy clouds, Nevis Peak is a landmark 3,232-foot mountain at the island’s center, flanked by nearby Saddle Hill, where British Adm. Horatio Nelson once watched for approaching French ships. Today, rainforests with mango, coconut and breadfruit trees shade hiking trails where sheep, goats and monkeys roam freely. Along the mountain’s base, locals grow oranges, papayas and guavas that thrive in the cooler tropical temperatures. Nearby, the Botanical Gardens of Nevis provide a shady retreat with rare plants and trees, including the spiny Burglar Palm and the aptly named Old Man Palm, with shaggy, beard-like fibers spread generously over its trunk.

The splendor continues at nightfall, when the mellifluous chatter of whistling frogs breaks the silence, and the skies above St. Kitts glow with deep orange and burgundy streaks of light — the hues of a dramatic sunset that islanders cherish and visitors will never forget. — Richard Varr

LEFT: Hiking through the rainforest. BELOW: The Botanical Gardens’ Tea House.

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FAST REAK LY B G N I I SERV LUNCH DA AND

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FRESH PASTRIES

SANDWICHES & WRAPS SMOOTHIES

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GOURMET CHEESE

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UNIQUE STYLE. YOUR WAY. Port Zante • R.L.Brashaw Int’l Airport PO BOX 14 • Basseterre St.Kitts 869.466.5853 • ICJEWELS@SISTERISLES.KN

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Ports of call | St. Maarten/St. Martin

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ST. MAARTEN/ ST. MARTIN

Quick Guide Half Dutch and half French, the two-nation island of St. Maarten/St. Martin enjoys the best that its dual heritage has to offer — with a tropical twist. Like so many other Caribbean nations, this picturesque destination has stunning beaches, but with so many sporting facilities, shops and restaurants, it is a paradise on many other levels as well.

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Famed for: Shopping, yacht races and clothingoptional beaches.

It’s a Fact: The island is the world’s smallest territory shared by two sovereign states: the Netherlands and France.

Signature Souvenirs: Duty-free spirits, including the island’s own guavaberry liqueur, and French fashions.

How to Get to Town: Most ships dock at the A.C. Wathey Pier, and taxis can be hired at Wathey Square.

Those docking at Great Bay can take the ship’s tender into port, or hop on a water taxi from the ship.

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FUNTREKS

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here are some fun ways to explore during your visit.

Want more? Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

Anguilla Dolphin Swim

Take an approximate 50-minute boat trip to the neighboring island of Anguilla for your once in a life time experience! Here you will have the opportunity to touch, kiss and pet the dolphin and watch as the trainer demonstrates some amazing dolphin behaviors like the singing and splashing.

Aqua Fun Rides

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Ride this fast two-person watercraft along the St. Maarten shoreline and swim or snorkel in the pristine waters. There is a brief introduction to the vessel’s operation system by the guide and off you go surfing the waves, cross the border to the north side up to Creole Rock Island in Grand Case’s Nature Reserve.

Anchor the vessel, enjoy snorkeling and swimming and relax your senses in the beautiful Caribbean Sea.

St. Maarten Jeep & Beach Fun

Join us today for an adventure of a lifetime, exploring the smallest island split between two nations, Dutch and French. Get away from the crowds and experience 4x4 trails and island roads.

Airplane Watching & Snorkel Cruise Philipsburg lies on the Dutch side of the island.

Enjoy a scenic boat ride along the coast to Maho Bay where you will experience a jet blast without danger at St. Maarten Airport.

AmSurf & Turf: Jeep & Speed Boat Adventure Recovering from the Storms The 2017 hurricanes did great damage in St. Maarten. While recovery is under way, some attractions featured here may still be undergoing cleanup and rebuilding. Consult the onboard shore excursions team for the latest conditions ashore.

Are you ready to get the best of both worlds by circumnavigating St. Maarten by land and sea?

We encourage you to support local businesses and help them return to prosperity.

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Ports of call | St. Maarten/St. Martin

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PORT VIEW

A colorful home in St. Maarten

Things You Can’t Miss in St. Maarten/St. Martin Do you speak Dutch or French? It really doesn’t matter when you arrive at this Caribbean paradise of two sovereign nations living side-by-side and celebrating distinctive influences from their European roots. And St. Maarten is the only Caribbean stop where all attractions — restaurants, shops and beaches — are a stone’s throw away from the ship, making it one of the easiest island destinations to get around in.

Philipsburg, St. Maarten, on the Dutch side, is the more popular of the two stops. Live music wafts through the air and quaintly cobblestoned Front Street is lined with inviting duty-free shops, jewelry stores and boutiques,

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most of which offer a free drink to anyone entering to browse or buy.

Wathey Square, across from the white 1793 courthouse that is topped with a cupola, is a lovely spot to stroll in.

And both Philipsburg and French-side Marigot have history museums with exhibits going all the way back to the pre-Columbian days of the Arawaks.

Philipsburg has grown even lovelier since a revitalization added enhancements, including a boardwalk that meanders between shops and the beach. Not only is it a pretty place to walk on, it also offers a lovely photo opportunity of your cruise ship in the harbor. — Richard Varr

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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

46 Front Street | Philipsburg, St.Maarten Harbor Cruise Terminal | St.Maarten 721.542.2473 majestyjewelers.com facebook.com/majestyjewelers

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Ports of call | St. Maarten/St. Martin

Pieces of Paradise St. Maarten Flag First flown in 1985 , the St. Maarten flag features the colors of the Netherlands flag — red, white and blue — arranged as the St. Maarten coat of arms within a white triangle intersecting a red color on the top and a blue one beneath. The coat of arms, with a courthouse, a sprig of sage, the sun and a pelican, represents elements of solidarity with the island’s French Antillean neighbors as well as with the Netherlands.

Zouk From the French Creole word for “party,” zouk may have originated in the French Antilles, but this style of dance music that combines African drumming with influences from reggae, salsa and 1980s pop music is equally popular in the clubs on the Dutch side of the island.

Saba Lace On a small island about 30 miles south of St. Maarten is Saba, where lace-making has been an artisanal tradition since the late 19th century. Mary Gertrude Johnson returned to the island from a Venezuelan convent after having learned the craft, which she then passed on to the local women. Today you don’t need to travel to Saba for the delicate lace. It’s available throughout St. Maarten.

FROM TOP: St. Maarten’s flag; always a party somewhere; delicate Saba lace; colorful blooms.

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PHOTOS BY: ST. MAARTEN TOURISM BOARD; PRESSMASTER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; DOUG RAPHAEL/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; AN NGUYEN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Yellow Sage Lantana camara, or yellow sage, is the national flower of St. Maarten, depicted on the island’s coat of arms.

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#BornToDare

BLACK BAY BRONZE

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PHOTOS BY: ST. MAARTEN TOURISM BOARD; JON WILLIAMS

Ports of call | St. Maarten/St. Martin

TWO NATIONS,

Boats rest quietly in a serene harbor.

Side by Side in Harmony

By John Anderson

The people of Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin offer proof that having the good fortune to inhabit one small island paradise is all anyone needs to coexist peacefully with folks of another nationality.

Beginnings The first settlers on the northeastern Caribbean island were the Arawak Indians, a tribe of Amerindians who migrated northward from the Orinoco river basin of South America, hopping from one island to the next along their journey. Finding an abundance of saltpans and brackish water on the future Franco-Dutch isle, they named it Soualiga, or Land of Salt. Due to the lack of freshwater sources, the island’s population remained small.

A relatively cultured and innovative people, the peaceful Arawaks introduced agriculture and pottery making. Their social structure was ruled by hereditary chieftains, which they believed possessed powers from ancestral deities known as zemis. The tribe established a network of fiefdoms throughout the Caribbean; archaeologists, however, believe the Arawaks on St. Maarten were an independent society and were free of such alliances.

In the century leading up to the arrival of Christopher Columbus, the Arawaks were supplanted by the Carib, a more aggressive tribe also from South America for whom the Caribbean is named. The Carib were skilled in the arts of boatbuilding, sailing and war, which explains their 202

dominance over the region. They also harbored large quantities of gold obtained through trade with the mainland, which made them the target of many expeditions.

Columbus Sights an Island On his second voyage to the New World in 1493, Columbus sighted the island on his way to the Spanish settlement on Hispaniola. The fortuitous day was November 11, the feast day of St. Maarten of Tours, in whose honor Columbus named the island. There is a dispute among historians as to whether the island Columbus sighted was indeed St. Maarten or the more southerly Nevis.

Regardless, the Spanish never took much interest in the 38-square-mile piece of property, and St. Maarten sat mostly uninhabited for 138 years.

In 1623, after the English colonized St. Kitts, their first stronghold in the Caribbean, both the French and Dutch followed suit in 1631 with their own settlements on St. Maarten. For their part, the Dutch were in search of an outpost between their colonies in Brazil and New Amsterdam (New York). Once settled, they began producing salt, a precious preservative in the New World. Two years later, upon realizing the commercial potential

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of the island, the Spanish returned to reclaim their land and ran the settlers off onto neighboring islands.

PHOTOS BY: ST. MAARTEN TOURISM BOARD; JON WILLIAMS

In 1644, the Dutch attempted to retake St. Maarten and attacked Spanish strongholds, including the fort at Pointe Blanche. Leading the charge was the famed Dutchman Peter Stuyvesant, director of the Dutch West India Company and, later, New Amsterdam’s governor. Stuyvesant lost a leg in the monthlong campaign, thus earning the nickname Peg Leg Pete.

Though the Spanish prevailed against the Dutch attack, just four years later, after reevaluating their interests in the Eastern Caribbean, they loaded their ships and sailed away.

A Land Divided With the Spaniards gone, the French and Dutch quickly reestablished themselves on the island. After a spate of skirmishes, both nations signed a 1648 treaty atop Mount Concordia that divided the island between them. But despite the treaty and the islanders’ reputation for peaceful coexistence, the border changed 16 times over the next 150 years.

Finally, in 1815, the Treaty of Paris established the boundary once and for all.

During the 19th century, the island became a busy trading center for the export of salt, cotton and tobacco. And after the introduction of sugarcane, the island’s economy flourished with the growth of plantations.

The Scene Today With the abolition of slavery in the mid-19th century, the plantations closed and the island’s prosperity came to an end, ushering in an economic malaise that continued for nearly 100 years.

In 1939, the trend was finally reversed when import and export taxes were lifted, paving the way for the economic boom of duty-free shopping.

In 1943, the Princess Juliana International Airport was opened, and four years later, the island’s first hotel was built.

With large-scale development projects, the Dutch side of the island rapidly became a favorite vacation destination for North Americans and Europeans. In the 1980s, the French side followed suit after new government policies encouraged investment.

Nowadays, St. Maarten boasts one of the most lively tourist scenes in the Caribbean.

St. Maarten

Timeline

1493

Christopher Columbus sights the island, naming it St. Martin.

1631 French and Dutch settlers arrive.

1633

The Spanish reclaim the island.

1648

The French and the Dutch sign a treaty that divides the island.

1815

The Treaty of Paris ends the border dispute.

1943 Princess Juliana International Airport opens.

A colorful shopping scene in Philipsburg.

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Ports of call | St. Maarten/St. Martin

St. Maarten CURAÇAO Here’s the ultimate insider guide to what’s hot in town.

See it? Like it? Buy it!

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A TALE OF TWO CITIES Philipsburg The capital of Dutch St. Maarten stretches across a narrow isthmus between the waters of Great Bay to the south and Great Salt Pond to the north. The bustling, contemporary town has two main downtown streets, Front Street and Back Street, spliced by narrow lanes (steegjes) supporting a slew of boutiques, eateries and shopping arcades.

It wasn’t so long ago that the city needed only two small streets. But St. Maarten’s boom as a vacation resort changed all that. Two thoroughfares, Cannegieter Street (formerly Pond Fill Road) and Walter Nisbett Road (formerly Ring Road), have been added — through landfill of Salt Pond — to relieve the downtown traffic congestion.

Philipsburg was founded in 1733 as a free port, a status it enjoys to this day; it’s known as “the shopping center of the Leewards.”

Front Street (Voorstraat) offers the public 16 blocks of every kind of store imaginable carrying duty-free bargains on everything from watches, cameras, liquor, clothing and linens to loose gems and exotic jewelry.

Also situated on Front Street is the St. Maarten Museum, where island archaeology and history are reflected in colonial maps, Spanish buttons and pipes, china plates and pottery shards. Back Street (Achterstraat) was once the site of warehouses that stored harvested salt in vast white sacks. Today most

of Philipsburg’s administrative buildings and churches are found along this road.

Marigot The capital of French St. Martin is unmistakably Gallic, from the international border sign that reads “Bienvenue en Partie Française” and the khaki-clad gendarme walking his beat to the inviting sidewalk bistros and baguette-laden locals on bicycles.

The original town was established in the 1680s, when the fear of raids, forcing the islanders inland to Orléans, had passed.

Now stretching from the harbor to Port La Royale on the lagoon, Marigot’s handful of streets have been restored to their original charm and still contain plenty of colonial buildings with wrought-iron balustrades scattered among the more-contemporary, pastel-colored shopping arcades. The old warehouses of the esplanade, Boulevard de France, now contain smart shops and cafés sporting street-front awnings and tables with umbrellas, encouraging folks to linger all day.

Visitors to Marigot can spend a leisurely afternoon browsing in chic boutiques and gourmet shops that offer the best of France, stopping in at the small museum devoted to local prehistory or strolling the yacht-filled marina, one of the best people-watching spots in town. — Raymond Niedowski

ST. MAARTEN TOURISM BOARD

Shopping in

Danyal Paraiba Orion's belt

The Dutch and French happily share the two-nation island.

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Ports of call | St. Maarten/St. Martin

HOW TO SAY IT It never hurts to speak more than one language, but it’s especially helpful in Dutch/French St. Maarten/St. Martin.

So here’s a quick translation guide to get you through a day on either side of this bilingual island:

French • Hello: Bonjour (bone JHOOR) • Goodbye: Au revoir (oh-rev-WAHR) • How much is it?: C’est combien? (say cohm-bee-EN) • Please: S’il vous plaît (seel-voo-PLAY) • Thank you very much: Merci beaucoup (mare-SEE boh-KOO)

Dutch • Hello: Hallo (HAH-low) • Goodbye: Dag (dahg) • How much is it?: Hoeveel is het? (who-feel es et?)

• Please: Alstublieft (ALST oo bleeft) • Thank you very much: Dank u zeer (DONK oo seer)

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Ports of call | St. Maarten/St. Martin

Beautiful

BUTTERFLIES

By Marty Leshner

Some islanders spend their days sipping nectar under a tropical sky while splendidly hued birds fly by and the lilting sounds of exotic music play in the background. While that image may reflect the lifestyle of the jet-setters vacationing on the island, it’s also the life butterflies enjoy at the butterfly farm, La Ferme des Papillons in Marigot, on the island’s French side. La Ferme is located on St. Martin’s east Atlantic coast, on the road to Bayside Riding Club and Le Galion Beach, close to popular Orient Beach.

Since Coward and Slayter founded La Ferme, thousands of visitors have stopped by to see the exquisite butterflies and learn about their four-stage life cycle: from microscopic egg to caterpillar to chrysalis and, finally, to beautiful butterfly. Many species have been imported; others are homegrown in a specially created Butterfly Sphere.

A visit to La Ferme is a delightful, enriching outing.

The grounds contain landscaped gardens, waterfalls and ponds filled with Japanese fish. A refreshment stand and gift shop round out the sprawling complex.

Guided tours provide a variety of entertaining butterfly facts and unusual insight into the butterfly’s existence. Information is also available on butterfly gardening.

The lush setting offers an oasis of tranquility and harmony while providing an educational experience for people of all ages.

Visitors can learn how these breathtaking creatures came to be.

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La Ferme was created in 1994 when two self-described “eccentric” Englishmen, John Coward and William Slayter, chose to share their love of butterflies with the public.

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K AY ’ S F I N E J E W E L RY “ L U X U R Y W I T H A F A M I LY T O U C H ”

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$1,495

Available AvailableininPurple Brown Diamonds, Diamonds, Blue and Green Diamonds, and Black Diamonds

ST. MAARTEN DOWNTOWN 65-A Front Street Philipsburg Tel: +1 (721) 54 30356

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ST. MAARTEN HARBOR VILLAGE #7 Harbor Point Village At Cruiseship Terminal Tel: + 1 (721) 54 27247

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Ports of call | St. Maarten/St. Martin

At home in the water:

THE ST. MAARTEN MARINE PARK

By John Anderson

Dive deep With water activities such as boating, fishing and snorkeling an essential part of the St. Maarten experience, the Marine Park is vital to supporting the island’s many attractions. For scuba enthusiasts, there are 28 dive sites within the park boundaries that stretch along St. Maarten’s shoreline, including natural and man-made reefs and ageold shipwrecks. Divers and boaters can explore around the

park’s islets, such as Guana Key, Molly Beday and Cow & Calf, each designated an Important Bird Area for local and migratory birds.

Sea-life sanctuary Also located within the park and just off the southernmost tip of the island is the 12-square-mile Man of War Shoal Marine Park. Established in 2010, it is the country’s first legally protected area, which includes a restricted conservation zone. The zone is home to some of the island’s last pristine reefs, as well as a sanctuary for a wide array of marine life. Whales, dolphins, sharks, sea turtles and the rare queen conch flourish in the protected area, with sea life populations increasing by up to 20 percent in just two years since the park’s designation. Eight reefs are also found here, including Proselyte Reef, named for a Spanish warship that sank in 1801. Divers can see a number of period artifacts at the popular and important archaeological site, such as cannons, large anchors, barrel hoops and pottery.

Thanks to the Marine Park's protection, divers get to experience vibrant sea life like this.

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St. Maarten’s many bays and white-sand beaches are obvious draws for visitors to the island. But take a dip off Dawn Beach or in the crystal-blue tidewater of Simpson Bay, or anywhere along the Dutch island’s coastline, and you’re now swimming within the waters of the St. Maarten Marine Park.

Established in 1997 by the St. Maarten Nature Foundation to manage, conserve and restore the island’s marine natural and cultural resources, the expansive park extends out from the shoreline to a depth of 65 feet on the east coast and 100 feet in the south.

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Wild Times in the Tropics:

THE ST. MAARTEN ZOOLOGICAL PARK & BOTANICAL GARDEN

By John Anderson

Lions, tigers and bears? Not quite, but the largest zoo in the Caribbean does offer visitors an up-close and personal view of the flora and fauna of the region, with a colorful collection of more than 300 birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. Located on the north shore of the Great Salt Pond opposite Philipsburg, the St. Maarten Zoological Park & Botanical Garden opened in 1991 and features a number of rare species indigenous to the neotropics, which also includes Central and South America. The zoo’s origins are said to have been inspired by a popular mini zoo in the backyard of a local policeman, who teamed up with a local veterinarian to build the St. Maarten zoo from the ground up.

Monkeys and more Visitors can join a guided tour starting at the main entrance and leading past an exhibit of the capybara, the world’s largest rodent, which can typically weigh up to 140

pounds (think guinea pig on steroids). The zoo has several varieties of monkeys, including the green vervet monkey, which is native to Africa but is now found wild on St. Kitts and St. Martin. The endangered cotton-top tamarin, with its signature mane of flowing white hair, comes from Colombia and is one of the smallest primates — you can catch a glimpse of Willie, who was born at the zoo in 2010.

And while you won’t find any tigers or other big predators at the zoo, you can visit Ziggy and Marley, two ocelots with beautiful spotted coats similar to those of jaguars.

A range of colorful parrots, macaws and toucans are found in the bird exhibit, along with the bright-red scarlet ibis, which grows redder as it ages. The zoo displays reptiles such as the spectacled caiman, a cousin of the crocodile; resident caimans include Indy, who was rescued from a local restaurant display. And for unwinding after the exciting animal encounters, kids can make like Jack Sparrow on the zoo’s pirate-themed playground and ship.

PHOTOS BY: (MONKEY) VERVET MONKEY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (MACAW) F9PHOTOS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM.

FROM LEFT: Vervet monkey; blue-and-yellow macaws.

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Visitors can experience the thrill of yacht racing.

PHOTOS BY: SUBBOTINA ANNA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; ANDREY BAYDA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Ports of call | St. Maarten/St. Martin

A DAY AT THE RACES Go ahead, admit it. You’ve always wanted to be a winch wench or a grinder. Or maybe being captain of a ship for a day is more your style. Well, you’re in the right place.

St. Maarten/St. Martin is the only island in the Caribbean where novice sailors get the chance to race an authentic America’s Cup yacht. Simply watching these sleek sailboats cut through the water is pretty awesome, too. You may even find a ringside seat right on the deck of your cruise ship.

For over 10 years, visitors to Philipsburg have been thrilled to attend the daily 12-meter regatta. The streamlined multimilliondollar sailboats transported to the Caribbean after the 1987 America’s Cup in Fremantle, Australia, race around a shortened America’s Cup course.

The fleet includes three Canadian contenders and Dennis Conner’s Stars and Stripes, the proud US vessel that won the cup after racing in nearly 350 individual matches. — Ginger Dingus

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Ports of call | St. Maarten/St. Martin

Cultural chronicles

ST. MAARTEN MUSEUM BRINGS THE ISLAND’S VARIED HISTORY TO LIFE

By John Anderson

From its ancient pre-Columbian origins, through turbulent European settlement times and into the modern era, St. Maarten boasts of a rich and varied history. And while it may be difficult to image an Arawak village on the present-day site of a gleaming casino hotel, the St. Maarten Museum helps bring the island’s story to life with an array of artifacts, photographs and reference material.

Located down a tree-shaded side street in the capital city of Philipsburg and sandwiched between souvenir and gift shops, the unassuming museum was established in 1993 by the St. Maarten National Heritage Foundation and works closely with such organizations as the St. Maarten Archaeological Center and Musée de Saint-Martin (St. Martin Museum) in Marigot.

Forces of nature Nearly every aspect of St. Maarten is explored at the museum, starting roughly 15 million years ago with a fascinating geology that includes a piece of crystallized limestone taken from a rock formation at Port Blanche. A 3D map takes visitors back 1 million years, when St. Maarten was part of a single “super island” with what

is now Anguilla and St. Barts. A sea-level rise of 115 feet and volatile tectonic shits — with frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity — eventually separated the one island into three. Another force of nature, hurricanes, are also chronicled at the museum and show the devastating and lasting effects these storms have had on the development of the island. Visitors can read about past hurricanes and watch a video of monster Hurricane Luis, which hit the island in 1995.

Natives and others People have lived on St. Maarten for several millennia, and the museum carefully highlights the many different cultures and eras of the island. An Arawak dugout canoe, or piroque, is on display along with tools and fishing nets employed by the early inhabitants from A.D. 600 to 1200. St. Maarten’s colonial period, beginning with the first Dutch settlement in 1631, is told with early maps and military relics from Fort Amsterdam. A memorable display is a model of the war frigate H.M.S Proselyte. The exhibit includes artifacts from the ship, which sank in full view of Philipsburg in 1801.

PHOTOS BY: (IRON) NATTAPOL SRITONGCOM/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (LAMP) EKY STUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM.

The museum shows artifacts like this charcoal iron and oil lamp, used by St. Maarten’s Dutch settlers.

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Jewelry Avenue Please come and collect a free pair of earrings

White Diamonds

Blue Diamonds

Black Diamonds

Brown Diamonds

80% Clearance sale on all fine jewelry store wide Huge variety to select Everything must go

Jewelry Avenue Front Street Kannal Steeg Unit 2 Bobby’s Marina Near Water Taxi Terminal and Green House Philipsburg, St. Maarten N.A. Tel: (721) 542-1237 | Fax (721) 542-1293 | USA (646) 415-7607 E-mail: jewelryavenueinc@hotmail.com

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Ports of call | St. Maarten/St. Martin

SECLUDED SHORES

The island’s world-famous beaches are extraordinary even by Caribbean standards.

Most are bustling, but there are stretches of sand still undiscovered by the masses.

With 36 beaches to choose from on the French side of the island, you’re sure to find one that suits your taste.

• Baie Longue (Long Bay) Rated by many as the best beach on the island, Baie Longue stretches for a mile on the western end of St. Martin.

• Orient This is one of the most popular clothing-optional beaches. Hordes of beachgoers come to shuck their clothes, catch some sun and gape.

Unlike the neighboring French shores, almost all beaches on the Dutch side discourage nude or topless sunbathing.

These beaches are relatively close to the pier in Philipsburg.

• Great Bay Smack in the middle of town, this strip of beach provides an oasis of peace.

• Simpson Bay This crescent-shaped sweep of sugar-white sand is a center for windsurfing activity. Set against a small fishing village, Simpson Bay offers a laid-back environment.

• Maho Bay This palm-shaded beach is strewn with lounge chairs belonging to the numerous beachfront resorts lining the shore.

The story of St. Maarten/St. Martin stretches back to the days when seafaring Amerindians first paddled their dugout canoes to its unspoiled shores. These early explorers, known as Arawaks, soon discovered a valuable commodity: salt.

The worth of their find was not immediately recognized. Even the early European settlers did not exploit the bountiful mineral, choosing to grow sugarcane instead. But when drought struck in the late 1700s, the sweet life was threatened, and at last salt had its day in the sun. On the island’s first salt-harvesting day in 1789, more than 7,000 people attempted to claim the crusty, crystallized jewels emerging from the dry seabed.

The St. Martin Salt Company was born out of the chaos, and during the next three years, an estimated three million barrels of salt were shipped to Europe and North America.

Salt production continued well into the 20th century. The practice finally ceased in the late 1940s, leaving a dozen salt ponds scattered around the island. — Ginger Dingus

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BELOW: PHOTO BY: PATRICIA HOFMEESTER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM./ ABOVE: ST. MAARTEN TOURISM BOARD

OLD SALTS

Salt mounds

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Ports of call | St. Maarten/St. Martin

PETAL POWER Visitors to the Caribbean region can’t help but stare at the vivid splendor of the hibiscus flowers that blossom almost everywhere in the islands. Indeed, hibiscus rosa sinensis, as it is known to horticulturists, is an instantly recognizable island icon.

One of the easiest varieties of tropical flowers to cultivate, its colors range from the deepest scarlet to delicate shades of pink, peach, yellow and white. New shades appear every year as local enthusiasts compete to breed the fullest and most colorful blooms.

A little-known fact: The petals of the versatile hibiscus are dried, finely crushed and used all over the world in commercially produced herbal teas.

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Special Advertising Feature

The Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit is a non-profit foundation built around Nick’s private collection of rare Hollywood relics. Encouraging kids to strive to be exceptional, there are incredible behind-the-scenes insights that no fan should miss, displays about ALIEN TERMINATOR & MEN IN BLACK and an incredible collection of lifecast faces, Hollywood stars and historical figures, like Johnny Depp & Angelina Jolie, Marlon Brando & Bogart, even Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Franklin.

19a Front Street, Philipsburg, St. Maarten Tel: 542-4009 www.thatYodaGuy.com

The Museum Shop sells SIGNED movie relics, posters, behind-the-scenes photos and storyboards… unique autographed slices of STAR WARS history that become an heirloom to pass on through the family. There’s also Nick’s celebrated Caribbean artwork and his famed Caribbean Cruise Ship Map. This romantic map, inscribed with the route of your ship, is dedicated in gold (at no extra charge) for birthdays, honeymoons, anniversaries or special occasions. It’s the But, at the height of his career, Nick shocked perfect inexpensive cruise souvenir. his colleagues when he and his wife Gloria traded their Ferrari for a sailboat to pursue With a 20-40% ship discount, the Yoda Guy A MUST SEE for art and movie fans, the museum Nick’s passion for painting... in the Caribbean. Movie Exhibit provides entertainment for the is described by many as the most surprising enHis paintings reflect the serenity to be found whole family. There’s something for every budget terprise in the Caribbean, where rare STAR in simple living, have toured the world with the and if you are lucky enough to find Nick there, WARS production items can be purchased, UNITED NATIONS and hang in galleries he will dedicate purchases and do photos with hand signed, by the stars. customers. Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opand museums in 18 countries. portunity to visit a STAR WARS celebrity.

Visitors to sunny St Maarten probably don’t expect to find Darth Vader and Michael Jackson nestled amidst the duty free jewelry stores. But the Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit, acclaimed by TripAdvisor as a popular attraction on the island, has that and much, much, more. The Museum is the brainchild of Hollywood creature effects wizard Nick Maley, known as “that Yoda Guy” for his contribution to the creation of Yoda for STAR WARS. Nick worked on over 50 movies, including the SUPERMAN and HIGHLANDER sagas.

Nick’s biography reads like a romantic novel.

He grew up in the midst of the entertainment industry, worked with Hollywood legends like Sean Connery, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Harrison Ford, was featured in CINEMAX and HBO specials, won a place in THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS and was nominated for an EMMY.

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Ports of call | St. Thomas

HANK SHIFFMAN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

ST. ST. THOMAS THOMAS

Charlotte Amalie’s harbor still attracts seafaring men and women.

Once the home of notorious pirates such as Captain Kidd and Blackbeard, St. Thomas still offers plenty of treasure in its duty-free shops and remains the commercial capital of the Caribbean. It has a rich history and offers fascinating sightseeing opportunities.

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Quick Guide Famed for: A swashbuckling past as the home of pirates such as Blackbeard and Captain Kidd.

It’s a Fact: Charlotte Amalie, the island’s capital, was originally called Taphus, from the Dutch word for “beer hall.”

Signature Souvenirs: Diamonds, crystal, high-end fashions and perfumes.

How to Get to Town: Historic downtown Charlotte Amalie is about 1½ miles from the ship’s dock. Taxis are plentiful.

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FUNTREKS

TOP SHORE EXCURSIONS Here are some fun ways to explore during your visit.

Want more? Stop by the onboard excursions desk or look for Team Orange, the friendly crew members in the bright orange shirts. They’ll help you find the perfect tours for you and everyone in your group.

Turtle Cove Sail & Snorkel with Open Bar

Experience the thrill of sailing the crystal clear Caribbean waters on a 65-foot catamaran as well as snorkeling around world famous Buck Island.

St. John Trunk Bay Beach Getaway & Snorkel

Guests sample the many pleasures of the beach at Trunk Bay, one of the world’s most highly rated stretches of sand.

After a ferry ride across Pillsbury Sound, visitors travel past Cruz Bay, Hawksnest Bay and Caneel Bay, arriving at Trunk Bay for snorkeling in the crystalline waters.

St. John Champagne Catamaran Sailaway HANK SHIFFMAN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

A custom-designed catamaran takes guests from Charlotte Amalie Harbor to the island of St. John. A brisk sail across Pillsbury Sound leads to a special anchoring destination for swimming, snorkeling, beachcombing and relaxation.

Complimentary champagne and snacks are served before the return trip.

Tree Limin’ Extreme Zip-Line Tour

Soar high in the St. Thomas rainforest of St. Peter Mountain.

Traverse eight platforms with stunning views of Magen’s Bay, the British Virgin Islands and beyond.

St. Thomas Parasail Adventure

Fly like a bird 400+ feet above the crystal blue Caribbean waters of St. Thomas on an exhilarating ride controlled by your certified crew!

An Island on the Way Back

St. Thomas sustained heavy damage from the hurricanes that struck the Caribbean and southeastern United States in 2017, but recovery got under way soon after the storms passed. The rebuilding is likely still ongoing as you read this; attractions mentioned in the following pages may not be open.

See the onboard excursions team for updates on tours and conditions in town. We encourage you to support St. Thomas' businesses and help them return to prosperity.

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Ports of call | St. Thomas

STEVE HEAP/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

PORT VIEW

Charlotte Amalie sparkles at night.

Things We Love About St. Thomas One of the busiest cruise destinations in the world, Charlotte Amalie is a shopper’s delight.

Waterfront Highway and Main Street are a maze of side alleys connected by shopping centers, most notably A. H. Riise.

Main Street’s buildings are protected as historic structures, making them a cultural delight as well. Even closer to the docks, you will find Havensight Mall, Yacht Haven Grande and Crown Bay, where dozens of stores and boutiques feature goods of every price.

St. Thomas’ historic attractions are well-known and much explored: Fort Christian, with its landmark clock tower dating to 1671; the nearby Government House and Legislature Building, with its bright Caribbean-green façade; and the 224

large mahogany altar inside Frederick Lutheran Church. Also worth a visit is Emancipation Garden, which commemorates the island’s end to slavery in 1848. Near the garden is Vendors Plaza, a source of African artwork, handbags and jewelry.

You can take it all in at once on the Skyride to Paradise Point, which carries passengers to the top of Flag Hill. The seven-minute ride offers a fantastic view of Charlotte Amalie and the harbor.

Drake’s Seat is a similarly breathtaking vantage point from which the legendary English Vice Admiral Sir Francis Drake supposedly watched the Spanish fleets sail through the harbor below. Today, the view belongs to sun worshippers enjoying the stunning white-sand beach on Magens Bay. — Richard Varr

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Blue beyond words.

Take a look at the shallow ocean in the Caribbean and you will begin to know the colour of Paraiba Tourmaline, except Paraiba is this colour made doubly intense.

Described by experts as “neon” or “electric”, the blue of Paraiba Tourmaline is unlike anything you’ve likely seen before. Is there any point in trying to show this gemstone that is so unbelievably blue a camera can’t capture it’s intensity and a printing press can’t recreate it’s depth? A stone so remarkably blue that it can’t be shown on paper?

Well then, it looks like you’ll have to come and see it in person.

Available only at the Caribbean’s finest jewelers.

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Ports of call | St. Thomas

Pieces of Paradise

Bananaquit The official bird of the U.S. Virgin Islands, this yellowbreasted chirper is 4 inches long and loves gardens. Like a hummingbird, the bananaquit, or sugarbird, can use its small, curved beak to extract nectar from certain flowers without having to bother pollinating them. Because of its sweet tooth, it’s called a sugar thief in some languages.

Banana Daiquiri Where else to indulge in this sweet concoction of rum, bananas, lime juice and sugar than on the island where the flavorful cocktail was invented? The tropical classic was created in the 1950s by bartender Sonny Bernier, who left a legacy worth toasting.

Ginger-Thomas As the official flower of the U.S. Virgin Islands, gingerthomas grows abundantly on St. Thomas. Not only do the lovely yellow blooms offer up the scent of Champagne, but its leaves are also said to cure a host of ailments.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Handmade brooms; a delicious banana daiquiri; ginger-thomas flowers; a bananaquit resting on flowers.

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PHOTOS BY: (BROOM) WINAI TEPSUTTINUN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (DRINK) PINKCANDY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (FLOWER) YURIY CHERTOK/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (BIRD) STUBBLEFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Handmade Brooms Artists make decorative brooms from date palm and thatch palm fronds applied to birch wood. They’re used in local wedding ceremonies that follow the African custom of “jumping the broom.”

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It’s time for a challenge.

TISSOT PRS 516.

A VERY SPECIAL CHRONOGRAPH PIECE WITH A VINTAGE TOUCH THAT PAYS HOMAGE TO RACING CARS. THE SEMI-HOLES IN THE STRAP ILLUSTRATE THE HOLES IN THE OLD STEERING WHEELS.

TISSOT BOUTIQUE 40B FRONT STREET, PHILIPSBURG, ST. MAARTEN 721-543-7020 TISSOT SUPER CORNER WATERFRONT, AH RIISE MALL, 36A-2 & 37A DRONNINGENS GADE, ST. THOMAS USVI 00802 340-774-5699

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Ports of call | St. Thomas

The Quintessential

CARIBBEAN ISLE

As the most developed of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Thomas boasts the distinction of being the Caribbean’s shopping capital and busiest cruise-ship port, with as many as 10 ships docking each day during the thriving tourism season.

By Richard Varr

Beginnings Migrating Amerindian tribes from South America were the first settlers to see St. Thomas’ towering hills and landscapes framed by warm, aquamarine waters. They inhabited the island for 3,000 years before Christopher Columbus first arrived in 1493.

Initially spotting St. Thomas and its surrounding islands during his second voyage to the New World, Columbus named the island group Las Once Mil Vírgenes, after the martyred St. Ursula and her companion virgins. The explorer and his crew, however, didn’t stay for very long. Upon dropping anchor to replenish their drinking-water supply, they were met by unfriendly tribes and instead set sail for Puerto Rico.

Danish Colonization Although Spain immediately claimed the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas wasn’t highly colonized except by small groups of settlers. This left its shores and natural harbors unguarded, leading to struggles for domination among the Dutch, English and French.

It wasn’t until 1671, nearly two centuries after Christopher Columbus first set foot here, that Danish colonization began. The Danish West India Company had sailed two ships to the island, followed by other ships over the next several years. Although illness hampered population growth, more than 300 colonists and slaves were farming over 50 plantations within nine years.

Scenic grassy fields on the smaller neighboring islands served as pastures for goats and sheep.

By the turn of the 18th century, St. Thomas had become the base for the Caribbean’s legendary pirates, such as Blackbeard and Sir Francis Drake. The island was 228

eventually declared a free port, and as plantations continued to prosper, the slave trade flourished. At the same time, the streets along the shoreline of what is now Charlotte Amalie had become home to taverns, which attracted many seafarers. By the early 1700s, the population had swelled to more than 3,000.

The Danish West India Company eventually established plantations on neighboring St. John in 1717, and later bought St. Croix from the French in 1733. With a booming slave trade, tensions and local uprisings increased. In 1792, Denmark proclaimed it would end the slave trade on its islands — a promise that didn’t become a reality until 1848.

By the mid-18 0 0s, St. Thomas had become a refueling port for coal-fired steamships that journeyed between North and South America. But low demand for the staple sugar-beet crop thwarted the economic boom created just a few decades earlier.

Most islanders today are descendants of the African slaves who brought with them their own culture — from music and crafts to language. Danish influences remain as well, as evidenced today in surnames, street names and architecture. In fact, the port city of Charlotte Amalie was named after a Danish queen.

American Interest in the Region The United States first realized the strategic importance of the Virgin Islands during the Civil War when seeking to establish a naval base in the Caribbean. However, no deal was struck until World War I. Fearing Germany would attempt to capture the islands and the Panama Canal, the United States bought the Virgin Islands for $25 million. After more than three centuries of Danish rule, the American flag was hoisted above St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix for the first time in 1917.

Throughout the second half of the 20th century, immigrants flooded St. Thomas and tourism helped revive the economy.

Today, these idyllic islands remain a U.S. territory and draw tourists and travelers from all over the world.

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM

Beyond Charlotte Amalie’s bustling streets and alluring boutiques, scenic vistas from atop the island’s peaking hills are only a quick taxi ride away. And a closer look at the culture here reveals an intriguing past — a mix of native folklore, Spanish conquistadors and marauding pirates who brought their treasures and left behind a legacy of enchanting tales and superstitions for the generations that followed.

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Don’t be surprised if the 99 Steps take longer to climb than expected — there are actually more than 120.

Charlotte Amalie

WALKABOUT Perhaps no other city in the Caribbean is as well-known as Charlotte Amalie. Thousands of cruise ship guests and other seagoing visitors have made the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands the virtual capital of the Caribbean, at least when it comes to shopping.

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Ports of call | St. Thomas

A walking tour that includes some shopping and a refreshment stop is the ideal way to experience the city. The best place to start is Emancipation Park.

Walking from the harbor and heading up Fort Pladsen, you will hit Emancipation Park, the site of a historic episode that took place July 3, 1848.

Governor-General Peter von Scholten freed the slaves of the Virgin Islands 17 years before emancipation in the United States. A replica of the American Liberty Bell and a sculpture of King Christian V of Denmark are on display.

Nearby is the two-story, mint-green House of Legislature of the Virgin Islands. This 118-year-old Italian Renaissance structure was once used as a barracks for Danish police. From 1917, when the US acquired the Virgin Islands, to 1930, it was similarly used by the US Marines. Now the outside staircase leads up to the Senate chambers.

Right across the street, you’ll encounter Fort Christian, the oldest building on the island and a landmark dating from 1671. Named after Danish King Christian V, the fort has served over the years as the governor’s house, a church, the police station and the local prison. Today, Fort Christian is a National Historic Landmark currently under renovation.

Walk up Tolbod Gade to the intersection of Norre Gade, where the busy

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Shopping in

St. Thomas CURAÇAO PHOTOS BY: (CHURCH) STEVE HEAP/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (BOUTIQUES) RUTH PETERKIN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Here’s the ultimate insider guide to what’s hot in town.

See it? Like it? Buy it!

Marahlago Flora filigree necklace

Blue Heaven Blue Diamond twist ring TOP: An alley off Main Street, known for excellent duty-free shopping.

RIGHT: The clock tower at historic Fort Christian.

Day2Night Tanzanite reversible earrings

Bremont MB 2 watch

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Central Post Office stands. While waiting to purchase your stamps, peruse the pretty murals painted by Stevan Dohanos, a former artist for The Saturday Evening Post.

From the post office, walk east along Norre Gade and you will come upon the 18th-century Frederick Lutheran Church. The original, Georgian-style structure was rebuilt in 1825 after a fire and reconstructed once again in 1870, after it was damaged in a hurricane. Today, the historic church is still used for worship services.

Continue east along Norre Gade to Lille Taarne Gade and turn left. As you climb to Kongens Gade, you’ll pass a handful of law firms before reaching Government House, the official residence and administrative offices of the island’s governor. This three-story building with wrought-iron balconies was built in 1867 for the Danish colonial council.

The reception rooms on the first and second floors are open to the public. Several small paintings by former St. Thomas resident and

French Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro are on display in the second-floor ballroom.

As you climb the famed 99 Steps to the top of the hill, do not be surprised if it feels like you are tackling more. Despite the name, there are at least 125 steps in all, comprising one of the city’s oldest “streets.”

St. Thomas’ Haagensen House sits atop Government Hill. The restored 1820s town house is now a museum featuring authentic West Indian period furnishings and accessories. Adjacent to the museum is a landmark building — Hotel 1829. The original town house has been extended to enhance this hotel, which has accommodated many of the island’s most-famous guests over the years.

You’ll want to go back down the hill to Main Street for shopping. The old warehouses that were once used to store pirates’ booty now house many of Charlotte Amalie’s trendy boutiques and shopping arcades.

— Lynn Seldon

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PHOTOS BY: (SEAFOOD PLATTER) VSL/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

PHOTOS BY: (CHURCH) STEVE HEAP/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (BOUTIQUES) RUTH PETERKIN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Memorable

MEALS

St. Thomas’ chefs create a mouthwatering assortment of culinary concoctions that add to the island’s tropical flair.

Many of their recipes have been passed down for generations.

Among the favorite local dishes are tangy stuffed crab, freshwater crayfish, conch fritters, plantains and johnnycakes. The ubiquitous conch, which thrives in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, is often served as a curry, like the better-known goat and lamb curries.

Fresh fish is a mainstay of most menus, and is typically poached or broiled with a light butter-and-onion sauce or pan-fried in a spicy Creole sauce. Creole cooking consists of a potpourri of ingredients ranging from curry powder, cumin and allspice to coconut, tamarind, lime, cinnamon bark and vanilla bean. Among these tasty concoctions is callaloo soup, a mix of callaloo or other leafy greens with okra and ham or crabmeat. (See recipe, right.)

Callaloo Soup 1 bunch callaloo or fresh spinach, chopped 2 oz. salt pork, chopped 8 oz. coconut milk 5 cups water 1 large onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 8 oz. chopped okra 8 oz. crabmeat Place first six ingredients in a large stew pot and simmer until the salt pork is tender. Then add the okra and crabmeat. Simmer for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper.

Recipe printed with permission of globalgourmet.com, ©2007, The Global Gourmet®

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St. Thomas

SHOPPING GUIDE BOOLCHAND PANDORA World-renowned for its hand-finished jewelry, PANDORA is a paradise of affordable luxury! Designed to inspire women to embrace the self-creator within, PANDORA is a partner in helping to explore and craft a unique personal story to complement any style, every day. We believe that every woman in the world has her own unique style, with her own stories to be celebrated and shared.

PANDORA offers an exciting collection of jewelry with countless possibilities. Every piece in the collection is meticulously designed and crafted using the highest-quality gold, sterling silver and gemstones including rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces and charms.

Visit us at PANDORA Havensight Mall (9002 Havensight Mall, Building 2; call 340-776-8550) and PANDORA Main Street (5124 Dronningens Gade, at Drake’s Passage; call 340-774-3672). For style tips and event updates, follow PANDORA St. Thomas on Instagram @PANDORAStt and Facebook.com/PANDORAStThomas. For store inquiries or product orders, email mailorders@boolchand.com.

CARILOHA Come feel the difference of the softest fabric in the world, Cariloha Bamboo™. Cariloha is the premier retailer of luxuriously soft bedding, bath goods, active wear, and more, all made of eco-friendly viscose from bamboo. When you think of bamboo, tall green shoots likely come to mind. But, did you know that bamboo can actually be made into the world’s most comfortable fabric? Cariloha’s viscose-from-bamboo fabrics are twice as soft as cotton and 3 degrees cooler, and naturally wick moisture away from your body. Bamboo itself contains organically occurring properties that are odor and allergy resistant. It also provides UVA/UVB protection, saves more trees, regenerates naturally and is among the most sustainable, renewable resources on the planet.

Visit any Cariloha store today to pick up a free bamboo lei and to feel the incredible softness of bamboo bedding, clothing and bath goods for yourself. Cariloha — Stay Cool, Wear Bamboo™. Cariloha is located in the Grand Galleria shops at the end of Main Street.

DEL SOL ST. THOMAS When you’re looking for unique gifts — exclusive to St. Thomas — the place you shop makes a big difference. You’ll definitely want to experience the exclusive Island Collection of Del Sol St. Thomas, where all clothing and accessories are not only custom to St. Thomas, but they also change colors when exposed to sunlight and then return to their original colors without sunlight. You’ll be reminded of your sunny vacation on the beach every time you step into sunlight and see the colors appear. Make this your one-stop destination for everything St. Thomas. With more than 100 unique-to-St. Thomas clothing options, along with sunglasses, nail polish, hair accessories, jewelry, beach towels, tote bags and beach toys, there’s something for every age, gender and interest in your family. If you’ve visited another Del Sol store along the cruise route, you’re going to be pleasantly surprised to find an entirely new island-specific collection when you visit St. Thomas. You can get a T-shirt anywhere, but only Del Sol St. Thomas’ T-shirts perfectly capture

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1. Cariloha 2. Safi Kilima Tanzanite and colored-stone earrings; Diamonds International 3. Danyal Paraiba rings; Kay's Fine Jewelry

Almost anything you’re looking for, you’ll find in the ports of call. Not only will the selection amaze you, but the quality of the merchandise is second to none. The stores featured on these pages carry the finest in every product category. You’ll see the famous brand names you know from around the world and many others that you’ve only heard about. Just remember: If you see something you like, buy it!

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your vacation memoires every time they change color outside in the sun. All Del Sol St. Thomas products are guaranteed to change colors for life. Visit today for a free demonstration and a free color-changing gift (no purchase necessary). Del Sol — Just Add Sun! Del Sol St. Thomas is located at the Grand Galleria shops at the end of Main Street

GET CHARMED! Charm Factory Outlet Explore the beauty of a unique and original selection of fashion and semiprecious jewelry, featuring the genuine Sandals For Your Neck brand of sandal pendants, charms, bracelets and earrings — hand-enameled and accented with beautiful Swarovski crystals, with 14k yellow or white gold overlay. Try on handmade bracelets and necklaces of pure silk, which can be paired with the store’s exclusive Swarovskicrystal-studded Virgin Islands beads. Hundreds of sterling-silver pendants feature island-inspired themes, such as turtles, palm trees, stingrays, starfish, mermaids and so many more. Stop by and Get Charmed! It’s a must-find treasure — all the bling-bling without the cha-ching! Get Charmed! is at 2329 Commandant Gade (Garden Street, up the road from the Main Street Post Office), at Crown Bay Dock and in the St. Thomas Airport Lounge. Call 340-775-6381, email info@sandalsforyourneck.com or follow on Facebook at Sandals For Your Neck.

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4. Crown of Creation earrings by Crown of Light; Diamonds International, DI Watch & Design 5. Bulova watch; Diamonds International, DI Watch & Design 6. Safi Kilima Tanzanite marquis-shaped ring; Diamonds International

DIAMONDS INTERNATIONAL Diamonds International, the most recommended jeweler in the Caribbean, has more than a quarter century of expertise in acquiring luxury goods and jewelry for its discerning clientele. The retailer is celebrated for providing the finest jewels and exceptional variety. Shoppers in the Caribbean have come to appreciate the great value for the latest designer goods from around the world, with a wider selection than they can find at home.

Diamonds International exceeds expectations time after time.

The exclusive luxury brands carried are also some of the reasons why this retailer is the must-stop shop for world-class jewelry collectors. Visit any Diamonds International showroom and experience the sparkle of the exclusive, U.S.-patented Crown of Light™ diamond. To best appreciate how each Crown of Light diamond is crafted and measured to perfection, you can compare the Crown of Light to any diamond using the Diamond Light Performance scope.

Experience Forevermark, a premium diamond brand from The De Beers Group of Companies. Every Forevermark diamond is inscribed with a unique number and a threefold promise: that it is beautiful, rare and responsibly sourced. Less than one percent of the world´s diamonds are eligible to become a Forevermark diamond.

In St. Thomas, it is available exclusively at Diamonds International, at the A.H. Riise Mall on Main Street and throughout the Eastern and Western Caribbean at many Diamonds International locations.

These are just a few of the irresistible draws that create customer loyalty at Diamonds International!

Visit Tanzanite International on Main Street, one of the largest tanzanite retailers for more than 20 years and home to the exclusive Safi Kilima™ tanzanite. With rich purple and blue hues, Safi Kilima has masterfully designed collections featuring tanzanite from the heart of Tanzania.

You can find other exquisite collections available only at Diamonds International such as Vena d´Amore diamond solitaires, Gift Collection, Sara G diamond jewelry, Day2Night convertible jewelry and the amazing WonderStud diamond earrings. There is something for everyone!

Who doesn’t love blue diamonds? Blue Heaven’s breathtaking ocean-blue diamonds will keep the memory of your Caribbean holiday alive for years to come.

Diamonds International has many elegant showrooms on the island to serve their devoted shoppers. Find locations at A.H. Riise Mall on Main Street, Havensight Mall, Crown Bay Marina and Marriott Frenchman’s Reef. Call 1-800-444-4025 or 1-340-776-5570 or shop www.DiamondsInternational.com.

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KAY’S FINE JEWELRY As a family-owned business, Kay’s is proud to have instilled a strong culture of excellence in customer service and care in each and every one of its jewelry and watch boutiques across the Caribbean. We also place a strong emphasis on innovation in jewelry design, producing our own unique collections encompassing the most cutting-edge trends in gemstones and diamonds in the industry.

The purchase of a fine timepiece or jewelry is a significant event in our customers’ lives and a highlight of their Caribbean vacation.

We personally see to it that each of our guests is taken care of by our knowledgeable staff in a comfortable and relaxed shopping atmosphere. In each of our boutiques across the Caribbean, we have a large selection of diamonds, colored diamonds, rubies, sapphires, tanzanite, ammolite and emeralds. We also carry many exotic gemstones, such as alexandrite, paraiba, tourmaline and imperial topaz.

We have bench jewelers in each of our locations to better serve our clientele. Like a stone, but don’t like its setting? No problem! We can customize each and every piece to your specifications.

Be sure to stop in to experience “Luxury with a Family Touch.”

MR. TABLECLOTH Nearly 40 years after opening its doors, Mr. Tablecloth is still providing customers with legendary personal service and an amazing array of tablecloths in modern designs.

Don’t be misled — the original Mr. Tablecloth has only one location in downtown St. Thomas. Most of the tablecloths are available in microfiber — an easy-care fabric that is stain-resistant and requires no ironing. For the discriminating buyer, the store also sells exquisite Irish linen and organdy patterns. Also available are the hard-to-find sizes — including tablecloths up to 252 inches long and 90 inches wide, and many patterns in squares and ovals.

Mr. Tablecloth in St. Thomas also has a large assortment of accessories for your home: runners, placemats, aprons, bed sheets and shams, to name just a few items. In the store’s clothing section, you will find beautiful handmade infant wear and children’s clothing, day-to-night maxi dresses and super-soft pima cotton nightgowns.

The store is also well-known for its beautiful selection of ladies evening jackets, available in a variety of colors. You can find all of these items at a tremendous savings compared to stateside prices.

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7. Crown of Light stackable rings; Diamonds International 8. Assorted linens; Mr. Tablecloth 9. Flora filigree necklace by Marahlago; Diamonds International 10. Kabana's Heart Collection; Diamonds International 11. Philip Stein Modern; Philip Stein Boutique

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THE SHOPS AT YACHT HAVEN GRANDE Voted Best Shopping in the USVI five years in a row by the Virgin Islands Daily News readership poll and home to St. Thomas’ only Louis Vuitton and Gucci boutiques, The Shops at Yacht Haven Grande is home to BCBGMaxAzria, Everything But Water, Orogold Cosmetics, Sunglass Hut, Perfumania and many more. Set in lush tropical grounds with views of our neighboring mega-yacht marina and adjacent cruise ship dock, The Shops at Yacht Haven Grande provides an escape from the bustling downtown scene. Here you can unwind and take your time browsing our exceptional retail offerings, grab a coffee or relax over a sumptuous meal.

Quench your thirst and whet your appetite at The Shops’ waterfront restaurants. Fat Turtle serves up casual fare and fresh island drinks in a fun atmosphere, while the casually elegant Grande Cru delivers innovative cuisine and hand crafted cocktails. Enjoy Mediterranean dishes with an island twist at Fresh Bistro or grab something to go from Urban Eats. Relax and pamper yourself at Prana Spa or treat yourself to a new look at Sugar and Spice Artistry Salon. Discover locally made jewelry, art, crafts and gifts to remember your stay — you can even bring something home for your pets!

The Shops at Yacht Haven Grande has an ever-changing calendar of entertainment, events and free activities for your healthy lifestyle.

Enjoy live music at one of our restaurants or at a concert event. Sample locally grown produce at the Farmers’ Market. Play games on the lawn or change up your vacation workout routine with a free Zumba, yoga or Tai Chi class. Don’t miss our family-friendly Halloween, Christmas and Easter festivities! Check our calendar posted on our website and throughout the property.

The Shops at Yacht Haven Grande — your island experience starts here.

Call 340-775-8200; visit www.shopsatyhg.com; like us on Facebook.com/YHGSt.Thomas.

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12. Le Vian Chocolate Diamonds pendant; Milano Diamond Gallery 13. Mark Henry Alexandrite rings; Milano Diamond Gallery 14. Bremont DH – 88; DI Watch & Design 15. Korite tennis bracelet; Diamonds International 16. Fendi I-Shine; DI Watch & Design

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

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SACRED & CELEBRATED

The synagogue reopened in 2002 after a major restoration and received the 2004 National Trust for Historic Preservation Honor Award, the highest national award for preservation. The site is also a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Opened in 1833 by Sephardic Jews on the site of an earlier synagogue dating from 1803, it is the secondoldest continuously used synagogue in the Western Hemisphere, after Curaçao’s, and it’s the oldest synagogue in continuous use under the American flag. The Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas was founded in 1796.

The synagogue itself conforms to Sephardic design, with seats facing inward and a floor of sand. The four pillars that support the synagogue’s outside awning were handmade in Denmark from rounded bricks.

The interior pillars symbolize the four matriarchs in Judaism. The dark mahogany benches, bimah (pulpit) and ark housing ancient Torah scrolls, as well as the brass chandeliers with Baccarat crystal hurricane shades — the central ones still lit by candles — make the interior a dramatic indoor sight.

Located at 16 A&B Crystal Gade, called Synagogue Hill by local residents, the synagogue is a steep climb from Main Street.

TOP: Antique lamp at entrance to St. Thomas Synagogue.

RIGHT: Inside the synagogue.

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PHOTOS BY: (LAMP) STEVE HEAP/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; (INSIDE SYNAGOGUE) THE HEBREW CONGREGATION OF ST. THOMAS.

The beautiful St. Thomas Synagogue was heavily damaged by the 2017 hurricanes, but services continued and at this writing a rebuilding effort was being planned. That's a relief to many in St. Thomas, where the historic synagogues is a beloved landmark.

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AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY

By Michael De Freitas

Camille Pissarro, one of the most influential artists of 19th-century French impressionism, was born in a small Spanish Sephardic Jewish community in Charlotte Amalie.

At the age of 12, Pissarro left the Caribbean for boarding school in Paris. Later, he returned to St. Thomas to help his merchant father run the family store on Main Street.

But his heart was not in the business, and he spent every minute of his spare time painting.

Pissarro returned to Paris in 1855 to study under a variety of masters. Four years later, the young artist held his first exhibition at the prestigious Paris Salon.

Pissarro died at the age of 73 at his home in Éragny,

just north of Paris, and his paintings still grace the walls of many of Europe’s major museums. Today, his boyhood home at 14 Main Street houses the Pissarro gallery, which contains numerous artworks.

A teacher as well as a painter, Pissarro taught several future masters of the art world. He was described as godlike by many of his students, including Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne.

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PHOTO BY: MUSÉE D’ORSAY

Camille Pissarro’s The Road of Louveciennes, painted in 1872.

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