St. Thomas & Antigua 7 Nights • Miami, Florida • CELEBRITY XCEL

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

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

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

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

Your ship departs promptly at 4:00 pm, so we recommend arriving at least 2-3 hours early to smoothly navigate check-in and boarding. All ship amenities are open and ready, so kickstart your vacation with a refreshing drink or a delicious snack.

Bustling markets and placid beaches are like the yin and yang of this capital of The Bahamas. The Nassau Straw Market, three blocks from the port, presents a riot of vendors, shoppers, and pirates, while the broad white beaches, minutes from town, feature sun-kissed sands, turquoise waters, and coral reefs. In between, there are activities to suit the whole family—observing sharks, swimming with dolphins, plunging down water slides.

Cruise to Bahamas and discover the lost city of Atlantis on Paradise Island, connected by a bridge to Nassau. You can visualize the mythical streets of Atlantis at Ruins Lagoon and stroll underwater tunnels with the sharks at Predator Lagoon.Also on paradise Island, you can wade through waist-high water and make a personal connection intelligent, gentle dolphins. Get face to face. Hear their vocalizations. See the excitement on their faces. The shallow-water experience is one of several at Dolphin Cay, an accredited marine mammal habitat with an 11-acre lagoon, coves and sandy beaches, residential pools, and a state-of-the-art education center.

Hop on a ferry to Blue Lagoon Island for a deluxe beach break. Unwind and settle into a hammock. Bask in warm golden sunshine and tranquil Atlantic waters. Watch the palm trees sway and the dolphins play. It's a day of pure bliss. Browse the duty-free shops and Nassau Straw Market downtown. You'll find authentic Cuban cigars and one-of-a-kind artworks. Watch the artisans weave their intricate straw hats, bags, and other mementos, using techniques passed down over centuries. On vibrant Bay Street, find duty-free deals and colorful architecture. On Paradise Island, across the bridge, shop for couture and upscale brands.

Nassau’s culinary bounty emerges from the ocean—dishes like fried snapper served with grits and grouper drizzled with butter. Try conch, the marine mollusk of the iconic shell, presented as conch fritters, conch chowder, cracked conch, even raw conch in fresh lime juice. Peas and rice is the staple side dish, and rum-based beverages are always popular.

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas: Charlotte Amalie is the enchanting capital of St. Thomas that has attracted pirates and sailors the world over for centuries. The island enjoys a fascinating fusion of Danish, French, Spaniard, West African and Carib influences. There’s so much to discover on a cruise to St. Thomas. For a nice overview of the island’s history head to Fort Christian Museum. Built as a military fort by the Dutch in 1680, this historic landmark features exhibits chronicling the history of the Virgin Islands from the Stone Age to the present, as well as natural history collections, and an art gallery. Experience the beauty of St. Thomas beaches with a wonderful picnic on Magens Bay beach or snorkel in the turquoise Caribbean Sea where you’ll come up close to corals, sponges, and schools of colorful tropical fish. Authentic island dishes like savory curries with roti, the freshest seafood, and delicious drinks made with the finest local rums are readily available on restaurant menus. And, while the beaches and ocean are beautiful, there is one thing that really sets St. Thomas apart - shopping. This island is the most commercial of all the U.S. Virgin Islands. Browse through the shop-lined streets of the capital city and shop for duty-free trinkets and bargains on everything from liquor to imported china and crystal.

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

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

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

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

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

Your cruise may have ended, but the adventure continues. Take advantage of the fantastic activities in the area. If you're flying out, please keep your departure flight time in mind and plan accordingly.