Puerto Plata & St. Maarten 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.

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

In the 17th century, Dutch and French soldiers decided to share this little island, and today it remains happily split between France (Saint Martin, north side) and the Netherlands (Sint Maarten, south side).

Cruise to St. Maarten and explore the dozens of alluring beaches that ring the island. At Orient Beach, sunbathers bask and beachcombers stroll on the white sands, while divers and snorkelers
explore the sunken shipwrecks and marine life just offshore. You'll really get blown away at Jet Blast Beach (officially Maho Beach), next to the airport.

Embrace all the beauty of the island on a tour to the French capital, Marigot, where you can explore the quaint streets and cafés, open-air market, and 18th-century Fort Louis. Take a scenic cruise of Simpson Bay Lagoon, site of luxurious villas and megayachts. More tours show you charming Grand Case and Orient Bay.

Both Philipsburg and Marigot are celebrated culinary capitals, and locals do enjoy outdoor cooking. Try the barbecued ribs and chicken. Leading French chefs flock to Marigot, where they give their sophisticated cuisine a Caribbean twist.

Shoppers find electronics, rum, cigars, jewelry, and designer brands in the hundreds of duty-free and tax-free stores on Philipsburg’s mile-long Front Street.

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.

Puerto Plata was inhabited by the Taino people for centuries before Christopher Columbus arrived and founded the city in the early 1500s. By the 20th century, Puerto Plata had emerged as the Dominican Republic’s main tourism hub. You can paddle through a manatee reserve or zipline over treetops. Go for a swim at the awe-inspiring 27 Waterfalls complex. Hike through the lush, protected jungle of El Choco National Park, enjoying the park’s two lagoons. Swim with dolphins at World Ocean, the largest manmade dolphin habitat in the world, or grab a kayak and head out on the water at Manatee Reserve. Nature, adventure, history – Puerto Plata has it all.

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 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.