A Journey of Caribbean Islands from Clouds to Emeralds Cruise on Explora II from Miami

Miami

Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county of Miami-Dade County. Miami is a major center and a leader in finance, commerce, culture, media, entertainment, the arts, and international trade. Miami is nicknamed the "Capital of Latin America", with a Spanish-speaking majority, and the largest city with a Cuban-American plurality. The Port of Miami, known as the "Cruise Capital of the World," has been the number one cruise passenger port in the world. It accommodates some of the world's largest cruise ships and operations, and is the busiest port in both passenger traffic and cruise lines. Going south you will find the Coral Gables, a select and elegant neighborhood with beautiful waterways, fountains and squares. It is recommended to take a guided tour that can pick the Old Town Trolley tours and you will have up to 90 minutes ride departing from Bayside. Miami Beach, between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic are some of the most fascinating areas of the Great Miami. Here prevailing Art Deco buildings, the sophisticated atmosphere, and the best beaches...

Charlotte Amalie (Saint Thomas)

Charlotte Amalie is the capital od the Virgin Islands in the United States. It is located on the south side of the island of Saint Thomas, Charlotte Amalie is also the name of the deepwater port that was once possesion of pirates and that now is a famous cruis port. Charlotte Amalie has buildings of historical importance and is has the second most ancient synagogue on the western hemisphere. The city was named by the queen Charlotte Amelia of Hesse-Cassel (1650-1714), consort of the king Cristian V of Denmark.

Guadeloupe (Pointe-à-Pitre)

Guadeloupe mixes the best of France, a fully modern infrastructure and fantastic food, with a local culture. It’s two main islands look like the wings of a butterfly and are joined together by a mangrove swamp. Grande-Terre, the eastern wing of the island, has a string of beach towns that offer visitors a variety of fun in the sun. From beach bars to long stretches of beautiful sand and azure water. Basse-Terre, the western wing, is home to the national park, crowned by La Soufrière volcano. Hiking trails and a Jacques Cousteau underwater reserve offer adventure for those who want it. South of the butterfly-shaped ‘mainland’ of Guadeloupe are a number of small archipelagos that give a taste of Guadeloupe’s yesteryear.

Roseau (Dominica)

It is the capital of Dominica and the eldest and most important city. Roseau is the principal touristic centre of the country. The city has beaches of black sand, volcanic origin, as one of the main touristic attractions. The religious buildings more representative are the temple of the anglican church of St. Georges. The catholic Cathedral of Roseau. Near the city you can find termal fountains. Some other tourist attractives are the scuba diving in Champagne Beach, where you can feel bubbling of the marine waters.Another natural attraction , the Titou Gorge, also in the Roseau Valley, it is located 5 miles northeast of Roseau, in laudat. It is a natural swimming pool on the base of a waterfall and covered by vegetation. Anather waterfall, the Emerald pool, is located about 8 miles from Roseau. it is a cascade 39ft long with an easy access natural pool.

Santa Lucia (Castries)

Volcanic island, located at the south east of the Caribbean. Surrounded by hills, its large, safe harbor at the head of a wide bay is a constant hive of activity. Castries is a major port of call for cruise ships, that dock at Pointe Seraphine. The islands population is around 140.000, the mayority are catholic africans. The oficial language is english although they also speak a french dialect (french patois). the capital and principal port is Castries. Its economy is based on agriculture, some industry and a growing tourism, and has good internal communications networks and airports. The island was discovered by the Spanish in 1500 and in 1660 a permanent French colonywas established, its control was contested between French and English until 1814 passed into British hands. The island gained independence within the Commonwealth in 1979.

Grenada (Antilles)

Located on the southeast of the caribbean sea, to the north of Trinidad and Tobago, northeast of Venezuela and south of Saint Vincent. The island named Grenada is the biggest of the country. The smaller islands called Grenadines are Carriacou, Petit Martinique, Ronde Island, Caille Island, Diamond Island, Large Island, Saline Island, and Frigate Island.

Kingstown (St. Vincent & Grenadines)

Kingstown is the capital, chief port, and main commercial centre of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Kingstown is the most populous as well as the largest settlement by area in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The city contains numerous shops, eating places and markets. Kingstown is a lively city made up of spectacular arches, historical churches and stone buildings thus making it a major tourist area. There is a Cruise ship facility aptly named the Cruise ship Berth which over the past few years, has generated a lot of interest among vessel operators, resulting in a well sustained level of ship calls and passenger numbers.

Bridgetown (Barbados)

Bridgetown is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. The Bridgetown port, found along Carlisle Bay lies on the southwestern coast of the island. Bridgetown is a major West Indies tourist destination, and the city acts as an important financial, informatics, convention centre, and cruise ship port of call in the Caribbean region. Bridgetown´s centre was originally composed of a swamp, which was quickly drained and filled-in to make way for the city´s early development. At the heart of Bridgetown is the Careenage and Constitution River.This body of water provides the city with direct access from medium sized yachts or small craft boats. Although moderately shallow, the Careenage slices Bridgetown into two parts. During the rainy season the Constitution River flows into the Careenage area and acts as an outflow for water from the islands interior storm drainage network. Flowing into the Carlisle Bay on the southwest coast of the island, the Careenage can be observed as a marina for boaters entering or exiting the inner basin located directly in front of the Parliament buildings of Barbados. In the centre lies the main street of Bridgetown which is Broad Street which runs directly through the centre of the city. Broad Street passes the Parliament Buildings and serves as the centre of city´s shopping area.