Four ports

Where the ship takes us

Two sea days out, four islands, and one long slow way back to Fort Lauderdale.

Saturday, September 11, 2027 — depart 4:00 pm

Fort Lauderdale, Florida — Bon Voyage

We sail from Port Everglades at 4:00 pm. Be aboard by early afternoon, find the pool deck, and wave goodbye to Florida together as the ship pulls out.

Plan to be at the terminal a few hours before sailing so check-in, luggage drop and the muster drill are behind you well before 4:00 pm.

Once you are on board, drop your bags and head up top — the sail-away party on the pool deck is the best spot to watch the Fort Lauderdale skyline slide past.

Sunday, September 12 – Monday, September 13, 2027

Two Days at Sea

Two full days crossing the Caribbean with nothing scheduled. Pools, shows, long breakfasts and plenty of time to find each other around the ship.

The first sea days are the best time to explore: the FlowRider and zip line, Central Park, the solarium, the spa and the arcade are all wide open before everyone settles into a routine.

Pick a standing group spot now — a stretch of pool deck in the morning and one big table at dinner — so nobody spends the week texting to find the family.

Tuesday, September 14, 2027

Willemstad, Curacao

The candy-colored Dutch waterfront is a five minute walk from the pier. Cross the swinging Queen Emma bridge, wander the floating market, then head out to Cas Abao or Playa Porto Mari for some of the clearest snorkeling in the Caribbean.

Start in Punda and Otrobanda, the two halves of the old town split by St. Anna Bay. The pastel gabled houses along the Handelskade are the most photographed sight on the island, and the Queen Emma pontoon bridge swings open several times a day to let ships pass, which is worth timing your walk around.

Punda holds the small museums: the Mikve Israel-Emanuel synagogue, the oldest still in use in the Americas, with its sand-covered floor; Fort Amsterdam and the governor's square; and the Kura Hulanda museum across the water, a serious and moving look at the island's slave-trade history.

For beaches, the west side is worth the drive. Cas Abao has chairs, showers and a bar; Playa Porto Mari has a double reef right off the sand; Playa Kenepa Grandi is the postcard cove. Closer in, Mambo Beach is a fifteen-minute taxi ride with restaurants and easy swimming.

If you would rather be in the water than on it, Curacao's shore diving is famous — the Tugboat wreck and the Blue Room sea cave are both easy half-day trips. On land, the Hato Caves, the Curacao liqueur distillery at Chobolobo and the Christoffel National Park trails round out the options.

Wednesday, September 15, 2027

Oranjestad, Aruba

A pure beach day. Eagle Beach and Palm Beach are both a short ride from the ship, the water is calm enough for the kids, and the divi divi trees make the whole island look like a postcard.

If you haven't been to Aruba lately, or still have it tucked on your bucket list, the little city of Oranjestad may surprise you. By commemorating its past through beautifully preserved colonial architecture and celebrating its present with a refreshed and rejuvenated downtown, trendy cafes, restaurants, and designer shops are gorgeously intermingled with historic buildings and museums.

The local flea market offers everything from Cuban cigars to woodwork and seashell jewelry. The 40 or so covered stalls are a great place to find locally made items and affordable Aruban keepsakes.

If you want to explore nature, head to the Butterfly Farm just beyond the Aloe Factory, located in the Bubali Bird Sanctuary. Home to hundreds of butterflies from all around the world, the farm is a tropical sanctuary.

Thursday, September 16, 2027

Cabo Rojo, Dominican Republic

Green cliffs dropping into warm water, easygoing beach clubs and some of the best food of the whole trip. A good afternoon for anyone who wants a slower stop.

This is the quiet corner of the Dominican Republic — the far southwest, near Cabo Rojo and Pedernales, where the mountains come right down to the sea and there are no crowds. The water here is a startling pale turquoise because of the white sand and shallow shelf just offshore.

Bahia de las Aguilas is the headline: about five miles of undeveloped beach reachable by a short boat ride, with no hotels, no vendors and no chairs. Bring water and shade, and plan on swimming and walking rather than shopping.

Inland, Laguna de Oviedo is a salt lake in Jaragua National Park where you can spot flamingos, iguanas and sea turtles from a small guided boat. The Hoyo de Pelempito lookout, higher up in the Sierra de Bahoruco, drops away into a huge green basin and is noticeably cooler than the coast.

For an easier day, stay near the pier: beach clubs with loungers and grilled fish, cold Presidente, fresh mango and coconut from roadside stands, and local merengue playing somewhere within earshot. Cash in small bills goes a long way here.

Friday, September 17, 2027

Day at Sea

A full day aboard with nowhere to be. Formal night, the big group photo, and a show in the theater after dinner.

Sea days are when the ship itself becomes the destination: the pools and the FlowRider, the zip line, mini golf, the Central Park walk and a long lunch that turns into an afternoon.

It is also the easiest day to get everyone together — plan a group meet-up by the pool in the morning and dinner as one big table at night.

Saturday, September 18, 2027

Nassau, Bahamas

The last stop and the easiest one. The straw market, Junkanoo Beach and conch fritters are all walkable from the pier, so nobody has to book anything to have a great day.

Right off the ship you are in downtown Nassau. Bay Street has the straw market, duty-free shops and the Pirates of Nassau museum; a few blocks up are the Queen's Staircase, cut by hand out of limestone, and Fort Fincastle with a view over the whole harbor. Fort Charlotte, a little further west, is the big one with the dungeons and cannons.

Junkanoo Beach is a ten-minute walk with chairs, music and bar shacks. For calmer water and fewer people, Cable Beach is a short ride, and Love Beach on the west end has good snorkeling straight off the sand.

Across the bridge on Paradise Island, Atlantis sells day passes for Aquaventure's slides, lazy river and the aquarium in the Dig. Nearby, the Cloisters and Versailles Gardens are free and take about twenty minutes.

Half-day trips book up fast: swimming pigs and turtles at Rose Island, snorkel and booze cruises, glass-bottom boats, and the Blue Lagoon beach day. If you would rather eat than swim, head to Arawak Cay — the Fish Fry — for conch salad, cracked conch and fried snapper made in front of you.