24 nights · Port Everglades, Florida · Departs Fort Lauderdale (USA) · Visiting Half Moon Cay, Willemstad Curacao, Cartagena Colombia, Panama Canal, Colon, Puerto Limon, Grand Cayman Island, Philipsburg St Maarten, Fort-de-France, Bridgetown, Scarborough, Castries, Basseterre St Kitts · Aboard Holland America on the ms Volendam
Image courtesy of Holland America ©
| Cruise line | Holland America |
|---|---|
| Ship | ms Volendam |
| Duration | 24 nights |
| Port calls | 14 |
| Departures | 1 sailings |
| From fare | $4,234 per person |
| Year built | 1999 |
| Guests | 1718 |
| Cabins | 716 |
| Crew | 647 |
| Length | 237 m |
| Beam | 32 m |
| Cruising speed | 23.0 kn |
Port Everglades puts Fort Lauderdale within easy reach of the city’s waterways, beaches and cultural attractions. A short drive brings you to Las Olas Boulevard, where galleries, restaurants and boutiques line a walkable stretch. Visit the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens for a glimpse of old Florida, or head west toward the Everglades. Fort Lauderdale’s broad Atlantic beaches offer an easy counterpoint to the city’s lively dining scene.
Half Moon Cay is Carnival Corporation’s private island on Little San Salvador in the southern Bahamas. Ships anchor offshore, and tenders bring guests to a long sweep of pale sand beside clear, shallow water. Horseback riding, nature trails, stingray encounters, and private cabanas offer alternatives to a day on the beach. Check your tender schedule before exploring; the island is designed for a relaxed day ashore, not independent town wandering.
Willemstad is one of the Caribbean’s most distinctive ports, built around the deep inlet of St. Anna Bay. Punda and Otrobanda showcase Dutch colonial architecture and form part of the city’s UNESCO-listed historic area. Walk across the Queen Emma Bridge, a floating pontoon span linking the two districts. Beyond the harbor, Curaçao offers sheltered coves, clear water and beaches for an unhurried afternoon.
A short ride from Cartagena’s cruise port brings you to its UNESCO-listed historic centre and handsome colonial streets. Inside the old walls, flower-draped balconies, shaded plazas and broad stone lanes lead to cafés, churches and lively markets. Visit Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, the great fortress built to defend the harbor, then explore colorful Getsemaní. Come early, before the midday heat settles over the plazas, and save time for a cool drink beside the Caribbean.
Few journeys change your sense of scale like a passage through the Panama Canal. This 50-mile waterway links the Atlantic and Pacific, lifting ships through locks and across Gatun Lake. Watch the gates close, water rise, and a vast vessel move within inches of concrete walls. On deck, the engineering is the spectacle; beyond it, rainforest edges the route. Bring binoculars, and stay outside for the crossing.
Colón puts you at Panama’s Caribbean gateway, where the Atlantic meets the Panama Canal. At Agua Clara Locks, watch ships pass through the expanded canal toward Gatun Lake. Nearby, Portobelo and San Lorenzo preserve Spanish colonial fortifications built to guard Caribbean trade routes. Colón is best approached as a gateway, with its strongest draws found in the canal, historic coast and surrounding rainforest.
Puerto Limón is Costa Rica’s Caribbean gateway, where Afro-Caribbean heritage meets a lush tropical coast. Visit Cahuita National Park for coral reefs and rainforest trails, or travel inland through banana country toward the jungle. Limón’s markets and waterfront offer a closer look at the region’s food, music and daily life. For a longer excursion, explore Tortuguero’s canals by boat and watch for wildlife in the Caribbean lowlands.
Grand Cayman pairs clear water with an easy blend of beach and town. Ships anchor offshore; tenders land in George Town, near duty-free shops, cafés and the Cayman Islands National Museum. Boat trips reach Stingray City, where visitors can encounter southern stingrays in shallow water. Beyond town, Seven Mile Beach is known for pale sand and turquoise water. Choose a beach transfer, an island tour or time in town; Grand Cayman makes a relaxed, rewarding call.
Port Everglades puts Fort Lauderdale within easy reach of the city’s waterways, beaches and cultural attractions. A short drive brings you to Las Olas Boulevard, where galleries, restaurants and boutiques line a walkable stretch. Visit the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens for a glimpse of old Florida, or head west toward the Everglades. Fort Lauderdale’s broad Atlantic beaches offer an easy counterpoint to the city’s lively dining scene.
Half Moon Cay is Carnival Corporation’s private island on Little San Salvador in the southern Bahamas. Ships anchor offshore, and tenders bring guests to a long sweep of pale sand beside clear, shallow water. Horseback riding, nature trails, stingray encounters, and private cabanas offer alternatives to a day on the beach. Check your tender schedule before exploring; the island is designed for a relaxed day ashore, not independent town wandering.
Philipsburg rewards a shore day spent beyond the cruise terminal. It sits on a narrow strip between Great Bay and the Great Salt Pond. The Dutch-side capital is compact and easy to explore on foot. Front Street pairs duty-free shops with the 1793 courthouse, while the Boardwalk follows Great Bay Beach. Cross the open border into French Saint-Martin for French bakeries, lively markets and another stretch of coast.
Fort-de-France puts Martinique’s French-Caribbean character within easy reach of the quay. The island’s capital wraps around a sheltered bay, with cafés, shops and the covered Grand Marché near the waterfront. The iron-framed Schoelcher Library was shipped from Paris in the 19th century. Nearby, Saint-Louis Cathedral reflects a city repeatedly rebuilt after fires and earthquakes. Beyond town, roads climb toward Balata Gardens and lead to rum distilleries and beaches beneath volcanic peaks.
Bridgetown rewards travelers who leave the ship and walk into Barbados’ compact capital. Its UNESCO-listed Historic Bridgetown and Garrison trace the island’s colonial history; Broad Street offers a lively glimpse of daily life. Pause beside the Careenage, where boats thread the old harbour, then browse shops for local rum and Bajan crafts. Carlisle Bay’s pale sand and clear water lie just beyond the city.
Scarborough is Tobago’s capital, a busy port town with a market, local shops and views across the water. Begin at Fort King George, high above town, for broad sea views and a small museum tracing Tobago’s layered past. Then browse the central market or take a short drive to Store Bay, known for calm water and local food. Scarborough rewards travelers who want history and everyday Tobago before heading for the island’s beaches.
Castries brings Saint Lucia’s capital close to the water, with cruise ships entering a sheltered harbor beneath green hills. Start at the lively Castries Market, where vendors sell spices, produce, and local crafts. Nearby, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and Derek Walcott Square offer a quieter glimpse of the city’s past. For island views, visit Morne Fortune; for a beach day, arrange transport beyond town.
Begin in Basseterre, St Kitts’s compact capital, where Georgian buildings and busy market streets reveal the island’s layered past. At Independence Square, once a slave market, pause among mature trees before browsing nearby shops and cafés. Then leave town for Mount Liamuiga’s volcanic slopes, former sugar estates and beaches of dark volcanic sand. Brimstone Hill Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage site, rewards the drive with stone ramparts and wide Caribbean views.
Port Everglades puts Fort Lauderdale within easy reach of the city’s waterways, beaches and cultural attractions. A short drive brings you to Las Olas Boulevard, where galleries, restaurants and boutiques line a walkable stretch. Visit the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens for a glimpse of old Florida, or head west toward the Everglades. Fort Lauderdale’s broad Atlantic beaches offer an easy counterpoint to the city’s lively dining scene.
Published August 11, 2026
Last updated October 3, 2026
Author: J. Richard
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