19 nights · Brazil Amazon · Departs Manaus (Brazil) · Visiting Parintins, Santarem, Macapa, Iles du Salut, Bequia Island, Bridgetown, Castries, Gustavia St Barths, Basseterre St Kitts, San Juan, St Johns Antigua, Anguilla Island, Virgin Gorda Island BVI, Grand Turk Island, Miami · Aboard MSC Explora Journeys on the MSC Explora 1
Image courtesy of MSC Explora Journeys ©
| Cruise line | MSC Explora Journeys |
|---|---|
| Ship | MSC Explora 1 |
| Duration | 19 nights |
| Port calls | 16 |
| Departures | 1 sailings |
| From fare | $12,335 per person |
| Year built | 2023 |
| Guests | 1473 |
| Cabins | 461 |
| Crew | 640 |
| Length | 248 m |
| Beam | 32 m |
| Cruising speed | 18.0 kn |
Manaus rises from the rainforest, far inland from Brazil’s Atlantic coast, where the Negro and Solimões rivers meet. Visit the Teatro Amazonas, the city’s opera house, opened in 1896 during the rubber boom. Explore the Mercado Adolpho Lisboa, a riverfront market inspired by Paris’s Les Halles. Boat trips reveal the Meeting of the Waters, where dark and sandy-colored currents run side by side. Manaus rewards travelers who look beyond its role as an Amazon gateway.
Parintins sits on Tupinambarana Island, where the Amazon’s broad channels shape daily life and travel. Best known for its Boi-Bumbá festival, the town stages a vivid contest each June between red-and-white Garantido and blue-and-white Caprichoso. At the purpose-built Bumbódromo, music, dance and giant allegorical floats bring local folklore to life. Beyond festival season, explore the waterfront and central streets, or watch river traffic pass this Amazonian outpost.
At Santarém, the Tapajós meets the Amazon in a striking convergence visible from the riverfront. The city rewards a stroll through its lively market and around the Cathedral of Our Lady of Conception. For a change of pace, travel about 35 kilometres to Alter do Chão, where clear water and white-sand beaches await. These shores are most expansive when falling river levels reveal the Tapajós’ sandy banks.
Santana is the Amazon gateway to Macapá and the remote state of Amapá. The capital lies about 20 kilometres away by road. At Marco Zero, a monument marks the Equator’s passage through the city. On the waterfront, the 18th-century Fortress of São José recalls Portugal’s colonial presence. Expect a working river port, broad Amazon views and a capital whose character is inseparable from the water.
Twenty kilometres off French Guiana, the Îles du Salut rise from the Atlantic, edged with palms and shadowed by history. France sent prisoners here from 1852 until 1953. Île du Diable held Captain Alfred Dreyfus; Île Royale preserves the penal colony’s administrative ruins. Most visits land on Île Royale and Île Saint-Joseph; Devil’s Island is viewed from the water. Come for history, sea air and a strikingly remote shore.
Port Elizabeth sits on Bequia’s Admiralty Bay, where fishing boats and yachts share a sheltered anchorage. Step ashore into a compact waterfront of cafés and shops, then follow the Belmont Walkway towards Princess Margaret Beach. Bequia’s boatbuilding tradition remains visible in its working yards and local craft. Come for unhurried island life, swimming in clear water and views across the Grenadines.
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.
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.
Gustavia makes a polished first impression, but its appeal is more than designer boutiques and superyachts. Swedish rule left its mark in the town’s name and the ruins of Fort Gustav above the harbor. From the waterfront, cafés, galleries and shops sit within easy walking distance, while Shell Beach lies just beyond the center. Come ashore for French-Caribbean style, with history close at hand.
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.
San Juan puts a remarkable piece of Caribbean history within easy reach of your ship. Founded in 1521, Old San Juan is a compact district of blue cobbles, pastel façades and Spanish colonial landmarks. Walk its steep lanes to El Morro, the 16th-century fortress that guards the harbor. From its ramparts, the Atlantic comes into view. Beyond the old walls, cafés, galleries and contemporary restaurants show a city still shaped by its maritime past.
Antigua rewards a day ashore with more than its celebrated beaches. St John’s, the compact capital, makes an easy starting point. Drive east to Nelson’s Dockyard, a remarkably preserved Georgian naval base and UNESCO World Heritage site. English Harbour’s sheltered waters and restored stone buildings reveal the island’s maritime past. Or trade history for a swim at one of the island’s many coves, from resort beaches to quieter shores.
Island Harbour is a working fishing village on Anguilla’s quiet eastern shore, where brightly painted boats rest beside the beach. From the waterfront, a short boat ride reaches Scilly Cay, a tiny offshore island known for its beachside dining. Come for fresh seafood, unhurried views and a glimpse of local life beyond the island’s busier resorts. The appeal is simple: salt air, clear water and a village pace.
Virgin Gorda swaps city bustle for clear water, quiet coves and a dramatic coastline. At The Baths, granite boulders form a maze of sea pools and narrow passages beside the beach. Some routes involve ladders and slippery rocks, so wear shoes with grip. Spanish Town is the island’s main settlement; North Sound is known for sheltered anchorages and sailing. Go early to explore The Baths before the busiest hours, then cool off in the Caribbean.
Grand Turk rewards travelers who look beyond the cruise pier. Cockburn Town, the capital, pairs pastel Bermudian-style buildings with quiet streets shaped by the island’s salt industry. At the Turks and Caicos National Museum, discover the story of salt production and the 16th-century Molasses Reef shipwreck. Then swim turquoise shallows or dive the nearby reef wall, where the seabed plunges into deep blue.
Miami rewards travelers who look beyond its cruise terminals. South Beach pairs pastel Art Deco hotels with Ocean Drive; Little Havana serves Cuban coffee and music along Calle Ocho. The Pérez Art Museum Miami and nearby Design District reveal the city’s creative ambition. For a change of pace, Biscayne Bay and the Everglades place vivid natural landscapes within reach.
Published August 5, 2026
Last updated October 3, 2026
Author: J. Richard
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