Mediterranean Ports

Barcelona, Spain

Grand Turk is one of my 5 favorite ports in the entire Caribbean. As you sail in, you'll notice some of the greenest, clearest water in the Atlantic/Caribbean. The cruise port is at the southern end of Grand Turk. There are gift shops, jewelry stores, restaurants, and the largest Margaritaville in the Caribbean with swimming pools and a swim-up bar. For cruisers who would prefer to simply hit the beach and relax instead of doing an excursion, this is the port for you. You can walk off the ship onto the beautiful Cruise Center Beach and relax, play beach volleyball, or grab a cold one at a beach bar. This is one of the nicest beaches we've experienced adjacent to a cruise port.  

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• Must See in Grand Turk

• Best Excursions

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Amber Cove is one of the newest cruise ports in the Caribbean. The cruise terminal is in Maimon Bay just west of the Puerto Plata city center on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. The new port center is the result of the cruise industry's large investment in the Dominican Republic. Two ships can dock at thenew port and a transportation booth gives you easy access to the town center at Puerto Plata or to the rain forests and mountain excursions.  You are just a short ride from the 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua National Park and one of our all-time favorite cruise excursions. See below.

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• Must See in Amber Cove

• Best Excursions

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Livorno (Pisa/Florence), Italy

As you sail into St. Thomas Redhook Bay, your ship will dock at one of two cruise docks, either east or west of downtown Charlotte Amalie, the capital city on the south side of St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. From the Havensight dock, which holds 3 ships, it is a beautiful 20-minute walk along the bay to downtown. From the Crown Bay Dock, which holds 2 ships, the walk is much shorter to downtown. The island of St. Thomas is small, just 32 square miles, so it is just a short cab ride through the mountains to numerous spectacular beaches. One of our favorite beaches in the Caribbean is Magen's Bay Beach, due north up and over the mountain from the city.

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• Must See in St. Thomas

• Best Excursions

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Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

The San Juan Cruise Terminal is located in San Juan, the capital city of Puerto Rico. It is the busiest cruise port in the entire Caribbean. Among the cruise lines served by San Juan are Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney, and Norwegian. The port has three terminals, and each terminal has numerous amenities including free wifi, food, shops, and seating areas. Numerous excursions are offered,  such as a trip to the nearby El Yunque rainforest, a tour of Old San Juan, and a trip to one of Puerto Rico's many beautiful beaches. 

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• Must See in San Juan

• Best Excursions

Naples (Amalfi Coast), Italy

The port at Philipsburg is one of the most vibrant in the Caribbean. As you depart your ship, you'll enter the Harbour Point Village and be greeted by steel drums to give you that tropical feeling. The port somehow captures the feel of an island split by two countries; the French and Dutch split the island in two. The "Friendly Island" Philipsburg Village has shops, a restaurant, and a bar. 

There are tours available for purchase and friendly cab drivers can assist with travel to nearby beaches. 

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• Must See in St. Maarten

• Best Excursions

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Messina, Sicily

Montego Bay's cruise port has won numerous awards and can hold four ships on any given day. It is the nation's second-largest city and its second-largest port. The pier is about 3 miles east of the downtown area or a $7 cab ride away. The port has free wifi, a tourist information center, a cab stand, and a small bar for refreshments. Visiting cruise passengers can board a "Hot Spot Shuttle", basically an all-day hop-on, hop-off bus for about $17 per passenger.  I highly recommend this bus or the regular bus system over cabs in Jamaica.

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• Must See in Montego Bay

• Best Excursions

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Palermo, Sicily

Only on St. Croix for a day while your cruise ship is in port? There's so much to see, do and explore on St. Croix and we're happy to help you pack it all in! Whether it's relaxing on a sun-drenched beach just steps from the cruise ship pier, shopping for the perfect piece of jewelry or souvenir in our historic towns of Christiansted or Frederiksted, or enjoying an afternoon of water sports or land adventures, we know you'll have fun no matter what you do. We know that you'll fall in love with our island when you see all it has to offer for your next Caribbean vacation, so come enjoy all the sights, sounds, tastes, smells and sensations of St. Croix!

Tunis, Tunisia

The Cayman Islands are in the western Caribbean Sea, about 275 miles south of Cuba, and are made up of three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. It's a British overseas territory, so you'll likely notice some British influence in the cuisine and language, and in the popularity of sports like cricket.

However, Grand Cayman is mostly an upscale island paradise with tasty food, gorgeous white-sand beaches with clear blue water, and warm weather year-round. It stands out from its island neighbors thanks to singular features like Stingray City, where visitors can interact with the friendly sea creatures, and the Blue Iguana Conservation facility, which protects and breeds the endangered native species found only on Grand Cayman.

Grand Cayman is a staple port of call for many operators in the Caribbean. It's also a tender port, so guests are transported to shore in small boats.

Piraeus (Athens), Greece

Roseau is Dominica's gateway for cruise passengers, and tour operators generally pick up travelers at the port. Shore excursions are the most popular and hassle-free way to experience the island and include guide services and transportation. Popular options include trips to the geothermal Boiling Lake and the twin cascades at Trafalgar Falls, as well as snorkeling trips, canyoning adventures, and whale- and dolphin-watching boat tours.