11-day eastern Caribbean holiday: windward & leeward islands

Your voyage begins in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. According to the popular 1960 beach movie, Fort Lauderdale is "where the boys are." The city's reputation as America's Spring Break capital, however, has been replaced with the more favorable image of a prime family tourist destination, attracting more than 10 million visitors annually. The most popular beach resort in Florida is even more rightly famed as the "Yachting Capital of the World," with more than 40,000 registered crafts calling its waters home. The city also prides itself on being the "Venice of America" with more than 300 miles of navigable waterways. Fort Lauderdale boasts world-class theaters, museums, sightseeing, and shopping. The city sits 24 miles north of Miami and is named after a series of forts built by the United States during the second Seminole War. The forts took their name from Major William Lauderdale, who was the commander of the detachment of soldiers who built the first fort. Look hard and you might find remnants of three of them today. More people seem to be interested in taking a water tour aboard the "Carrie B."

Your ship calls at RelaxAway Half Moon Cay, Bahamas.

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Eurodam's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

Continue your voyage aboard Eurodam with a leisurely day at sea.

St. Maarten offers a delightful case of split personality. Legend has it that a Frenchman and a Dutchman divided ownership of the island through a walk-off: Standing back to back, the two headed in opposite directions, walking around the island until they met. Perhaps the Dutchman paused for a refreshing brew. At any rate, the French ended up claiming 21 square miles of the island to 16 square miles for the Dutch. This lively tale says much about St. Maarten's easygoing ways. No formal boundary exists between the Dutch and French sides of the island; a simple welcome sign tells you when you cross from one country to the other. But the differences are as noticeable as the spelling of the island's name. The French spell it St. Martin. And it's this split personality that lends so much to the island's charms, including an international reputation for the finest cuisine in the Caribbean.

Your ship calls at Roseau, Dominica.

To the Arawak, Martinique was their treasured "isle of flowers." Lying in the Lesser Antilles between Dominica and St. Lucia, the island is a tropical paradise of dense rain forest, rolling savanna and stunning beaches. The rich volcanic soil nourishes banana plantations and pineapple fields as well as mangoes, papayas, lemons, limes, and West Indian cherries. Little wonder that Columbus praised Martinique as the "best, most fertile, most delightful, and most charming land in the world." Martinique's cultural heritage is as rich and bountiful as its soil. The island has been governed by France for over three centuries. Today an overseas department of France, the island boasts a culture that is a unique and zesty blend of French, Caribbean, African and Middle Eastern influences, resulting in that spicy combination called Créole. Créole culture is reflected in Martinique's architecture, cuisine, language, and music. For years the mayor of Fort-de-France was the internationally acclaimed Créole poet Aimé Césaire. Five centuries after Columbus made his landfall, Martinique remains a rare flower in the Caribbean.

Jagged volcanoes soaring above azure and turquoise seas, dense rainforests in myriad shades of green, rolling fields of sugarcane--welcome to St. Kitts. Along with its neighbor, Nevis, St. Kitts presents an exotic landscape more common to Polynesia than the Caribbean. The islands' terrain, rich soil, and climate made them ideal locations for raising sugarcane. In fact, St. Kitts and Nevis were once the crown jewels of the Caribbean. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Spain, France and England vied for control of the islands, with the English finally winning out in 1787. Today, British and French heritage is evident on both islands. Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts, boasts fine, restored colonial buildings. Impressive Brimstone Hill Fortress, called the "Gibraltar of the West Indies," is one of the most impressive fortresses in the Caribbean.

The US Virgin Islands are America's paradise, offering an easygoing blend of island ways and American practicality. St. Thomas, capital of the island group, offers every imaginable sport: snorkeling, golfing, hiking, and sailing. Just a few miles away lay St. John and Virgin Islands National Park. Stunning mountain scenery, crystalline waters, and white-sand beaches with palms swaying in the breeze - the US Virgin Islands are truly a slice of paradise. The harbor is easily one of the Caribbean's most scenic. The United States purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million in gold. St. Thomas has a reputation as a duty free-mecca for shopping.

Another day at sea to explore the ship at your own pace.

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Eurodam's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

Your voyage concludes in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.