October 24: Aeropuertos
Depart San Diego at 10:55 a.m.
Connect in Denver and Orlando.
Arrive in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at 12:45 a.m.
Travel time: 10 hours 50 minutes.
Distance: 3,588 miles.
Decanter Hotel
We’re staying at the elegant old Decanter Hotel, which has 20 charming guest rooms around a central courtyard. The four-story colonial-style landmark was built around 1880, just steps from the Cathedral de San Juan Bautista, cultural attractions, fine dining, and vibrant nightlife.
October 25: Old San Juan 🇵🇷
On the northern coast of Puerto Rico, San Juan is among the oldest cities in the Americas, colonized by the Spanish in 1521 and established as a fortified port and important capital. The historic district of Old San Juan is characterized by narrow streets and colorful colonial buildings dating to the 16th century. The old city is between the fortresses of El Morro and San Cristóbal, which guarded the Caribbean during the colonial era and now open up for ocean views. Old San Juan’s galleries, shops, and cafes are influenced by Caribbean, African, and Spanish culture, with historical architecture and shady plazas. Beyond the old city, San Juan has a metropolitan population of 2.4 million and is Puerto Rico’s financial, cultural, and tourism center with 76 percent of the island’s population.
Barrachina
Rum is the quintessential drink of the Caribbean, and in San Juan, it’s best enjoyed at Barrachina where the bartender Don Ramon Portas Mingot first invented the world-famous piña colada in 1963.
Chocobar Cortés
Chocolate Cortés is a fourth-generation, family-owned, bean-to-bar chocolate company, first established in the Dominican Republic in 1929. Its Chocobar in Old San Juan is an innovative gastronomic space where every dish incorporates chocolate.
October 26: Celebrity Summit 🛳️
Celebrity Summit is a Millennium-class cruise ship built in 2001 and refitted in 2012 and again in 2019. The ship is 965 feet in length, with capacity for 2,218 passengers and 999 crew members on 11 decks.
October 27: Phillipsburg, Sint Maarten 🇸🇽
Saint Martin is an island with two distinct sides. To the north is the French side, (Saint-Martin) whose capital is Marigot. The southern part of the island is Dutch (Sint Maarten), and our ship will dock in the capital of Philipsburg. The island is best known for beaches and snorkeling spots.
October 28: St. Johns, Antigua 🇦🇬
Antigua is a coral island with 365 white sand beaches. The capital of St. John’s dates back more than 300 years, with forts and stately old buildings in shades of turquoise, coral pink, and sunshine yellow.
October 29: Castries, Saint Lucia 🇱🇨
Saint Lucia is recognizable for the Pitons, two jungle-covered volcanic mountains that are protected as a world heritage site. The island’s waterfalls, white sand beaches, and coral reefs are complemented by a 17th century capital, Castries, with nightlife and delicious local cuisine.
October 30: Bridgetown, Barbados 🇧🇧
Barbados is rich in cultural history and is equally famous for beaches with powdery sand and turquoise bays. The capital, Bridgetown, was first inhabited by the Tainos, and the historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a tax-free shopping haven and a culinary destination, and every type of water sport is available from its fantastic beaches.
October 31: Roseau, Dominica 🇩🇲
Dominica’s wild topogrophy includes beaches, rainforests, and volcanoes, with waterfalls, geysers, and even a boiling lake. Roseau’s French Quarter features historic architecture and reggae music, at the base of the mountains that form Morne Trois Pitons National Park.
November 1: Day at Sea 🛳️
We’ve been island hopping for five days, so today we can relax and explore the ship. We might go window shopping on deck 5, swim in the pool or the the adults-only solarium, watch the sunset or a movie on the rooftop terrace, have one more formal dinner in the Cosmopolitan restaurant, see a live show in the theater, and top it off with another gelato.
November 2: Return to San Juan 🇵🇷
Today we have to up before the sun to disembark from the ship and rush to the airport. But we’re tan and happy after traveling more than 1,200 nautical miles on this Southern Caribbean cruise adventure.