Cruise Description

7 Night Cruise sailing from San Juan roundtrip aboard Crystal Serenity.

Sail on a captivating roundtrip Central American journey, bookended by the vibrant San Juan. Your first stop is a day at sea, where you’ll relax and rejuvenate aboard Crystal Serenity. Touch terra firma in Castries, where you can explore the scenic beauty of the island. Next, immerse yourself in the cultural richness of Point-a-Pitre, discover the charm of St. John's, and indulge in the luxury of the coveted, world-famous, St. Barts. Your voyage culminates where you began, in the sunny allure of San Juan.

Highlights of this cruise:

San Juan
San Juan is a major port and tourist resort of the West Indies and is the oldest city under the U.S flag. The metropolitan area known as San Juan has 3 distinct areas: Old San Juan, the New San Juan, and other outlying communities, the most important: Río Piedras, Hato Rey, Puerta de Tierra, and Santurce. The old part of San Juan was founded in 1521 and is now officially declared a National Historic Zone. Many 16th- and 17th-century buildings have been restored and refurbished in the original Spanish style. This part of the city boasts many shops, restaurants, art galleries and museums.

New San Juan is connected to the old town by a narrow neck of land, and modern architecture has flourished in recent years. In the sophisticated areas of Condado and Isla Verde, are glittering hotels; flashy, Las Vegas-style shows, casinos and discos. The Botanical Gardens are worth visiting. A bay cruise is also available, which offers excellent views of the city. El Yunque, east of the capital, is a 28,000-acre rainforest (with over 240 species of trees) and bird sanctuary. It is the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest System and is located in the Luquillo Mountains.

Castries
St. Lucia is the second largest of the Windward Islands. Located between St. Vincent and Martinique, there is a hint of the South Pacific about this lush, beautiful island. Castries, the capital city of St. Lucia is one of the most beautifully situated Caribbean cities. Surrounded by hills, its large, safe harbor at the head of a wide bay is a constant hive of activity. Castries is a major port of call for cruise ships, which dock at Pointe Seraphine.

The spacious Derek Walcott Square features the 19th-century Catholic Cathedral standing in the shade of a 400-year-old samaan tree. There is also a colorful, bustling market. Morne Fortune, ‘hill of good luck’, affords the visitor the chance to inspect the fortification which defends Castries. It also provides a magnificent panorama of the city and the surrounding area.

There are a wide variety of shopping experiences from Castries market, where local crafts are available, to Po inte Seraphine and La Place Carenage, two duty free shopping centers in Castries where resort wear, Colombian Emeralds jewelry, cosmetics and perfumes are available. A variety of shopping malls with extended opening hours offer a wide selection of boutiques and restaurants.