Lisbon, Miami, Bonaire, Willemstad, Cartagena, Fuerte amador

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, on the southwest of the country, has been the main gateway for the rest of the planet for more than 19 centuries. Ships captained by Portuguese explorers like Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan, skittered across the globe, hauling treasure home and making Lisbon a global capital. Draped across seven hills, Lisbon was once the center of a vast maritime empire that stretched from the west coast of Africa to the Spice Islands of the East Indies, until 1755, when a violent earthquake destroyed two-thirds of the city, leaving intact only the Alfama, the old Moorish quarter. Today, Lisbon is a stately city of Neoclassical buildings and wide plazas. Eternally linked to the sea, Lisbon's magnificent harbor is spanned by the longest suspension bridge in Europe. Among the city's landmarks are the iconic Castelo de São Jorge, the World Heritage Sites of Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery, both built in Lisbon's native Manueline architectural style.

Willemstad, with its deepwater harbor Shottegat, interlacing waterways and narrow shop fronts is the capital City of Curaçao, former Dutch colony, divided in two by St. Anna Bay. Its neighborhoods mix Dutch, Spanish and Portugueseurban styles and then dresses them in effulgent pastels, thus granting it the title of World Heritage City.

Wander the shops and markets of the Punda and Otrobanda districts and soak up some color. Punda is the oldest part of the city, showcasing beautiful 17th - and 18th-century Dutch-style architecture. Make a stop at the floating market, so named because of the vendors who sail by sea from Venezuela each morning to sell their fresh vegetables, fruit and seafood. Don't miss the marine park, taste international cuisine and dance the night away at the numerous bars and discos.

Founded by the Spanish colonists, on June 1, 1533, in a protected bay in the Caribbean Sea, Cartagena has the most extensive fortifications in South America. A system of zones divides the city into three neighbourhoods: downtown San Pedro, with the cathedral and many Andalusian-style palaces; quiet San Diego, where merchants and the middle class lived; and Gethsemani, the 'popular quarter' with plenty of night clubs. Its fortifications, constructed by the Spanish, are today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town the walls protected is also part of that World Heritage designation. Cruise visitors can walk those deeply textured alleyways today through some of the best-preserved colonial neighborhoods of the Americas. There are nice beaches ready to enjoy, such as the busy Bocagrande, which is close to the city and the quiet Playa Blanca, in the south, across the bay.

Fuerte Amador is a man-made island in Panama that connects four islands, Flamenco, Perico, Culebra and Naos, to the mainland. It is a former United States Army base, built to protect the southern end of the Panama Canal at Panama Bay. Today the Fuerte Amador is a busy and lively cruise port. Visitors can admire exceptional museums, archeological ruins, colonial streets, churches, and monuments and buy beautiful handicrafts made by the local people.

Fuerte Amador is a man-made island in Panama that connects four islands, Flamenco, Perico, Culebra and Naos, to the mainland. It is a former United States Army base, built to protect the southern end of the Panama Canal at Panama Bay. Today the Fuerte Amador is a busy and lively cruise port. Visitors can admire exceptional museums, archeological ruins, colonial streets, churches, and monuments and buy beautiful handicrafts made by the local people.