Columbus – you know…the Italian, who sailed under the Spanish flag to “discover” the Americas, while looking for a shorter route to India. He was RIGHT about the earth being an orb. He was wrong about most everything else. He also NEVER made it to what is now the Lower 48. Many of us go to Italy (Columbus’ home), but today I’m going to talk about two US Territories that Columbus actually DID visit: Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
WHY Visit the Caribbean US Territories?
- Proximity: Most obviously, they are close-by with reasonably easy travel logistics. They’re not like anywhere else in the US, and they’re closer than Hawaii.
- Weather: For those of us in the northern half of the country, the warmth, turquoise water and white-sand beaches, are very appealing in winter.
- Cruise Ship Home Port. San Juan is a major cruise ship port, with lots of options.
DIFFERENTIATORS: How do Puerto Rico and USVI compare to other Caribbean Destinations?
- You don’t need a passport, and you’ll use US dollars. They are American territories.
- Minimal language barriers. There’s some Spanish, Creole and French, but mostly English
- Accessible: These destinations are relatively well served by airlines
WHO is Puerto Rico and USVI Perfect For?
- Those looking to get out of the dark and cold in the winter months without travelling too far.
- Those considering a cruise. San Juan is only one hour further than Miami by plane from Chicago (for example), and there are different cruise choices from Puerto Rico.
HOW to Visit US Territories in the Caribbean
- Cruise out of San Juan, Puerto Rico and do pre or post cruise:
- Enjoy the cobblestone streets, old forts, and Spanish colonial architecture.
- Experience the rainforests, coffee plantations and mountain villages.
- Go stay at a land resort on one of the US Virgin Islands:
- St Thomas: most frequented by cruisers. Great for shopping and beaches.
- St John: the most relaxed, and best to be in nature, go hiking or snorkelling.
- St. Croix: the most historical, and great for diving or visiting rum distilleries (not on the same day!)
- Cruise lines: All the mega ship lines go there, but you’ll get a much better experience on a small ship. We’ve made some suggestions below.
MORE INFORMATION ON PUERTO RICO:
https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/bobbrad77410/travel/destinations/caribbean/puerto-rico/san-juan
MORE INFORMATION ON US VIRGIN ISLANDS:
https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/bobbrad77410/travel/destinations/caribbean/u-s-virgin-islands
Sometimes the best part of travel isn’t discovering someplace completely foreign, but discovering a familiar place that still manages to surprise you.
The PODCAST: Dream-Travel-Share UNPACKED
In this episode of UNPACKED, Kim and Bob explore two of the easiest tropical destinations for American travelers: Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In Case You Missed It:
SEACLOUD in the US Caribbean Territories. If you’d like to explore the remote harbors of Puerto Rico and the USVI on a ship much closer in size and configuration to a river boat, than an ocean cruise ship, then look at SEACLOUD:
https://pamperedcruiser.com/sea-cloud-a-river-cruise-lovers-dream-on-the-ocean/
MISTAKES WE MAKE WHEN ABROAD. Good people can be bad travelers simply because they don’t think some things through before they travel. Here’s some suggestions on how to NOT be that person:
https://pamperedcruiser.com/good-people-bad-travellers/
THE BOOMERS ARE OUR TRIBE, and not just because we fall in that cohort. While the travel industry chases Millennials, we’re comfortable dealing with people a bit older:
https://pamperedcruiser.com/why-were-sticking-with-the-baby-boomers/
Featured YOUTUBE Video:
EXPLORA JOURNEYS ENTERTAINMENT. Explora has a different concept for cruise ship entertainment, and Bob interviews Drew Gowling from Explora to learn more about those differences:
Remember to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel while you’re there. It really helps us, and we can produce more content for you!
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Today’s Travel Opportunities to US Caribbean Territories
SEACLOUD Salt Water River Cruises
If you want to see the US Caribbean territories and nearby destinations up close, there’s no better way than on a Sea Cloud vessel, holding a maximum of 136 guests with a first class culinary offering. You’ll see coves and harbors the bigger ships can’t get near.
Eastern CARIBBEAN: round-trip Philipsburg departing December 6 for 8-nights
- Visit Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, Iles des Saintes, Nevis & Antigua.
- Sail the scenic Eastern Caribbean islands, and get into small coves and harbors on board the 136 guest Sea Cloud Spirit.
- Fares from $5995
GRENADINES: Round-trip from Bridgetown, Barbados departing December 8 for 7-nights
- Close to home with easy flight connections!
- Start in Bridgetown and visit Port Elizabeth, St. Vincent & Grenadines, St. George’s, Saint-Pierre, Soufrière and finish in Bridgetown.
- Fares from $4870
PANAMA, COSTA RICA, BELIZE from Colon to Cozumel departing March 13, 2027 for 12-nights
- Start in Colón and visit San Blas Archipelago, Bocas del Toro, Puerto Limón, Roatán, Belize City, Lighthouse Reef, and finish in Cozumel.
- Fares from $8740
EXPLORA JOURNEYS
If you prefer a ship a bit larger, but DON’T like the mega-ships, then Explora may be your sweet spot. They have lots of itineraries that travel between Florida and Puerto Rico that include the US Caribbean Territories.
Explora has a vessel that will be making runs back and forth between Florida and San Juan Puerto Rico for most of this coming winter and spring. You can do 7-night one-way voyages or 14-night round trip voyages from either Miami or San Juan.
US CARIBBEAN Territories for 7-nights from Miami to San Juan (or reverse)
- Start in Miami and visit Saint John, Antigua, Barbuda, Terre-de-Haute, Philipsburg, and finish in San Juan.
- Departures October through March: Fares from $4880
US CARIBBEAN Territories for 14-nights round-trip from either Miami or San Juan:
- Visit Miami, Saint John, Antigua, Terre-de-Haut, Saint Thomas, San Juan, Philipsburg, Gustavia, Saint Kitts, Nevis, and Grand Turk.
- Departures October through March: Fares from $8300
OCEANIA a la carte LUXURY
Here’s one more from Oceania. Oceania includes all your specialty dining, wifi on the ship, and offers a choice of included beverage package OR a shore excursion credit.
Miami to San Juan departing February 5 OR 19, 2027 for X-nights
- Start in Miami and visit St. Thomas, Philipsburg, Antigua, St. Kitts, and finish in San Juan.
- Fares from $2812
Today’s OTHER Travel Opportunities
If you’re looking to go further afield than the Caribbean, here are a few other ideas:
AMA Waterways on the RIVER
If you like lots of choices for your included shore excursions, and an elevated culinary offering, then AMA’s the right choice for you on the river:
PROVENCE, FRANCE: Lyon to Marseille for 7-nights
- Visit Lyon (overnight), Vienne, Tournon, Viviers, Avignon, Arles (overnight). Experience farm to table food, wineries, Roman Ruins, and the French countryside.
- 2026: Departures September through December from $3099
- 2027: Departures March through December from $3229
- Here’s our video from when we did this cruise: https://youtu.be/H2rBL8J7DIU
EASTERN EUROPE: Budapest to Bucharest departing for 7-nights
- Start in Budapest, and then travel the Lower Danube River through Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania before finishing near Bucharest.
- Optional extension to Transylvania/Dracula’s Castle and Bucharest.
- 2026: Departures September – December from $2999
- 2027: Departures March – November from $2929
Here’s our video from when we did this trip: https://youtu.be/-OhF7PSrj0c
REMOTE EXPLORATIONS with ATLAS
All the ATLAS yachts carry less than 200 guests, so it’s a great way to see the polar regions up close:
NORWAY & ICELAND: Longyearbyen to Reykjavik departing July 10, 2027 for 10-nights
- Get NORTH of the Arctic Circle, and experience the midnight sun, the Greenland Sea, and urban Reykjavik
- Start in Oslo, and then take an included charter flight to board your ship in Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean. Spend 3 days spotting whales, polar bears, and other wildlife in coastal Norway before heading across the Greenland Sea. Make 3 stops in remote parts of Iceland before finishing your trip in Reykjavik.
- Fares from $10,764
ICELAND ENCOMPASSED: Reykjavik round-trip departing June 5, 2027 for 7-nights
- Circumnavigate Iceland with landings on 6-days, and cross the Arctic Circle
- Fares from $6236
LUXURY RAIL Vacations with CANYON SPIRIT
This is the perfect way to take in the incredible scenery in Colorado, Utah, and the surrounding National Parks:
Denver to Las Vegas for 5-nights with 5 National Parks:
- Denver, Glenwood Springs, Moab (2), Bryce Canyon, Las Vegas
- 2027: Departures available April through October from $5163
Denver round-trip for 7-nights with 4-Days on the Rails
- Denver, Glenwood Springs, Moab (for 3 nights), Glenwood Springs, Denver
- 2027: Departures available April through November from $4638
Oberammergau – The Passion Play
Every ten years since the 1630s, the residents of this small Bavarian town put on this play to give thanks for being spared from the Bubonic Plague in the 17th Century. Your next chance to see it will be in 2030, but it will sell out long before that. Viking has TWO river cruise itineraries that include Oberammergau and tickets to the Passion Play:
Oberammergau, Innsbruck & the Rhine from Amsterdam to Munich for 13-days
- Board your ship in Amsterdam, and visit Kinderdijk, Cologne, Koblenz, Rhine Gorge, Rudesheim, Speyer, Strasbourg, Breisach and Basel. Next transfer to Innsbruck, and then to Oberammergau for 2-nights where you’ll see the Passion Play. Finish in Munich for 2 nights.
- Optional land extensions to Amsterdam, Belgium, Munich or Prague.
- Departures May to September 2030 from $7499.
Oberammergau & Salzburg on the DANUBE: Oberammergau to Budapest for 12-days
- Start with 2-nights at Oberammergau where you’ll see the Passion Play, and then head to Salzburg for 3-nights. Next board your river boat in Passau, and visit Linz, Wachau Valley, Krems, Vienna, Bratislava and finish in Budapest (overnight).
- Optional land extensions to Munich, Prague, Budapest or Croatia/Slovenia.
- Departures May to September 2030 from $6999.
Additions to ship inclusions: 5 or 6 hotel nights (dependent on itinerary), transfers, admission to the Passion Play, and an included excursion in each land stop.
Learn More HERE: https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/cruise-destinations/specialty/oberammergau/index.html
Do You Have an Upcoming Viking Cruise?
Viking’s BON VOYAGE incentive allows you to book your next Viking cruise in the 35 days BEFORE you board, and get some extra goodies for doing so:
- $100 per person on board credit
- 6-month final payment date
- $100 per person OFF one-week cruises, and bigger discounts for longer itineraries.
We made a short video about the Bon Voyage Program if you’d like more details:
https://youtu.be/gBM8IvjIb3U?si=Vy9UDiSqZQYHWR32
Contact us to book your NEXT VIKING CRUISE
If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here or call 800-876-0168 to get in touch today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
