8 Day Eastern Caribbean Cruise From Port Canaveral (Orlando), FL

One of the Turks and Caicos Islands located between the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.

Although first visited by Columbus, it was Ponce de Leon who named and established the area.

Because of its strategic location, Spain chose San Juan to be one of its strongholds in the New World. The El Morro Fort,rising defiantly from the sea, is living testament to the days when Puerto Rico was a cornerstone of Spain’s efforts in North America.

Today the fort is still an attraction, in addition to the walled city of Old San Juan, the beautiful hotels and casinos and the nearbyresort areas and golf courses.

Columbus called them Virgins. What he saw in the troika of St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John that gave him this impression is not known for sure, but a visitor to any of the three would probably guess it was their natural, unspoiled beauty that inspired him.

But looks aren’t everything–there’s history too. In the 17th century, ownership of St. Thomas was hotly contested by many of the major European powers. Later, swashbucklers like Blackbeard and Drake made the island a base for their operations. And in 1917, St. Thomas and the other Virgins were acquired by the U.S. from Denmark.

Today, St. Thomas has many draws that make it one of the Caribbean’s most popular vacation spots–not the least of which is the fabulous duty free shopping. Some would contend that with sufficient purchases, one may actually cover the cost of the trip in savings alone. There’s only one way to find out–you gotta be there.