From Cartagena to San Juan · Caribbean · 8 nights
Crystal Symphony returned to the ultra-luxury cruise sector in 2023 – fully refurbished and enhanced and not to be missed.
The beloved Crystal Symphony, having been dutifully maintained
for the past three decades underwent an extensive refurbishment in
2023, reducing the guest capacity and enhancing the accommodations
onboard. Crystal signatures such as exceptional service and
world-class dining remain but the ship returned to service with a
new lease of life.
Cartagena de Indias, to give the city its full name, was founded by Spanish conquistadors in 1533, and the beautifully preserved centre is a real highlight of Colombia's Caribbean coast. The walled old town, the Ciudad Amurallada, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a camera-friendly collection of cobbled streets and colourful, colonial-era buildings. It's not all about the old town though; the Bocagrande peninsula, fringed by a long stretch of beach, is where many of Cartagena's hotels are situated, and it's a trendy district that's home to chic restaurants and a thriving café culture.
The tiny Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba, located just off the coast of Venezuela, lies outside of the hurricane belt, meaning it enjoys a largely dry climate, and boasts some of the best beaches in the region, if not the world.
The gabled houses of Willemstad lend an undeniably Dutch feel to the capital of little Curaçao, with a splash of Caribbean colour thrown in. The island itself is not your typical lush tropical paradise - the landscape is characterised instead by thorny shrubs and cacti - but there are some fantastic beaches and quaint little villages.
The quiet, cactus-covered Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire is internationally renowned for its diving, ringed by spectacular coral reefs that teem with life. The capital, Kralendijk, is home to some pretty colonial architecture, and the island is also known for its flamingos and pink sand beaches.
Marigot is the gateway to an intriguing little Caribbean island with a dual personality: the Dutch side, St. Maarten, is the livelier of the two, with shopping malls, casinos and more of a nightlife scene, while French-speaking St. Martin is a more refined (and more expensive) affair, with a laid-back, continental air and a host of exclusive resorts and restaurants.
Founded by the Spanish in 1521, Puerto Rico’s capital is the second oldest European settlement in the Americas. Modern San Juan is a bustling city, home to over a third of the island’s population, but the cobbled streets of the Old Town remain the biggest tourist draw.
