10 Nights Caribbean, Eastern

This vast array of wonderful beaches offers you opportunities to swim with the dolphins in a tropical lagoon and come face-to-face with alligators during an Everglades airboat tour. Or stroll through a tropical rainforest while hundreds of butterflies flutter above you.

This private beach resort owned by Princess Cruises is located in the southern portion of the island of Eleuthera, the "birthplace of the Bahamas." Dance to goombay drums, snorkel the colourful reef and have a beachfront barbeque under the setting sun.

Turks and Caicos is an excellent destination for divers and snorklers. Smith's Reef in Provo is one of the area's most popular dive spots, thanks to a diverse collection of sea creatures in a spectrum of electric colors. For a completely different vibe, explore the black coral and submerged overhangs of Black Forest or kayak the bright turquoise waters of Chalk Sound. Both the Caicos Conch Farm and the bird sanctuary on uninhabited French Cay offer unique ways to commune with local wildlife.

The Dutch capital of St. Maarten is widely known for colonial architecture. Its pastel buildings, often embellished with gingerbread and fretwork trim, surround shaded courtyards and hug cobblestone streets. Philipsburg has a well-earned reputation as a shopper's paradise, and local crafts, exotic foods and elegant imports are available at duty-free prices.

The capital of St. Kitts has shook off hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and fires and has morphed into an unpretentious British-flavored retreat. Victorian stone block buildings laced with gingerbread trim and black and grey sand beaches are the city's most notable attractions.

The largest of the British Virgin Islands is situated about 60 miles east of Puerto Rico. Tortola's mountain peaks are covered with frangipani and sage on its southern coast, while its northern shores boast powder-white sand beaches, banana and mango groves and swaying palm trees.

A staunchly British Antiguan port, St. John's has, according to legend, a beach for each day of the year. Solidly West Indian in flavor, the capital is awash is weathered, pastel-colored houses, intoxicatingly colorful markets, restored buildings and stoic forts.

This vast array of wonderful beaches offers you opportunities to swim with the dolphins in a tropical lagoon and come face-to-face with alligators during an Everglades airboat tour. Or stroll through a tropical rainforest while hundreds of butterflies flutter above you.