Eastern Caribbean

Kennedy Space Center

A full Saturn V rocket laid horizontal for inspection — 363 feet of the hardware that put people on the moon. The Apollo/Saturn V Center, Rocket Garden, and bus tours to historic Launch Complex 39 are all on one ticket. Plan four hours minimum.

🕒 9:00 am – 5:00 pm daily (hours vary; check ahead — closed some launch days)

Space Shuttle Atlantis

Thirty-three missions, now suspended at the angle it held in orbit with payload bay doors open for good. Inside KSC on the same ticket — and yes, people cry in there.

🕒 9:00 am – 5:00 pm daily (included with KSC Visitor Complex admission)

Cocoa Beach

Atlantic beach about 15 minutes south of the port, with the famous Ron Jon Surf Shop — a two-story surf emporium worth walking through even if you've never touched a board. Easy half-day.

United States Astronaut Hall of Fame

Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo artifacts alongside the biography of every inductee — it's inside KSC now on the same ticket. If you've ever wanted to see what John Glenn looked like at 20, this is the building.

🕒 9:00 am – 5:00 pm daily (included with KSC Visitor Complex admission)

Space Mirror Memorial

A 42-foot polished black granite mirror reflecting the Florida sky, inscribed with the names of astronauts who died in service. Not the loudest thing at KSC — and probably the one you'll think about on the ship.

🕒 9:00 am – 5:00 pm daily (accessible during KSC Visitor Complex hours)

Castillo San Felipe del Morro

Six levels of fortifications, 140-foot cliffs, and one lighthouse watching for enemies since 1539. The kite-flyers showed up instead.

🕒 Daily 9am–6pm

Castillo San Cristóbal

The largest Spanish colonial fort in the Americas. Closest major sight to the cruise pier, and shares a ticket with El Morro.

🕒 Daily 9am–6pm

Paseo de la Princesa

A promenade along the old city walls — fountain, vendors, and the Atlantic at the end of every vista. Free, flat, and reliably breezy.

La Fortaleza

The oldest executive mansion in the Western Hemisphere still in continuous use. Tours Mon–Fri; plan accordingly if you arrive on the weekend.

🕒 Mon–Fri, guided tours 9am–4pm

San Juan Gate

The last original city gate of Old San Juan, cut through the 400-year-old walls. Stand in it long enough and someone will take your photo.

Cathedral of San Juan Bautista

Ponce de León is buried inside, which means this cathedral has been on the sightseeing circuit since 1521.

🕒 Mon–Sat 8:30am–4pm, Sun 9am–noon

Capilla del Cristo

A tiny chapel at the end of Calle del Cristo, built after a horse and rider allegedly fell off the city wall. The horse did not survive.

🕒 Tue–Sat 9am–noon

San José Church

The second-oldest Catholic church in the Americas, restored after decades of closure. The Gothic vaulting hasn't changed since 1532.

🕒 Tue–Sat 9am–4pm

Casa Bacardí

A $2 ferry hop to Cataño, then the world's largest rum distillery. Tours from $40; samples are included — do the math yourself.

🕒 Mon–Sat 9am–4:30pm

Condado Beach

The closest decent beach to Old San Juan — hotels line the strip, but the water doesn't ask for a room key.

Fort Christian

Built 1672, this Danish fort served as courthouse, jail, and church — often simultaneously. The oldest standing structure in the USVI.

🕒 Mon–Fri 9am–3pm

Emancipation Gardens

Where Danish rule ended in 1848. Now: a conch shell blower and a Liberty Bell replica — shaded, free, and easy to find after the ship.

🕒 Open daily

St. Thomas Synagogue

Sand floor, 1833 chandeliers, and 190+ years of active service — the oldest continuously operating synagogue under the US flag.

🕒 Mon–Fri 9am–3pm

99 Steps

103 steps, not 99 — the name was never corrected. This 18th-century Danish stairway offers the best harbor views in the historic district.

🕒 Open daily

Blackbeard's Castle

A 17th-century watchtower the pirate supposedly used as a lookout — unverifiable, irresistible, and with panoramic harbor views.

🕒 Daily 9am–5pm

Frederick Lutheran Church

Congregation founded 1666, making it the oldest active Lutheran congregation in the Western Hemisphere. The current building dates to 1793.

🕒 Mon–Fri 9am–4pm

Magens Bay Beach

Ranked among the Caribbean's best beaches for decades. One calm, sheltered mile — shallow enough to wade out fifty yards. Admission charged.

🕒 Daily 6am–6pm

Paradise Point Tramway

A gondola rises 697 feet above the harbor in seven minutes. Rum punch at the top costs extra; panoramic views of the Virgin Islands do not.

🕒 Daily 9am–5pm

Mountain Top

Claimed home of the original banana daiquiri — impossible to verify, not worth disputing. The views of 20-plus islands are unimpeachable.

🕒 Daily 8am–5pm

Drake's Seat

Where Sir Francis Drake reportedly watched the Spanish fleet. Now a roadside overlook — the view is still extraordinary, the bench is free.

🕒 Open daily

Coral World Ocean Park

Walk-under reef tank, sea turtle encounters, and an undersea observatory. Better than a snorkel for guests who left their gear on the ship.

🕒 Daily 9am–4pm

Coki Beach

The most accessible snorkeling on St. Thomas — reef starts at the shoreline. Busy on ship days; that's the only kind of day you'll have.

🕒 Open daily

Kennedy Space Center

A full Saturn V rocket laid horizontal for inspection — 363 feet of the hardware that put people on the moon. The Apollo/Saturn V Center, Rocket Garden, and bus tours to historic Launch Complex 39 are all on one ticket. Plan four hours minimum.

🕒 9:00 am – 5:00 pm daily (hours vary; check ahead — closed some launch days)

Space Shuttle Atlantis

Thirty-three missions, now suspended at the angle it held in orbit with payload bay doors open for good. Inside KSC on the same ticket — and yes, people cry in there.

🕒 9:00 am – 5:00 pm daily (included with KSC Visitor Complex admission)

Cocoa Beach

Atlantic beach about 15 minutes south of the port, with the famous Ron Jon Surf Shop — a two-story surf emporium worth walking through even if you've never touched a board. Easy half-day.

United States Astronaut Hall of Fame

Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo artifacts alongside the biography of every inductee — it's inside KSC now on the same ticket. If you've ever wanted to see what John Glenn looked like at 20, this is the building.

🕒 9:00 am – 5:00 pm daily (included with KSC Visitor Complex admission)

Space Mirror Memorial

A 42-foot polished black granite mirror reflecting the Florida sky, inscribed with the names of astronauts who died in service. Not the loudest thing at KSC — and probably the one you'll think about on the ship.

🕒 9:00 am – 5:00 pm daily (accessible during KSC Visitor Complex hours)