7-Day Caribbean: Great Stirrup Cay & Dominican Republic

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)

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)