Norwegian Sun: 12-Night Panama Canal

Miami cruise port, officially called PortMiami, is the busiest cruise port in the world by passenger volume. Millions of people pass through here every year, and nearly every major cruise line uses it as a home port.

Great Stirrup Cay is Norwegian Cruise Line's private island in the Berry Islands chain of the Bahamas, about 120 miles northwest of Nassau. The island has been NCL's exclusive beach destination since 1977, making it one of the oldest private cruise islands in the Caribbean.

Known as 'One Happy Island,' Aruba docks ships at the port in Oranjestad, just steps from the colorful Dutch colonial architecture and Royal Plaza Mall. Eagle Beach and Palm Beach offer powdery white sand, and the island sits outside the hurricane belt.

You've probably seen photos of Willemstad even if you don't realize it: that row of pastel-colored Dutch colonial buildings along the Handelskade is one of the most photographed waterfronts in the Caribbean. It's been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.

Colon sits at the Atlantic (Caribbean) entrance to the Panama Canal, serving as the port of call for ships that transit the canal or stop before or after the crossing. The Colon 2000 cruise terminal and the nearby Cristobal pier handle the cruise traffic, both located away from the city center in secure port compounds.

Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the western Caribbean known for Seven Mile Beach, exceptional diving, and its role as a major offshore financial center. George Town serves as the cruise port, but there's no pier large enough for cruise ships.