Carnival Legend: 13-Night Journeys - Caribbean & Panama

Tampa cruise port is a Gulf Coast embarkation point for Western Caribbean cruises, sitting on Florida's west side about 85 miles west of Orlando. Port Tampa Bay is the state's largest port by tonnage, but its cruise operation is modest compared to PortMiami or Port Everglades.

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.

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.

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.

Puerto Plata cruise port is on the north coast of the Dominican Republic and operates through two distinct facilities. Amber Cove is a Carnival Corporation exclusive port covering 30 acres of waterfront, used by Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Cunard, P&O, Costa, and AIDA ships.