8 Day 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.

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.