Oceania Vista: 12-Night Pacific Coast from Miami

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.

St. Thomas cruise port is one of the busiest stops on Eastern Caribbean itineraries and the hub of the US Virgin Islands cruise scene. The port handles two main cruise terminals.

St. Maarten cruise port is one of the busiest in the Caribbean, with ships docking at the A.C.

Basseterre cruise port in St. Kitts uses the Port Zante terminal, a purpose-built cruise facility in the heart of Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts and Nevis. Port Zante includes two dedicated cruise piers capable of berthing the largest modern ships plus a marina, restaurants, shops, and the Amina Craft Market.

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.

Aruba's capital sits just 15 miles off the Venezuelan coast, and it's one of the southern Caribbean's most popular cruise stops for good reason. Five berths across three air-conditioned terminals handle up to five ships at once, with water depths of 32 to 36 feet.

Cartagena de Indias is a Caribbean port city of about 1 million people on Colombia's northern coast, and one of the best-preserved colonial cities in the Americas. The walled old city (Ciudad Amurallada) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built by the Spanish starting in the 16th century to protect the gold and silver being shipped back to Europe.