Latin Beats

You’ll spend one night in a centrally located hotel in Miami Beach. The sun-soaked city of Miami is the perfect launchpad for your expedition cruise. The reputation of the ‘City of Neon’ as one of the world's most popular vacation destinations is well earned, and you’ll see why. Year-round sunshine? Check. White-sand beaches? Yes. Clear teal waters? Gorgeous. These are just a few reasons why visitors come in droves.

But there’s a lot more to Miami than cocktails and red carpets. Delve deeper and you’ll find a thriving metropolis with vibrant doses of Latin American, Caribbean, Asian, and European influences.

Searching for trendy clubs and bars? Head to South Beach, day or night. Want a tour of the highest concentration of elegant art deco architecture in the world? You’ll find that in the Art Deco Historic District. A taste of exotic Cuban Culture? Head to Little Havana.

Once you board the MS Roald Amundsen, you’ll pick up your complimentary expedition jacket, settle into your cabin, explore the ship, and attend a mandatory safety drill.

You will also meet our Expedition Team. You will be spending a lot of time with on your voyage. Celebrate the beginning of your adventure at sea with the first of many sumptuous dinners.

Serenity at sea

We’ll spend our first two days at sea preparing you for the tropical island experiences that await you. First things first, you’ll want to acquaint yourself with your comfortable expedition vessel.

Feel free to indulge yourself with a treatment in our Wellness Center. Take part in an art workshop. Invigorate yourself with a yoga session. Eat in style in one of our three restaurants, and spend time out on deck looking for seabirds and other marine wildlife.

You’ll also use these days at sea to better get to know the Expedition Team. They’ll deliver in-depth lectures on a wide range of subjects relating to your cruise. Lecture topics may include oceanography, Mayan culture, coral reefs, Caribbean Sea creatures, island biogeography, archeology, and stargazing.

You can also pick up tips from the onboard photographer to capture the best images possible.

Mayan Heritage

Welcome to Belize City, the largest city in Belize. This is a hub of Colonial architecture, lively shopping areas, and seaside parks. Among the urban scenery, you’ll find colorful Colonial architecture, a reminder of the city’s past as the country’s former capital. Looking for a one-stop introduction to Belize? Head to Old Belize. The Old Belize train ride is a moving museum through five different exhibitions, showcasing Belize’s history and natural beauty. Or spend time browsing art galleries or the Museum of Belize for some Mayan history.

Our main destination this day lies 30 miles north of the city: the well-preserved Altun Ha ruins. Excavated in 1968, there are two main plazas and thirteen structures. Weather permitting, climb the ancient temples and imagine what the area was like over 2,000 years ago, when Altun Ha was a wealthy trading town. Besides its ancient plazas, Altun Ha is surrounded by a rich array of wildlife. Over 200 species of birds have been sighted here, along with bats, raccoons, tapir, armadillos, and white-tailed deer.

Birds of Beauty at Half Moon Caye

Belize’s famed barrier reef is the country’s masterpiece, considered to be one of the best marine sites in the entire Caribbean. It hosts a thrilling variety of sea life, lush keys, and opportunities to participate in water activities.

We anchor for the day at the uninhabited Half Moon Caye Island, in the Lighthouse Reef, the most remote of the atolls. The island is best known as a sanctuary for the rare red-footed booby, their only nesting site in the region.

Follow local guides along the sandy trails to the bird tower. This will provide you uninterrupted views of nesting boobies and magnificent frigate birds. Large iguanas sometimes like to sunbathe on the paths so you might spot a few as you explore.

Half Moon Caye is also the country’s first marine protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s crystal-clear waters are home to endangered loggerhead, hawksbill, and green turtles. Optional snorkeling excursions are available at the Blue Hole, a massive watery sinkhole in the reef with a kaleidoscopic array of fish.

Lectures and tropical temperatures

After two active days, you’ll be grateful to recharge your batteries on the comfortable state-of-the-art vessel. Start the day with some yoga or join the Expedition Team for lectures on topics that can vary from wildlife and geology to the indigenous peoples we may encounter.

This is also the perfect time to see what’s happening in the Science Center. Our access to some of the most remote parts of the world enables us to provide precious data to the scientific community. We invite you to take part in these Citizen Science projects!

For example, the chief scientist on the Expedition Team takes Secchi disk samples of the water as we sail. These samples contain plankton, the basis of the oceanic food chain. Their distribution, abundance, and seasonality are affected by climate change. Studying plankton helps the scientific community keep abreast of overall patterns of the planet. This is just one of the things that sets our expedition cruise apart from traditional cruises.

Feel free to spend time on deck enjoying fresh sea air as you watch for wildlife. After a sumptuous dinner, relax in the elegant Explorer Lounge or do some stargazing in the pristine sky, unobstructed by light pollution.

‘The Sea of Seven Colors’

This remote Columbian island in the Spanish Caribbean was once used as a base by 17th-century Pirate Henry Morgan to plunder passing imperial galleons loaded with gold doubloons. Legend has it that much of his treasure still remains on the island. Believe the legend or not, it’s indisputable that the true treasure here lies in its gorgeous sandy beaches, charming locals, and pristine waters.

Sadly, the island was affected by Hurricane Iona in 2020. Rebuilding works are underway and our visits are vitally important in supporting local businesses and the community as a whole to recover.

There are no public buses, so the humble golf cart is many people’s de facto means of exploring the island's beaches and villages. There are a limited number available, but exploring on foot is just as enjoyable.

Hiking to the highest point of the island is not for the faint of heart, but if you do, your reward is breathtaking views of the island and the sea beyond. Frigate birds, iguanas, and electric blue lizards are just some of the local wildlife you might encounter on the way.

The seas around the island are shallow and surrounded by beautiful coral. The diverse coral reefs are the center point of UNESCO’s Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, an oceanic archipelago of rare systems in the Caribbean Sea. Snorkelling here will give you the chance to spot the now-famous clownfish, turtles, and manta rays.

Colombia’s island paradise

This region is called the ‘Sea of Seven Colors’ and we think a second day is needed to fully absorb the beauty of this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Our choice for the day is San Andrés, the main island of the Colombian archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina.

Located almost 430 miles from Colombia’s mainland, this tiny isle of no more than 16 square miles is actually the biggest in the Colombian Caribbean. Incredibly, this sliver of land features several different types of landscape, including cays, coral reefs, mangroves, and even a small 180 ft ‘mountain range’ at Cerro La Loma

San Andrés is famous for its brightly painted wooden houses, the tropical beauty of its land and seascapes, fine white-sand beaches, crystal-clear waters; the hospitality of its inhabitants and their unique island culture. Amazingly diverse in relation to its size, the population of the islands came from all continents on earth, bringing with them old traditions from the 17th and 18th centuries that survive to this day.

Explore the island with us and make the most of your day by visiting its main highlights, which might include enjoying the beautiful beaches the island is famous for or witnessing the amazing underwater biodiversity with a mask and snorkel. You can also take the island at your own peace by hailing a local taxi and making your own way around.

National Marine Park

Bocas del Toro is a stunning archipelago made up of nine main islands and hundreds of smaller ones. Clear blue waters? Check. Densely forested islands? Check. Uninhabited islets? Check.

This is what people imagine when they dream of paradise. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this National Marine Park is one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth, and its many islands have an exotic mix of wildlife spread across its many islands.

Take a local water taxi to one of the surrounding islands and go on a guided walk. One place we might visit is Red Frog Beach, where you can try and spot those aptly named frogs.

Or visit Solarte Island, which has a number of hiking trails. The tropical rainforest here is home to industrious leaf-cutter ants and hums with the calls of exquisite birdlife. If we’re lucky, we might spot red frogs and three-toed sloths.

There are also optional excursions to visit a sustainable cacao farm or snorkel in Zapatilla Cay, where the hit TV show Survivor was filmed.

Entrance to the Panama Canal

Your wonderful tropical voyage concludes at the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal. This bustling port town is a popular stop for cruises going to the Caribbean and has a diverse population for such a small size.

If you want to really explore the city, you can join a Post-Program where you’ll spend three extra nights in a beautiful jungle lodge next to the Chagres River. During your stay, you’ll visit a rainforest centre and a farm working with reforestation, explore the jungle on a night boat safari, and enjoy views of the area by cable car.

Another Post-Program travels to Casco Viejo, arguably the most charismatic neighborhood in Panama City. Stroll the rustic cobblestone streets and plazas; admire the architecture of Colonial churches, mansions, and the Metropolitan Cathedral; and try local specialties like coffee and cocoa.

You can even book another expedition cruise from here that takes you through the ingenious man-made locks of the Panama Canal and through to the Pacific Ocean on the other side. Then go on to explore the many sights and coastal cities of South America.

Whatever’s next for you, we wish you a safe onward journey and look forward to seeing you on your next adventure!