Southern Caribbean with St. Lucia

A poolside pause, port craft browsing, or a Puerto Plata fort.

Carnival cruise port at Maimón Bay on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, near Puerto Plata. Source: GoCCL itinerary data (checked October 4, 2026).

Choose your side of the bay.

Check the pier on your cruise documents before planning a day in San Juan. Royal Caribbean directs embarking guests to the Pan American Pier in Isla Grande, so do not assume your ship boards beside Old San Juan. Arrange transport to the named terminal and allow time for luggage drop-off and check-in.

At your own pace.

Port Zante puts you in the middle of Basseterre, so the town is a walk and the beaches are a short ride south to Frigate Bay. The scenic railway around the old sugar estates is the excursion that is genuinely hard to arrange independently.

A harbour park, local culture, a hilltop view.

St. John's is the easternmost city in North America, a harbour ringed by cliffs with a row of painted houses above it. Signal Hill, where the first transatlantic wireless signal was received, is a walk up from the docks and the view back down is the reason to do it.

Start with your own terminal.

Castries docks right in town at Pointe Seraphine or La Place Carenage, either of which is a short walk or water taxi from the market. The Pitons are the reason to come and they are an hour and a half south, which makes this one of the calls where the ship's tour earns its price.

Town, sand and sea.

Ships dock at Point Blanche, around the headland from Philipsburg itself, and the boardwalk into town is a pleasant walk or a two-minute water taxi. Front Street and Great Bay beach are the easy day; the French side at Marigot and the beach under the Maho runway need a car or a tour.