14 Days Panama Canal from New Orleans, LA

Bonnaire is one of the ABC islands in the Netherland Antilles of the Caribbean Sea. Excellent diving is found here in the clear waters.

Cartagena, (kär´te-jê´ne) city (1985 pop. 563,949), capital of Bolívar dept., NW Colombia, a port on the Bay of Cartagena, in the Caribbean Sea. Oil-refining and the manufacture of leather, textile, and tobacco goods are major industries, and there is an expanding petrochemical complex. Founded in 1533, Cartagena became the treasure city of the Spanish Main, where precious New World minerals awaited transshipment to Spain. It was often sacked despite its massive fortifications, some of which still stand. It declared its independence from Spain in 1811 and was incorporated into Colombia in 1821. Its rapid development in the 20th cent. was due largely to the discovery of oil in the Magdalena basin. One of the most picturesque of Latin American cities, with shady plazas and cobblestone streets, Cartagena attracts many tourists.

Do you like fish? Not necessarily to eat. Just to look at. Because if you do, you’re going to love Cozumel, Mexico,where sheltered coral reefs make this one of the best snorkeling areas in the world. Abundant and colorful marine life turn the sea into a visual fantasy.

Of course, you might even love it if all you like are beautiful secluded beaches, great shopping, and authentic Mexican cuisine. That’s the deal with Cozumel; there’s a lot to like.

Montego Bay, (mòn-tê´go) city (1991 pop. 83,446), NW Jamaica. A port, railroad terminus, and commercial center, it is one of the most popular resorts in the Caribbean. There is an active trade in sugar, bananas, coffee, and rum and some light industries.

Jamaica’s north-western node is the thriving port city of MoBay. This is resort Jamaica at its purest and most puerile, where a crowded touristy mishmash of one-way streets full of honking cars and pedestrians almost obscures the scintillating beaches, the golf courses, the historic houses and the mountain-village life going on behind the narrow coastal strip. Despite MoBay’s reputation as a hustlers’ city, there are attractions which make it worth being asked ‘Hey, Jake! Smoke? Coke?’ every few steps. Many admirable Georgian stone buildings and timber houses still stand downtown, and there is an excellent variety of arts and crafts. Every kind of water sport is offered, although most of the good beaches are the private domains of resort hotels. Those seeking a budget holiday with a lively nightlife and shops and markets packed with bargains will be right at home, as will those seeking to spend a week idly sunning at an all-inclusive upmarket resort. However, if you’re interested in Jamaica beyond the tourist ideal of ‘Caribbean-ness,’ you’ll find little in Montego Bay.

Built on a bend in the river (hence called the Crescent City), New Orleans is protected by levees. A major international port and a center of business and banking,it is one of the largest and most important cities in the South.

French influence (Creole culture) and the city’s reputation for glamour and gaiety have lasted to the present. The French Quarter (Vieux Carrée), around Jackson Square, is the oldest section of the city and retains much of its early elegance. Contemporary landmarks include the Superdome (1975) and the Hibernia Tower. Two manifestations of the city’s heterogeneous culture are its famous Mardi Gras festival and the development of jazz. The city was the site of the 1984 World’s Fair, and gambling was legalized in 1992, with the first casino opening on a riverboat in 1993.