Southern Caribbean & Panama Canal Sunfarer Cruise
 October 22- November 1, 2005 - RT from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida aboard Holland America's ms Zaandam (Ports of call: Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curacao; Colon, Panama; Puerto Limon, Costa Rica)
As LOW as $1149*
Ports Of Call:
Ft. Lauderdale / Florida:
 Fort Lau·der·dale ( lô ' d?r-dal ' )
Fort Lauderdale,
residential, commercial, and resort city (1990 pop. 149,377), seat of Broward co., SE Fla., on the Atlantic coast; settled around a fort built (c.1837) in the Seminole War, inc. 1911. On the New River and a navigable canal to Lake Okeechobee, the city is interwoven with more than 270 mi (435 km) of natural and artificial waterways. It has one of the largest marinas in the world and one of the most popular beaches in the country; tourism and recreation are economic mainstays. The city's manufactures include boats and yachts, and there is a wide variety of small businesses. A large retired community is here. Among Fort Lauderdale institutions are the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, the Museum of Art, the Museum of Discovery and Science, Nova Southeastern Univ., and a campus of Florida Metropolitan Univ. Nearby Port Everglades is a major artificial port with heavy passenger and freight traffic.
Back Top Half Moon Cay / Bahamas:
 Half Moon Cay is the privately-developed part of Little Salvador Island, about a hundred miles southeast of Nassau, and was once a refuge for pirates. Holland America purchased the island in 1997, and has developed only 45 acres of the 2,400 acre island, with the goal of maintaining as much habitat as possible for wildlife, and the island is a significant nesting area for waterfowl.
While Half Moon Cay's name could be derived from its gorgeous, white sand crescent-shaped beach, it really comes from Henry Hudson's ship, the Half Moon , which is part of Holland America's logo. It's almost ironic to note that Henry Hudson was an Englishman, but on the third of his four great voyages of exploration, he was employed by the Dutch, and on that voyage he sailed up the Hudson River to the present site of Albany, and claimed the area for Holland. Ten years later, the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
Back Top Oranjestad / Aruba:
 Oranjestad (population 21,000) is the capital and chief town of Aruba .
The town was built around Fort Zoutman , shortly after it was built in 1796 and Oranjestad has been the capital of Aruba ever since. The fort is still one of the town's attractions, others being the tax-free harbour and the Willem III Tower , located near the fort.
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Willemstad / Curacao:
 Willemstad ( vil ' ?mstät )
Willemstad, city (1992 pop. 24,235), Curaçao , capital of the Netherlands Antilles . The city is the commercial and industrial center of the Netherlands Antilles as well as a free port and tourist center. It is important as a transshipment point and refining center for petroleum sent across the Gulf of Venezuela from Maracaibo ; however, the petroleum demand declined in the mid-1980s. Willemstad has a distinctive Dutch character with streets lined by narrow, gabled houses.
Back Top Colon / Panama:
 Colón is a sea port city on the Caribbean Sea coast of Panama . In 2000 it had a population of about 204,000 people.
It is near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal . The city is the capital of Panama's Colón Province.
The city was founded in 1850 as one end of the Panama Railroad then under construction. For a number of years early in its history, the sizable United States emegre community called the town Aspinwall while the Hispanic community called it "Colón". The name "Colón" is in honor of Christopher Columbus.
Back Top Puerto Limon / Costa Rica:
 Costa Rica is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Central America, and Puerto Limon is the most important Costa Rican port on the Caribbean. Columbus "discovered" Costa Rica on his fourth voyage to the Americas and was so impressed that he named it Costa Rica. Columbus landed at an ancient village near Puerto Limon and it proved to be one of the best ports on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. The country is full of volcanic mountains, lush valleys, and virgin tropical rainforests supporting a diverse mixture of plant and animal life. Costa Rica has preserved almost one quarter of its land area as national parks or preserves.
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