The port at Costa Maya is a purpose-built facility for cruise passengers, with amenities including swimming pools, restaurants and bars. The neighbouring village of Mahahual will give you a slightly more authentic taste of the Yucatán, and the ruined Mayan city of Chacchoben is an hour’s drive away.

Belize’s capital does not enjoy the best reputation, and we wouldn’t recommend spending too much time here; use it instead as a jumping-off point to explore the fascinating Mayan ruins of Xunantunich, Lamanai and Altun Ha, or take a snorkelling trip to the beautiful Barrier Reef, including the famous Blue Hole.

The crumbling colonial mansions, the classic American cars, the cigars, the music drifting through the air… There's nowhere quite like Havana, and while it’s true that things are changing, this isn’t always a bad thing; the culinary scene has improved immeasurably in recent years with the rise of 'paladares' (small, privately owned restaurants).

Downtown Miami is a destination in its own right, with a host of world class galleries, but it's still Miami Beach that draws the biggest crowds. The Art Deco district around South Beach is very much back in vogue, with new restaurants, bars and luxury developments sprouting up all over the place.

Founded by the Spanish in 1521, Puerto Rico’s capital is the second oldest European settlement in the Americas. Modern San Juan is a bustling city, home to over a third of the island’s population, but the cobbled streets of the Old Town remain the biggest tourist draw.

Antigua is famously home to 365 beaches - one for every day of the year - and there is an undeniable allure to the many white sand coves dotted along the coast. The capital, St John’s, is worth a look, but if you’ve got time to visit the south coast you’ll find historic Nelson’s Dockyard a lot more interesting.

Castries, Saint Lucia’s diminutive capital, is home to some interesting markets and colonial buildings. The island’s highlights are situated elsewhere, however, and we’d recommend either heading south towards Soufrière, where the iconic Piton mountains guard a beautiful bay, or north to the bars, restaurants and beaches of Rodney Bay.

Philipsburg is the gateway to an intriguing little Caribbean island with a dual personality: the Dutch side, St. Maarten, is the livelier of the two, with shopping malls, casinos and more of a nightlife scene, while French-speaking St. Martin is a more refined (and more expensive) affair, with a laid-back, continental air and a host of exclusive resorts and restaurants.

The tiny French Caribbean island of St Barths is renowned as a haunt of the rich and the famous, and you can certainly live well here if you’ve got the means; the petite capital, Gustavia, boasts an array of gourmet restaurants and chic boutiques aimed squarely at the A-list. The beautiful beaches, on the other hand, are free and open to all.