Panama Canal Cruise - from New York - 107670

New York - the huge, vibrant city by the Hudson River and the unofficial capital of the world - is without a doubt one of the most fascinating cities in the USA. Around 12 million residents from all over the world call New York home. The city is divided into five districts, Manhattan being the heart of the city and the most famous district. Probably just about anyone coming to New York thinks first of Wall Street, Broadway, the Empire State Building, Fifth Avenue and the many museums, Central Park and the Statue of Liberty. All of this can be found in New York City, indeed in the "small" district of Manhattan. "The Big Apple", as the city is also known, is a melting pot of cultures and nationalities, from rich to poor - the ultimate city of contrasts. The subject of many songs, and yet more literature, New York is in a constant state of flux. It is a centre for the economy, the arts and architecture that each of the 25 million visitors annually will experience differently, but which captures the imagination of every single one of them.

With approximately 800,000 inhabitants, Baltimore is the largest town in the state of Maryland and one of the most important seaports in the United States. It is also an important industrial and trading centre whose economy is based largely on research and development (in particular pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and medical services). You can also find the house and grave of the writer Edgar Allan Poe in Baltimore. As regards the parts most often frequented by tourists, the port's image has changed considerably over the last few years. Many areas have been renovated and new buildings have been constructed, giving Baltimore a very positive appearance. The Inner Harbor, located on an extension of 320 kilometre long Chesapeake Bay, has become a centre for tourism. The Fregatte Constellation, the U.S. Navy's first ever ship, dating back to 1797 and the oldest boat at sea in the world, is anchored at pier 1 of the Inner Harbor. Of the many museums, the "Baltimore Museum of Art" (with a large number of post-impressionist works), Walters Art Gallery and the City Life Museum, a housing block with buildings representing the city as it was in the 19th century, are particularly worth seeing. Mount Vernon Place has houses and squares from the 19th century, as well as many cultural institutes. This is also where the Washington Monument stands, from where you can enjoy an excellent panorama view of Baltimore and the surrounding area. In the Summer, the Fort McHenry National Monument is the venue for special military parades and ceremonies. The Water Taxis, which connect all of the sights in the harbour area by boat are another of Baltimore's unique features.

Wilmington, with a population of 69,000, is the largest city on the Atlantic Coast in North Carolina. It has lovely old houses, film studios and fine sandy beaches. At the heart of the old town there are still many well-preserved buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. An architectural masterpiece in the city centre is the Bellamy Mansion Museum of History & Design Arts surrounded by 14 white Corinthian pillars. The most important attraction in the region is the battleship the USS North Carolina, which survived the Second World War unscathed. But Wilmington surprisingly became famous for a very different reason at the end of the 20th century: in 1983/84 film crews came to the city to film for the first time. Today, after Los Angeles and New York, Wilmington is the largest film city in the USA and films, TV series and music videos are shot here.

Charleston is a port town in South Carolina with an important Atlantic harbour on Charleston Bay. The town has an old town that is truly unique in the USA, with original architecture dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The restored villas, formerly owned by the elite of plantation-owners and traders, are a reminder of Charleston's past as a port and meeting point for the trade in slaves and cotton. The Edmund Alston House, Victorian-style Calhoun Mansion, the ball room on Meeting Street, the Nathaniel Russell House, St. Michael's Episcopal Church and the Heyward Washington House are all worth a visit. The Dock Street Theatre, the French Huguenot Church and the US Custom House are not to be missed either. At the Market Hall, farmers sell fruit, vegetables and meat and even souvenir-hunters will find something they like here.

Miami is a city at the South-East coast of the US state of Florida. The "Coconut Grove" district was the heart of the settlement in 1884. Today, the city is dominated by elegant boutiques and pavement cafés. Often, free street concerts are held in the side streets - usually reggae or jazz music. The city has numerous high-rise buildings, hotel complexes, areas with palm trees, shopping centres, cultural and recreational facilities. Sights include: the Southeast Financial Center - the tallest building in Florida at 55 storeys high; Dade Country Courthouse; Metro Dade Cultural, a cultural centre that houses Miami Dade Main Library; the Centre for Fine Arts and the Historical Museum of Southern Florida.

Key West is the most southerly town in Florida on the main island of Florida Keys. It is a very tourist-oriented town that enchants visitors with its sub-tropical serenity, laid-back lifestyle and Caribbean flair. In the early 19th century the town lived from piracy and looting sunken ships. In the late 19th century the residents of the town made a living from the cigar industry, sponge diving and hunting sea turtles. Tourism began to flourish with the expansion of the railway lines in 1912. The town's most famous resident was Ernest Hemmingway, who lived in Key West during the 1930s and 40s. Duval Street in the old town, a colourful mix of small shops, bars and restaurants, is a must-see. Key West also has many museums such as Key West Aquarium. One of the most famous attractions is watching the sun go down at Mallory Square Docks: tourists, locals, street performers and street traders gather on the beach and the promenade to experience the sunset. There are usually fireworks afterwards too.

Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, is on the island of New Providence and together with the holiday resorts of Cable Beach and Paradise Islands is an internationally renowned tourist centre. The pink parliament buildings are typical of Nassau and combined with the pastel-coloured houses give the city its colonial charm. Busy Bay Street holds a plethora of luxurious goods for those looking to do some shopping, while traditional goods can be found at Straw Market.

Cockburn Town is the capital city of the island of San Salvador. This is where Christoph Columbus landed on the 12yh of October 1492, christening the island known by the natives as 'Lucaya Guanahini' San Salvador, meaning Holy Salvation. Sandy beaches that stretch for miles and magical underwater habitats have seen the number of visitors to San Salvador increase significantly over the last few years. In North Victoria Hill, to the North of the Cockburn Town, the island's history is told through artefacts from the lost Lucay culture at the New World Museum.

Cartagena was founded in 1533 by Pedro de Heredias, a Spaniard and companion of Columbus, as a naval port. The historic old town and the harbour are listed and have been a World Heritage Site since 1984. Due to the flourishing trade in gold from Peru, silver from Bolivia and emeralds from Muzo, the city developed quickly and magnificently. Today, mainly oil coffee and platinum are exported and the city has been able to make a name for itself as one of the most beautiful colonial cities of South America. Sights include: the Gold Museum, the cathedral dating from the 16th/17th century and the San Felipe de Barajas fort with its amazing system of tunnels.

The San Blas islands are on the Caribbean side of Panama. The island group comprises 365 islands, only a few of which are inhabited. The islands lie in an autonomous region and have been ruled by the Kuna native Indians since 1938. There are no mosquitos, perhaps one of the reasons the native Indians chose to settle here. They go out to fish for crustaceans in special wooden boats, called "Cayucos". Unlike the other tribes of the Caribbean, the Kuna are dressed top-to-toe at all times, usually in colourful traditional costumes. For tourists, the San Blas Islands represent a beautiful, untouched diving area that people are reluctant to leave on account of its sandy beaches in sheltered coves and its warm, turquoise-blue waters.

In the middle of Central America lies the tropical region of the Panama Canal with its lush vegetation and rainforests. The Panama Canal is a technical masterpiece and one of the most important waterways in the world. It takes just a day to travel along the canal, but visitors are sure to remember the trip for many a long year.