66-night Caribbean cruise: Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) to Sydney, Australia on Volendam
The 66-Day Grand World Voyage is a 66-night Caribbean cruise aboard Volendam, operated by Holland America Line. Departing Fort Lauderdale on January 4, 2028 and arriving in Sydney, Australia on March 10, 2028, the voyage visits 26 ports including Bridgetown, Barbados, Devil's Island, French Guiana, Icoaraci. Fares start from $17,289 per person.
Fixed editorial images from the places on this itinerary. They stay stable each time you return to this sailing.
Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades)
With its heady mix of Creole culture and French sophistication, there is more than a pinch of je ne sais quoi in Fort de France. The capital of Martinique, and by far the biggest city in the whole of the French West Indies, if you are looking for Paris in the Caribbean, you’ll find it in Fort de France.
The island has been under French govern since 1638 when the first governor of Martinique Jacques Dyel du Parquet commissioned a fort (from which the city takes its name) to keep out invaders. Not even an unsuccessful attack by the British in 1720, nor the French Revolution in 1789, has been able to shake the French govern of the island and today the city’s French and Creole heritage are impossible to untangle. The colonial past is everywhere, take a stroll down the narrow streets and enjoy the remarkable architecture of the Schœlcher Library, St. Louis Cathedral and the Old Town Hall. Among the many legacies Dyel du Parquet left on the island is sugarcane. A drive through the tropical forests will not only reward you with trees bending under the weight of papayas, mangoes and bananas, but will also afford superb vistas of the elegant plant swaying in the breeze. The arrival and subsequent export of sugar brought the French bourgeoisie in their droves and many of their mansions are still standing. Josephine de Beauharnais, the Napoleonic Empress of “not tonight” fame, hails from the island and those interested will find her childhood home, La Pagerie in nearby Trois Ilets.
Rio de Janeiro
As you’ll be able to appreciate when you cruise the Atlantic Ocean with MSC Cruises, in its position on the southern shore of the magnificent Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro has, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most stunning settings in the world.
Extending for 20km along an alluvial strip, between an azure sea and forest-clad mountains, the city’s streets and buildings have been moulded around the foothills of the mountain range that provides its backdrop, while out in the bay there are many rocky islands fringed with white sand.
The aerial views over Rio are breathtaking, and even the concrete skyscrapers that dominate the city’s skyline add to the attraction. As the former capital of Brazil and now its second-largest city, Rio has a remarkable architectural heritage, some of the country’s best museums and galleries, superb restaurants and a vibrant nightlife – in addition to its legendary beaches. A shore excursion on your MSC South America cruise can be the opportunity to visit the Pão de Açúcar.
The Sugar Loaf Mountain rises where Guanabara Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. Its name may simply reflect a resemblance to the moulded loaves in which sugar was once commonly sold. Alternatively, it may be a corruption of the indigenous Tamoya word Pau-nh-Açuquá, meaning “high, pointed or isolated hill”. On the top of Corcoavado Mountain instead the Art Deco statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), arms outstretched in welcome, stands 30m high and weighs over 1000 tonnes. It was supposed to be completed for Brazil’s centenary independence celebrations in 1922, but wasn’t actually finished until 1931.
In clear weather, fear no anticlimax: climbing to the statue is a stunning experience, with the whole of Rio and Guanabara Bay laid out before you.
Montevideo
As you sail on an MSC cruise to South America, Montevideo is the port for you. Founded in 1726 as a fortress against Portuguese encroachment on the northern shore of the Río de la Plata, it had an excellent trading position and, following a turbulent and often violent early history, its growth was rapid.
A shore excursion on your MSC South America cruise can be the opportunity to discover Montevideo. It may appear humble at first, but this is a seriously cool, confident city. If you’ve ever seen a fictionalized version of Havana on TV or film, it’s quite possible it was actually shot in Montevideo’s Ciudad Vieja, so reminiscent are its streets of those in the Cuban capital.
Dotted among the crumbling houses and cobbled streets are endearingly bizarre (and mostly free) museums and galleries, while the highlight is the glorious Mercado del Puerto. A good place to start a walking tour of the Ciudad Vieja is the Puerta de la Ciudadela, dating to 1746, marking the original site of the Citadel of Montevideo on the Plaza Independencia.
This square commemorates the emergence of Uruguay as a sovereign nation, and a 17m-high statue and mausoleum of José Artigas, the man credited with kick-starting Uruguay’s independence campaign against Spain and Portugal, stands aptly in the centre.
The area around the plaza contains eclectic architectural styles from different periods, from the Torre Ejecutiva where the president performs his duties, to the bulbous tower of the Palacio Salvo, built on the reported site of the first ever performance of tango. Tucked behind the plaza’s south-western corner is the celebrated Teatro Solís, the most prestigious theatre in the country, completed in 1856 and remodelled a few times thereafter.
Large Ocean view Stateroom (Fully Obstructed View)
Cabin grade
Available
from $19,039
$288 / night
per person · incl. taxes & fees
Large Ocean view Stateroom (Partial Sea View)
Cabin grade
Available
from $19,549
$296 / night
per person · incl. taxes & fees
Large Ocean view Stateroom (Porthole View)
Cabin grade
Available
from $19,829
$300 / night
per person · incl. taxes & fees
Large Ocean view Stateroom
Cabin grade
Available
from $20,119
$304 / night
per person · incl. taxes & fees
Large Ocean view Stateroom
Cabin grade
Available
from $22,699
$343 / night
per person · incl. taxes & fees
Large Ocean view Stateroom
Cabin grade
Available
from $23,209
$351 / night
per person · incl. taxes & fees
Large Ocean view Stateroom
Cabin grade
Available
from $23,719
$359 / night
per person · incl. taxes & fees
Large Ocean view Stateroom
Cabin grade
Available
from $24,219
$366 / night
per person · incl. taxes & fees
Large Ocean view Stateroom
Cabin grade
Available
from $24,899
$377 / night
per person · incl. taxes & fees
Large Ocean view Stateroom
Cabin grade
Available
from $25,569
$387 / night
per person · incl. taxes & fees
Large Ocean view Stateroom
Cabin grade
Available
from $26,249
$397 / night
per person · incl. taxes & fees
Balcony
Not available
Suite
Not available
Prices verified Aug 28, 2026
Prices come from third-party data feeds via Holland America Line and may differ from the cruise line's current fare. Confirm the final price before booking. How our pricing works
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Elegant and spacious, Volendam takes her décor cues from the garden. Her grand public spaces are graced with floral fabrics and tapestries, as well as huge vases of fresh floral arrangements. While on board, explore the wonders of nature in BBC Earth Experiences. Enjoy regional cooking demonstrations and food and wine tastings with EXC Port to Table programming. Relax with a spa treatment at the Greenhouse Salon & Spa. Or dine in one of our selection of fine restaurants.
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