PUERTO RICO: Swim in a Glow-in-the Dark Bay

The circuit: Western Caribbean, round-trip from San Juan

Boat basics: SeaDream I does away with many of cruising's most annoying features—including PA announcements and chartered buses. This is more along the lines of beach picnics with Champagne and caviar and Balinese day beds on the pool deck.

Shore thing: The Caribbean is cruising's Disney World: overcrowded and overprogrammed, but full of gems if you know how to navigate it right. Your best bet is to board a smaller ship that can get you off the well-beaten path. SeaDream Yacht Club's two 110-passenger ships do just that. On this itinerary, the ships stop at Puerto Rico's jungle-spotted Vieques (increasingly popular since the U.S. military pulled out). After sunset, you'll board a pontoon boat and sail through Mosquito Bay—more often called Bio Bay for the bioluminescent plankton that fill the water with an eerie blue-green light. Go ahead and jump in. The technical term is "dinoflagellatis," but you can just call it pretty cool.

The details: Seven-night cruises depart December through April.
From $2,900 per person

SeaDream Yacht Club
Tel: 800 707 4911