Note: All participants must be onboard the ship no later than 60 minutes prior to sailing.

Afternoon: Embark ship.

Participate in the ship's Safety Drill.

**Note: Participants will receive a full itinerary once onboard. The Road Scholar group leader will deliver an itinerary to each participant's stateroom and try to meet all members of the group prior to dinner and the program orientation.

Dinner: On board the ship.


Evening: Welcome Orientation.

Lodging: Riviera - Oceania Cruises

Meals Included: Dinner

Key West, Florida -
Exploring Key West's Historic Sites/Trolley Tour/Free Time.

Breakfast: On board the ship.


Morning: Enjoy a lecture about Harry Truman's Little White House with Bob Woltz, our Truman expert on board the ship.

Disembark in Key West and take the City View Trolley.

We will take the Trolley for an hour long, narrated trip around the island- 4 miles long and 2 miles wide. This will help you see why this is such a fascinating place to visit!.

We will get off the trolley at stop 6, to visit the Hemingway House and a professional docent will lead us through this famous residence of a very colorful former resident.



Lunch: At a local restaurant.


Afternoon: After lunch we will get back on the trolley and complete the tour and get off at stop 1, where we will visit the Little White House and Audubon House both led by a professional docent

Return to the ship.


Dinner: On board the ship.


Lodging: Riviera - Oceania Cruises

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: On board the ship.


Morning: Lecture: Cultural and Natural Wonders of the Coast and Caribbean.

Opportunity for discussion with leader and members of the group.


Lunch: On board the ship.


Afternoon: Free afternoon to enjoy ship amenities.


Dinner: On board the ship.


Lodging: Riviera - Oceania Cruises

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Costa Maya, Mexico -
Chacchoben Archaeological Site/Local Maya Community.

Breakfast: On board the ship.


Morning: Morning at leisure to enjoy the ship amenities and get ready for today's activities.

Disembark at Costa Maya Port in the town of Mahahual.

Transfer to the Chacchoben Maya community (approximately 50 mins drive). Once there, enjoy some cultural interaction and learn about the life of the modern day Maya. Visit the home of a local family.


Lunch: Learn about local foods and help to prepare a typical meal--including the making of corn tortillas. Then sit down to enjoy the savory fruits of your labor and watch a demonstration of traditional Maya dances.

Afternoon: After lunch, transfer to the nearby Chacchoben Archaeological Site.

Most of the ancient Maya buildings at Chacchoben were designed in the Peten style and were constructed during the Classic Period (A.D. 200-700). The complex contains a number of temples and smaller structures that were used for ceremonial purposes. Because some of the buildings still have the remnants of the original stucco and paint, visitors are not allowed to climb the temples.

Late-afternoon return to the ship.


Dinner: On board the ship.


Lodging: Riviera - Oceania Cruises

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Roatan, Honduras -
Carambola Botanical Gardens/Reef Ecology and Snorkeling at West Bay.

Breakfast: On board the ship.


Morning: Disembark at Roatan, the largest island in the Bay Islands archipelago. Once favored by pirates then controlled by the British, the island is now a preferred destination for divers and romantics. It has a mountainous backbone, is surrounded by coral reef, and boasts some of the best snorkeling and diving in the hemisphere.

A short, 20 minute, drive by air conditioned bus will take us to the beautiful Carambola Botanical Gardens. Listen to a lecture on the history of fruit commerce between Roatan and New Orleans before enjoying a guided walk on the botanical garden's trails.


Lunch: At a local restaurant.


Afternoon: After lunch, transfer to West Bay.

A lecture on reef ecology, plus an overview of snorkeling procedures will prepare us for a guided exploration of Roatan's beautiful coral reefs.

Return to the ship.


Dinner: On board the ship.


Dinner: On board the ship.


Lodging: Riviera - Oceania Cruises

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Dinner

Tikal, Guatemala -
Disembark at Santo Tomas/Flight to Flores/Tikal National Park.

Note: Pack a small bag for the overnight trip to Tikal National Park. We'll return to the ship the next day. All must walk for approx 20 mins on an unpaved path from the park entrance/visitor center to reach the first ruins. Activities will include climbing steep staircases and walking on forest trails. Bring binoculars, camera, hat, bug repellent, sunblock, rain poncho, good walking shoes, and water bottle. Ave. daytime temps from 88-90F and ave. humidity 75-82%. More rain from Jun-Nov.

Breakfast: On board the ship.


Morning: Diembark and transfer to the airport for flight to Flores*. *Please note that the flight confirmation and itinerary will be provided on-site.

Upon arrival transfer to Tikal National Park and visit the museum.

The Tikal Museum (Museo Sylvanus G. Morley) is a small museum filled with exquisite ceramics and artifacts excavated from Tikal. One of the more notable pieces include the three long-nosed, pale turquoise rain gods.


Lunch: Lunch at the park.


Afternoon: Field trip to Tikal National Park archaeological site. During this activity, enjoy on-site instruction on the history and architecture of this impressive Maya complex.

Tikal, with its massive temples rising high above the Petén Jungle, is the kind of exotic place one would expect to see in an Indiana Jones movie. Walking within this enormous archaeological complex can be overwhelming if not accompanied by a knowledgeable guide or a good map. During its apogee in the Classic Period, Tikal was the center of a powerful kingdom that dominated the region both economically and politically. The remains of this once vibrant city are still impressive and include more than 4,000 structures and six of the tallest temples of its kind (some are over 200 feet tall!).

Transfer to hotel and check in.

Time at leisure to enjoy the hotel and surrounding area.


Dinner: At the hotel restaurant.


Lodging: Camino Real Tikal

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Belize City, Belize -
Yaxha National Park/Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center/Embark on Ship.

Breakfast: At the hotel restaurant.


Morning: Field trip to Yaxha National Park, located approximately 45 miles from Flores.

The Yaxha ruins are part of the Maya Biosphere Reserve along with the sites of Nakum and El Naranjo. Findings indicate that the city was occupied throughout the pre-classic and post-classic periods and that it was allied to Tikal. Yaxha has more than 500 buildings, including a twin pyramid complex not seen anywhere else save in Tikal.

Transfer to Belize City with border crossing procedures en route.


Lunch: At a local restaurant featuring typical Beliziean cuisine.


Afternoon: Field trip to the Belize Zoo.

The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center was founded in 1983. The organization was born from an effort to provide a safe haven for a number of wild animals that, ironically, had been used in the making of documentaries about tropical forests. The zoo and its education center encompass 29 acres of tropical savanna and house more than 125 animals native to Belize.

Transfer to Belize City and board the ship.

Take advantage of some free time to freshen-up before dinner.


Dinner: On board the ship.


Lodging: Riviera - Oceania Cruises

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Cozumel, Mexico -
Ferry to Playa del Carmen/Exploring Tulum Ruins.

Breakfast: On board the ship.


Morning: Disembark in Cozumel and board a ferry to Playa del Carmen.

From Playa del Carmen, transfer by coach to Tulum. Admire and study the ancient Maya ruins of Tulum during walking explorations of the archaeological site.

Although the ruins at Tulum lack the grandeur of Chichén Itzá and Cobá, its setting is breathtaking. The ancient city is situated on a cliff overlooking the azure waters of the Caribbean. It is easy to understand why the Tulum ruins are such a popular destination for travelers to the Yucatán.

Despite having been built sometime during the Early Classic Period (250-600), the walled city of Tulum did not gain true importance until the Late Post Classic Period (1200-1530). When the Spaniards arrived in the early sixteenth century, Tulum still operated as an important trading port. It is believed to be one of the last cities of the Mayan world to be abandoned after Spain's conquest.

Transfer back to Playa del Carmen.


Lunch: At a local restaurant at Playa del Carmen.


Afternoon: Time at leisure to explore Playa del Carmen.

Take the ferry back to Cozumel and board the ship.


Dinner: On board the ship.


Lodging: Riviera - Oceania Cruises

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

George Town, Cayman Islands -
Exploring George Town/Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Park.

Breakfast: On board the ship.


Morning: Morning at leisure to enjoy the ship amenities and get ready for today's activities.

Disembark in time for an early lunch.


Lunch: At a local restaurant where you can try West Indian fare and savor fresh snapper, conch or marlin prepared Cayman-style.


Afternoon: After lunch, explore the east side of the island. Start with a drive through George Town, the island’s capital and major financial center. Continue along through the coastal residential district of South Sound with its fabulous homes. Visit Pedro St. James, a refurbished plantation home built in 1780, which boasts a multi-media theatre presentation that explains the history of the island and the house itself.

Continue on to the Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Park to view the colorful Caymanian flora and fauna of the park along with a traditional Caymanian cottage with its medicinal plants and local fruit trees. During the nature walk, visitors can hope to see a variety of native and migratory birds and animals including endangeered Cayman parrots. While you are there keep an eye out for the endangered Cayman blue iguana--one of the park's star attractions.

After enjoying panoramic views of the garden from the park's gazebo, finish the day with a stop at the Tortuga Rum Cake Factory.

Early evening return to the ship.


Dinner: On board the ship.


Lodging: Riviera - Oceania Cruises

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day at Sea -
Cruising the Straits of Florida/Shipboard Activities.

Breakfast: On board the ship.


Morning: Lecture: The Mesoamerican Reef and the Caribbean Sea.

Opportunity for discussion with the group leader and other members of your group.


Lunch: On board the ship.


Afternoon: Afternoon at leisure to enjoy the ship's wide range of amenities.


Dinner: On board the ship.


Lodging: Riviera - Oceania Cruises

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: The ship is expected to dock in Miami at 7:00 a.m. Once at port, the crew will begin readying the ship for the final disembarkation a few hours later.

Breakfast: On board the ship.


Morning: Arrive in Miami and disembark.

Participants will need to undergo Immigration and Customs procedures before leaving the port. Please take this into consideration when booking flight reservations (if applicable).


Meals Included: Breakfast