<p>As Princess Cruises ships begin to return to the Caribbean  this month for the fall cruise season, they will also introduce 16 new  shore excursion   options for passengers, including a series of "Connoisseur" tours with  smaller groups for a more personal experience. Options range from hiking  mountains to exploring caves, and watching monkeys to discovering a  cocoa plantation.</p>
<p>The new tours are part of the approximately 550 shore excursion options  available in 38 Caribbean ports during the season.  Among the new  offerings are a selection of Connoisseur excursions, special tours with  smaller groups and unique experiences, including visits to exclusive  resorts, tours of private estates and even the experience of sailing in a  yacht race. Family groups will also find new tours designed especially  with kids in mind, including a pirate ship adventure and boogie boarding  lessons.</p>
<p>"The local tour operators we work with continue to develop such  wonderful ways for passengers to make the most of their time in the  islands, and we're happy to be able to offer these new options," said  Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president.</p>
<p>Some of the new excursion options include:</p>
<p><strong> Tobago Cocoa Discovery (Tobago)</strong> At its peak, Trinidad and Tobago produced 75 million pounds of cocoa  annually, 20 percent of the world's supply.  This new agro-tourism  heritage excursion takes passengers on a walking tour through the Tobago  Cocoa Estate overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.  Participants can learn  about the history of the cocoa industry plus visit a mud oven and a  cocoa house where the cocoa is dried.</p>
<p><strong>Harrison's Cave &amp; Scenic Drive (Barbados)</strong> Considered one of the Caribbean's top natural attractions, Harrison's  Cave was recently redeveloped for easier access. The magnificent  crystallized limestone cavern surrounds visitors with stunning  stalactites and stalagmites.  Passengers will see the 50-foot "Great  Hall" chamber and the cave's thunderous 40-foot waterfall that cascades  into a blue-green lake.</p>
<p><strong>Bonaire Exploration (Bonaire)</strong> They look like mountains of snow ... but they are actually mounds of  salt. The Bonaire salt flats are one of the dramatic attractions on this  new island tour. Passengers take an eye-opening trip along the south  coast where they can enjoy the view. After a tour of the salt flats, the  adventure continues as passengers explore the area of Washikemba with  its giant cactus, wild donkeys, iguanas and birds.</p>
<p><strong>Hiking Christoffel Mountain (Curacao)</strong> Curacao's largest national park and conservation area, Christoffel Park  consists of three former plantations and is filled with flora and fauna  ... and numerous hiking trails.  The park's most challenging hike is a  three-hour trek to the island's highest point (1,239 feet) where hikers  can enjoy dramatic views across the island.</p>
<p><strong>Monkey Watch &amp; Canal Nature Cruise (Fuerte Amador, Panama)</strong> From the Panama Canal's Gatun Lake passengers travel into a labyrinth of  islands in search of monkeys and other native animals.  In this  protected area visitors will likely encounter capuchin monkeys,  three-toed sloths, howler monkeys, various kinds of toucans, as well as  caimans, crocodiles, turtles, and a wealth of butterflies.  Trained  naturalist guides ensure that participants see and understand all that  they spot.</p>
<p><strong>Fort San Lorenzo &amp; Gatun Locks (Panama Canal)</strong> Fort San Lorenzo is one of the most complete and largest of the forts  built in Panama, full of pirate history and amazing views.  The  16th-century fortress sits high on the cliff that overlooks both the  Atlantic and the entrance to the Chagres River.  Passengers will learn  the history of the buccaneers and Captain Morgan's attack.  Passengers  will also get to visit the Gatun Locks observation area where they have a  close-up look at the operation of the Canal's largest set of locks.</p>
<p><strong>Playa El Coco Beach Break (San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua)</strong> Secluded, unspoiled Coco Beach is one of Nicaragua's best beaches.   Passengers will enjoy a day of fun in the sun, plus get to taste the  national drink -- Macu&aacute;, made with white rum and fruit juices.  Active  passengers can rent boogie boards, surf boards and bicycles.</p>
<p><strong>Jost Van Dyke Beach Adventure (Tortola, BVI)</strong> Just four miles long, with fewer than 200 inhabitants,  Jost Van Dyke is  truly the "barefoot" island known for its laid-back lifestyle and  white-sand beaches.  Passengers will land on the glorious beach of White  Bay just as the early settlers did -- directly onto the sand.  The  beach is lined with bars but the most notable is the Soggy Dollar Bar,  named for the condition of the money from sailors who swam ashore.</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">New Family Tours </span></strong>-- Perfect for family groups, these tours include special activities just for young cruisers.</p>
<p><strong>Family Fun, Beach &amp; Nature Walk (St. Maarten)</strong> This family-friendly outing visits unspoiled Guana Bay Beach, located on  the Atlantic coast of St. Maarten.  Wave action here is ideal for body  surfing and boogie-boarding, and one of the guides will take charge of  the young ones boogie board lessons.  Adults can participate as well or  watch the action.  The whole family then sets off on a sightseeing  nature walk along an old plantation trail offering panoramic views.   <strong>Pirate Schooner to Turtle Cove (St. Thomas, USVI) </strong> Do pirates really say "Arrgghhhh?"  Family members can find out when  they step aboard the classic schooner "Bones" for some high seas fun.  All swabbies are invited to take a nice long walk down the short plank  for a "wee" dip in Turtle Cove.  The friendly, motley crew provides  snorkel equipment.  On the fun sail back to St. Thomas kids can become  an honorary captain and take a turn at the wheel.  "Pirates" will come  home with a tattoo, eye-patch and a souvenir photo.</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">New Connoisseur Tours </span></strong>-- These special excursions offer  intimate, exclusive experiences to groups no larger than 20 passengers.  Each includes unique experiences not offered on other tours, with some  also including an upscale dining experience.</p>
<p><strong>"America's Cup 12-Metre" Yacht Race (Cozumel)</strong> Passengers can "compete" in an actual simulated race around a shortened  "America's Cup" course, and under the watchful eyes of the experienced  crew, are invited to participate in the thrill of sailing these fabulous  "greyhounds of the sea."  Each guest is offered a small task and is  given instruction by the crewmembers.</p>
<p><strong>A Hacienda Experience (Limon, Costa Rica)</strong> This memorable cultural experience features a visit to a unique  family-owned, century-old hacienda, nestled in the mountains near San  Jose, Costa Rica.  The hacienda serves as a home and boutique guest  house capturing expansive views of the Central Valley and magnificent  Reventazon River.  Participants will learn about the colonial days and  the processing of sugarcane, coffee, and macadamia nuts.</p>
<p><strong>Carara National Park &amp; Villa Caletas (Puntarenas, Costa Rica)</strong> This tour combines a nature walk through a national park and lunch at a  superb mountain retreat.  Carara National Park, one of the most famous  in Costa Rica, has one of the world's largest populations of wild  scarlet macaws.  Naturalists lead passengers on a two-hour walk filled  with a variety of bird life.  Next is lunch at Villa Caletas, a  one-of-a-kind mountain boutique resort nestled 1,150 feet above the  Pacific.</p>
<p><strong>The Magnificent Pitons at Ladera Resort (St. Lucia)</strong> Views of the awe-inspiring Pitons are combined with an unforgettable  lunch at the Caribbean's #1 resort hotel in this excursion option.   Passengers will travel through the rolling countryside of St. Lucia's  lush western coast, including a UNESCO World Heritage Site management  area.  Participants visit the famous Ladera Resort, where they'll have  lunch enjoying the commanding view of the twin Pitons mountains.</p>
<p>Six Princess ships will visit more than 25 ports throughout the idyllic  Caribbean in 2010-11, with 14 itinerary choices. In addition three ships  sail on Panama Canal routes, with a variety of itinerary options,  including the two-day Canal Experience for more time to explore Panama.</p>