Day 1 – Barcelona, Spain

Departs 04:00 pm.

The 1992 Summer Olympics revealed to the world what Europeans and seasoned travelers already knew – Barcelona is one of the world’s greatest treasures. Vibrant and earthy, commercial and cultural, this city of two million residents is the capital of Spain’s autonomous region of Catalonia. Stroll along the wide, tree-lined promenades of Las Ramblas and marvel at the spires of Gaudi’s Basilica La Sagrada Familia. Or visit the former Olympic Ring on the hill of Montjuic – also home to world-class parks, fountains and museums. Barcelona, which nurtured such artistic giants as Picasso, Dali, Miro and Casals, is definitely a traveler’s paradise.

Day 2 – Valencia, Spain

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 05:00 pm.

Day 3 – Alicante, Spain

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 05:00 pm.

Day 4 – Malaga, Spain

Arrives 10:00 am, departs 11:00 pm.

One of Spain’s oldest cities, Malaga has been inhabited since the time of the Phoenicians, who called it Malaka. A city of narrow streets, whitewashed houses, churches and sunny plazas, Malaga offers an idealized image of Spain. Malaga was the chief port for the Kingdom of Granada, the last stronghold of Moorish Spain. The city fell to Ferdinand and Isabelle in 1487. The re-conquest of Spain ended with the fall of Grenada in 1492, the year Columbus discovered the New World. In addition to the fabled Alhambra, Granada boasts some significant landmarks such as the Old Quarter, the majestic Granada Cathedral, Alcazaba – an ancient Moorish fortress nestled above the city, and the Royal Chapel – the final resting place of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Andalusia’s main port is also your gateway to the resorts of the Costa del Sol.

Day 5 – Tangier, Morocco

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 09:00 pm.

Day 6 – Seville (Cadiz), Spain

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 06:00 pm.

Mention Spain and the images that inevitably spring to mind are images of Andalusia – shadows falling across the bullring, the staccato rhythms of flamenco, the waft of orange blossoms from a Moorish garden. Cadiz is your gateway to this storied land and the city of Seville. Visit Seville’s massive Alcazar fortress, modeled on the legendary Alhambra Palace of Granada. See the city’s cathedral, a 15th-century Gothic masterwork that boasts a Moorish patio, fountain and minaret. Seville is also the legendary home of Don Juan, Bizet’s Carmen and Rossini’s Barber of Seville.Cadiz is one’s of Europe’s oldest inhabited cities, dating from 1100 B.C., and your gateway to Seville and Andalusia.

Day 7 – At Sea

Day 8 – Lisbon, Portugal

Arrives 07:00 am.

Draped across seven hills, Lisbon was once the center of a vast maritime empire that stretched from the west coast of Africa to the Spice Islands of the East Indies. Then, on November 1, 1755, a violent earthquake destroyed two-thirds of the city in the space of 10 minutes. Only the Alfama, the old Moorish quarter, survived. Today, Lisbon is a stately city of Neoclassical buildings and wide plazas.

Day 9 – Lisbon, Portugal

Departs 05:00 pm.

Draped across seven hills, Lisbon was once the center of a vast maritime empire that stretched from the west coast of Africa to the Spice Islands of the East Indies. Then, on November 1, 1755, a violent earthquake destroyed two-thirds of the city in the space of 10 minutes. Only the Alfama, the old Moorish quarter, survived. Today, Lisbon is a stately city of Neoclassical buildings and wide plazas.

Day 10 – Leixoes (Porto), Portugal

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 05:00 pm.

Day 11 – La Coruna, Spain (for Santiagode Compostela)

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 04:00 pm.

With La Coruña’s impressive and extensive history, visitors are often surprised at how modern the city is. It was from here that, in 1588, Spain sent its “invincible” Armada sailing. A year later, Sir Francis Drake sent those ships scrambling, burning most of the city just for good measure. Drake’s invasion was ultimately repelled by the peoples of La Coruña, inspired by the local heroine, María Pita. In the process, La Coruña lost all of its Roman antiquities, including the Torre de Hercules, the present day monument as undergone several transformations over the centuries, the most important one carried out in 1788 by the engineer Eustaquio Giannini, who built the current façades around what remained of the Roman lighthouse, now declared a World Heritage Site. The city does, however, still offer incredible vistas, situated as it is on an outstretch of land blanketed on each side by the sea. Be sure to visit the Ciudad Vieja, the small old town that watches over the Darsena de La Marina harbor. Here you will find many pleasant cafes from which you can people-watch. Notice that most of the streets are lined with glass covered balconies built for protection again the city’s winds and rain. The port of La Coruña serves as your gateway to Santiago de Compostela, one of the greatest pilgrimages of the Middle Ages. As the site of the supposed shrine of St. James the Apostle, it is the third holiest site in all Christendom, following Jerusalem and Rome. Pilgrims believed that making the journey here would reduce their sentence in purgatory by one-half.

Day 12 – Bilbao, Spain

Arrives 09:00 am, departs 06:00 pm.

Bilbao used to be off the beaten track, but Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum literally put Bilbao on the map. The city offers impressive, 19th-century buildings and bridges and is the gateway to the Basque country.Perched on the hills above the rust-colored waters of the Nervion River, Bilbao is a thriving port and the commercial heart of Spain’s Basque country. The city dates back to the Middle Ages – it was granted city status by Don Diego Lopez de Haro, Lord of Biscay, in 1300 – but it was the 19th century and the Industrial Revolution that cemented Bilbao’s economic status. Among the city’s charms are the jumble of bars and restaurants found in Siete Calles, the city’s old quarter. The Gran Via and the Alameda Mazarredo are graceful, wide 19th-century boulevards. And while the port still bustles with maritime traffic, the undulating lines of Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum attest to Bilbao’s cultural vitality in the 21st century.

Day 13 – La Rochelle, France

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 06:00 pm.

Day 14 – At Sea

Day 15 – Dun Laoghaire (Dublin), Ireland

Arrives 07:00 am, departs 07:00 pm.

Day 16 – Cork, Ireland

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 05:00 pm.

Day 17 – Plymouth, England, United Kingdom

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 05:00 pm.

Day 18 – St Peter Port, Guernsey

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 06:00 pm.

Day 19 – Le Havre (for Paris/Normandy), France

Arrives 07:00 am, departs 11:59 pm.

Perhaps no other place in France holds more associations for English-speaking visitors than Normandy. The historic Allied landings on D-Day – 6 June, 1944 – live on in the memories of British and Americans alike. Nor has Le Havre forgotten the dark days of the war. The port was nearly completely destroyed during the Normandy campaign. Today, Le Havre is France’s second largest port and the gateway to Paris, “City of Light,” the Norman countryside, and the historic landing beaches. Travelers usually head for the historic landing sites or to Paris. Yet Le Havre was designated a World Heritage Site in 2005. The Musee des Beaux Arts Andre Malraux boasts one of the finest collections of Impressionist painting in the world.

Day 20 – At Sea

Day 21 – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Arrives 07:00 am.

Mention Holland and most people think of tulips, windmills, and wooden shoes. In reality, Amsterdam has been a vital European cultural center since the Middle Ages.The Dutch boast that God may have made the world, but they made the Netherlands. Dams, sea gates, and the 19-mile dyke walling out the Zuider Zee have allowed the Dutch to reclaim their low-lying country from the North Sea. The marsh that originally surrounded Amsterdam steadily disappeared beneath the expanding city. Vibrant, fascinating and always alive, Amsterdam is imbued with the quality the Dutch call “gezelligheid.” Explore the city’s 700-year-old streets and marvel at its stepped-gable houses. Cruise down its bustling canals and browse the colorful flower markets. Did we mention that you can shop for everything from cheese and chocolates to diamonds and Delftware?