Genoa, Marseille (Provence), Barcelona, Funchal (Madeira), Barbados, St. George, Willemstad, Cartagena, Puerto Limon-, Puntarenas, Puerto Quetzal, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, San Diego, Los Angeles

Today we are visiting Genoa, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria, a powerful commercial center seaport and city-state. It was the birthplace of the great adventurer Christopher Columbus and its maritime roots have fostered a dialect that has absorbed elements of Neapolitan, Calabrese and Portuguese over the centuries. Genoa's harbor is a bustling swarm of activity, hosting a museum and an aquarium and has a magnificent medieval flair, ideal for a nice stroll. This port is our launching point for the sprawling metropolis of Milan.

Marseille is the largest port on the Mediterranean, France's second largest city and a virtual melting pot of peoples and cultures. It is a unique city with a feel and culture all its own. It is also a place of striking contrasts, from the fishing boats of the picturesque Vieux Port to the modern Canebiere. Dominating the harbor is the infamous Chateau d'If, the rocky prison from which Alexandre Dumas' "Count of Monte Cristo" escaped. If you have time, explore the countryside around Arles and Avignon, immortalized in the canvases of Van Gogh, Cezanne, Matisse and Picasso, try the renowned bouillabaisse or tour the lovely towns and vineyards of Provence. 

Barcelona is one of the world's greatest treasures, a global capital of commerce, fashion, culture and sunshine. Cruise visitors should start with a walk down Las Ramblas, the glorious tree-shaded thoroughfare at the heart of the city, enjoy a dive in the wonderful beaches nearby, but, most of all, see what visionary architect Antoni Gaudi wrought. Seven of his creations have been honored as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including La Sagrada Familia, the Park Guell and Casa Mila. Time provided, you can also visit the former Olympic Ring on the hill of Montjuic, 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.

Madeira is located in the north Atlantic Ocean, 520 km from the African coast and 1.000 km from the European continent. Today, it is a popular year-round resort, noted for its wine, flowers, landscapes and embroidery artisans. Madeira's capital Funchal, on the island's south coast, rises straight up from the sea and enchants visitors, with its red roofs and hibiscus easing gently down the lower slopes of Pico do Arieiro to the ocean. Time given, take the cable car toMonte Palace, in a 15-minute ride up and over the old town of Funchal and the Ribeira de Joao Gomes valley. When in town, wander along the Old centre, with its port and promenade, quaint and narrow winding streets, shops, cafés, bars and restaurants and view "Worker's Market", the 15th-century cathedral, the Theatre, the Town Hall and the waterfront.

Our stop at Bridgetown Barbados will reveal the British influence most directly in the historic old section of town, which has been singled out as aUNESCO World Heritage Site. Among other highlights, take a visi at the Barbados Museum and the Careenage district, with its bars and restaurants. While in Barbados, you will see various remnants and influences of the English settlerswho arrived in what is now Bridgetown in 1628: Cricket is the national sport, afternoon tea is 
a given, and motorists hug left. Before leaving, you can visit a rum distillery or take a tour to Bathsheba Pools.

St. George's is a popular Caribbean tourist destination and the capital of Grenada. The city is situated at the foot of an old volcano crater. Its port has the shape of a horseshoe.

Willemstad, with its deepwater harbor Shottegat, interlacing waterways and narrow shop fronts is the capital City of Curaçao, former Dutch colony, divided in two by St. Anna Bay. Its neighborhoods mix Dutch, Spanish and Portugueseurban styles and then dresses them in effulgent pastels, thus granting it the title of World Heritage City.

Wander the shops and markets of the Punda and Otrobanda districts and soak up some color. Punda is the oldest part of the city, showcasing beautiful 17th - and 18th-century Dutch-style architecture. Make a stop at the floating market, so named because of the vendors who sail by sea from Venezuela each morning to sell their fresh vegetables, fruit and seafood. Don't miss the marine park, taste international cuisine and dance the night away at the numerous bars and discos.

Founded by the Spanish colonists, on June 1, 1533, in a protected bay in the Caribbean Sea, Cartagena has the most extensive fortifications in South America. A system of zones divides the city into three neighbourhoods: downtown San Pedro, with the cathedral and many Andalusian-style palaces; quiet San Diego, where merchants and the middle class lived; and Gethsemani, the 'popular quarter' with plenty of night clubs. Its fortifications, constructed by the Spanish, are today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town the walls protected is also part of that World Heritage designation. Cruise visitors can walk those deeply textured alleyways today through some of the best-preserved colonial neighborhoods of the Americas. There are nice beaches ready to enjoy, such as the busy Bocagrande, which is close to the city and the quiet Playa Blanca, in the south, across the bay.

Puerto Limón or Limón is the capital city of Limón province in Costa Rica. It is an important city for cruise ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Puerto Limón contains two port terminals, Limón and Moín. Two small islands, Uvita Island and Isla de Pájaros, are just offshore.

Our visit to Puntarenas, the capital and largest city in the Province of Puntarenas, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, is a discovery of the richness of the area. If you choose a nature tour, you will see the rainforest from up high during a canopy tour through wispy ferns, winding lianas and delicate orchids. There is also a possibility to taste nature’s bounty at one of the plantations which produce the country’s famously rich coffee. If you prefer to relax, just lay back, surrounded by lush palms and crystal clear waters. You may also choose a trip to Monteverde National Park (80 kms distance), which is considered a major ecotourism destination in Costa Rica, an island which may look small, but it conceals mysterious cloud forests, quiet beaches and extraordinary wildlife, that have granted her the title "The Switzerland of Central America".

Guatemala's largest Pacific Ocean port is also the gateway to some of the most fascinating and beautiful sightseeing in the country. Head north, through plantations where the air is perfumed with sugar cane and coffee, across mountain ridges overlooking beautiful Lake Atitlan, take a rigorous hiking trip on Pacaya Volcano with a countryside drive or a full-day tour from the coast, past volcano-guarded mountains, to the colonial capital of Antigua, where cobblestone streets and period architecture evoke the area's age-old Spanish colonial heritage. The charming town, located 4,500 feet above sea level, is also a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for both its colorful Spanish Mudéjar-influenced Baroque architecture and its many ruins of colonial churches. Naturalists can opt for Los Tarrales and a bird-watching trip to a nature reserve in the cloud forest or Auto Safari Chapin is a scenic drive through an open-air wildlife park. One tour of extreme historical interest is the Copan Route of the Mayas at Copan Archaeological Park.

Squeezed into the thin space between Banderas Bay and the verdant folds of the Sierra Madre, Puerto Vallarta might no longer be the well-kept secret of the artists, writers and Hollywood stars who first "discovered" it in the 1960s, however, it still retains the essence of the fishing village it once was.

The Old Town, Viejo Vallarta, is a mix of red-tiled buildings, cobbled streets, chic shops and busy open markets. During your visit, don't miss a walk at Gringo Gulch- known as the most romantic spot in the world- a swim at Mismaloya Beach and Conchas Chinasand for extra doses of adrenaline, choose hiking into the rugged canyons and luxuriant jungles of the mountains.

Cabo San Lucas is the entertainment hub and the end of the road, along the southern tip of Baja California and is rated as one of Mexico's top 5 tourist destinations. San The Old town, San Jose del Cabo, exudes classic Mexico. In between the two cities, the resort-fringed coast is slathered in sunshine. Combine fine shopping, blue surf and big fish at beaches that shine: Lover's Beach, Playa Medano (the most popular, 3,2 kms long), Chileno and Las Playitas, a series of mini-beaches tucked into weathered coves. Land’s End is by far the most impressive attraction Cabo has to offer. Hop on a tourist boat (panga) and head to El Arco (the Arch), a distinctive rock formation at the southern tip of Cabo San Lucas. It is here that the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez.

San Diego is a huge coastal city on the Pacific Ocean in Southern California. The city is located north of the Mexican border, across from Tijuana. San Diego is an incredible place to visit almost any time of the year due to its mild Mediterranean climate. The city’s landscape is shaped by canyons, flat lands and rolling hills. The Old Town is within walking distance from the port.

Los Angeles, California, is one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world and the second-largest in the United States. The "City of Angels" is an exciting metropolis, a world-class premium shopping destination and leads the world in the creation of television productions, video games and recorded music. Not to miss, are the Hollywood Entertainment District (the area surrounding the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue) and LA Fashion District, with more than 1.000 fashion-related businesses - the largest concentration in the Western United States. Continue to the "Platinum Triangle", Beverly Hills, Bel Air and Holmby Hills, as all three areas are regarded as the most affluent within Los Angeles, check out downtown LA, with the historic Union Station, El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument at Paseo de la Plaza- a collection of historic buildings, artifacts, museums and exhibits (both indoor and outdoor), continue to Old Chinatown Central Plaza, Los Angeles State Historic Park, Little Tokyo District, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). For beach lovers, don't miss Santa Monica, including Third Street Promenade, Venice Beach and the Malibu Coast with more than twenty-four beaches to choose from.