Lisbon, Leixoes, Honfleur, Southampton

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, on the southwest of the country, has been the main gateway for the rest of the planet for more than 19 centuries. Ships captained by Portuguese explorers like Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan, skittered across the globe, hauling treasure home and making Lisbon a global capital. 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, until 1755, when a violent earthquake destroyed two-thirds of the city, leaving intact only the Alfama, the old Moorish quarter. Today, Lisbon is a stately city of Neoclassical buildings and wide plazas. Eternally linked to the sea, Lisbon's magnificent harbor is spanned by the longest suspension bridge in Europe. Among the city's landmarks are the iconic Castelo de São Jorge, the World Heritage Sites of Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery, both built in Lisbon's native Manueline architectural style.

Leixões is a cruise terminal in Portugal, located near the city of Porto which is known mostly for its port wine trade. Porto is one of Europe's oldest cities, dating back to the 4th century, when it served as an important commercial port where the Atlantic Ocean and Douro River meet.

The peaceful setting of the picturesque port of Honfleur along the estuary of the River Seine attracted many artists and writers over the years including French painter Boudin, French poet Charles Baudelaire and many Impressionist Painters. The 15^th century wooden church and the Impressionist paintings of the Musée Eugene Boudin are worth visiting. Honfleur is a place of great historic charm and throughout its history numerous maritime journeys were initiated from here. In the early sixteenth century, Paulmier de Gouenville sailed to Brazil from here and Jean Denis set out on an exploration of the St. Lawrence River. During the early part of the next century, Champlain set sail from Honfleur to discover Quebec and later La Salle set sail on his voyage down the Mississippi and named the Louisiana after the King of France. From here it is possible to visit Monet's Garden, the Normandy Beaches and Bayeux, home of the world-famous Bayeux tapestry which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England and survives from the Middle Ages.

Southampton is the largest city of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Southampton is a major port.  It was the point of departure for the RMS Titanic in 1912.