Civitavecchia (Rome), Valencia, Malaga, Tangier, Philipsburg, San Juan

Our gateway to the Eternal City, Civitavecchia has served as Rome's seaport since the 13th century, boasting a long and venerable history. Its location near the modern city, made it a perfect vacation resort for emperor Trajan, who built a pleasure villa. while Bernini and Michelangelo designed the harbor fortifications. Yet the Eternal City, the ancient capital of the Western World and the center of Christianity for nearly 2.000 years, is our main reason to be here. YYou can visit the ruins of the Forum and the Colosseum, throw a coin in Fontana di Trevi to make sure you return to Rome one day, take a photo in front of the Vatican, view the splendors of the Sistine Chapel or climb the Spanish Steps, once the heart of Rome's Bohemian Quarter and enjoy a delicious gelato, in the glamorous area.

Since its founding as a Roman colony in 138 B.C., the Visigoths, the Moors, the Catalan and Aragonese and the modern tomato-throwers have thrived on the shores of the Mediterranean at the Gulf of Valencia. Valencia is a mix of the old and the new. The historic past is depicted in the stone geometry of the Valencia Cathedral,  the mediaeval gates of the Serrano and Quart towers, or the Tribunal de las Aguas (Water Court) and one of the most iconic examples of Gothic architecture in Europe, the Lonja de la Seda, declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO. The new facet is embodied in the arching white steel of the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava.

The southernmost large city in Europe, lies on the Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun) of the Mediterranean, about 100 km east of the Strait of Gibraltar and about 130 km north of Africa. Málaga's history spans about 2.800 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. The walls of the Phoenician city are visible in the cellar of the Museo Picasso Málaga. The best-preserved Moorish citadel in Spain is located next to the Roman theater, which which dates from the 1st century BC and was rediscovered in 1951. The nearby caverns of Nerja provided refuge to humans 30,000 years ago and is a must-visit tourist attraction. Cruise guests can visit the old castles, the museums and the beaches or enjoy the scenery, sipping a Malaga sweet wine, accompanied with a plate of tapas.

Tangier is part of the Kingdom of Morocco, Africa's whitewashed gateway to Europe and the Mediterranean, a rich blend of cultures, exotic souks, colourful riads, the Kasbah, lively markets.. Wide palm-lined boulevards and humming souks are Tangier's distinctively Moroccan characteristics, but Spanish, French and Berber influences are found everywhere: watch the arched wooden doors, the hefty silver ornamentations, the tighly-woven carpets that tell tribal legends.You can take a tour at the caves of Hercules and the colourful souks of the Old Medina, the Kasbah and the majestic mountains of the Rif.

Philipsburg is the capital of the Dutch section of the island Saint Maarten, which, geographically 60% percent French and 40% Dutch.

This Caribbean gem lies between clear Caribbean Sea and the Great Salt Pond, on a gentle arc of land with a saltwater lake to the north and a bay to the south.  There is an esplanade running alongside a white sand beach, giving you the opportunity to choose either shopping or sunning. You can do exciting shopping at the duty-free boutiques of Front Street, one of the great shopping avenues of the Caribbean and search the quaint clothes boutiques or browse for duty-free bargains. Outside town, you can choose from one of the island's nearly 40 beaches, such as Mullet Bay, which is one of the nicest.