World Cruise Liner – Sydney to London (Dover)

Sydney, capital of New South Wales and one of Australia’s largest cities, is best known for its harbourfront Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. Massive Darling Harbour and the smaller Circular Quay port are hubs of waterside life, with the arched Harbour Bridge and esteemed Royal Botanic Garden nearby.

Once considered the “country cousin” among Australian cities, Brisbane is today the nation’s third-largest metropolis – and one of the most desirable places to live in the country. Lying on the banks of the meandering Brisbane River, this cosmopolitan city boasts elegant 19th-century sandstone buildings, a lively cultural scene and superb parklands. Brisbane is also your gateway to uniquely Australian adventures, be it the theme parks of the Gold Coast or Queensland’s dazzling beaches.

The beaches south of Brisbane form Queensland’s Gold Coast. Travel tip: Brisbane is pronounced “Bris-bin.”

For over a century, Bali has fascinated the Western imagination. The island embodies the very essence of the exotic and mysterious East. Steep hillsides of tropical green reveal terraced rice paddies while plantations of coffee, banana, cacao and fragrant spices line the roads. Monkeys haunt the grounds of a sacred temple in a forest, while traditional villages produce intricately stylized batik, superb jewelry and beautiful paintings. And Balinese dance, with its angular movements and rhythms, remains somehow stirring and shocking. Bali may be accessible, but it remains forever exotic.

For all Bali’s scenic beauty, the island has weathered great natural disasters, from the 1963 eruption of Mt. Agung to a massive earthquake in 1976. The island emerged relatively unscathed from the great tsunami of 2004.

Note: All motorcoaches are equipped with air-conditioning.

Singapore – the very name summons visions of the mysterious East. The commercial center of Southeast Asia, this island city-state of four million people is a metropolis of modern high-rise buildings, Chinese shop-houses with red-tiled roofs, sturdy Victorian buildings, Buddhist temples and Arab bazaars. Founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles of the fabled East India Company, the city is a melting pot of people and cultures. Malay, Chinese, English and Tamil are official languages. Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity are the major faiths. Singapore is an ever-fascinating island boasting colorful traditions, luxurious hotels and some of the finest duty-free shopping in the world.

Lying just 85 miles north of the Equator at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, the island was a haven for Malay pirates and Chinese and Arab traders.

Sri Lanka conjures up the exotic and the mysterious. Once known as Ceylon, the island boasts a fantastic landscape that ranges from primeval rain forest to the bustling modern streets of Colombo, the capital. A visitor to Sri Lanka has a wealth of options. Relax on some of the world’s finest beaches. Explore the temples, halls and palaces of the last Sinhalese kingdom at Kandy. Or take a guided tour of an elephant orphanage. Colombo also offers an array of charms, from the Royal Botanic Gardens, once a royal pleasure garden, to the Pettah Bazaar, where vendors hawk everything under the sun.

Colombo and Sri Lanka were shaped by Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and European influences. Colombo also serves as a gateway for Overland Adventures to India.

The port of Aqaba has been an important strategic and commercial center for over three millennia. Originally called Elath, the home of the Edomites became in Roman times a trading center where goods from as far away as China found entry to Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Today Aqaba is Jordan’s only seaport, and the city serves as an intriguing gateway for travelers. In the surrounding desert lies the lost city of Petra – a city that may date to 6,000 B.C. – and Wadi Rum, where an English soldier mystic named T.E. Lawrence found his destiny as “Lawrence of Arabia.”

Perched at the apex of the Gulf of Aqaba, Aqaba offers internationally renowned diving opportunities and the richest marine life in the entire Red Sea. The old fortress on the waterfront dates to the 14th-century. Passengers should drink only bottled water while ashore. Please respect local customs and dress accordingly, avoiding exposed shoulders and knees.

Transiting through the Suez Canal is sure to be one of the lifelong memories of your cruise. The thought of a canal linking the Mediterranean and Red Sea extends back in history as far as 2100 B.C. Napoleon Bonaparte, pursuing his dreams of conquest, entertained the notion in 1798. But it was French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps who finally proved that a canal across the Suez was practicable. Work on the canal began in 1858. Eleven years later the opening of the Suez Canal was an international event. The world had acquired a quicker route to Asia-as well as a Verdi opera called Aida.

Of course the Suez Canal was a source of immediate controversy. The British wrested control of the canal from Egypt in 1882. Egypt regained control during its revolution of 1952. In 1956, the British, allied with the French and Israelis, nearly took the canal back. The Arab-Israeli Six Day War of 1967 closed the canal until 1973, when another war and intense international negotiations led to its return to Egyptian control.

Transiting through the Suez Canal is sure to be one of the lifelong memories of your cruise. The thought of a canal linking the Mediterranean and Red Sea extends back in history as far as 2100 B.C. Napoleon Bonaparte, pursuing his dreams of conquest, entertained the notion in 1798. But it was French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps who finally proved that a canal across the Suez was practicable. Work on the canal began in 1858. Eleven years later the opening of the Suez Canal was an international event. The world had acquired a quicker route to Asia-as well as a Verdi opera called Aida.

Of course the Suez Canal was a source of immediate controversy. The British wrested control of the canal from Egypt in 1882. Egypt regained control during its revolution of 1952. In 1956, the British, allied with the French and Israelis, nearly took the canal back. The Arab-Israeli Six Day War of 1967 closed the canal until 1973, when another war and intense international negotiations led to its return to Egyptian control.

Alexander the Great traveled to Egypt after conquering Greece and selected a small fishing village in the Mediterranean for his new capital, Alexandria. It’s now Egypt’s second largest city, and a juxtaposition of modern influences and ancient culture.

This small island in the Dodecanese enjoys a singular honor. In 1981 the Greek Parliament passed a special resolution designating Patmos a “Sacred Island.” For rocky and barren Patmos claims one of the holiest spots in Christendom: the Grotto of the Revelation. Exiled from Ephesus in 95 A.D., St. John retired to Patmos spending 18 months in a cave. There he received the visions that resulted in Revelation, the last Book of the New Testament. Travelers can still view the saint’s Grotto and climb the path to the 11th-century monastery of St. John the Theologian.

Patmos occupies a place in classical mythology as well. Orestes fled to Patmos to escape the Furies after avenging the murder of his father Agamemnon.

From the port of Kusadasi on Turkey’s Anatolian Coast, one travels into the past. Nearby stand the ruins of ancient Ephesus, a major site of archeological excavation. The city was once a Roman provincial capital and trading center. Ephesus is also home to several of Christendom’s holiest sites. St. Paul preached at the Great Theater and the ruins of Ephesus’ Basilica cover the tomb of Christ’s most beloved disciple, St. John the Apostle.

In Kusadasi, whitewashed stone houses rise in tiers behind the market district. The palm-lined esplanade is the center of town life, with thousands of merchants offering wares to rival the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

The past maintains a vibrant presence in the cradle of Western civilization. Atop the Acropolis, the serene Parthenon sails above the commotion of the modern city. The tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides were performed in the Theater of Dionysus at the foot of the Acropolis. On Pnyx Hill, citizens of a fledgling democracy gathered to cast their votes on Athens’ destiny. Then there is the hustle and bustle of the modern city, a metropolis of 4.5 million that spreads out from the foot of Mt. Lycabettus and across the plain. Packed with busy shops and lively tavernas, modern Athens is a colorful counterpoint to classical Greece.

Piraeus is the port city for Athens and has been Athens’ port of entry for over two millennia.

Malta is the largest in a group of seven islands that occupy a strategic position between Europe and Africa. The island’s history is long and turbulent. Everyone from the Normans to the Nazis have vied for control of this small, honey-colored rock. For centuries the island was the possession of the knightly Order of St. John – the Knights Hospitaller. Valletta, Malta’s current capital, was planned by the Order’s Grandmaster Jean de la Valette to secure the island’s eastern coast from Turk incursions. Founded in 1566, Valletta’s bustling streets are lined with superb Baroque buildings and churches.

Malta has a long history: the megalithic stone temples at Gozo may be the oldest freestanding structures on Earth. Malta has two official languages, Maltese (constitutionally the national language) and English. Malta was admitted to the European Union in 2004 and in 2008 became part of the eurozone.

Palermo is a cultural feast, a fascinating combination of East and West, Arab and Norman that is quite unlike any other European city on the Mediterranean. A simple stroll can serve to illustrate Palermo’s rich heritage. The Quattro Canti is the great square at the heart of the city. A short walk past its 17th-century palazzos and fountains brings the traveler to the Palazzo dei Normanni. Begun by Arab emirs in the 9th century, the Palazzo was finished by the island’s Norman conquerors. The Palazzo’s stone arches and buttresses stand in stark contrast to its Palatine Chapel. There elaborate tile work and mosaics lend mute testimonies to the Islamic and Byzantine influences that a lso shaped Palermo’s culture. The city abounds in such colorful sights, from the neo-classical Teatro Massimo, one of the largest opera houses in Europe, to the catacombs beneath the Capuchin convent, where thousands of mummified bodies lie in eternal rest.

Cartagena is an ancient port – the city served as Hannibal’s Spanish headquarters during the 2nd Punic War with Rome. The city remained a major trading port under the Romans and the Moors. Today, Cartagena is Spain’s principal naval establishment and the site of an annual international maritime festival. The city is also your gateway to the Costa Calida, a region that boasts some of Spain’s mildest weather along with 175 miles of beaches.

Porto is a fascinating and vibrant city that is rapidly becoming one of Western Europe’s most respected tourist destinations. The city boasts an extensive history. There is a lot to see and do in Porto, and this diverse city will appeal to a wide range of visitors. Opening up like a pop-up book from the banks of the Rio Douro, edgy-yet-opulent Porto entices with its historic centre, sumptuous food and wine, and charismatic locals.
The region is famed for the production of Port, which is still stored and matured in the vast cellars that stretch along the banks of the Douro River.

Zeebrugge is your gateway to Brussels. The capital of Belgium, Brussels is really two cities in one. Old Brussels is a city of superb Baroque architecture with ornate guildhalls, cobbled lanes and one of the finest squares in Europe. New Brussels is the modern city, the capital of the European Union, the home of NATO and the seat of the European Atomic Energy Community. It is a city of fascinating contrasts.

Gdynia is a port city on the Baltic coast of Poland. It’s known for its modernist buildings, including the Museum of the City of Gdynia, which has exhibits about local history. Kościuszki Square, with a distinctive fountain as its center, leads to the waterfront.

Dramatic 13th-century city walls surround the former Viking settlement of Visby, Sweden. Recognized by UNESCO as the best-preserved medieval commercial center in Northern Europe, this quaint town of 20,000 residents, known as the “City of Roses and Ruins,” is home to ancient forts, churches and winding streets lined with cafés and cozy cottages. The Gotlands Fornsal Museum explores 8,000 years of the region’s rich cultural history, from the geological formation of Gotland through the Viking period to the modern age. A venture beyond the ancient walls takes you to the Hanseatic harbor of Almedalen, dotted by such historical sites as the Kruttornet (Powder Tower) and the Jungfrutornet (Maiden’s Tower), or to scenic Dalmansporten, site of the 12th-century St. Mary Church, the only one of Visby’s earliest churches to still be in use today. For those seeking the solace of the countryside, Gotland, Sweden’s largest island, offers flowering meadows, pastoral views and the opportunity to experience the dairy products and sweet jams produced on local farms.

Perhaps their country’s harsh climate encouraged the Finns’ love and respect for design and the arts. Whatever the cause, there’s no denying that Helsinki is one of the most vibrant and beautiful cities in Scandinavia. Hailed as the “Daughter of the Baltic,” Finland’s capital is a city of graceful neoclassical buildings, striking modern architecture and spacious boulevards dotted with squares and parks. In the past century, Finland has nurtured some of the major creative talents of Western culture, from the composer Sibelius to architects Eliel & Eero Saarinen and Alvar Aalto.

The center of Finnish commerce and culture, Helsinki is home to some 616.000 people. Much of the city’s neoclassical architecture dates from the period of Tsarist rule, which began in 1809 after political control of Finland passed from Sweden to Russia, Finland gained its independence in 1917.

Like Latvia and Lithuania, the Baltic republic of Estonia has survived a turbulent history. The small nation was conquered and ruled by the likes of Teutonic Knights, Polish princes and Russian Tsars. For 51 years, Estonia remained a pawn in the Soviet empire, until the burgeoning freedom movement led to independence for the Baltic Republics in 1991. Like its sister republics, Estonia maintained its ties to the Western tradition, retaining the Latin alphabet and Catholic and Protestant faiths. Once a member of the historic Hanseatic League, Tallinn is the political, commercial and cultural center of Estonia.

Often described as the “Capital of Scandinavia,” Stockholm traces its origins back seven centuries, when it was founded on the island of Gamla Stan and became the capital of Sweden. Today, the city covers 14 separate islands connected by bays, channels and inlets. The skyline is a sea of copper roofs grown green with patina, towers, spires and graceful cupolas stand sentinel over the historic Old Town (Gamla Stan). With its population of nearly a million people, Stockholm is one of the world’s most beautiful, clean and orderly cities.

With a history stretching over seven centuries, Stockholm is not just a beautiful city but also Sweden’s center of art and culture.

Copenhagen was founded during the 12th century. The city owes much of its charm to the buildings erected by Denmark’s monarchs, and boasts a treasure trove of late-Renaissance and Rococo architecture.

Copenhagen deserves its accolade as the Venice of the North. Founded on a series of islands and islets, the city today is laced with graceful canals and boasts some of the most delightful architecture in Northern Europe. See the fabled statue of Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid, a symbol of the city. Stroll along the old harbor of Nyhavn, lined with cafés, restaurants and 500-year-old gabled houses. Browse the superb shops on the world-famous Stroget or view the Rococo palaces lining Amalienborg Square. Best of all, savor the taste of local delicacies while wandering the paths of Tivoli Gardens, one of Europe’s most celebrated pleasure gardens.

Visible for miles from sea, the White Cliffs of Dover are an instantly recognizable symbol of England. Modern highways make Dover the doorstep to London – Britain’s ever-fascinating capital. Visitors to this great city have a wealth of pleasures to choose from. Explore the notorious Tower of London and view the Crown Jewels. Visit Windsor Castle or see Westminster Abbey. The choices are fascinating and endless. Dover is also your gateway to Kent’s green countryside, dotted with old medieval towns and castles.

Dover has played a major role in world history since the days of the Norman invasion. Today 13th century Dover Castle dominates a harbour filled with cross-channel ferries and merchant and passenger shipping.