World Cruise Liner – London (Dover) to Sydney

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.

Bergen has played a crucial role in Norwegian history and culture since Olav the Good founded the city in 1070. Perched between the sea and seven hills, Bergen has witnessed Vikings setting sail on voyages of exploration, trade and war. In the Middle Ages, its old port was a major trading hub for the Hanseatic League, the band of Germanic merchants whose trading empire encircled the Baltic and North Seas. In the 19th century, Bergen was home to such cultural luminaries as the virtuoso violinist Ole Bull and the composer Edvard Grieg.

The city retains much of its 18th- and 19th-century charm. Visitors to Bergen will encounter a city that offers a heady blend of natural beauty, history and culture.

Situated in the heart of the Norwegian fjords, the port of Skjolden-Sognefjord is your gateway to a world of wonder: this land abounds with national treasures, thundering waterfalls, two UNESCO sites, ice-blue fjords hemmed in by sky-reaching mountains and scenery so unbelievably spectacular you just may lose your breath. From the ruggedly handsome mountains in Jotunheimen National Park to the humble stave churches that dot the landscape, this captivating area is yours to discover.

Lying north of the Arctic Circle, Tromsø has been a departure point for Arctic explorers and hunters since the 18th century. Today, this town of some 50,000 individuals is home to the northernmost university in the world, which gives Tromsø a lively cultural and street scene, highlighted by the annual Midnight Sun Marathon.

Ride the cable car to the summit of Mt. Storsteinen for dramatic views of Tromsø city and Troms Island. Enjoy refreshments at the panoramic restaurant.

Honningsvag is your gateway to Norway’s North Cape on Magerøya Island. This is the northernmost point in Europe, and the true land of the midnight sun. From mid-May to July, the full disc of the sun never dips below the horizon. In winter, the days barely lighten to a spectral gloom. To the north lies only the remote Svalbard Archipelago, Jan Mayan Island, and the polar ice cap. From the cliffs of North Cape, perched 1,000 feet above the Arctic Ocean, one stares into the arctic silence.

The town of Ísafjördur is the municipal centre of the West Fjords peninsula. The West Fjords are Iceland’s least populated region, with 9,600 inhabitants in the area of 9,520 km. Isafjördur (population 3,500) formerly one of Iceland’s main trading posts, was granted municipal status in 1886. Some of Iceland’s oldest and best-preserved buildings, dating from the 18th century, are located in Ísafjördur. The town is still predominantly a fishing centre. A vigorous and varied cultural and artistic scene flourishes in the town as well. Mountains surround Ísafjördur on the three sides and the sea on the other. The ancient settlement site of Eyri downtown is enclosed by the narrow Skutulsfjördur fjord, which shelters the harbour in all weathers.

The patron saints of Reykjavik are fire and ice. Iceland is a land of volcanoes and glaciers, lava fields and green pastures, boiling thermal springs and ice-cold rivers teeming with salmon. This unspoiled demi-paradise is also home to a very old and sophisticated culture. The northernmost capital in the world, Reykjavik was founded in 874 when Ingolfur Arnarson threw wood pillars into the sea, vowing to settle where the pillars washed ashore. Today, Iceland is an international center of commerce and home to one of the most technologically sophisticated societies in the world.

Reykjavik is the gateway to Iceland’s natural wonders, which range from ice fields to thermal pools. The island is in a continual process of transformation much like its society, which blends Nordic tradition with sophisticated technology.

Nanortalik means “place of bears” in Greenlandic. Summer visitors to this extraordinary – and extraordinarily isolated – port may spot polar bears on the offshore flow ice. Those offshore waters also teem with seals and Minke, humpback and fin whales. Ashore, brightly painted wooden houses cluster to a rocky peninsula in the harbor. Dramatic boulders dot the landscape, and mountains surround the port. (Nanortalik is well known to the world’s elite rock climbers.) Ruined Viking farmsteads and ancient Inuit sites dot the surrounding countryside.

The port was founded 1797 as a Danish whaling station. Today, Nanortalik is a fishing port, and many people are traditional seal hunters.

If you’re a seasoned traveler with a taste for destinations untrammeled by modern tourism, Qaqortoq is the ultimate port of call. Qaqortoq means “White Palace” in Greenlandic, and this small town of about 3,400 is the cultural and commercial center of Southern Greenland. Inuit and then Europeans were drawn to the site over 200 years ago, they were lured by the wealth of marine mammals that thrive in the offshore waters during summer.

The climate is, at best, highly unpredictable. Summer temperatures normally compare to summer temperatures in Northern Europe, but weather is variable even in summer. In winter, Qaqortoq is frequently isolated by winter sea ice and accessible only by airplane or helicopter. The harsh landscape and harsher climate have helped preserve traditional Greenlandic culture – the centuries-old Inuit skills of hunting, kayaking, and fishing are still revered in this unique place.

Organized shore excursions for Qaqortoq may not available on select voyages, but the town is easy to explore on your own. The ship’s launches drop you off at the pier, providing you with the opportunity to stroll the streets, visit the small local museum, talk to the local residents, buy a souvenir stamp at the Post Office and perhaps purchase an Inuit handicraft as a remembrance of your visit to one of the unique communities on the planet.

Note: Your ship anchors at Qaqortoq and passengers are transferred to shore via ship’s launches, weather conditions permitting.

The capital of Nova Scotia and the largest city in Canada’s Atlantic Provinces, Halifax was once Great Britain’s major military bastion in North America. The beautifully restored waterfront buildings of Halifax’s Historic Properties recall the city’s centuries-old maritime heritage. Stroll the waterfront, and you may find Nova Scotia’s floating ambassador, the schooner Bluenose II, tied up to Privateer’s Wharf, just as old sailing ships have done for over 200 years. Halifax is also the gateway to Nova Scotia’s stunning scenery, including famous Peggy’s Cove, where surf-pounded granite cliffs and a solitary lighthouse create an unsurpassed scene of rugged natural beauty.

A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture and fashion, and entertainment. The city consists of five boroughs and an intricate patchwork of neighborhoods. Some of these include Lower Manhattan and the New York Stock Exchange, Battery Park and South Street Seaport, Chinatown, trendy SoHo and Greenwich Village, along with Little Italy, the flat Iron District and Gramercy Park. Famous Central Park covers 843 acres of paths, ponds, lakes and green space within the asphalt jungle. Many districts and landmarks have become well-known to outsiders. Nearly 170 languages are spoken in the city and over 35% of its population was born outside the United States.

A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture and fashion, and entertainment. The city consists of five boroughs and an intricate patchwork of neighborhoods. Some of these include Lower Manhattan and the New York Stock Exchange, Battery Park and South Street Seaport, Chinatown, trendy SoHo and Greenwich Village, along with Little Italy, the flat Iron District and Gramercy Park. Famous Central Park covers 843 acres of paths, ponds, lakes and green space within the asphalt jungle. Many districts and landmarks have become well-known to outsiders. Nearly 170 languages are spoken in the city and over 35% of its population was born outside the United States.

Adjectives such as glitzy and glamorous and fun and funky only hint at the reason Miami’s a world-renowned international destination. In the 500 years since Ponce de León arrived in search of the elusive fountain of youth, people have flocked here to capture the city’s energy, vitality and alluring charms. While the city’s noted for its towering palm trees, glittering blue ocean vistas and pristine beaches, beautiful weather, beautiful places and beautiful people it’s also home to an intriguing history, lively culture and postcard-perfect architecture. From the “walking trees” and ‘gator spotting in the Everglades to celebrity spotting in South Beach, Miami’s sure to impress.

Note: Upon disembarkation, please collect your bag, go through customs and hand your bag to your tour driver who will stow and lock it underneath your bus. Disembarkation tours end at the airport; therefore guests who have post-cruise packages at local hotels must disembark at MIami International Airport. Guests will then be responsible for their transportation to the hotel.

One of the more interesting cities on your itinerary steeped in history. This was the transit port for all the wealth Spain derived from South America. The famous “Old City” is comprised of 12 square blocks filled with attractions, boutiques and restaurants.

Throughout Colombia, the Spanish Empire’s influence in the New World is self-evident. Its fortress walls, quaint narrow streets, and balconied houses are all vivid reminders of Spain’s hold on Cartagena and throughout the Caribbean and South America. This is the land of El Dorado and flamboyant adventurers in search of the ever-elusive gold. Cartagena’s well-constructed fortifications defended its borders against seafaring pirates whose attacks lasted for more than 200 years. Today this modern and bustling city, seaport, and commercial center still boasts much of its original colonial architecture. Your journey here will provide you with a significant link to the region’s grand past.

**Please note that passengers may encounter numerous local vendors at various tourist locations and may find them to be persistent in their sales offers.

Cruising through the Panama Canal will be one of the unforgettable experiences of your voyage. It takes approximately eight hours to navigate the 50-mile waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, allowing you to experience firsthand one of the engineering marvels of the 20th century. Completed in 1914, the canal marks the culmination of a dream born in 1513, when Balboa became the first European to cross the Isthmus of Panama and sight the Pacific. In 1880 Ferdinand de Lesseps and the French Canal company, builders of the Suez Canal, began construction in Panama, only to be defeated by disease, staggering cost overruns, and massive engineering problems. The French sold their claim and properties to the United States for $40 million, a staggering loss of $247 million on their investment. The United States began construction in 1904, completing the project in 10 years at a cost of $387 million. Building the canal meant solving three problems: engineering, sanitation, and organization. The project, for example, required carving a channel through the Continental Divide and creating the then-largest man-made lake ever built, as well as defeating yellow fever and other tropical maladies. The United States oversaw the operation of the Panama Canal until December 31, 1999, when the Republic of Panama assumed responsibility for the canals administration. The Panamanian government controls the canal through the Panama Canal Authority, an independent government agency created for the purpose of managing the canal.

In 1535, Francisco Pizarro labeled the open plains where Lima now stands as inhospitable. Despite the verdict of the great conquistador, Lima became the center of imperial Spanish power, a “City of Kings” where 40 viceroys would rule as the direct representatives of the King of Spain. With independence in 1821, Lima became Peru’s capital. Near Lima, one of the world’s most desolate deserts is home to the famed drawings of Nazca. These drawings inspired Erik von Daniken’s best-selling book “Chariots of the Gods.” With mysteries seeming to be part of Peru’s history, perhaps these “drawings” are in fact “the largest astronomy book in the world.”

In 1535, Francisco Pizarro labeled the open plains where Lima now stands as inhospitable. Despite the verdict of the great conquistador, Lima became the center of imperial Spanish power, a “City of Kings” where 40 viceroys would rule as the direct representatives of the King of Spain. With independence in 1821, Lima became Peru’s capital. Near Lima, one of the world’s most desolate deserts is home to the famed drawings of Nazca. These drawings inspired Erik von Daniken’s best-selling book “Chariots of the Gods.” With mysteries seeming to be part of Peru’s history, perhaps these “drawings” are in fact “the largest astronomy book in the world.”

San Martin is your gateway to the quiet colonial town of Pisco and its fertile coastal valley. For thousands of years, pre-Columbian societies thrived in river valleys such as this. Utilizing sophisticated systems of irrigation, they transformed the harsh coastal desert into productive farmland. The legacy of these ancient people, from their giant geometric etchings on the desert floor to their ancient burial grounds, continues to draw curious adventurers from around the world. San Martin is also your gateway to two other mysterious marvels: the Inca palace complex at Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Archipelago.

The monoliths of Easter Island have fascinated and puzzled Westerners since the Dutch seaman Roggeven made landfall there on Easter Sunday, 1722. The mystery of Easter Island’s first settlers remains just that – a mystery. Today, most anthropologists believe the island was settled as part of the great wave of Polynesian emigration. (The oldest of the Moai, as the great monoliths are called, date to 700 A.D.) The society that produced the Moai flourished during the 16th and 17th centuries, but population growth, deforestation and food shortages led to its collapse. Today some 3,400 souls inhabit this 64-square-mile island, which lies some 2,200 miles equidistant from Tahiti and South America.

The society of Rapa Nui possessed stone-working skills on a par with those found in the Inca Empire. Islanders also possessed a script called Rongorongo, the only written language in all of Oceania.

Lying below the tropic of Capricorn, halfway between New Zealand and the Americas, lonely Pitcairn Island is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. It was here that Fletcher Christian and eight of the mutineers of the HMS Bounty, along with their Tahitian companions, came in search of a new life. Set aflame and sunk by the infamous mutineers, parts of the legendary HMS Bounty shipwreck are still visible in the waters of Bounty Bay.

Today, one of the island’s most famous residents is its sole surviving Galapagos Giant Tortoise, named Turpen, who was introduced to Pitcairn sometime between 1937 and 1951. Several species of seabirds also nest here, including the flightless Henderson Crake, Fairy Terns, the Common Noddy, the Red-tailed Tropic Bird and the Pitcairn Island Warbler.

Tahiti is not just an island – Tahiti has always been a state of mind. The bustling capital of Tahiti and her islands, Papeete is the chief port and trading center, as well as a provocative temptress luring people to her shores. Immortalized in the novel “Mutiny on the Bounty,” who could blame the men of “HMS Bounty” for abandoning their ship in favor of basking in paradise? And what would Modern Art be without Tahiti’s influence on Gauguin and Matisse? Today the island is a charming blend of Polynesian “joie de vivre” and Gallic sophistication. But venture out from Papeete and you find a landscape of rugged mountains, lush rainforests, cascading waterfalls and deserted beaches.

Contrasting with other French Polynesian ports, Papeete’s coastline initially greets you with a vista of commercial activity that graciously gives way to both black and white-sand beaches, villages, resorts and historic landmarks.

Tahiti is not just an island – Tahiti has always been a state of mind. The bustling capital of Tahiti and her islands, Papeete is the chief port and trading center, as well as a provocative temptress luring people to her shores. Immortalized in the novel “Mutiny on the Bounty,” who could blame the men of “HMS Bounty” for abandoning their ship in favor of basking in paradise? And what would Modern Art be without Tahiti’s influence on Gauguin and Matisse? Today the island is a charming blend of Polynesian “joie de vivre” and Gallic sophistication. But venture out from Papeete and you find a landscape of rugged mountains, lush rainforests, cascading waterfalls and deserted beaches.

Contrasting with other French Polynesian ports, Papeete’s coastline initially greets you with a vista of commercial activity that graciously gives way to both black and white-sand beaches, villages, resorts and historic landmarks.

Mo’orea is a South Pacific island, part of French Polynesia’s Society Islands archipelago. It’s known for its jagged volcanic mountains and sandy beaches. In the north, Mount Rotui overlooks picturesque Ōpūnohu Bay and the settlements around Cook’s Bay. Inland, hiking trails wind through rainforest on the slopes of Mount Tohivea.

The International Date Line is an imaginary line extending from the North Pole to the South Pole through the Pacific Ocean. It serves as the 180th meridian of longitude, and is used to designate the beginning of each calendar day. As you know, each adjacent time zone on the map has an hour time difference. However, at the International Date Line, +12 hours and -12 hours meet, bringing about a 24-hour time change. So while a person standing just to the west of the line may be celebrating Christmas Eve at 6 pm, someone just to the east will already be sitting down to Christmas dinner on December 25th. Therefore, when your ship crosses this line heading west, a day is added, and while crossing in an easterly direction, a day is subtracted. Crossing the International Date Line has long been a rite of passage for sailors, who often must participate in a line-crossing ceremony to become part of the sacred “Order of the Golden Dragon”, an honorary naval fraternity.

Straddling a narrow isthmus created by 60 different volcanoes, New Zealand’s former capital boasts scenic beauty, historical interest and a cosmopolitan collection of shops, restaurants, museums, galleries and gardens. Rangitoto, Auckland’s largest and youngest volcano, sits in majestic splendor just offshore. Mt. Eden and One Tree Hill, once home to Maori earthworks, overlook the city. One of New Zealand’s fine wine districts lies to the north of Auckland.

Auckland served as New Zealand’s capital from 1841 until 1865, when the seat of government moved to Wellington.

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.