Grand Round the World Cruise 2020

Since 1546 Ponta Delgada has been capital of São Miguel, which is the largest of the nine islands in the Azores archipelago. In the last twenty-five years the cosmopolitan little town has seen rapid expansion bringing the archipelago its first university, shopping mall and dual carriageway. Yet, it still has a small town charm with squares paved with black and white tiles, beautiful churches, and public buildings with white-painted facades and dark volcanic stone trim. Volcanic activity has produced spectacular scenery on the islands and this extraordinary natural beauty is a highlight of optional excursions.

With its delightful Dutch colonial architecture, bustling commercial capital and history museums, Curaçao, in the Dutch Antilles, feels like a little piece of Northern Europe. Yet, with its glorious beaches, it is definitely not and offers some of the best shopping in the Caribbean.

This bustling city was the beating heart of the Spanish Empire in the New World as Spanish conquerors used it as a departure point for galleons bound for Europe, laden down with plundered treasures. The 16th and 17th-century buildings that line the cobbled streets of the Old Town have been given UNESCO World Heritage status and hark back to an age of adventure and conflict.

Note: Panama/Suez transit times subject to confirmation of convoy timings which may affect port of call timings before or following transit.

Nuku Hiva is situated on the north-western tip of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. It’s a huge island with dramatic landscapes, deep bays blessed with Robinson Crusoe–like beaches, dramatic waterfalls and timeless valleys.

A modern and bustling town, Papeete is the capital of Tahiti, the largest of the French Polynesian islands and often called the ‘Island of love’. An overnight stay here will enable you to explore the natural wonders of this beautiful island in the heart of the South Pacific.

A dreamlike setting, Bora Bora is a ring of sand-edged motu (islets) encircling a glinting turquoise lagoon surrounded by rainforest-covered peaks. Diving, snorkelling, lagoon tours, hiking and parasailing are readily available, but it’s the iconic over-the-water bungalows with piers reaching out like tentacles into the lagoon that Bora Bora is world-famous for.

Auckland is an archaeological wonder with two ancient rainforest covered mountain ranges. A blend of Polynesian culture and modern city environment has created a lifestyle ranked amongst the best in the world.

The cultural capital of New Zealand, Wellington is home to an astonishing number of art galleries, libraries and museums. Begin taking in this compact city with a ride on the Kelburn Cable Car to the top of the Botanical Gardens. Te Papa Tangarewa museum provides an insight into the country’s people and culture.

Approached through its striking harbour with the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge, Sydney is Australia’s most cosmopolitan city. Explore the sites around the harbour where you’ll find the Customs House and the Museum of Contemporary Art. The narrow streets and alleyways of this area contain many historic buildings, pubs, restaurants and shops.

Travel about an hour north of the port of Yokohama to experience the frenetic energy and bright lights of Japan’s capital, Tokyo. While the city is one of the most densely populated in the world, and is constantly evolving, it is also deeply rooted in its traditions and has areas of calm amidst the rush hour crush.

Located at the southerly tip of Japan, Kagoshima is often compared with its Italian sister city of Naples due to its similar climate and palm tree-lined streets. The Senganen Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers beautiful Japanese style landscaped gardens with views over the striking Sakurajima and Kagoshima Bay.

Sitting majestically at the mouth of the Yangtze River, Shanghai is China’s most cosmopolitan city. It has a mind-blowing, ancient past which is displayed in a wealth of museums and temples. A visit to the Art and History Museum, China’s premier museum and home to priceless collections and life-sized terracotta figures from the third century B.C., is an absolute must.

Still commonly referred to as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City has driven the country forward with its pulsating energy. Wander through timeless alleys to incense-infused temples before catching up with the present in designer malls. The real beauty is this city’s blend of two worlds into one thrilling, seething mass. A host of exhilarating tours gets you way off-the-beaten-track.

Cambodia offers you the chance to unwind and relax on its perfect white beaches and enjoy the warm tranquil waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Perhaps choose to visit Wat Krom, a unique and beautiful Buddhist temple overlooking Sihanoukville and the sea. The temple was built to dedicate to the local deity Yeah Mao and is a holy place.

Singapore is a melting pot of cultures and South East Asia’s oriental star. Retaining its heritage of colonial buildings, Buddhist temples and Arab bazaars, this modern island is today more about contemporary art and hi-tech architecture. Victorian buildings and Chinese shop-houses with their red tiled roofs make for striking state-of-the-art conversions.

The ‘jewel in the crown’ of Malaysia, Penang is linked to the mainland by one of the longest bridges in the world. George Town, the best-preserved city in Southeast Asia, boasts a European-style esplanade and a wealth of temples, mosques and Chinese clan houses. This paradise island has no shortage of cultural sights and natural scenery.

Sri Lanka’s capital is a delightful concoction of past and present. Its busy, man-made harbour, from which tea, spices and rubber are exported, stands side-by-side with historical museums and monuments. Colombo offers an array of charms, from the Royal Botanical Gardens to the Pettah Bazaar. 

Beautifully situated in Kerala, Cochin has been drawing traders and explorers to its shores for over 600 years. If you’re not tempted by an overland excursion to Delhi or Agra and the Taj Mahal, take in some of Cochin’s fascinating cultural legacy, which includes a synagogue, churches, mosques, temples and the crumbling remains of the British Raj. Don’t miss the Mattancherry Palace or a stroll along the lovely beach, scattered with unique Chinese fishing nets.

Your first glimpse of Mumbai, a densely populated and intoxicating city, will be the iconic Gateway of India that sits on the waterfront. A trip to Elephanta Island visits the temple carved out of rock. Visit too, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus whose exterior is a jungle of stone. Be sure to experience the furious energy of Mumbai’s markets.

Reached across the Eastern Desert from Safaga, Luxor, in the celebrated Valley of the Kings, is often called the world’s greatest open-air museum. Nothing in the world compares to the scale and grandeur of the ancient monuments. 

Piraeus is the gateway to Athens, the city of Plato and Socrates. Visit the Acropolis with its mighty Parthenon, the Theatre of Dionysus, and the Temple of the Olympian Zeus. In the heart of the city there’s the National Archaeological Museum and the Olympic Stadium used for the first modern games.  

Famously contested, Gibraltar is a renowned headland in the Mediterranean Sea.
In ancient times known as the Pillars of Hercules with it’s African counterpart, Mt Abyla, the Rock has remained under British rule for the last 300 years, despite being connected to Spain.
A towering 1400 ft outcrop that separates the Mediterranean from the Atlantic, Gibraltar was named Jebel al-Tarik by the Moorish General Tarik who landed there in 711 AD.
See the famous Barbary apes that occupy the island as well as St Michael’s Cave and the Siege Tunnels or admire the view to Africa from a cable car.