56-night World Cruise: Southeast Asia, Indian Ocean To Europe

Mar 31, 2029 - Singapore

One of Asia's great economic successes, Singapore has fused diverse cultures into one dynamic nation. Behind high-tech industries and high-rise buildings lives a society with an ingrained sense of conservative Confucian values. Beneath the westernized modernity beats a totally Asian heart. Strong beliefs center around extended families, filial piety, discipline, respect and Asian work ethics. Singapore’s name, meaning "Lion City," can be traced to the 13th century, and today there is the mythical Merlion, half-lion, half-fish, standing guard at the mouth of the Singapore River as the symbol of Singapore. A recent advertising campaign billed Singapore as "A Fine City."

Apr 01, 2029 - Malacca (Melaka)

Malacca City, also known as Melaka, is situated 95 miles south of Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur, in Malacca state. In the days of the great sailing ships, the port was one of the busiest on the peninsula. Shipping now is confined to coastal trade, because the harbour is inaccessible to ocean-going vessels. A large number of Chinese settled here, followed by masses of European colonizers, including the Portuguese, British and Dutch. Today evidence of all these colonies remain, both in the culture and architecture.

Apr 02, 2029 - Penang

Penang, or more properly Pulau Pinang, is the northern gateway to Malaysia and also the country’s oldest British settlement. To the tourist industry, Penang has been marketed for a long time as the Pearl of the Orient. Although Penang is best known for its beaches, there is much more here than just sand and sea. The island is considered a cultural and architectural gem with Chinese, Malay and Indian influences. Other sights include St. George’s Church - built in 1818 of classic Georgian architecture; Penang Hill - a 2,500-foot hill with a splendid view over Georgetown; Botanical Gardens - the 74-acre landscaped gardens featuring many indigenous and exotic plant species, a waterfall, jungle-clad hills and two species of monkeys, the macaque and dusky leaf monkeys; Golf Courses - The Bukit Jambul Golf & Country Club is located on Penang Island, and other golf courses in Province Wellesley on the mainland are the Penang Golf Resort and Bukit Jawi Golf Resort.

Apr 03, 2029 - Phuket

Known as the "Pearl of Thailand," Phuket offers pristine beaches, lush vegetation, traditional villages and seascapes of huge limestone pillars that rise above the turquoise waters of Phang-Nga Bay. With a culture all its own, it combines Chinese and Portuguese influences with that of indigenous ocean-going people. Phuket Town is the island’s capital located in the southeast. The architecture features the attractive Sino-Portuguese style which is reflected in the spacious residences built by wealthy Chinese tin barons as testimony to their success. Visitors come because of the glorious beaches, especially those on the west coast. Patong Beach is about a 45-minute drive from the port and offers a wide selection of watersports. Phuket still casts its spell on all who come to its shores.

Apr 04, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 05, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 06, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 07, 2029 - Colombo

Sri Jayawardhanapura Kotte is the capital of Sri Lanka, with the newly built parliament situated in picturesque surroundings, while Colombo is the main commercial capital city, where almost all the business transactions take place. Studded with high-rise buildings, modern five star hotels, modern convention centers and a Stock Exchange Centre, Colombo continues to be the hub of commercial activities.

Apr 08, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 09, 2029 - Malé

The Maldives boast some of the finest tropical beaches in the world. The very name, Maldives, arouses visions of exotic tropical beach sun and barbeques on luxury island hotel resorts surrounded by clear calm coral reef fringed warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Visitors to the Maldives, blessed by superb underwater visibility and abundant coral life, are treated to breathtaking sights of underwater marine life. The Maldives offer the best diving spots in Asia, with most resorts having experienced diving instructors. With only 200 islands inhabited, over 75 islands have been reserved for development of tourist resorts which are among the most luxurious in the Indian Ocean. Male, the capital of the Maldives sits on a 1-sq-mi/2-sq-km island—the whole place can be seen on foot in about an hour.

Apr 10, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 11, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 12, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 13, 2029 - Victoria, Seychelles

Victoria on Mahé is one of the smallest capital cities in the world, and the only major port in the Seychelles. It's also the only town in the country - every other settlement is a village. The courthouse and main post office have been untouched since colonial times, but rebuilt streets emanating from the center give the town a clean and modern look. The Natural History Museum in the center of town houses an eclectic collection with bones of the extinct Seychelles crocodile, giant robber crabs, dried out fish, a deformed piglet in a jar and lots of glassy-eyed stuffed animals. Other displays include the wreckage of a ship which came to grief off the Amiranteds in 1570 and a display of gris gris artefacts. For history of the country's people, visit the National History Museum or the Seychelles People's United Party Museum, which celebrates the history of the party. Victoria's Botanical Gardens are highly recommended for short and shady walks among a variety of native and introduced trees. Within the gardens is a cafeteria, a pen of giant tortoises and an orchid garden.

Apr 14, 2029 - Praslin, Seychelles

The white, sandy beaches of Praslin is lined with beautiful palm trees, some reaching 100 feet. Three of the rarest birds in the world are found here: the Seychelles Black Parrot, Blue Pigeon and Bulbul. It is also home to the Coco-de-Mer, a unique and stranger-than-fiction coconut.

Apr 15, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 16, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 17, 2029 - Zanzibar

For many centuries, traders from Europe, India, the Orient and Arabia were lured to these shores. It was from here explorer David Livingstone set off on his last expedition into the heart of the continent. Today, as you walk along the winding streets of the old Stone Town, lined with whitewashed coral rag houses, you can see reminders of this rich history all around you. Visit the Palace museum, former residence of the Omani Sultans, and the cathedral that now stands on the site of the notorious slave market.

Apr 18, 2029 - Zanzibar

For many centuries, traders from Europe, India, the Orient and Arabia were lured to these shores. It was from here explorer David Livingstone set off on his last expedition into the heart of the continent. Today, as you walk along the winding streets of the old Stone Town, lined with whitewashed coral rag houses, you can see reminders of this rich history all around you. Visit the Palace museum, former residence of the Omani Sultans, and the cathedral that now stands on the site of the notorious slave market.

Apr 19, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 20, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 21, 2029 - Antisiranana

Apr 22, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 23, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 24, 2029 - Port Louis

This mountain-backed capital bustles with big-city commercial activity by day, and by night is quiet - except for Le Caudan Waterfront, with a casino, cinemas, shops, bars and restaurants. There's a Chinatown and a distinct Muslim area around Muammar El Khadafi Square. The city center is easily walkable. A good place to get a feel for city life is Port Louis Market, near the water in the heart of downtown. The Natural History Museum houses a stuffed replica of the dodo, which has been extinct since late 17th century. Visit the Mauritius Postal Museum, stop by Port Louis' oddly located Jummah Mosque, and admire Fort Adelaide, which so closely resembles a Moorish fortress locals call it the Citadel. The views from Fort Adelaide's hilltop and harbourside location are amazing. Père Laval - who is said to have converted more than 67,000 people during his 23 years on Mauritius - is remembered with a colourful plaster statue atop his tomb and shrine. Pilgrims swear by the statue's healing powers and many come to touch it.

Apr 25, 2029 - La Possession, Reunion

Defiantly and deliciously French, from the cars on the streets to the croissants on the breakfast table. It is as if Reunion lay just off the coast of Cannes—not off the coast of Madagascar 5,400 miles away.

Apr 26, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 27, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 28, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 29, 2029 - At Sea

Apr 30, 2029 - At Sea

May 01, 2029 - Cape Town

Cape Town is southern Africa's most beautiful, most romantic and most-visited city. Few urban centers anywhere can match its setting along the Cape Peninsula spine, which slides like the mighty tail of the continent into the Atlantic Ocean. By far the most striking - and famous - of its sights is Table Mountain, frequently mantled by clouds, and rearing up from the middle of the city to provide a constantly changing vista to the suburbs below. Table Mountain is the city's solid core which divides the city into distinct zones with public gardens, wilderness, forests, hiking routes, vineyards and desirable residential areas trailing down it's lower slopes.

May 02, 2029 - Cape Town

Cape Town is southern Africa's most beautiful, most romantic and most-visited city. Few urban centers anywhere can match its setting along the Cape Peninsula spine, which slides like the mighty tail of the continent into the Atlantic Ocean. By far the most striking - and famous - of its sights is Table Mountain, frequently mantled by clouds, and rearing up from the middle of the city to provide a constantly changing vista to the suburbs below. Table Mountain is the city's solid core which divides the city into distinct zones with public gardens, wilderness, forests, hiking routes, vineyards and desirable residential areas trailing down it's lower slopes.

May 03, 2029 - Cape Town

Cape Town is southern Africa's most beautiful, most romantic and most-visited city. Few urban centers anywhere can match its setting along the Cape Peninsula spine, which slides like the mighty tail of the continent into the Atlantic Ocean. By far the most striking - and famous - of its sights is Table Mountain, frequently mantled by clouds, and rearing up from the middle of the city to provide a constantly changing vista to the suburbs below. Table Mountain is the city's solid core which divides the city into distinct zones with public gardens, wilderness, forests, hiking routes, vineyards and desirable residential areas trailing down it's lower slopes.

May 04, 2029 - At Sea

May 05, 2029 - Luderitz

The coastal town of Luderitz, named after its founder German merchant Adolf Luderitz, has several sights. At Diaz Point there stands a cross made of dolerite and erected in 1988 during Diaz festival. Other sights include Redford Bay, named after its first white settler and trader David Redford; Diaz Point, the place where Bartolomeu Diaz erected padrao in 1488, and the wooden bridge to Diaz Point was built in 1911 to access fog horn originally located there; Lighthouse built in 1910; Kolmanskop, the ghost town abandoned on the middle of 50's named after a driver Coleman who frequently stopped here. First diamond was found in Kolmanskop in 1908 by laborer Zaharia Levala and became a centre of diamond industry.

May 06, 2029 - Walvis Bay

Walvis Bay is the principal port for Namibia. Its harbor, protected by Pelican Point peninsula, provides one of the few safe deep-water anchorages on the Atlantic coast of south-western Africa. It is also a magical spot for birdlovers and a gateway to Namibia's hauntingly beautiful lunar-like desert landscapes. Visit Namibia's pretty seaside resort of Swakopmund, whose elegant turn-of-the-century German buildings belong more to Bavaria than Africa! Easily reached is famous Cape Cross Seal Reserve, home of up to 100,000 Cape fur seals - and the grandeur of the Namib-Naukluft Park, whose sand dunes rising to over 1,000 ft are the world's highest.

May 07, 2029 - At Sea

May 08, 2029 - At Sea

May 09, 2029 - At Sea

May 10, 2029 - St. Helena (Jamestown)

A tiny island set in the tropical South Atlantic, 1,500 miles north-west of Cape Town, St Helena is only 47 square miles in area, with no harbour and no airport. It lies a lonely 1,200 miles from the west coast of Africa, a rugged volcanic island that boasts some suprisingly fertile pasture. The capital and port is Jamestown. First discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, and annexed by Britain 450 years ago, this lonely South Atlantic outpost was where the exiled Napoleon ended his days after defeat at Waterloo.

May 11, 2029 - At Sea

May 12, 2029 - At Sea

May 13, 2029 - Cross Equator

Cruise across the Equator from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere.

May 14, 2029 - At Sea

May 15, 2029 - At Sea

May 16, 2029 - Dakar

The capital of Senegal is a modern city of 1.5 million with beautiful contemporary buildings and some historical colonial houses. It is a vibrant city with active open-air markets, cafe terraces, a wide range of hotels, delicious food and a great night life. You can discover Dakar by taking a walk along the ocean or the busy city streets. Art lovers will find an abundance of galleries, artists' studios, museums, and festivals. Senegal is a shopper's paradise and exquisite crafts can be found in markets, on the streets, and in stores everywhere in Dakar. For the sport enthusiast, this city by the beach offer all water sports and golf, tennis, biking, and more.

May 17, 2029 - At Sea

May 18, 2029 - Sao Vicente (Mindelo)

Mindelo is a lovely port in Cape Verde that was formed around a volcanic crater. Mindelo offers a lively beach at Baia das Gatas where visitors can enjoy the beautiful sandy beach, clear blue water, and listen to the sounds of local musicians. Visitors may also visit the Centro Nacional Artesanato for local crafts and gifts, including weaving and pottery art.

May 19, 2029 - At Sea

May 20, 2029 - At Sea

May 21, 2029 - Las Palmas (Gran Canaria)

Also known as Grand Canary, Las Palmas in the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands. During Christopher Columbus’ 1492 voyage of discovery, he was forced to pull his ships into Grand Canary to make repairs to the “Pinta”. During three subsequent voyages, he stopped again in the Canary Islands on his voyage of discovery. During the late fifteenth century, the city of Las Palmas was established by the Spanish in the heart of a lush palm grove. It is today the largest city in the archipelago as well as one of Spain’s leading ports.

May 22, 2029 - Arrecife, Canary Islands

Arrecife is not only the capital of Lanzarote or the main locality of Lanzarote's smallest municipality, but also of the chain of small islands which flanks it. What gives the area most character is the coastline with its small islets, most of which become covered during high tide. Places which must be visited are the Castle of San José, seat of the Contempory Art Museum which contains works by Piscasso, Miro, Mompó and César Menrique among many other painters and sculptors from all over the world. This fortress is situated in the east, on a small cliff, and houses different receational installations with a view of the port of Naos and of the Marbles. Another place of unusual interest is "Charco de San Gines" (San Ginés Pool) where water enters the land and where the hermitage was built, around which was formed the first nucleous of fishermen's cottages. This village has changed progressively, but still preserves its fishing village atmosphere. Visitors admire the old "calle real" (Royal Road) which leads to Avenida Marítima, the location of the municipal park.

May 23, 2029 - At Sea

May 24, 2029 - Funchal (Madeira), Portugal

Madeira has been described as "Island of Eternal Spring". It is renowned for its wine, which many feel ranks among the world’s best. Funchal has a wide selection of resort hotels where watersports, golf and tennis are popular. Visitors can tour the 15th-century cathedral, orchid gardens of Quinta das Cruzes, and buildings associated with Christopher Columbus. Madeira’s discoverer, Zarco, is believed to have lived in the house Quinta das Cruzes. Now it displays furniture and paintings and is surrounded by fabulous gardens. The stunning 15th-century design of Sé Cathedral features white stucco with contrasting black basalt and red tufa rock; the ceiling is inlaid with ivory. Located near Town Hall, the Museum of Sacred Art contains art from several islands, including a group of 15th- and 16th-century paintings of Portuguese and Flemish schools. Visit colorful Mercado dos Lavradores during the morning to see flower vendors and fish and produce stands.

May 25, 2029 - At Sea

May 26, 2029 - Lisbon

Portugal’s capital is an 18th-century city - elegant, open to the sea and carefully planned. Most places of interest are within easy walking distance. Rossio Square, the heart of Lisbon since medieval times, is an ideal place to start exploring. Many rebuilt houses with original façades provide stores and restaurants with modern interiors. High above Baixa is Bairro Alto - with its teeming nightlife. There are many monuments and museums, such as San Jeronimos Monastery, Royal Coach Museum and Gulbenkian Museum. Two well-known landmarks are the Monument to the Discoveries and the Tower of Belem. A statue of Christ looms above Europe’s longest suspension bridge. Madragoa, Bica and Bairro Alto, Lisbon’s older sections, offer a variety of sights: the Church of Sao Roque, with its beautiful tiles; St. George Castle, which offers a splendid view from its location above the Alfama quarter; the botanical gardens, featuring an unusual, cold greenhouse; and the cathedral, stunning with its Moorish design. Renowned Gulbenkian Museum is the cultural center of Portugal.