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."
Elegant and spacious, Volendam takes her décor cues from the garden. Her grand public spaces are graced with floral fabrics and tapestries, as well as huge vases of fresh floral arrangements. While on board, explore the wonders of nature in BBC Earth Experiences. Enjoy regional cooking demonstrations and food and wine tastings with EXC Port to Table programming. Relax with a spa treatment at the Greenhouse Salon & Spa. Or dine in one of the selection of fine restaurants.
Feb 28, 2027 - 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."
Mar 01, 2027 - Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang)
Kuala Lumpur is a cosmopolitan, modern business hub and government center. With a population of about two million, it is one of Southeast Asia's smallest capitals. Port Klang is gateway to Kuala Lumpur, a 42-mile distance away. Other sights include National Art Gallery - a permanent collection of about 2,000 works by Malaysian artists; Batu Caves - caverns discovered by American naturalist William Hornaby in the 1880s; the Selayang Batik Factory – known for their handmade and block-printed batiks; and Zoo and Aquarium - a complex home to 280 species of Malaysian and other exotic animals, birds, fish and reptiles.
Mar 02, 2027 - 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.
Mar 03, 2027 - 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.
Mar 04, 2027 - At Sea
Mar 05, 2027 - At Sea
Mar 06, 2027 - Hambantota
Mar 07, 2027 - 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.
Mar 08, 2027 - At Sea
Mar 09, 2027 - 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.
Mar 10, 2027 - At Sea
Mar 11, 2027 - At Sea
Mar 12, 2027 - At Sea
Mar 13, 2027 - At Sea
Mar 14, 2027 - 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.
Mar 15, 2027 - 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.
Mar 16, 2027 - At Sea
Mar 17, 2027 - At Sea
Mar 18, 2027 - At Sea
Mar 19, 2027 - Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth)
Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, is situated on Algoa Bay in the Indian Ocean. It is an important seaport and manufacturing centre, as well as a popular resort noted for its fine beaches. Worth visiting are the King George VI Art Gallery, featuring collections of British and South African art; the Port Elizabeth Museum, with natural history exhibits, an oceanarium, and a collection of reptiles; and Fort Frederick, built by the British in 1799. The Addo Elephant National Park is nearby. The community developed around Fort Frederick.
Mar 20, 2027 - At Sea
Mar 21, 2027 - 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.
Mar 22, 2027 - 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.