Day 1 – Southampton (for London), England

Departs 05:30 pm.

The south of England boasts a dramatic coastline that encloses some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain. The landscape of hills and heaths, downs and forests, valleys and dales, is without rival. Southampton serves as your gateway to the countryside – and to a wide variety of historic sites, national landmarks and charming. And of course, London is a two-hour drive by modern highway. The United Kingdom’s premier passenger ship port, Southampton was home for many years to the great transatlantic liners of yesteryear.

Day 2 – At Sea

Day 3 – At Sea

Day 4 – At Sea

Day 5 – Madeira (Funchal), Portugal

Arrives 07:00 am, departs 04:30 pm.

The capital of Madeira is named after the fennel (funcha) that once flowered there in profusion. The largest island in the Madeira Archipelago was discovered in 1419 by Portuguese explorers venturing south into the Atlantic. The island is nearly equidistant from Lisbon and the African coast, and its unique geographical position allowed Madeira to play a pivotal role in European discovery. Seamen such as Christopher Columbus gained knowledge and experience plying the routes of the island’s sugar trade. When sugar declined, the island’s famed wines continued to provide a robust trade. By the late 18th century, Madeira’s mild climate, rocky peaks, and lush valleys provided a winter haven to Europe’s aristocrats. Visitors still flock to the island today, drawn by its scenery and its weather.Funchal is noted for its superb hand-embroidery and wicker ware, both Madeira specialties. The island, of course, is also noted for its superb wines: they are perhaps the world’s most complex and long lasting wines.

Day 6 – Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Canary Islands

Arrives 09:30 am, departs 09:00 pm.

Tenerife is the largest island in the Canary Archipelago. Like its brethren, Tenerife was formed by fierce volcanic activity. Its landscape remains dotted with volcanic cones and areas of intense geothermal activity. Towering over the island is Mt Teide, an extinct volcano that, at 12,200 feet above sea level, is the highest peak in Spanish territory. Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the island’s capital and your port of call.Tenerife’s north shore is separated from the south by rugged mountains, creating a rain shadow. The majority of the islands most recent resorts are found in the sere and parched south shore.

Day 7 – Gran Canaria, Spain

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 07:00 pm.

Day 8 – Arrecife de Lanzarote, Spain

Arrives 07:00 am, departs 06:00 pm.

Day 9 – At Sea

Day 10 – Lisbon, Portugal

Arrives 09:00 am, departs 11:59 pm.

Draped across seven hills, Lisbon was once the center of a vast maritime empire that stretched from the west coast of Africa to the Spice Islands of the East Indies. Then, on November 1, 1755, a violent earthquake destroyed two-thirds of the city in the space of 10 minutes. Only the Alfama, the old Moorish quarter, survived. Today, Lisbon is a stately city of Neoclassical buildings and wide plazas.

Day 11 – At Sea

Day 12 – Vigo, Spain (for Santiago De Compostela)

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 09:00 pm.

Vigo clings to the slope of Monte del Castro, overlooking a namesake bay so vast, it could shelter an entire fleet. The city’s medieval heritage is seen in the narrow streets and granite houses of the Ribera del Berbes, the old fishermen’s quarter. Vigo is also the gateway to Santiago de Compostela, the most venerated shrine in all Europe during the Middle Ages. Pilgrims from the four corners of Christendom flocked to the magnificent cathedral, built between the 11th and 13th centuries. The cathedral still draws thousands of daily visitors today.An important fishing and commercial port, Vigo was first settled by Celts 300 BC. The Celtic legacy lingers on in the province’s old legends – and in the bagpipes played on festive occasions.

Day 13 – La Coruna, Spain (for Santiagode Compostela)

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 05:00 pm.

With La Coruña’s impressive and extensive history, visitors are often surprised at how modern the city is. It was from here that, in 1588, Spain sent its “invincible” Armada sailing. A year later, Sir Francis Drake sent those ships scrambling, burning most of the city just for good measure. Drake’s invasion was ultimately repelled by the peoples of La Coruña, inspired by the local heroine, María Pita. In the process, La Coruña lost all of its Roman antiquities, including the Torre de Hercules, the present day monument as undergone several transformations over the centuries, the most important one carried out in 1788 by the engineer Eustaquio Giannini, who built the current façades around what remained of the Roman lighthouse, now declared a World Heritage Site. The city does, however, still offer incredible vistas, situated as it is on an outstretch of land blanketed on each side by the sea. Be sure to visit the Ciudad Vieja, the small old town that watches over the Darsena de La Marina harbor. Here you will find many pleasant cafes from which you can people-watch. Notice that most of the streets are lined with glass covered balconies built for protection again the city’s winds and rain. The port of La Coruña serves as your gateway to Santiago de Compostela, one of the greatest pilgrimages of the Middle Ages. As the site of the supposed shrine of St. James the Apostle, it is the third holiest site in all Christendom, following Jerusalem and Rome. Pilgrims believed that making the journey here would reduce their sentence in purgatory by one-half.

Day 14 – At Sea

Day 15 – Southampton (for London), England

Arrives 06:00 am.

The south of England boasts a dramatic coastline that encloses some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain. The landscape of hills and heaths, downs and forests, valleys and dales, is without rival. Southampton serves as your gateway to the countryside – and to a wide variety of historic sites, national landmarks and charming. And of course, London is a two-hour drive by modern highway. The United Kingdom’s premier passenger ship port, Southampton was home for many years to the great transatlantic liners of yesteryear.