Cruise Itinerary

Southampton offers fast and efficient check-in areas, spacious departure lounges with seating areas, café-bars and smart washrooms. If you wish to travel by car and park for the duration of your cruise, you can pay for and reserve parking in advance directly with the relevant company. Alternatively, if being dropped off or collected by taxi or private car, they can drive right up alongside the terminal building.

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.

The aptly nicknamed “pretty island”, La Palma is one of Spain's Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. Walk along the rim of the crater at Volcán San Antonio then set out to one of the viewpoints at the Caldera de Taburiente, an enormous crater-like depression at the center of Caldera del Taburiente National Park. At the highest point of La Palma sits El Roque de los Muchachos, an important observatory as the clear and cloudless skies above the island make it one of the best places in the world to see the stars.

The largest Canary Island is dominated by 12,198-foot Mount Teide. The cuisine features locally grown fruits (banana, mango, and papaya) and fresh fish. Clean, sandy beaches offer chances for windsurfing, surfing, snorkeling and diving. You’ll find everything from lush vegetation to water parks and interesting shopping.

Lanzarote’s most famous feature is its otherworldly landscape, born of hundreds of fire-breathing peaks. The last eruption was in 1824, and though the region is now classed as dormant, you can still feel the heat under the surface at Timanfaya National Park. Considering that the island is a desert with only 5-6 inches (125-150 mm) of rain a year, the ingenious farmers of Lanzarote have worked agricultural miracles, especially in the wine region of Geria, where vines are planted and flourish in a layer of black volcanic sand, which holds on tight to every last drop of moisture. It is an amazing sight to see, and produces a nectar that is a delight to sip.

Mention Spain and the images that inevitably spring to mind are images of Andalusia - shadows falling across the bullring, the staccato rhythms of flamenco, the waft of orange blossoms from a Moorish garden. Cadiz is your gateway to this storied land and the city of Seville. Visit Seville's massive Alcazar fortress, modeled on the legendary Alhambra Palace of Granada. See the city's cathedral, a 15th-century Gothic masterwork that boasts a Moorish patio, fountain and minaret. Seville is also the legendary home of Don Juan, Bizet's Carmen and Rossini's Barber of Seville. Cadiz is one's of Europe's oldest inhabited cities, dating from 1100 B.C., and your gateway to Seville and Andalusia.

The great period of "the Discoveries" accounted for phenomenal wealth brought back from India, Africa and Brazil by the great Portuguese navigators. Gold, jewels, ivory, porcelain and spices helped finance grand new buildings and impressive monuments in Lisbon, the country's capital city. As you sail up the Tagus River, be on deck to admire Lisbon's panorama and see some of the great monuments lining the river. Lisbon is one of Europe's smallest capital cities but considered by many visitors to be one of the most likeable. Spread over a string of seven hills, the city offers a variety of faces, including a refreshing no-frills simplicity reflected in the people as they go unhurriedly through their day enjoying a hearty and delicious cuisine accompanied by the country's excellent wines.

Southampton offers fast and efficient check-in areas, spacious departure lounges with seating areas, café-bars and smart washrooms. If you wish to travel by car and park for the duration of your cruise, you can pay for and reserve parking in advance directly with the relevant company. Alternatively, if being dropped off or collected by taxi or private car, they can drive right up alongside the terminal building.