Mediterranean & Iberian New Year Cruise: Italy, Spain & Morocco

Day 1 - Rome

Arrive: Tue 22 December 2026 / Depart: Tue 22 December 2026 at 18:00

Your gateway to the Eternal City, Civitavecchia has served as Rome's seaport since the 13th century. The port has a long and venerable history. The emperor Trajan built a pleasure villa near the modern city, while Bernini and Michelangelo designed the harbor fortifications. Yet the Eternal City eternally beckons. The ancient capital of the Western World and the center of Christianity for nearly 2,000 years, Rome provides an inexhaustible feast. Visit the ruins of the Forum, view the splendors of the Sistine Chapel, or climb the Spanish Steps, once the heart of Rome's Bohemian Quarter. Rome has been a magnet luring the world's greatest artists, architects, and philosophers since the days of the Caesars.

Day 2 - Florence/Pisa

Arrive: Wed 23 December 2026 at 08:00

Ah, Florence—sublime birthplace of the Renaissance, its historic center full to bursting with elegant squares, imposing palaces, magnificent churches, and museums with such an abundance of riches it could make an art lover weep for joy. The list of illustrious names connected with this city is mind-boggling: Botticelli, Dante, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Galileo. Other colorful and fascinating characters were of dubious reputation: Machiavelli, and the religious extremist Savonarola, with his bonfire of the vanities. For many years the city was ruled by the powerful Medici family, patrons of the arts and bankers to the papacy, whose line included six kings and two popes.

Day 3 - Florence/Pisa

Depart: Thu 24 December 2026 at 18:00

Ah, Florence—sublime birthplace of the Renaissance, its historic center full to bursting with elegant squares, imposing palaces, magnificent churches, and museums with such an abundance of riches it could make an art lover weep for joy. The list of illustrious names connected with this city is mind-boggling: Botticelli, Dante, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Galileo. Other colorful and fascinating characters were of dubious reputation: Machiavelli, and the religious extremist Savonarola, with his bonfire of the vanities. For many years the city was ruled by the powerful Medici family, patrons of the arts and bankers to the papacy, whose line included six kings and two popes.

Day 4 - At Sea

Day 5 - Mahon, Spain

Arrive: Sat 26 December 2026 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 26 December 2026 at 20:00

Mahón, or Maó, is the capital of the Spanish island of Menorca. It’s known for its British-style Georgian houses and sheltered harbor. Santa María Church, with an ornate 19th-century organ, sits on central Plaça de la Constitució. Next to the church, the city hall has a Renaissance facade and a clock donated by the island’s first British governor. The Menorca Museum displays art and exhibits on the island's history.

Day 6 - Majorca

Arrive: Sun 27 December 2026 at 09:00 / Depart: Sun 27 December 2026 at 22:00

Palma is a resort city and capital of the Spanish island of Mallorca (Majorca), in the western Mediterranean. The massive Santa María cathedral, a Gothic landmark begun in the 13th century, overlooks the Bay of Palma. The adjacent Almudaina is a Moorish-style Arab fortress converted to a royal residence. West of the city, hilltop Bellver Castle is a medieval fortress with a distinctive circular shape

Day 7 - Barcelona

Arrive: Mon 28 December 2026 at 09:00

Dynamic Barcelona is all about architecture, from the magnificent medieval buildings of the Gothic Quarter to the Modernist movement typified by the work of Antoni Gaudi. Though his materials were stone and metal, his forms were organic, awash in curves, swirls, and colors. His masterpiece is the amazing Church of the Sagrada Familia, colossal and as yet unfinished, though construction began in 1882. A contemporary contribution to the scene is Ricardo Bofill's post modernist National Theater of Catalonia, an imaginative combination of classical and modern design, with a greenhouse-like lobby.

Day 8 - Barcelona

Depart: Tue 29 December 2026 at 17:00

Dynamic Barcelona is all about architecture, from the magnificent medieval buildings of the Gothic Quarter to the Modernist movement typified by the work of Antoni Gaudi. Though his materials were stone and metal, his forms were organic, awash in curves, swirls, and colors. His masterpiece is the amazing Church of the Sagrada Familia, colossal and as yet unfinished, though construction began in 1882. A contemporary contribution to the scene is Ricardo Bofill's post modernist National Theater of Catalonia, an imaginative combination of classical and modern design, with a greenhouse-like lobby.

Day 9 - Cartagena, Spain

Arrive: Wed 30 December 2026 at 12:00 / Depart: Wed 30 December 2026 at 18:00

Strategically located along historic sailing routes, Cartagena has been colonized by a veritable who’s who of Mediterranean superpowers over the millennia, resulting in a rich and multi-layered cultural heritage, and a history both glorious and turbulent. From atop a hill, Concepción Castle served as a fortress for Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths, Arabs, and Castilians. The 13th century Old Cathedral stands on the remains of a Roman Theater just discovered in 1987. More recent architectural contributions include modernist designs of public buildings and private dwellings by pupils of the famous architect Antoni Gaudi.

Day 10 - Malaga

Arrive: Thu 31 December 2026 at 09:00 / Depart: Thu 31 December 2026 at 23:00

Málaga is the lively capital of the Costa del Sol, famed for its beaches and mild climate, and gateway to Andalusia, with its Moorish architectural heritage. The city’s Alcazaba is a fine example, an 11th century citadel sitting in majestic splendor overlooking the African coast. It contains three magnificent palaces and graceful gardens with ornate fountains. In addition to their rich cultural heritage, Malagueños are also very proud of their most famous citizens – Picasso, for whom there is a museum commemorating his birth here, and actor Antonio Banderas, so far without a monument.

Day 11 - At Sea

Day 12 - Casablanca

Arrive: Sat 02 January 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 02 January 2027 at 20:00

Modern-day Casablanca retains some of the atmosphere and history of times gone by yet is a thoroughly modern city. Frenetic yet welcoming, Casablanca remains a lively destination. Especially in Djemaa el-Fna, the huge square in the medina is teeming with open-air food stalls, jugglers, storytellers and snake charmers. The architecture of its French-colonial past can be seen in the graceful white buildings, with their soft lines and attention to detail.

Day 13 - Tangier, Morocco

Arrive: Sun 03 January 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Sun 03 January 2027 at 20:00

Tangier, a Moroccan port on the Strait of Gibraltar, has been a strategic gateway between Africa and Europe since Phoenician times. Its whitewashed hillside medina is home to the Dar el Makhzen, a palace of the sultans that's now a museum of Moroccan artifacts. The American Legation Museum, also in the medina, documents early diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Morocco in an 1821 Moorish-style former consulate.

Day 14 - Cadiz

Arrive: Mon 04 January 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Mon 04 January 2027 at 18:00

The heart of Cadiz is its old town, cloistered within a bastion ringed by the sea. Here tiny cobblestone streets lead into beckoning café-filled squares, where you can sip while appreciating the Moorish architecture. Or visit Seville, where the locals are devoted to bullfighting, flamenco, and fiesta. Food too, it appears, as Seville is credited with the invention of tapas. Join in with the locals as they graze from bar to bar, making an entire meal out of the experience. The city also has a rich history evident in its old quarters and landmarks – an immense lavishly ornamented cathedral, and the Alcazar palace, exquisitely decorated in Moorish style.

Day 15 - Seville

Arrive: Tue 05 January 2027 at 06:00

Seville is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula

Day 16 - Seville

Depart: Wed 06 January 2027 at 17:30

Seville is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula

Day 17 - Lisbon

Arrive: Thu 07 January 2027 at 16:00

Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world. Its magnificent harbor made it a logical trading port as far back as the Phoenicians, as well as a departure point for 15th century voyages sponsored by Prince Henry the Navigator, patron of Portuguese explorers. The city is rich in architecture, from Romanesque and Gothic to Post Modern, and criss-crossed by monument-studded grand boulevards. Today it is seeking a place on the world stage by hosting, in addition to its own active cultural calendar, film festivals, art, fashion, and design shows, book fairs, marathons, and rock concerts.

Day 18 - Lisbon

Depart: Fri 08 January 2027

Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world. Its magnificent harbor made it a logical trading port as far back as the Phoenicians, as well as a departure point for 15th century voyages sponsored by Prince Henry the Navigator, patron of Portuguese explorers. The city is rich in architecture, from Romanesque and Gothic to Post Modern, and criss-crossed by monument-studded grand boulevards. Today it is seeking a place on the world stage by hosting, in addition to its own active cultural calendar, film festivals, art, fashion, and design shows, book fairs, marathons, and rock concerts.