French Glamour & The Baltic Sea Cruise

Day 1 - Lisbon

Arrive: Tue 11 June 2024 / Depart: Tue 11 June 2024 at 17:00

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.

Day 2 - Leixoes, Portugal

Arrive: Wed 12 June 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 12 June 2024 at 18:00

The principal port for the city of Oporto, Portugal's second largest city, Lexixoes is set on an artifical deep-water harbour created to accommodate vessels of all sizes. The city is famous for its many bridges and excellent port wine, blended and aged in the various lodges of the Vila Nova de Gaia on the banks of the great Douro River. Oporto is also known for its characteristic sailboats, the "Barcos Rabelos", which used to ship Port downstream from the vineyards. Today, the famous boats are used for a race held in June every year.

Day 3 - At Sea

Day 4 - Bilbao

Arrive: Fri 14 June 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 14 June 2024 at 23:00

Straddling the banks of an estuary opening into the Bay of Biscay, Bilbao is the largest city in Spain’s northeastern Basque Country. Its earliest beginnings are preserved in the Casco Viejo, seven medieval streets that used to be guarded by walls. There visitors will find the city’s old churches, a large market, a public theater and the Academy of the Basque Language. Nearby sources of iron ore made Bilbao an important industrial and shipping center from the 14th century onward. The Spanish Civil War also started here. Today the city is being transformed by a growing service economy, and its prominence on the global traveler’s radar may be dated from the 1997 inauguration of the striking Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. In fact, the estuary town has become a veritable magnet for architects, boasting notable masterworks including Santiago Calatrava’s beautiful Zubizuri (“White Bridge” in Basque) and airport complex, the 541-foot Iberdrola Tower by the Argentine Cesar Pelli, a subway system by Norman Foster, the 1909 wine warehouse called Alhóndiga, converted a century later by designer Philippe Starck and the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall by Federico Soriano and Dolores Palacios. The Zorrozuarre area is also being redeveloped, following a 2007 master plan by the Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. For views of all of this, take the funicular from the city center to the top of Mt. Artxanda, where a sports complex, restaurants and a balcony await you.

Day 5 - At Sea

Day 6 - St Malo

Arrive: Sun 16 June 2024 at 10:00 / Depart: Sun 16 June 2024 at 18:00

Saint-Malo is a port city in Brittany, in France's northwest. Tall granite walls surround the old town, which was once a stronghold for privateers (pirates approved by the king). The Saint-Malo Cathedral, in the center of the old town, is built in Romanesque and Gothic styles and features stained-glass windows depicting city history. Nearby is La Demeure de Corsaire, an 18th-century privateer’s house and museum.

Day 7 - Cherbourg

Arrive: Mon 17 June 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Mon 17 June 2024 at 17:00

The seaport and naval station of Cherbourg is situated along the English Channel northwest of Paris at the mouth of the Divette River. Believed to rest on the site of an ancient Roman station, Cherbourg has been occupied since ancient times and was frequently contested by the French and English in the Middle Ages because of its strategic location. Most recently passed to France in the late 18th century, the town was extensively fortified by Louis XVI. During WWII the Germans held Cherbourg until it was captured by the American forces shortly after the Normandy landings. Following a vast rehabilitation program that returned it to working condition, Cherbourg became an important Allied supply port. Today, Cherbourg is important for transatlantic shipping, shipbuilding, electronics and telephone equipment manufacturing, yachting and commercial fishing.

Day 8 - Rouen, France

Arrive: Tue 18 June 2024 at 10:00

The capital of upper Normandy and fifth largest port in France, picturesque and historic Rouen is renowned as a treasury of medieval architecture. With a large part of the city destroyed during World War II resulting in massive postwar reconstruction, Rouen today appears as an interesting blend of ancient and modern. Fortunately, it has kept its medieval character with still-inhabited houses dating from the 15th century, which line its narrow cobblestone streets. Among the city's most noteworthy attractions are the magnificent Cathedrale Notre-Dame built during the 13th century, and the famous Gros-Horloge, a giant Renaissance clock looming over the renowned pedestrian street of the same name. Two blocks away is the Place du Vieux Marche, or old market square, where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. She is publicly commemorated at the site on the last Sunday of each May. The "City of a Hundred Spires" as Rouen is known, was an inspiration for Monet's impressionistic cathedral paintings. Rouen also makes an excellent point of departure for a visit to Paris, the "City of Light."

Day 9 - Rouen, France

The capital of upper Normandy and fifth largest port in France, picturesque and historic Rouen is renowned as a treasury of medieval architecture. With a large part of the city destroyed during World War II resulting in massive postwar reconstruction, Rouen today appears as an interesting blend of ancient and modern. Fortunately, it has kept its medieval character with still-inhabited houses dating from the 15th century, which line its narrow cobblestone streets. Among the city's most noteworthy attractions are the magnificent Cathedrale Notre-Dame built during the 13th century, and the famous Gros-Horloge, a giant Renaissance clock looming over the renowned pedestrian street of the same name. Two blocks away is the Place du Vieux Marche, or old market square, where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. She is publicly commemorated at the site on the last Sunday of each May. The "City of a Hundred Spires" as Rouen is known, was an inspiration for Monet's impressionistic cathedral paintings. Rouen also makes an excellent point of departure for a visit to Paris, the "City of Light."

Day 10 - Rouen, France

Depart: Thu 20 June 2024 at 02:00

The capital of upper Normandy and fifth largest port in France, picturesque and historic Rouen is renowned as a treasury of medieval architecture. With a large part of the city destroyed during World War II resulting in massive postwar reconstruction, Rouen today appears as an interesting blend of ancient and modern. Fortunately, it has kept its medieval character with still-inhabited houses dating from the 15th century, which line its narrow cobblestone streets. Among the city's most noteworthy attractions are the magnificent Cathedrale Notre-Dame built during the 13th century, and the famous Gros-Horloge, a giant Renaissance clock looming over the renowned pedestrian street of the same name. Two blocks away is the Place du Vieux Marche, or old market square, where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. She is publicly commemorated at the site on the last Sunday of each May. The "City of a Hundred Spires" as Rouen is known, was an inspiration for Monet's impressionistic cathedral paintings. Rouen also makes an excellent point of departure for a visit to Paris, the "City of Light."

Day 11 - Zeebrugge

Arrive: Fri 21 June 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 21 June 2024 at 18:00

Zeebrugge is a Belgian port and seaside resort. It's linked to the city of Bruges by the Baudouin Canal. The old fish market in the marina houses Seafront, a theme park focusing on the local seafaring and fishing heritage. Exhibits include a Russian submarine. In nearby Knokke-Heist, the For Freedom Museum evokes the area’s WWII history through dioramas. West along the coast are the De Fonteintjes wetland and dunes.

Day 12 - Amsterdam

Arrive: Sat 22 June 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 22 June 2024 at 18:00

The delightfully attractive city of Amsterdam is home to many of the world's great art treasures, and is a major center of the glamorous diamond trade as well. Unique architectural styles of the past blend with superb modern structures, and the web of curved and straight canals makes the city as easy to traverse by water as by land. The hospitality of the local people has been remarked upon by generations of travelers, and the Dutch's respect for and tolerance of the beliefs of others has attracted refugees from around the world for centuries.

Day 13 - Hamburg

Arrive: Sun 23 June 2024 at 07:00

The residents of Hamburg have retained the independent spirit which earned this autonomous commercial center its 'Free City' designation in the Middle Ages. One of Germany's principal ports, Hamburg is surrounded by enormous dock areas and the gaudy, licentious Reeperbahn (which translates loosely to 'Anchorage of Joy') is fully prepared to offer every form of entertainment to the world's sailors. The vaudeville acts at the Hansa-Theater are bright and clever (and language is no barrier). The Kunsthalle (art museum) boasts an outstanding collection of 16th- and 20th-century masterpieces, and the Renaissance Rathaus (city hall) sits atop some 4,000 piles driven into marshy ground proving that the engineers of Hamburg have been skilled and imaginative for centuries.

Day 14 - Hamburg

Depart: Mon 24 June 2024 at 23:00

The residents of Hamburg have retained the independent spirit which earned this autonomous commercial center its 'Free City' designation in the Middle Ages. One of Germany's principal ports, Hamburg is surrounded by enormous dock areas and the gaudy, licentious Reeperbahn (which translates loosely to 'Anchorage of Joy') is fully prepared to offer every form of entertainment to the world's sailors. The vaudeville acts at the Hansa-Theater are bright and clever (and language is no barrier). The Kunsthalle (art museum) boasts an outstanding collection of 16th- and 20th-century masterpieces, and the Renaissance Rathaus (city hall) sits atop some 4,000 piles driven into marshy ground proving that the engineers of Hamburg have been skilled and imaginative for centuries.

Day 15 - Enter Kiel Canal Brunsbuttel

Day 15 - Daylight transit Kiel Canal

Day 15 - Exit Kiel Canal Holtenau

Day 16 - Wismar

Arrive: Wed 26 June 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 26 June 2024 at 18:00

Wismar, on the Baltic just east of Lubeck, is one of the most important cities of the Hanseatic League. Shortly after its founding, it banded together with Lübeck and Rostock in a defensive alliance, which led to the formation of the League. Today it has one of the finest preserved and restored treasuries of German Brick Gothic architecture existing, and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. It has the largest Market Square in Germany, anchored by the wrought-iron Waterworks from 1602, and surrounded by stellar buildings. The city was ruled by Sweden from 1648 until 1903. It was heavily damaged during World War II, and was a part of the GDR after the war until 1990. There are many fine examples of Hanseatic era patrician gable houses in Wismar, most notably the Alter Schwede (Old Swede) from 1380. The architectural heritage in the city spans eras from Gothic through Art Nouveau styles.

Day 17 - Ronne, Bornholm

Arrive: Thu 27 June 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Thu 27 June 2024 at 16:00

A favorite summer getaway for Danes, Bornholm's rolling countryside reveals distinctive round white churches and ruined castles. The picturesque seaport of Roenne lies at the southwest corner of this Baltic island whose coastline mixes pearl white sand in the south with sheer granite cliffs to the north. Here you can see four of Denmark's seven famous round churches dating from the 12th century.

Day 18 - Gdansk, Poland

Arrive: Fri 28 June 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 28 June 2024 at 18:00

Historically known as the tinderbox whose spark ignited the WWII, it was also in Gdansk where the flame that signalized the collapse of communism was illuminated. Today, the affectionately restored facades of the town houses lining the streets in the Old Town remind visitors of the heyday of the Hanseatic League and preserve its distinctive charm. Nestled on the banks of the Bay of Gdansk, amid the seaside resort of Sopot and the seaport of Gdynia, the Gdansk area is often referred to as "Tri-City." The close affiliation to its neighboring cities and its advantageous location make Gdansk the perfect gateway to discover beautiful Poland.

Day 19 - At Sea

Day 20 - Tallinn, Estonia

Arrive: Sun 30 June 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Sun 30 June 2024 at 23:00

The capital of Estonia, Tallinn was called Reval until the 20th century. The port's ideal maritime position has always been a temptation to other nations and won it a position in the Hanseatic League. This cross-cultural history gives Tallinn a special ambience that visitors appreciate. The main attraction is the Old Town. Perched on a low hill by the shore, its fortification walls, worn cobbled streets and 13th-century buildings make it one of the purest medieval towns in all of northern Europe. With about a half-million inhabitants, Tallinn comprises almost a third of Estonia's population. Outside of town there is rich dairy land and along the coast stretch expansive sand beaches.

Day 21 - Helsinki, Finland

Arrive: Mon 01 July 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Mon 01 July 2024 at 18:00

Helsinki, capital of Finland and "Daughter of the Baltic," was founded in 1550 and became the capital in 1812. The city is beautifully set on a peninsula surrounded by islands and is protected by fortifications at Suomenlinna. A modern, lively city of approximately a half million inhabitants, Helsinki's attractions include the harbor, market square and many spacious parks. The Empire Center is one of Europe's finest examples of neoclassical architecture.

Day 22 - Mariehamn

Arrive: Tue 02 July 2024 at 10:00 / Depart: Tue 02 July 2024 at 18:00

Set in beautiful natural surroundings is the capital of the Aland Islands, the peaceful slow-paced port of Mariehamn. The archipelago of 6,500 islands is the smallest region in Finland, and is characterized by an exciting mix of Swedish, Finnish and Russian culture and history. Named after Tsar Alexander II's consort, Maria Alexandrovna, Mariehamn perfectly complements the large capitals of the Baltic Sea. Mariehamn's typical wooden architecture from the turn-of-the-last-century was influenced by Russian Empire style and Scandinavian nationalism. Today, Mariehamn's shipping tradition is just as strong as it was at the beginning of the 1900s when the Aland Islands boasted the largest fleet of sailing ships in the world.

Day 23 - Stockholm

Arrive: Wed 03 July 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 03 July 2024

Sweden's capital has been called the most beautiful city in the world. This "city that floats on water" sprawls over 14 islands that are linked by over 50 bridges, which cross winding waterways in all directions. To the east is an archipelago of thousands of islands in different shapes, sizes and contours. Venice, for all its gondolas, does not approach the water traffic of Stockholm. The hundreds of small boats that line the inlets and canals testify to the passion of every family to own and sail a boat.