Canary Islands & English Channel Gems Cruise

Day 1 - Barcelona

Arrive: Sat 15 June 2024 / Depart: Sat 15 June 2024 at 17:00

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is said to have been founded by the Phoenicians, and was once the rival of the powerful states of Venice and Genoa for control of the Mediterranean trade. Today, it is Spain's second largest city and has long rivaled, even surpassed Madrid in industry and commerce. The medieval atmosphere of the Gothic Quarter and the elegant boulevards combine to make the city one of Europe's most beautiful. Barcelona's active cultural life and heritage brought forth such greats as the architect Antonio Gaudi, the painter Joan Miro, and Pablo Picasso, who spent his formative years here. Other famous native Catalan artists include cellist Pau Casals, surrealist Salvador Dali, and opera singers Montserrat Caballe and Josep Carreras. Barcelona accomplished a long-cherished goal with the opportunity to host the Olympics in 1992. This big event prompted a massive building program and created a focal point of the world's attention.

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - Malaga

Arrive: Mon 17 June 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Mon 17 June 2024 at 18:00

Often little more than a gateway to the Costa del Sol for sun-seeking vacationers, Malaga is a most interesting city in its own right. First settled by the Phoenicians, Malaga was held by virtually every ruling power in the Mediterranean at one time or another. Two Moorish fortresses, the 11th-century Alcazaba and the 14th-century Castillo de Gibralfaro still stand sentry above the harbor. Malaga was the birthplace of Pablo Picasso as well as the Malaguena style of flamenco. During your time here, you may wish to sample some of the sweet Malaga wine and excellent tapas for which the city is noted.

Day 4 - Tangier

Arrive: Tue 18 June 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 18 June 2024 at 18:00

Situated just across the narrow Strait of Gibraltar from Europe, Tangier has long comprised a hybrid culture that is nearly as European as it is African. Standing atop Cap Spartel, one can gaze down on the place where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. The “Hollywood” district where the foreign embassies have traditionally been located reflects the European influence. But ascending the hill above the waterfront, one enters the narrow, winding alleys of the Kasbah, the city’s oldest, most Moroccan section. Down the coast, nearby Tetouan retains a nearly untouched walled medina, with sections originally occupied by Andalusian, Berber and Jewish populations. It is small enough that visitors can explore it without risking becoming lost, making it a perfect choice as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 5 - Casablanca

Arrive: Wed 19 June 2024 at 08:00

Casablanca, located on the Atlantic coast, is with 4 million inhabitants Morocco's largest city, and at the same time the largest port in Africa. Built on the site of ancient Phoenician Anfa, it remained a small fishing village for many centuries until the French arrived in 1912. Since then Casablanca has become a vast modern city, ever on the increase since Morocco's independence from France in 1956. A successful blend of oriental-style, white cubic dwellings with modern Moroccan quarters gives the city an interesting flair. Lovely beaches and attractive hotels make for a popular year-round holiday resort. To help understand Moroccan culture a visit to the Medina, the quaint old Moorish quarter, is a must for all visitors.

Day 6 - Casablanca

Depart: Thu 20 June 2024 at 21:00

Casablanca, located on the Atlantic coast, is with 4 million inhabitants Morocco's largest city, and at the same time the largest port in Africa. Built on the site of ancient Phoenician Anfa, it remained a small fishing village for many centuries until the French arrived in 1912. Since then Casablanca has become a vast modern city, ever on the increase since Morocco's independence from France in 1956. A successful blend of oriental-style, white cubic dwellings with modern Moroccan quarters gives the city an interesting flair. Lovely beaches and attractive hotels make for a popular year-round holiday resort. To help understand Moroccan culture a visit to the Medina, the quaint old Moorish quarter, is a must for all visitors.

Day 7 - At Sea

Day 8 - Lanzarote

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

Lanzarote is the northernmost of the Canary Islands, often known as "volcano island." Its capital is Arrecife, a quiet town of about 30,000 inhabitants. Present day Lanzarote consists of two quite distinct massifs: Famara in the north, and Los Ajaches in the south, where centuries of erosion have sculpted abrupt cliffs and deep ravines, contrasting sharply with the smoothly rounded hills of the island's central region.

Day 9 - La Gomera

Arrive: Sun 23 June 2024 at 10:00 / Depart: Sun 23 June 2024 at 18:00

San Sebastián de La Gomera is the capital of La Gomera, one of Spain’s Canary Islands. The Church of the Assumption has a mural depicting an 18th-century battle, and a museum with religious artwork dating from the 16th century. Nearby, La Gomera Archaeological Museum traces the island’s indigenous cultures through artifacts and scale models. South is the Torre del Conde, a medieval fortification set in a lush park.

Day 10 - La Palma

Arrive: Mon 24 June 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Mon 24 June 2024 at 21:00

Lovely La Palma has earned itself two well-deserved nicknames: Isla Bonita (Pretty Island) and Isla Verde (Green Island). Although there are relatively few beaches La Palma has a number of other appealing attractions. The island's capital city, Santa Cruz de la Palma, boasts a handsome 16th-century City Hall as well as a number of colonial-style homes. There is also an interesting maritime museum housed in a life-size replica of Christopher Columbus' Santa Maria. Caldera de Taburiente, a massive volcanic crater, stands sentry in the middle of the island. The last of La Palma's original inhabitants, the Guanche, held out in the crater until they were finally defeated by the Spaniards in 1492 - the area is now a National Park.

Day 11 - Tenerife

Arrive: Tue 25 June 2024 at 08:00

Tenerife is the largest of the seven main islands, which comprise the Canaries. Beyond its quaint whitewashed villages, the Canary Islands' eternal spring keeps flowers, fruits and vegetables growing year-round. From Tenerife, you can travel up through pine forests to Mt. Teide, Spain's highest peak.The Iglesia del Salvador’s Islamic Mudéjar ceiling is one of the best in the islands, and La Palma’s odd, erosion caldera called La Cumbrecita is a UNESCO Biosphere Site

Day 12 - Tenerife

Depart: Wed 26 June 2024 at 24:00

Tenerife is the largest of the seven main islands, which comprise the Canaries. Beyond its quaint whitewashed villages, the Canary Islands' eternal spring keeps flowers, fruits and vegetables growing year-round. From Tenerife, you can travel up through pine forests to Mt. Teide, Spain's highest peak.The Iglesia del Salvador’s Islamic Mudéjar ceiling is one of the best in the islands, and La Palma’s odd, erosion caldera called La Cumbrecita is a UNESCO Biosphere Site

Day 13 - Funchal

Arrive: Thu 27 June 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Thu 27 June 2024 at 17:00

The Madeira Archipelago, consisting of the islands Madeira, Porto Santo and Desertas, is situated in the Atlantic, about 400 miles from the African coast and 560 miles from Lisbon. Discovered by the Portuguese in 1419, Madeira, the largest of the islands, became of great importance to Portugal for its sugar production and later on for the cultivation of wine. The unusually temperate oceanic climate and extraordinary scenery had Northern Europeans flocking to Madeira as early as the 18th century to spend the winter months. The winning combination of high, rocky peaks, steep green ravines and waterfalls in the interior, with the flowering charm of Funchal still attracts nearly half a million visitors each year.

Day 14 - At Sea

Day 15 - Lisbon

Arrive: Sat 29 June 2024 at 07:00 / Depart: Sat 29 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 16 - At Sea

Day 17 - La Coruna, Spain

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

A Coruna is the largest Galician city with a culture uniquely its own, a rich folkloric tradition and its own language. Of historically remote origin, A Coruna has preserved a considerable heritage of monuments and ancient buildings, among which are Romanesque churches and a Roman lighthouse. Its most beautiful and original feature is perhaps the characteristic façade of its houses, which are completely covered by mirador windows.

Day 18 - Gijon

Arrive: Tue 02 July 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 02 July 2024 at 18:00

This ancient port city on the green Atlantic coast of Spain has a history of some 3,000 years. From its humble beginnings the city has grown to become an important port city in Spain. Its old historic fishing village Cimadevilla with its picturesque cobble stoned streets and old-world architecture remains today its main tourist attraction.

Day 19 - Santander

Arrive: Wed 03 July 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 03 July 2024 at 17:00

Santander is a resort that from 1913 to 1930 became a royal residence after city officials presented an English-style Magdalena Palace to Alfonso XIII and his queen, Victoria Eugenia. An ancient city, Santander was damaged by a 1941 fire, which destroyed the old quarter and most of its dwellings. It was rebuilt along original lines, with wide boulevards, a waterfront promenade, sidewalk cafes, shops, restaurants and hotels. Santander is an education center, with courses offered at the once-royal palace, now the Menendez Pelayo International University. Students and teachers from North America and Europe come here to study and enjoy the area.

Day 20 - Scenic Cruising

Day 20 - Bordeaux

Arrive: Thu 04 July 2024 at 24:00

Bordeaux is the starting point for many exciting excursions into the surrounding wine country. The patricians of Bordeaux have always been merchants and shipbuilders. Under the Romans the city had a flourishing trade with Spain and Britain. In 1154, as a part of the dowry of Eleanor of Aquitaine, it became English and remained so until 1453. In the 18th century, Bordeaux prospered from the slave trade, and later in commerce with French colonies in Africa. Since Roman times the quality of the region's vines and wines has been zealously maintained.

Day 21 - Bordeaux

Depart: Fri 05 July 2024 at 21:00

Bordeaux is the starting point for many exciting excursions into the surrounding wine country. The patricians of Bordeaux have always been merchants and shipbuilders. Under the Romans the city had a flourishing trade with Spain and Britain. In 1154, as a part of the dowry of Eleanor of Aquitaine, it became English and remained so until 1453. In the 18th century, Bordeaux prospered from the slave trade, and later in commerce with French colonies in Africa. Since Roman times the quality of the region's vines and wines has been zealously maintained.

Day 22 - La Rochelle

Arrive: Sat 06 July 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 06 July 2024 at 18:00

La Rochelle is a coastal city in southwestern France and capital of the Charente-Maritime department. It's been a center for fishing and trade since the 12th century, a maritime tradition that's reflected in its Vieux Port (old harbor) and huge, modern Les Minimes marina. The old town has half-timbered medieval houses and Renaissance architecture, including passageways covered by 17th-century arches.

Day 23 - At Sea

Day 24 - St Malo

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

Saint-Malo, known as the Corsaires city, is situated at the Cote d'Emeraude on the Rance River in the north-east of Brittany. The city's name stems from the Welsh Monk MacLow Saint-Malo. The city, which has been a seaward fortress since the end of the 17th century, had one of the most important ports in France. The mighty fortifications and ramparts were designed by Simon Garangeau, a disciple of the famous Vauban. Founded in the 6th century as a monastic settlement, the city retains much of its august, historic and dignified veneer. Saint-Malo is now a city of granite rebuilt after WWII to its original style and skyline. Nearby is the island monastery of Mont St. Michel, founded in 708. A focal point for tourists and the faithful alike, early pilgrims risked their lives crossing the treacherous mud flats to reach this site. Now a dam is needed to keep Mont St. Michel's flats from silting up.

Day 25 - Plymouth, UK

Arrive: Tue 09 July 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 09 July 2024 at 18:00

Plymouth, the largest city in Devon, has a long maritime history. Construction on the Royal Naval Dockyard was begun by William III in the late 17th century, and the site continues to serve as a naval base today. Excellent views of Plymouth Sound, with its many bays and inlets, may be enjoyed from the grassy esplanade known as the Hoe. Although heavy bombing destroyed much of Plymouth during World War II, a fascinating part of the past may still be seen in the Barbican, the oldest surviving section of the city. The Mayflower Steps mark the spot from which the Pilgrims sailed for the New World in 1620. You may wish to take a look inside the massive Royal Citadel, built by Charles II in 1666. The city houses Europe's premier oceanography institute with an unrivalled aquarium. An excursion into the lovely Devonshire countryside should prove a most pleasant diversion.

Day 26 - Cowes, Isle of Wight

Arrive: Wed 10 July 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 10 July 2024 at 17:00

Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina, facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east bank. The two towns are linked by the Cowes Floating Bridge, a chain ferry.

Day 27 - At Sea

Day 28 - Zeebrugge

Arrive: Fri 12 July 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 12 July 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 29 - Dover, UK

Arrive: Sat 13 July 2024 at 07:00 / Depart: Sat 13 July 2024

Crossing the English Channel from continental Europe to Great Britain, the first view of England is the milky-white strip of land called the White Cliffs of Dover. As you get closer, the coastline unfolds before you in all its striking beauty. White chalk cliffs with streaks of black flint rise straight from the sea to a height of 350’ (110 m). Numerous archaeological finds reveal people were present in the area during the Stone Age. Yet the first record of Dover is from Romans, who valued its close proximity to the mainland. A mere 21 miles (33 km) separate Dover from the closest point in France. A Roman-built lighthouse in the area is the tallest Roman structure still standing in Britain. The remains of a Roman villa with the only preserved Roman wall mural outside of Italy are another unique survivor from ancient times which make Dover one of a kind.