Wednesday, December 9 - LISBON, PORTUGAL
Depart 7:00 pm
A glorious mosaic of beauty, freedom, and authenticity, Portugal's capital is a stirring artwork of a city. Known for the seven hills it spreads across, and its stirring fado music, Lisbon is a pastel-colored blend of houses and beautiful tile artworks. This creative city strikes a perfect harmony between natural and manmade beauty. Stroll along Alfama's steep, cobbled streets as you explore one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, where each house and door could be its photograph. Look for the decorative tiles, with the distinctive blues and whites of Azulejo ceramics, and visit the dedicated museum to learn more. Afterward, wind up at São Jorge Castle, where views across Lisbon's red rooftops unravel. Just one of many majestic viewpoints, you can also seek out Miradouro da Graça for perhaps Lisbon's finest panorama, with the copper-colored suspension bridge stretching over sparkling water beyond the sea of buildings. The elegant Tower of Belém rises in the Tagus estuary and is a historic defender of these shores. The grand, carved cloisters of Jerónimos Monastery are spread out close by, and there's another UNESCO-recognized location close by at Sintra, where a colorful town is set amid thick gardens and towering mountains, capped by the royal Pena Palace. Later, relax and take a quick break to drink Ginjinha, a cherry liqueur made from chocolate cups instead of coffee. Lisboetas have a sweet tooth, and the famous Pastel de Nata's crumbling pastry and caramelized custard topping is essential to any coffee stop.
Thursday, December 10 - AT SEA
Friday, December 11 - AT SEA
More details about the programs will be at the end of 2025 & beginning of 2026.
Saturday, December 12 - LAS PALMAS, CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN
Arrival 7:00 am
Departure 6:00 pm
Watch the stars glittering at night, climb jungled volcano calderas, and explore the historical allure of this entry point to the sun-gorged island of Gran Canaria. The sprawling capital of the Canaries is Spain's ninth-biggest city, stretched out along the sparkling coastline. Visitors and locals alike blow off steam on the city's urban beaches, before filling out bustling, authentic tapas bars. An offshore barrier of lava strips waves of their power, making Las Canteras's urban beach expanse one of the best and calmest in the Canaries. Strap on your snorkel to explore the seabed, which blooms with colorful fish and tropical reefs. Or, settle back to soak in the warm glow of one of the best climates in the world, while reclining on the soft sand, which arcs along the capital's fringe. At the other end of town, La Vegueta old town is a charming stroll along cobbled streets, wandering past decorative doorways and balconies that beg to be photographed. The narrow 15th-century streets take on an extra romantic air in the evenings, as lanterns cast a soft glow over them. Calle Colon offers a hint of the street's history - and it's here where the handsome colonial house - turned museum - of Christopher Columbus stands. Columbus stayed here to recuperate, between his boundary-redefining voyages. Out of Las Palmas, diverse and exciting volcanic landscapes await, including the spectacular Caldera de Bandama, which plunges 200 meters into the earth. From the summit, views stretch out to the looming island of Fuerteventura unravel. You can also discover pretty white-wash fishing villages, dazzling gardens, and the sun-bathed vineyards that produce Gran Canaria's crispest wines.
Sunday, December 13 - AT SEA
Monday, December 14 - AT SEA
Tuesday, December 15 - MINDELO, CAPE VERDE
Arrival 8:00 am
Departure 6:00 pm
Located 300 miles (483 km) off the coast of West Africa, the Cape Verde archipelago comprises ten islands and five islets, most of them of volcanic origin. They are divided into the windward and leeward groups and cover an area slightly larger than Rhode Island. Colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century, they first settled on the island of Santiago to the south of Sao Vicente and established the town of Cidade Velha. It was from here that the main slave trade developed between the Cape Verde Islands, Europe, and America. While Praia on the island of Santiago is the archipelago’s largest and capital city, Mindelo, with its brightly colored colonial buildings, is considered the island’s prettiest town. It boasts an excellent deep-water harbor, Porto Grande, which is near Mindelo. The official language is Portuguese, while the national language is Crioulo, a Creole dialect of archaic Portuguese mixed with many African elements and adapted English words.
Wednesday, December 16 - AT SEA
THROUGH
Sunday, December 20 - AT SEA
Monday, December 21 - BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS
Arrival 7:00 am
Bridgetown, the captivating capital of Barbados, combines faded colonial history, rich tradition, and vivid white beaches plucked directly from your wildest imagination of Caribbean perfection. Recently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks to its beautifully preserved colonial architecture, Bridgetown's mask of modernity covers a core of complex history and fascinating culture. Sherbet-colored buildings line up to overlook the waterfront of the Constitution River at “The Careenage,” where gleaming ships bob on the blue water, and peaceful strolls along a wooden boardwalk await. Stop for a sobering moment at the commemorative sign honoring the people traded at this spot when Bridgetown was the British Empire's most important harbor and the first stop on the Transatlantic Slave Trade route. Just a five-minute stroll from here is Carlisle Bay - a postcard-perfect place where crystal-clear, turquoise seawater glows in the Caribbean sun, and a mile of soft white powder sand. A treasure trove for divers, the shipwrecks scattered below the shallow water's waves are now inhabited by turtles and swirling, rainbow-colored tropical fish. Head to the backstreets, where street food vendors serve spicy chicken soup, barbecued pigtails, and thirst-quenching coconut water. There are bargains aplenty to be had on Broad Street, where duty-free malls and souvenir stalls cram together, vying for your attention. Roebuck Street is the spot where one of the Caribbean's favorite drinks, rum, was discovered, having been created here from the by-products of the island's booming sugarcane trade. Nowadays, the street is lined with bars splashing every variety of the deliciously spicy dark libation imaginable into glasses. For a touch more culture, visit one of the oldest synagogues in the Americas - Nidhe Israel Synagogue, which was built in 1654. The adjoining museum tells the story of Barbados’ Jewish immigrants, who were instrumental in the island's development.