Western Crossing: Madeira, Morocco & Côte d’Azur

There is an abundance of things to see and do in the Ft. Lauderdale area: visit the newly redesigned Ft. Lauderdale Beach and cafes, stroll the historic Riverwalk, shop the luxurious stores on Las Olas Boulevard or adventure to the Everglades for an intriguing air boat excursion.

Near the port city of Hamilton, King’s Wharf offers a visit to the Royal Navy Dockyard, with its Georgian-style fort and the Bermuda Maritime Museum. Set your watch by the town’s clocktower – but be aware: one face tells the time, the other indicates the time of high tide.

Glide down a mountainside in a giant wicker sleigh; sip a glass of Madeira wine; browse the shops for lace and colorful flowers. Funchal is anything but ordinary.

Tangier is Africa’s whitewashed gateway to Europe and the Mediterranean. Wide palm-lined boulevards and humming souks are Tangier’s distinctively Moroccan features, but Spanish, French and Berber characteristics are found everywhere: arched wooden doors, hefty silver ornamentations, tightly-woven carpets that tell tribal legends.

On the northeast coast of Spain, overlooking the Mediterranean, Barcelona is a vibrant port city, packed with centuries of iconic art and architecture—Gaudí and Picasso both called it home—and lined with sunny white-sand beaches. Explore the Catalan capital’s tourist attractions and historic neighborhoods, Modernisme and world-renowned art museums, galleries and local crafts shops—some of which are centuries old and stock traditional Catalan wares. After you see the sights, there are lively tapas bars around every corner where you can stop for a drink, a café amb llet (Catalan for espresso with steamed milk) or a snack, no matter the hour. Green spaces for picnics, long walks and respite from the hustle and bustle are scattered throughout Barcelona’s attractions: There’s Gaudí’s mosaic-decorated park, a neoclassical maze at the Laberint d’Horta, as well as plenty of high places (mountains, monuments and edifices) where sightseeing visitors can take in the view. A short trip from Barcelona by car or train, luxury outlets, cava wineries, a mountaintop abbey and the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean coast await.

Málaga is your chance to tour to the Moorish wonders of the Alhambra with its elaborate carvings, grand columns and delicate arches. Stalagmites and stalactites reach calcite fingers into the caverns of Nerja, near Malaga. 30,000 years ago, people lived in the shadowy recesses of these caves. In nearby Mijas, shop tables are laden with hand-made ceramics, and the people live in shuttered, whitewashed cottages.

Tangier is Africa’s whitewashed gateway to Europe and the Mediterranean. Wide palm-lined boulevards and humming souks are Tangier’s distinctively Moroccan features, but Spanish, French and Berber characteristics are found everywhere: arched wooden doors, hefty silver ornamentations, tightly-woven carpets that tell tribal legends.

While there is archaeological evidence of Phoenician, Greek and Roman settlements in the Andalucían province of Almería, the city of the same name was founded by the Moorish king Abd ar-Rahman in 955. (Its Spanish name comes from its original Arabic one: Al-Mari’yah, or The Watchtower.) Strategically situated on the Mediterranean, it remained a Muslim stronghold until Christians conquered it in the 15th century. The Muslim influence can still be seen throughout the province, and especially in its capital city. The Alcazaba, a massive 10th-century Moorish palace, hovers above the town and has played a starring role in a number of films, including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Conan the Barbarian and the James Bond movie Never Say Never Again. The city also boasts a remarkable Gothic cathedral dating from the 16th century; resembling a fortress with its towers and battlements, it served as both a place of worship and a bulwark against attacks by pirates. Nicolás Salmerón Park, a long, shady strip of green that runs along the shore, offers excellent views of the marina and port; it’s bisected by Avenida de Federico García Lorca, a lively street lined with tapas bars, cafés and boutiques.

“And suddenly there is Cagliari: a naked town rising steep, steep, golden-looking, piled naked to the sky,” wrote D.H. Lawrence in 1921 when he traveled to Sardinia. Nearly 100 years later, the city that made the writer “think of Jerusalem” is just as impressive, sitting between a blue sea and an azure sky. According to Greek mythology, “Caralis” was founded by Aristeus, son of Apollo, though historians date it to the 8th century B.C.E., when the Phoenicians established a trading port here. Sardinia’s capital was later fought over by Carthaginians, Romans, Pisans, Spanish and Piedmontese—all of whom shaped its development.

Most sights are in Castello, the old town that climbs the hill behind Saint Remy’s rampart. It’s a rough grid of narrow streets and small squares with breathtaking views of sea, city and mountains. And while the old stones of Castello reflect millennia of history, Cagliari also has natural riches, with white beaches and flamingo-dotted blue lagoons nearby.

Sardinia has one UNESCO-listed site: a megalithic nuraghe complex 60 kilometers north of Cagliari (though some would argue that the town’s Roman amphitheater and Tuvixeddu necropolis could also be candidates for UNESCO recognition). Whether you are a history buff or drawn more to culinary or natural wonders, you’ll find much to delight in this lively, fascinating city.

When you embark on a cruise to Rome with Holland America Line you experience its bustling modernism along with its rich history. You can walk in the footsteps of emperors, have coffee in Renaissance piazzas and see contemporary art all in one afternoon. Your sightseeing time in Rome begins at the nearby port of Civitavecchia, a seaside town with roots that stretch back to the Etruscan era. Take note of the Forte Michelangelo (both Bramante and Michelangelo had a hand in its design), and the lungomare, a lively stretch along the sea with beach clubs, bars and restaurants.

Once in the Eternal City you can fill your day with museums, churches, archaeological sites, traditional trattorias, artisan shops and, of course, gelato. The Colosseum and the Vatican Museums are Rome’s superstar attractions, but there are plenty of quieter gems to explore. For food lovers there are the markets in Campo de’ Fiori or the slightly farther flung Testaccio. The hip neighborhood of Monti, next to the Colosseum, has a vibrant piazza scene and boutique shopping, while the Villa Borghese offers a green oasis with a view towards Saint Peter’s Basilica and the masterpiece-filled Galleria Borghese. Although Rome might not have been built in one day, you’ll certainly be able to see its highlights on our Rome cruises along with the top things to do there in 24 hours.

Access to the best of Tuscany: Florence, with its magnificent art and architecture and elegant shopping; Pisa’s Leaning Tower; and ancient Lucca. Sample shore excursions: Tuscan Countryside & Wine Tasting; Florence & the Academia.

Villefranche-sur-Mer is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region on the French Riviera and is located south-west of the Principality of Monaco, which is just west of the French-Italian border.

From the fishing town of Sete tour to the turreted medieval town of Carcassonne, teeming with cafés specializing in the region’s famous cassoulet. Sample shore excursion: A Day in Carcassonne.

On the northeast coast of Spain, overlooking the Mediterranean, Barcelona is a vibrant port city, packed with centuries of iconic art and architecture—Gaudí and Picasso both called it home—and lined with sunny white-sand beaches. Explore the Catalan capital’s tourist attractions and historic neighborhoods, Modernisme and world-renowned art museums, galleries and local crafts shops—some of which are centuries old and stock traditional Catalan wares. After you see the sights, there are lively tapas bars around every corner where you can stop for a drink, a café amb llet (Catalan for espresso with steamed milk) or a snack, no matter the hour. Green spaces for picnics, long walks and respite from the hustle and bustle are scattered throughout Barcelona’s attractions: There’s Gaudí’s mosaic-decorated park, a neoclassical maze at the Laberint d’Horta, as well as plenty of high places (mountains, monuments and edifices) where sightseeing visitors can take in the view. A short trip from Barcelona by car or train, luxury outlets, cava wineries, a mountaintop abbey and the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean coast await.