Sydney to Southampton

Sydney always lives up to great expectations. When you are on one of our Sydney cruises, the first glimpse of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House will stay in your memory forever. One of the worlds great cities and harbours, Sydney always lives up to great expectations. When you are on one of our Sydney cruises, the first glimpse of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House will stay in your memory forever. Even before the 2000 Olympics, cruises to Sydney had much to offer – hosting the games just made the city even better with improved facilities and extra dining and entertainment venues all round. From the waterside restaurants fringing the historic Rocks district, the Sydney cruise tour takes you around Sydney Cove past the Circular Quay ferry terminal to that remarkable Opera House and the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens.

Warm-hearted, gracious, canny Dunedin deserves its title of ‘Edinburgh of the South and as you wander around his captivating city, youll discover Scottish influences throughout, including a statue of the famous poet Robert Burns. Admire valuable collections at the public Art Gallery, stroll around the Botanical Gardens and visit New Zealands only true castle ‘Larnach Castle. Surrounded by eco-tourism and offering views of towering mountains and native forest youll find plenty of rare wild life here.

Striking architecture, both old and new, distinguishes New Zealands capital city, Wellington, which sits on the shores of a beautiful harbour surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of wooded hills. While here, visit Te Papa, New Zealands bold and innovative national museum. Take a tour of the Parliament buildings. Admire old St Pauls Cathedral with its gothic style church. Take a cable car ride to Kelburn for sweeping views of the city and enjoy a stroll back down through the Botanical Gardens. For those of you who are feeling energetic, stretch your legs with a climb to the top of Mount Victoria, for a 360-degree panorama of Wellington.

In 1931 Napier was dramatically changed by an earthquake. The waterlocked city suddenly grew in size and, as a result of the rebuilding, many of the buildings here today are art deco in style. Soft pastels, zigzags, geometric shapes and rising suns – a walk around the town takes you on a journey through the aesthetics of this era. Nature has been kind to Hawke’s Bay, putting the region at the forefront of New Zealand’s wine industry.

New Zealands biggest city and major cruise port, Auckland, sits between the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea, which is how it came to host the Americas Cup twice – in 1999 and 2002 – attracting investment to transform the harbour side into a superb meeting and eating place which all Auckland cruise visitors can now appreciate. The Viaduct Harbour area now boasts outdoor restaurants ideally placed to view the hundreds of yachts attracted to this icon of sailing success. This City of Sails is also home to New Zealands impressive National Maritime Museum which charts the nations seafaring history. Harbour ferries offer a great way of viewing the city, either by crossing the bay to old-established Devonport or under the harbour bridge to the suburb of Birkenhead. Otherwise cruises to Auckland take in all the sights from the revolving restaurant at the top of the Sky Tower, the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere at 328 metres. On Auckland cruises, shore excursions can take you to the remarkable geysers and mud pools of Rotorua.

Tauranga is a Maori name, translated as resting place for canoes. Situated on a narrow peninsula and surrounded by water, it lies within the Bay of Plenty, an area with beautiful natural harbours and endless beaches. Bars and restaurants are dotted along The Strand, an area ideal for strolling around. At Rotorua listen to the pulsating rhythms of a traditional Maori Haka and see the seething, bubbling cauldron of geysers and mud pits.

Situated on the western side of Viti Levu, the largest island in Fiji, Lautoka is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on its western side and gold sugar cane together with green pine trees on its eastern side. Whilst here, you can pick up some Christmas gifts at one of the prime shopping areas in the town of Nadi or simply enjoy the scenery.

Suva is the capital of Fiji and is a beautiful harbour city. Its tall modern buildings are beautifully balanced by rich traditional colonial architecture. Major landmarks include the Thurston Gardens, next to Government House, the official residence of the President of the Republic of Fiji and the museum, recognised as one of the best of its type in the South Pacific. Not to be missed are the municipal markets near the waterfront, which come to life on a Saturday morning

Hula dancing, surfing and magnificent sandy beaches all spring to mind when you hear the name ‘Hawaii. Honolulu is Hawaiis capital, situated on the island of Oahu. Downtown you will discover the only royal palace on American soil. Spend a day lounging on Waikiki beach or relive a dramatic moment in history with a visit to Pearl Harbour and the Arizona Memorial.

Hula dancing, surfing and magnificent sandy beaches all spring to mind when you hear the name ‘Hawaii. Honolulu is Hawaiis capital, situated on the island of Oahu. Downtown you will discover the only royal palace on American soil. Spend a day lounging on Waikiki beach or relive a dramatic moment in history with a visit to Pearl Harbour and the Arizona Memorial.

Cruising under the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco is one of the worlds greatest travel experiences for it acts as gateway to a fascinating city set across dozens ofhills overlooking the bay. The hippies are long gone but San Franciscos scenic beauty, laid-back ambience and more than 3,000 restaurants make it a joy to visit. The famous Fishermans Wharf harbourfront restaurant and multi-coloured boats complex, where seals happily sunbathe on its wooden decking, faces out towards the former island prison of Alcatraz which is now a major tourist attraction just like the citys colourful Chinatown district and upmarket shopping centre in Union Square. And no visit to San Francisco would be complete without a trip on the citys 130-year-old tram system carrying you up and down the improbably steep streets made famous by that stomach-churning Steve McQueen car chase in the movie Bullitt. From the city, you can also visit the pretty resorts of Sausalito and Monterey.

Cruising under the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco is one of the worlds greatest travel experiences for it acts as gateway to a fascinating city set across dozens ofhills overlooking the bay. The hippies are long gone but San Franciscos scenic beauty, laid-back ambience and more than 3,000 restaurants make it a joy to visit. The famous Fishermans Wharf harbourfront restaurant and multi-coloured boats complex, where seals happily sunbathe on its wooden decking, faces out towards the former island prison of Alcatraz which is now a major tourist attraction just like the citys colourful Chinatown district and upmarket shopping centre in Union Square. And no visit to San Francisco would be complete without a trip on the citys 130-year-old tram system carrying you up and down the improbably steep streets made famous by that stomach-churning Steve McQueen car chase in the movie Bullitt. From the city, you can also visit the pretty resorts of Sausalito and Monterey.

Welcome to Los Angeles, a city where life thrives with vibrancy somewhere between reality and dream! Home to such paraphernalia as Disneyland, fast food, convertibles and in-line skating! Shop ‘til you drop on Rodeo Drive and take a walk down Hollywood Boulevard, stepping on those famous bronze stars. Discover beautiful architecture and spectacular vistas at the Getty Museum and before you board Artemia for the next part of your odyssey make sure you delve into the historical past and impressive present of another magnificent ship – SS Queen Mary!

Welcome to Los Angeles, a city where life thrives with vibrancy somewhere between reality and dream! Home to such paraphernalia as Disneyland, fast food, convertibles and in-line skating! Shop ‘til you drop on Rodeo Drive and take a walk down Hollywood Boulevard, stepping on those famous bronze stars. Discover beautiful architecture and spectacular vistas at the Getty Museum and before you board Artemia for the next part of your odyssey make sure you delve into the historical past and impressive present of another magnificent ship – SS Queen Mary!

Manzanillo is a Pacific Ocean port city and resort in the Mexican state of Colima. Its the site of 2 bays, Bahía de Manzanillo and Bahía de Santiago. The latter is known for beaches such as Playa La Audiencia, with calm surf for water sports. The waters off the coast have numerous coral reefs, shipwrecks and other dive sites. With a high concentration of marlin, the area is also known for deep-sea sportfishing

The Panama Canal is the worlds biggest short-cut. You will be amazed by its sheer scale and clockwork efficiency.

The largest island in the Dutch Antilles, Curaçao is home to more than 50 nationalities. Willemstad is full of 17th, 18th and 19th century Dutch and Spanish Colonial architecture. The two sides of the city are divided by Santa Anna Bay, a narrow channel flanked by pastel-tinted, gabled houses and spanned by the spectacular swing-aside Queen Emma pontoon bridge. On one side you will find the 18th century Fort Amsterdam and Breederstraat, gateway to Willemstads main shopping and restaurant district where you can buy everything from Delft pottery to Italian silk ties, Japanese electrical goods, Indonesian batik clothing, locally-made black coral jewellery and, of course, the sapphire-blue liqueur to which Curaçao has given its name.

Watching the Atlantic surf crash down on the rugged east coast of this richly diverse island and, for a moment, you may feel you could be on the Cornish coast but the moment you hear the waves of gospel singing emanating from a tiny local church you realise you could not be anywhere else but Barbados. While, over on the sheltered west coast, the glorious beaches are pure Caribbean. And there are more beaches and a lot more bars, cafés, restaurants and clubs creating a vibrant 24/7 lifestyle on the south coast, too. In the capital and cruise port, Bridgetown, there are intriguing signs of its British colonial past while, across the island, you are really spoilt for choice. You can enjoy every watersport under the sun; stunning nature walks and bike rides; or maybe a trip to the uniquely magnificent Harrisons Cave underground complex of caverns, waterfalls, stalactites and stalagmites.

Ponta Delgada in the Azores, is a tiny speckle of islands in the Atlantic.The Islands are rurally lovely, their fields separated by hydrangea hedges rather than walls. The twin lakes of Sete Cidades will amaze: one turquoise the other vivid emerald.

The city center is a charming mix of old city walls and a large modern shopping centre. With multiple restaurants, museums, cinemas and theatres there is plenty to be explored. Time spent at embarkation and disembarkation ports may be limited which may restrict availability of shore excursions.