About the cruise

Hailed as one of Spain’s premier fishing ports, a day in Vigo, your first destination, wouldn’t be complete without trying a taste of some of the local delicacies. However, further afield the fabled Shrine of St James at awe-inspiring Santiago de Compostela offers an alternative day out. In Lisbon see how this city has evolved over the ages from an important maritime port to the bustling cosmopolitan city it is today. Strolling its cobbled streets you will find magnificent palaces, monuments and museums standing side-by-side with modern day architecture.

Frenetic Barcelona greets you next. A city that on ground level can easily immerse you, however, look up and you’ll discover an engaging mix of vivid ancient and modern landmarks, including the bizarre Art Nouveau architecture of Antonio Gaudi’s iconic Sagrada Familia. The lack of income tax has led many of the rich and famous to relocate to Monte Carlo. The Royal Palace is Lilliputian, the Jacques Cousteau Oceanographic Museum splendid and the glittering Casino simply without peer. If you lose your shirt there, you will soon find a replacement in any of the hundreds of designer boutiques located nearby. From the Italian port of Livorno, you are in for one of the best days of your life. Your toughest choice will be whether you opt for Florence with its galleries, palazzos, art treasures and timeless Duomo, or Pisa, where the famous Leaning Tower steals the thunder of the equally exquisite Baptistry next door. Further afield explore Tuscany, its wonderful scenery and the charming medieval hillside towns of San Gimignano and Volterra.

Now put on your comfortable walking shoes for the Eternal City of Rome, from the port of Civitavecchia. With its magnificent Colosseum, St Peter's, the fabulous Sistine Chapel, and the iconic Trevi Fountain (throw a coin in to ensure your return).

Dominated by its awe-inspiring cathedral, Cartagena has been one of Spain’s key ports even before Spain itself existed. First the Carthaginians, then the Romans, then the Moors exploited its magnificent location. The result is a city of history, life and passion. Welcome, now, to the most famous rock in the world. From Gibraltar’s summit, on a clear day, you can see across to Africa - a view that demonstrates its strategic importance. Snap the infamous apes before descending to the town with its British phone boxes, road signs and - thankfully - pubs! You will be back in Southampton on Saturday 20 September.