DETAILS
Witness the historical legacies and dynamic cultures of coastal Portugal, Spain, France and the United Kingdom. Call at Oporto on the Douro River in Portugal’s renowned wine country; walk in the footsteps of ancient pilgrims on the Way of St. James in Santiago de Compostela; visit the illustrious Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao; see Normandy’s impressive Mont-St-Michel and its hallowed beaches with special guest speaker Dwight D. Eisenhower II; and cruise up the storied River Thames to London’s Tower Bridge.
Complementary alcoholic & nonalcoholic beverages & Wi-Fi are included throughout the cruise!
- Pricing from
- $5,995
Reserve by Oct. 17 & SAVE up to $4,500 per cabin!
- Trip Type
- Group Travel Tour, International Ocean & Sea Voyages
- Departure Dates
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May 20, 2023 - May 29, 2023
Old World Lisbon
May 18 to 21, 2023
Experience the cinematic streetscapes, medieval passageways, and timeless rituals of Lisbon—one of Europe’s most visually appealing capitals. Savor stunning Portuguese art on a walking tour of the Bairro Alto District; visit the fascinating National Coach Museum and Jerónimos Monastery; and stop by the captivating five-story fortress of Belém Tower. Enjoy breathtaking views on a scenic drive to Sintra, immortalized in English poetry by Lord Byron and noted for its natural beauty and resplendent palaces. Accommodations are for two nights in the deluxe Dom Pedro Lisboa.
Price per person, based on double occupancy: $745
Price per person, based on single occupancy: $995
London’s Enduring History
May 3 to 5, 2023
Explore the storied history and vibrant modernity of London, a compelling city that continues to rewrite its narrative and make each visit more enjoyable than the last. Visit the legendary Tower of London and Westminster Abbey, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and step into Churchill’s Cabinet War Room—a secret World War II bunker where the Prime Minister and his staff charted a course to victory. Spend two nights in the five-star
InterContinental London Park Lane, ideally located near Buckingham Palace.
Price per person, based on double occupancy: $995
Price per person, based on single occupancy: $1,495
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Elihu Rubin
Elihu Rubin is Associate Professor of Architecture, Urbanism, and American Studies at Yale. He received a doctorate in architecture and a master’s in city planning from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor of arts from Yale. His first book, Insuring the City: The Prudential Center and the Postwar Urban Landscape (Yale Univ. Press, 2012) was awarded the Kenneth T. Jackson Prize from the Urban History Association and the Lewis Mumford Award from the Society of American City & Regional Planning History. Mr. Rubin’s work focuses on the making and meaning of the built environment; architectural preservation and the politics of “heritage planning.” An enthusiastic lecturer, Elihu has also made documentary videos relating to urban history, the politics of public spaces, urban redevelopment, architectural modernism, and street life.
BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE!
No cancellation fees for new bookings until 96 days prior to trip departure.
TOUR MAP
ITINERARY
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day 1 & 2
Home City/ Lisbon, Portugal
Depart your home city and arrive the next day in Lisbon, Portugal’s enigmatic capital city, replete with world-class architecture, and embark the ship.
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day 3
Leixões for Oporto
Dock in Leixões and transfer to Oporto, a former Celtic hamlet, then Roman outpost and center of the port wine trade since the 13th century. The cultural legacy of the Moors—who occupied Spain and Portugal from A.D. 711 to 1492—finds expression in Oporto’s rich architectural details, including famed azulejos with Moorish geometric and floral motifs. The city is indelibly influenced by Greek and Roman heritages, the Moorish period and a coalescence of faiths, creating a culture of tolerance in which the disciplines of mathematics, medicine, optics, horticulture, art and architecture flourished. Fall under the spell of Ribeira, Oporto’s historical center, declared a UNESCO world Heritage site for its extraordinary architectural timeline and living history status. For 2,000 years, the cultural and commercial growth of Portus Cale (so named by the Romans) has been inextricably linked to the sea. Experience daily rituals unfolding along a tangle of medieval alleyways where splendid spires, Baroque domes and Neoclassical mansions form a timeless silhouette. Visit the Gothic Igreja de São Francisco, hailed for its lavish gold‑plated Baroque interior, and the Neoclassical Palácio da Bolsa, where the swirling arabesques and ornate stained glass of the gilded Arabian Hall were inspired by the Alhambra in Granada. Attend the Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner this evening.
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day 4
A Coruña, Spain, for Santiago de Compostela
Visit Santiago de Compostela, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and stroll along medieval stone streets to the Praza do Obradoiro flanked by the glorious Romanesque cathedral. As a pilgrimage site since the Middle Ages, the cathedral enshrines the tomb of Saint James and is recognized for its intricately carved Baroque façade, original medieval portico, and glittering Churrigueresque altar.
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day 5
Bilbao
The construction of Frank Gehry’s titanium-clad Guggenheim Museum hailed the city’s cultural renaissance as modernist marvels from Santiago Calatrava and Philippe Starck redefined the post‑industrial skyline. Enjoy a guided tour of the Guggenheim’s renowned art collection, and explore the Art Nouveau and Baroque jewels of Bilbao’s historical Casco Viejo with a walk along the Paseo del Arenal.
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day 6
Cruising the Bay of Biscay
Enjoy exclusive lectures on board the ship while cruising the Bay of Biscay.
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day 7
St. Malo for Mont-St-Michel, France
Rising from a tidal plain that appears to be suspended above the sea, the UNESCO World Heritage‑designated Mont‑Saint‑Michel is a sight of soaring spires isolated beyond a stretch of saltwater marsh. This fortified village began as a humble oratory and became a renowned medieval center of learning. Cobblestone streets weave through the village, culminating in the Abbaye du Mont‑Saint‑Michel, a three‑story Gothic masterpiece. Admire the serene cloisters, barrel-roofed réfectoire, and Gothic Salle des Hôtes of the 13th‑century La Merveille and the magnificent Église Abbatiale.
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day 8
Caen for Normandy Beaches
Dock in Caen and make the solemn pilgrimage to the historic Normandy beaches, site of the largest seaborne invasion in history. In the company of Professor Eisenhower, walk where Allied forces landed on D-Day. At Pointe du Hoc, envision the heroic U.S. Army Second Ranger Battalion scaling this cliff promontory and view the craters that remain from D-Day bombardments. Survey the serene English Channel and reflect on the commemorative crosses and Stars of David in the American Military Cemetery at Colleville‑sur‑Mer. Following lunch, continue to Arromanches to see the remnants of the temporary Mulberry “A” harbor that was taken across the English Channel to support Allied landings on the Normandy beaches. View a short documentary on the D-Day campaign or see the 230-foot‑long Bayeux Tapestry, which chronicles the Norman Conquest of 1066.
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day 9
Cruising the English Channel/River Thames/ London, England (Tower Bridge)
This morning, attend an insightful lecture from Professor Eisenhower on board the ship. Cruise the English Channel across the Strait of Dover and continue up the River Thames, a memorable passage possible only by small ship. See Britain’s history revealed as you pass the towering skyline of Canary Wharf and take in monumental views of Greenwich’s Observation Tower, the Tower of London, Norman Foster’s emerald‑hued Gherkin and Renzo Piano’s sky‑piercing Shard. Dock alongside HMS Belfast—whose guns fired some of the first shots on D-Day—in view of Tower Bridge. Attend the Captain’s Farewell Reception this evening.
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day 10
London/Disembark ship/ Return to the U.S.
Following breakfast, disembark and continue on the London’s Enduring History Post‑Program Option or transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
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