Norwegian Breakaway - March 14, 2025

Southampton is the gateway to the immensely civilized city of London. There are museums to visit, pubs to try, and shops to browse, ranging from Harrods to open-air markets. There are more parks and green belts here than in any other city in the world. There are also caches of stately squares and noble monuments, holdovers from a time when the island ruled a significant portion of the globe.

Located along the North Sea, Zeebrugge is located ten miles north of Brugge (Bruges) and serves as its port. The Brugge-Zeebrugge Canal connects the seaside resort with the cultural mecca that is its sister city. Visitors to Brugge will see stunning representations of gothic and roman architecture and collections of Dutch and Belgian art.

Le Havre is the gateway for optional tours to Paris, the "City of Light." See the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Champs Elysees. In Le Havre itself, cruise visitors can explore at leisure and learn something of the French "art de vivre." Visit fish and vegetable markets, public parks, modern architecture, a long seaside promenade and a vast beach.

Take advantage of the many on board activites during your day at sea. You'll have more than enough to fill your day!

La Rochelle became one of the great maritime cities of France in the fourteenth and fifteenth century. La Rochelle is a most interesting place, well worthy of a visit. The Quay of the little port, guarded at the entrance by two noble towers, the Tour Saint Nicolas and the Tour de la Chaine. The grey and yellow walls of these ancient fortresses, the bright green of the water, the old arcaded houses surrounding it, make a most picturesque scene.

The city of Bilbao, hemmed in by massive green hills on three sides and a river valley to the north, sprawls itself out across the remaining open spaces in an ungainly and awkward mess. Its 14th-century historic district and more modern commercial centre hug the banks of the Nervion River, while its working class suburbs, the rusting shipbuilding and steel factories, the fish canning plants and assorted relics of its more lucrative industrial past stretch out along the widening river and up into the rugged hills.

The Tower of Hercules, a Roman lighthouse, shone over the sea and city of La Coruna for the first time over 2,000 years ago. Since then, it has guided thousands of vessels to the safety of the port - a rich melting pot of culture and that of the many visitors. Today, the city of La Coruna is one of Europe's main ports. By sea, road or air, the city welcomes you with its classic friendliness like it welcomes thousands of people who, every year come to visit the city and contemplate the oldest lighthouse of the world which is still working.

Galicia is at the northwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula, to the north of Portugal, with which it has strong historical and linguistic ties. There are hardly any flat areas of land in its uneven landscape, but its hills and mountains offer many pleasant spots and natural parks. The mountain ranges of the Ancazares, Courel, Manzaneda and Pena Trevinca rise to almost two thousand metres. The main urban centres are Vigo and La Coruna.

Lisbon is many cities, from the cobbled alleys of the Alfama district to the broad Parisian style avenues at its heart. View it all from the heights of St. George's Castle. Belem's Monument to the Discoveries recalls the seafaring past, while nearby Sintra's storybook palaces, and the seaside resort of Caiscais, have different tales to tell.

This Andalusian city is gateway to Granada, former capital to the Caliphs and Almoravids. The city's most noted period in history was the occupation of the Moors, who fled to Granada from Cordoba and ruled Spain under the Nasrid dynasty. During their stay, they built the lavish Alhambra Palace, one of the world's largest and most extraordinary fortresses and the Generalife, an opulent summer retreat.

Ibiza is the party spot of the Balearic Islands, with a trendy resort reputation that seems to draw every club-going European to the outrageous summery street scene. Daytime hours are spent on the beaches at Las Salinas and Es Cabellet, while nights are danced away in any of the bars and discos which compete for tourist dollars.

The major island in the chain known as the Balearics, Mallorca is Spain's sunny outpost in the Mediterranean. The town of Palma boasts a shady plaza near the Gothic Cathedral. Visit the Roman ruins and the Drach Caves nearby, or journey to the enchanting village of Valledemosa. Leave time to shop for lovely majolica faux pearls and hand-made lace.

Barcelona is the cultural heartland of Spain, yet its first language is Catalan, the native tongue of the proudly independent Catalonia region. Stroll down the shady, tree-lined Ramblas between street musicians and elegant bistros. Then perhaps visit the venerable Gothic cathedral, Picasso Museum or enjoy the architectural genius of Antonio Gaudi's Church of the Holy Family.