80-Day World Cruise – Los Angeles to Rome

The City of Angels always hovers between dream and reality. Once a near-forgotten colonial outpost, the pueblo metamorphosed into an agrarian paradise before reinventing itself as a movie colony. Perhaps no other city owes so much to the technological innovations of the 20th century, from the automobile to the airplane. Little wonder that LA is oft described as the “dream machine.” In LA, reinvention is a way of life. Yet this talent for change has created a city with a rich ethnic diversity and a sizzling culture. LA is the source for trends that migrate across the country and then the world. Where else can you enjoy a Thai taco or munch on a kosher burrito? Or travel from downtown’s high rises to the beaches of Malibu, shopping in Beverly Hills along the way?

Los Angeles is a port of embarkation and disembarkation for some cruises.

The fourth largest island in the Hawaiian group, Kauai is known as the “Garden Island.” The terrain ranges from the volcanic slopes of Mt. Waialeale and the desert-like beauty of Waimea Canyon to the Wailua River’s lush Fern Grotto. Ironically this once isolated island was the site of the first meeting between Europeans and Hawaiians. On January 19, 1778, Captain James Cook anchored his ships off the mouth of the Waimea River, becoming the first in a long line of enthusiastic visitors.

Home to nearly half a million people, Honolulu is Hawaii’s state capital and only major city. The city of Honolulu and the island of Oahu offer a wealth of historic, cultural and scenic attractions. Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head are two of the city’s enduring symbols. Pearl Harbor, site of the USS Arizona Memorial and the “Punchbowl,” are haunting reminders of the tragic events of December 7, 1941, when the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor forced America into World War II. Honolulu is also home to the historic Iolani Palace, the official residence of Hawaii’s last royals. Beyond the city lie tropical rain forests, the Pali Lookout and the North Shore known for its surfing beaches.

The International Date Line is an imaginary line extending from the North Pole to the South Pole through the Pacific Ocean. It serves as the 180th meridian of longitude, and is used to designate the beginning of each calendar day. As you know, each adjacent time zone on the map has an hour time difference. However, at the International Date Line, +12 hours and -12 hours meet, bringing about a 24-hour time change. So while a person standing just to the west of the line may be celebrating Christmas Eve at 6 pm, someone just to the east will already be sitting down to Christmas dinner on December 25th. Therefore, when your ship crosses this line heading west, a day is added, and while crossing in an easterly direction, a day is subtracted. Crossing the International Date Line has long been a rite of passage for sailors, who often must participate in a line-crossing ceremony to become part of the sacred “Order of the Golden Dragon”, an honorary naval fraternity.

The first Polynesians arrived in Western Samoa around 1000 B.C. Three millennia later, the islands formed one of the last bastions of traditional Polynesian culture. Apia, the capital of Western or Independent Samoa, is a city of 40,000 on the island of Upolu. Its picturesque waterfront is lined with public buildings, shops and trading companies. The town now comprises of modern 3-5 story buildings all along the waterfront. Government has built some very modern buildings to house most of the government offices. The village settings can only be seen in the outskirts of town within a radius of 15 miles.

Western Samoa has long lured Westerners to its islands. The most famous expatriate of all was Robert Louis Stevenson, who lived at Vailima, and was buried near the summit of Mt. Vaea.

The Fiji archipelago is at the cross roads of the South Pacific. In the days of sailing ships, it was known as “The Cannibal Isles,” where mariners carefully avoided its fierce warriors and perfidious waters. Thankfully, Fiji’s pagan days live only in the tales recalled by tour guides – in rituals such as firewalking, Kava Ceremonies and in renditions of tribal drumming, dance and song.

Fiji is an exotic destination, with 333 islands that provide an exciting adventure or peaceful repose. The northwest region, where the sun shines almost every day and a tropical shower ends as quickly as it began, is home to the majority of the resorts. Suva, the political, administrative, educational and commercial center, has a backdrop of lush rainforest maintained by the inevitable “tropical downpour.” The people of Fiji are the most multiracial and multicultural of all South Pacific island countries – this being reflected in churches of all denominations, mosques, temples and shrines.

Built around a reef-protected natural harbor, Suva, with its colonial buildings nestled alongside modern commercial venues, shops and local markets, parks and residential sprawl, is home to nearly half of Fiji’s urban population.

Straddling a narrow isthmus created by 60 different volcanoes, New Zealand’s former capital boasts scenic beauty, historical interest and a cosmopolitan collection of shops, restaurants, museums, galleries and gardens. Rangitoto, Auckland’s largest and youngest volcano, sits in majestic splendor just offshore. Mt. Eden and One Tree Hill, once home to Maori earthworks, overlook the city. One of New Zealand’s fine wine districts lies to the north of Auckland.

Auckland served as New Zealand’s capital from 1841 until 1865, when the seat of government moved to Wellington.

Straddling a narrow isthmus created by 60 different volcanoes, New Zealand’s former capital boasts scenic beauty, historical interest and a cosmopolitan collection of shops, restaurants, museums, galleries and gardens. Rangitoto, Auckland’s largest and youngest volcano, sits in majestic splendor just offshore. Mt. Eden and One Tree Hill, once home to Maori earthworks, overlook the city. One of New Zealand’s fine wine districts lies to the north of Auckland.

Auckland served as New Zealand’s capital from 1841 until 1865, when the seat of government moved to Wellington.

Napier and Hawke’s Bay have become New Zealand’s premier lifestyle getaways. Located on the North Island’s eastern coast, New Zealand’s oldest wine-growing region boasts a superb Mediterranean climate and golden sand beaches. In recent years, Hawke’s Bay has become a leading producer of fine olive oils and artisanal cheeses. Wildlife lovers and birders will flock to Cape Kidnappers in Southern Hawke Bay: the Cape is home to the largest mainland gannet colony in the world.

In 1931, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake leveled Napier. The town rebuilt itself, and today Napier is hailed as the “Art Deco City” for its superb collection of Deco, Spanish Mission and Classical Revival buildings.

New Zealand’s capital offers stunning views of forested peninsulas, dramatic cliff-side homes and fine Victorian buildings. Settled in 1840 by the London-based New Zealand Company, “wonderful, windy Wellington” is frequently buffeted by bracing winds funnelling through Cook Strait. The sophisticated metropolis boasts museums, winding streets and even a cable car. No wonder many travelers compare it to San Francisco.

Despite its steep hills, the city can be easily explored on foot. Kelburn Cable Car, stairways and footpaths climb the slopes from the city center.

New Plymouth is a city on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. It’s known for its coastal walkway stretching from Bell Block to Port Taranaki. Te Rewa Rewa Bridge has views of towering Mount Taranaki. The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery shows contemporary exhibitions. Close by, Pukekura Park has botanical gardens and birdlife. Subalpine forests and waterfalls characterise Egmont National Park to the south.

Sydney, capital of New South Wales and one of Australia’s largest cities, is best known for its harbourfront Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. Massive Darling Harbour and the smaller Circular Quay port are hubs of waterside life, with the arched Harbour Bridge and esteemed Royal Botanic Garden nearby.

Victoria may be Australia’s smallest continental state, but Melbourne, its capital, is big on everything. With a population of 2.7 million people living in 59 separately named communities within 715 square miles, Melbourne is a sprawling city offering culture, art, fashion and friendly, sports-minded Australians. It is also an easy city to explore. At the heart of the city is the Golden Mile, the city’s governmental and commercial center, home to hotels, shops, restaurants and theaters.

Originally part of New South Wales, Victoria became a colony in its own right in 1851. The discovery of gold propelled Melbourne’s growth to prominence and prosperity.

Founded in 1836, this graceful city lies nestled on the coastal plain between Gulf St. Vincent and the Adelaide Hills. Adelaide was the vision of Colonel William Light, Australia’s Surveyor General, who created a one-mile-square grid for the city’s center and surrounded it with a belt of stunning parkland. Today, Adelaide is a metropolis of over one million people, boasting wide, tree-lined boulevards, superb Victorian and Edwardian architecture, tranquil parks, world-class shopping, and the highest number of restaurants per capita of any city in Australia.

Beyond the city and the rugged Adelaide Hills lie the Barossa and Eden Valleys. Here Australian vintners are winning international acclaim for their Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz.

Port Louis is the capital of the island of Mauritius. A volcanic island situated in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, Mauritius is lush and beautiful, with lovely mountain ranges, fine beaches, stunning coral reefs and picturesque villages. Mauritius amazingly remained uninhabited until the 16th century. Dutch, British and French traders came to the island, followed by slaves from Africa to work the plantations and then laborers from India. The flavor here remains predominantly French, as does the language, however, the present population is fifty percent Indian. Today, Mauritius is independent and the economy prospers due to exports of sugar and textiles, plus it caters to tourism.

Emerging from the blue waters of the Indian Ocean, Reunion Island appears like a green emerald from a distance, with lush mountains and volcanic peaks creating an unforgettable scene. It’s a place of breathtaking natural beauty and dramatic landscapes. Tropical green meets stark lava fields, white-sand beaches glisten and black-sand beaches enchant. Lying in the Indian Ocean, approximately 500 miles east of Madagascar, Reunion Island is volcanic in origin. The highest peak is Piton des Neiges, which is surrounded by the cirques of Mafate, Salazi and Cilaos. The island’s active volcano is Piton de la Fournaise, which last erupted in 1998 and regularly emits steam and rumbles.

Elephants, lions, zebra, giraffes and wildebeest – these will likely be your traveling companions when you are ashore in Port Elizabeth, because this charming town is the coastal facade for a vast region of healthy, vibrant game parks. If a safari is on your mind, you have come to the right place. Port Elizabeth is your gateway to some of the finest game parks in all Africa. Alternatively, there are miles of glorious beaches, shopping, museums, and an aquarium that showcases the marine life of the Indian Ocean.

160 years after its discovery by Portugal’s Bartholomew Diaz in 1488, the Cape of Good Hope was still a part of primeval Africa. Sailors on passing ships impatient to reach the East or return home to Europe would leave messages under inscribed “post office” stones for other ships to carry forward. In 1580, Sir Francis Drake sailed around the Cape. The ruggedness and breathtaking beauty of the peninsula caused him to write, “This Cape is a most stately thing, and the fairest Cape in the whole circumference of the earth.” The Dutch East India Company, yielding to repeated petitions and recommendations from their ships’ officers, decided to establish a post at Table Bay in 1652. A stronghold was established and subsequently was replaced by the existing Castle of Good Hope – Cape Town’s first building.

160 years after its discovery by Portugal’s Bartholomew Diaz in 1488, the Cape of Good Hope was still a part of primeval Africa. Sailors on passing ships impatient to reach the East or return home to Europe would leave messages under inscribed “post office” stones for other ships to carry forward. In 1580, Sir Francis Drake sailed around the Cape. The ruggedness and breathtaking beauty of the peninsula caused him to write, “This Cape is a most stately thing, and the fairest Cape in the whole circumference of the earth.” The Dutch East India Company, yielding to repeated petitions and recommendations from their ships’ officers, decided to establish a post at Table Bay in 1652. A stronghold was established and subsequently was replaced by the existing Castle of Good Hope – Cape Town’s first building.

Walvis Bay possesses the finest harbor on the Namib coast. That fact led to its annexation by the British in 1878, who added it to their enclave in South Africa. It was not until 1994 that the now-Republic of South Africa returned Walvis Bay to Namibia. The port is your gateway to the vast Namib Desert, one of the oldest and harshest deserts on Earth, and to the old German town of Swakopmund, a legacy of that distant era when Namibia was a German colony named Sudwest Afrika. Walvis Bay perches on the edge of the great Namib Desert a landscape of extraordinary beauty with its immense dunes, moonscapes and salt sinks.

The Cape Verde Islands lie off North Africa’s tropical coast. Their name literally means “green cape,” but nature has played a cruel trick on the archipelago. Changing climatic and economic conditions have left the archipelago ravaged by drought. But the islanders are a hardy and courageous lot. With foreign investment and private enterprise, the Cape Verde Islanders are slowly pursuing a new economic dream for their home and working toward a more promising future.

Tenerife is the largest island in the Canary Archipelago. Like its brethren, Tenerife was formed by fierce volcanic activity. Its landscape remains dotted with volcanic cones and areas of intense geothermal activity. Towering over the island is Mt Teide, an extinct volcano that, at 12,200 feet above sea level, is the highest peak in Spanish territory. Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the island’s capital and your port of call.

Tenerife’s north shore is separated from the south by rugged mountains, creating a rain shadow. The majority of the islands most recent resorts are found in the sere and parched south shore.

The Rock crouches over the sea like an ancient stone beast, looking Sphinx-like to Africa. Beneath the white cliffs of this natural fortress grows a profusion of palm, pine, and cypress. No fewer than 600 varieties of flowers thrive here, some not found anywhere else on Earth. Gibraltar’s stunning setting is matched by its history – five countries have battled for 13 centuries to control the passage between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The result made for a cultural melting pot. Veiled Moroccan women in caftans and vacationing Englishmen and Spaniards stroll along the narrow, steep lanes. The locals revert to a liquid Spanish when talking among themselves. And visitors to a 15th-century cathedral pass through a blue-tiled courtyard, once part of a 13th-century mosque.

Syracuse is a city on the Ionian coast of Sicily, Italy. It’s known for its ancient ruins. The central Archaeological Park Neapolis comprises the Roman Amphitheater, the Teatro Greco and the Orecchio di Dionisio, a limestone cave shaped like a human ear.

The lush and verdant island of Corfu lies in the Ionian Sea, midway between Greece and Italy. The island has a long and colorful history. First colonized by the city-state of Corinth, Corfu has been ruled by the Romans, the Venetians, the French and the English. Corfu Town boasts fortresses bearing the insignia of the Venetian Republic, an esplanade lavishly planted by the French during the Napoleonic Wars, and an English cricket pitch. The island also offers some of the finest coastal scenery in the entire Mediterranean.

Dubrovnik is a beautiful stone jewel hugging the Adriatic Sea. This picture-perfect medieval walled city offers ancient stone buildings, narrow cobbled streets and fortified ramparts rising above red-tiled rooftops. Stradun is the city’s focal point and main artery while Dubrovnik’s streets are blessedly free of vehicular traffic. Despite the heavy damage inflicted by shelling in the early ’90s, Dubrovnik has been restored to its pre-war beauty. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the old city remains the pride of the Republic of Croatia.

For six centuries Dubrovnik was an independent republic – an oligarchy ruled by patrician families. The Republic was overthrown by Napoleon in 1808.

Pine-clad hills, secluded coves, beaches – Split and the Dalmatian Riviera have been premier destinations on the Adriatic since the days of the Roman emperors. In fact, medieval Split was built within and around the palace complex built for the emperor Diocletian in his retirement. (The complex included both a villa and a castrum – a Roman camp capable of garrisoning three legions!) The charms that soothed an emperor are still evident today. The Dalmatian Riviera offers the traveler a heady blend of natural beauty and fascinating cultural sites.

Kotor lies at the head of Boka Bay. Bordered by towering limestone cliffs, the winding bay is actually Southern Europe’s longest and most dramatic fjord. The port itself is a medieval gem: its narrow, asymmetrical streets are lined with ancient stone houses, old palaces, and churches dating from the 12th century. Kotor is also your gateway to the cultural and scenic wonders of Montenegro, from the old royal capital at Cetinje to the marshes and wildlife of Lake Skadar National Park.

Kotor is renowned for its nightlife: the streets of the old port are lined with pubs, taverns and cafés. The city is also host to a renowned summer carnival.

Kotor is an anchorage port. Passengers transfer to shore via ship’s tender.

The past maintains a vibrant presence in the cradle of Western civilization. Atop the Acropolis, the serene Parthenon sails above the commotion of the modern city. The tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides were performed in the Theater of Dionysus at the foot of the Acropolis. On Pnyx Hill, citizens of a fledgling democracy gathered to cast their votes on Athens’ destiny. Then there is the hustle and bustle of the modern city, a metropolis of 4.5 million that spreads out from the foot of Mt. Lycabettus and across the plain. Packed with busy shops and lively tavernas, modern Athens is a colorful counterpoint to classical Greece.

Piraeus is the port city for Athens and has been Athens’ port of entry for over two millennia.

From the port of Kusadasi on Turkey’s Anatolian Coast, one travels into the past. Nearby stand the ruins of ancient Ephesus, a major site of archeological excavation. The city was once a Roman provincial capital and trading center. Ephesus is also home to several of Christendom’s holiest sites. St. Paul preached at the Great Theater and the ruins of Ephesus’ Basilica cover the tomb of Christ’s most beloved disciple, St. John the Apostle.

In Kusadasi, whitewashed stone houses rise in tiers behind the market district. The palm-lined esplanade is the center of town life, with thousands of merchants offering wares to rival the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

Chania is a city on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. It’s known for its 14th-century Venetian harbor, narrow streets and waterfront restaurants. At the harbor entrance is a 16th-century lighthouse with Venetian, Egyptian and Ottoman influences. Opposite, the Nautical Museum has model ships, naval objects and photographs.

Inhabited since antiquity, Salerno found its place as a Roman colony in 197 B.C. After the fall of Rome, a who’s who of European kingdoms conquered the city including the Goths, the Byzantines and the Lombards. It’s easy to see why. The warm Mediterranean sun and rolling hillsides beckon with new adventures and pinch-me-I must-be-dreaming experiences.

Hike the jaw-dropping Mount Vesuvius, feel the centuries unfold as on a guided walk through the amazing cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, or soak up the scenery with a cruise along the dazzling Amalfi Coast. Whatever you choose, Salerno offers precious memories that will last a lifetime.

Your gateway to the Eternal City, Civitavecchia has served as Rome’s seaport since the 13th century. The port has a long and venerable history. The emperor Trajan built a pleasure villa near the modern city, while Bernini and Michelangelo designed the harbor fortifications.

Yet the Eternal City eternally beckons. The ancient capital of the Western World and the center of Christianity for nearly 2,000 years, Rome provides an inexhaustible feast. Visit the ruins of the Forum, view the splendors of the Sistine Chapel, or climb the Spanish Steps, once the heart of Rome’s Bohemian Quarter.

Rome has been a magnet luring the world’s greatest artists, architects, and philosophers since the days of the Caesars.