Tastes of the Atlantic Coasts: Liverpool to Lisbon

Your journey begins in Liverpool, one of Britain’s most storied and spirited cities. Check into your 5-star hotel and take time to explore – from the iconic waterfront UNESCO World Heritage Site and the grand Albert Dock to the music and culture that made this city famous the world over. A perfect introduction to the Atlantic adventure that awaits.

Spend the morning at leisure soaking up the energy of Liverpool before making your way to the pier to embark Crystal Symphony. Step aboard to a warm welcome, a glass of Champagne in hand, and settle into your elegant suite as the ship prepares to sail. As the Mersey slips away behind you and the Irish Sea opens ahead, the voyage begins. Departs 7:00 PM.

A graceful day at sea as Crystal Symphony heads south toward the coast of France. Take time to explore the ship – visit the world’s only Nobu restaurant at sea, indulge in the spa, or simply settle into the unhurried rhythm of life on board one of the world’s most refined small ships.

Perched on the westernmost tip of Brittany, Brest is a city shaped by the sea. Its deep natural harbour has made it one of France’s most important naval ports for centuries, and its maritime museums and rugged coastal scenery reflect that proud heritage. Beyond the city, the wild Crozon Peninsula and the gardens of Presqu’ile de Crozon offer breathtaking Atlantic landscapes unlike anywhere else in France. Arrives 8:00 AM, departs 6:00 PM.

The port of Montoir-de-Bretagne serves as the gateway to Nantes, the former seat of the Dukes of Brittany and one of France’s most culturally rich cities. Explore the magnificent Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne, wander the elegant streets of the old quarter, or discover the extraordinary mechanical art installations of the Machines de l’Ile – a city that rewards the curious at every turn. Arrives 7:00 AM, departs 7:00 PM.

The approach to Bordeaux along the Garonne River is one of the great arrivals in European cruising. The city’s elegant 18th-century architecture lines the waterfront in a sweeping crescent, and behind it lies one of the world’s most celebrated wine regions. This afternoon is yours to begin exploring – a stroll along the riverfront quays, a glass of Medoc, or simply taking in the grandeur of a city that wears its beauty effortlessly. Arrives 1:15 PM.

A full day to immerse yourself in the finest wine region in the world. Head out to the celebrated chateaux of the Medoc, discover the intimate limestone village of Saint-Emilion with its ancient monolithic church carved directly into the rock, or explore the city itself – its world-class wine museum La Cite du Vin, its covered markets and its buzzing restaurant scene. Bordeaux rewards every interest and every pace.

A final morning in Bordeaux – time for one last market visit, one last glass, or simply a slow breakfast along the river before returning to Crystal Symphony. As the ship departs along the Garonne in the early afternoon, raise a glass to a city that epitomises the art of living well. Departs 2:30 PM.

Few cities in Europe have reinvented themselves as dramatically as Bilbao. Frank Gehry’s titanium-clad Guggenheim Museum announced the city to the world in 1997 and triggered a transformation that has made it one of Spain’s most exciting destinations. Beyond the Guggenheim, the old quarter of Casco Viejo pulses with pintxos bars, ancient churches and the kind of street life that makes the Basque Country one of Europe’s most compelling regions. Arrives 9:00 AM, departs 7:00 PM.

A final day at sea as Crystal Symphony makes her way south along the Iberian coast toward Portugal. Enjoy a long lunch at one of the ship’s nine dining venues, take in an afternoon spa treatment, or find a quiet deck chair and watch the Atlantic roll by as anticipation builds for Porto and Lisbon ahead.

Oporto brings together the best of Portugal: warm sunshine, a relaxed riverside setting, grand churches, winding medieval streets, and courtyards filled with geraniums. Perhaps what Oporto is most famous for, however, is its port wine. Crafted in the neighboring Vila Nova da Gaia district, ports from all over the region can be sampled in the lodges just across the river. Wander through historic Ribeira, the recently restored riverside district and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Crystal Symphony arrives in Lisbon and the Portuguese capital provides one of the finest final ports in Atlantic cruising. Built across seven hills above the Tagus River, Lisbon is a city whose atmosphere — the melancholy fado music, the crumbling Moorish architecture, the blue azulejo tile facades and the particular quality of the late afternoon light — is entirely specific to this place and unlike anywhere else in Europe. The Alfama neighbourhood, the medieval quarter that survived the 1755 earthquake, rises above the Tagus in a maze of steep lanes and miradouros viewpoints. The Belém Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery on the waterfront west of the city are the most significant monuments of the Age of Discovery that made Lisbon one of the world’s great powers for a century. The time-de Nata pastel custard tart, baked in the ovens of the Pastéis de Belém bakery since 1837, is the finest single food experience in Portugal and worth the taxi from the ship. Crystal Symphony docks at the Lisbon cruise terminal and the city is within easy walking distance of the waterfront.

Your Tastes of the Atlantic Coasts journey concludes this morning in Lisbon with your included 5-star hotel night behind you. Twelve nights have taken you from Liverpool’s music waterfront through Brittany’s wild Atlantic coast, three extraordinary days in Bordeaux’s wine country, Bilbao’s reinvented architecture, Porto’s river city and the luminous Portuguese capital. Transfer to Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport for your flights home, or ask your Cruiseabout specialist about extending your Lisbon stay.