Spain, Portugal & France from London, England

Be captivated by cliff-top walks and 2,000 years of history on cruises from Dover, England. Set against the backdrop of the White Cliffs and peering across to France on the other side of the English Channel, Dover’s setting is a sight to behold. This bustling English port is steeped in history and coastal beauty. Explore the secret tunnels beneath medieval Dover Castle and easily make your way to iconic London landmarks like Buckingham Palace and the House of Parliament.

Sail to good‑living, art‑loving Normandy on Carnival cruises to Le Havre, France. Sitting pretty on France's north coast, overlooking the English Channel, Le Havre has risen from the rubble of World War II to become one of France's most dynamic port towns. Modernist architecture, Monet artworks, delicious seafood, wild cliff‑backed beaches‑you'll find the lot on your Le Havre cruise.

Anything dubbed the Tower of Hercules commands a bit of attention, and so does La Coruña, Spain, the site on which this iconic 180-foot-tall lighthouse stands. Located in Galicia, La Coruña is considered the third holiest site in all Christendom, attracting pilgrims in droves as they make their way to Santiago de Compostela, where St. James the Apostle is believed to have been buried. Rich in tradition and rich in celebration, Galicia is also said to be home to more than 750 beaches and host to 4,000 parties annually. If you are here to set off on a quiet retreat into the mystical, or rejoice until the nines with vino and tapas by the ocean breeze, you’re certainly in for something unforgettable at La Coruña, Spain.

Porto is Portugal’s second city, and it's as colorful as it is memorable. Detail is key here, a place where the front doors are decorated with such a stunning variety of azulejo tiles that only by getting up close can you fully appreciate their intricacy. Explore on foot to unveil all the stunning scenery of Porto… like the Ribeira quarter, whose cobblestone-street scenery definitely falls a bit more on the "deliciously old-school" side. Be sure not to miss the city's port wine cellars — as you may have guessed, the city's most famous export took its name from the place itself.

Discover Portugal’s bright, fun-loving capital city on your cruise to Lisbon. Straddling seven hills, hugging the banks of the River Tagus — and crowned by the storybook castle of São Jorge — Lisbon, Portugal is a visually stunning place to visit, and arriving by sea is doing it right! The nation’s hundreds of years of nautical heritage is concentrated in Lisbon, and the riverside Belém district is where Portuguese navigators like Magellan and Vasco da Gama would begin their journeys. Today, cruise ship passengers make landfall not far from that spot. By the way, the city has modern claims to fame, too! With its rumbling yellow trams and stately plazas, irresistible patisseries and bluesy fado music, expect exotic sights and sounds — and more — on your cruise to Lisbon.

Cádiz dates back to 1100 B.C., making it actually one of the oldest cities not just in the region of Andalusia, not just in Spain, but in all of Europe! The city’s strategic location at the mouth of the Mediterranean may explain its architectural landscape — which features over 100 watchtowers — and a clue to why it’s home to Spain’s navy. Further inland in the region is the city of Seville, which boasts a past not quite as long, but definitely rich with history! Highlights in Seville include the 1,100-year-old royal palace of Alcazar replete with gardens and fountains, an opulent 15th-century cathedral — actually, Europe’s third largest — and even the hillside village Arcos de la Frontera, whose city center was officially declared a national artistic-historic monument.

If you guessed that Cartagena’s name comes from the Tunisian Carthage, give yourself one history point. This “New Carthage” was founded in the third century B.C., and has continuously been a major naval port ever since. The city’s an enduring symbol of Roman dominance, with Punic walls and an amphitheater that you can still visit today. Don’t miss the Old City neighborhood near the port, but make sure to venture further to get the full experience — regional delights like Murcia’s 17th century Sanctuary of Fuensanta, the Moorish-built gardens of Huerto del Cura, and Lorca Castle’s Fortress of the Sun, all reward curious explorers of the Costa Calida area.

In ancient times it was said that all roads lead to Rome… but in your case, the seaport of Civitavecchia is your road to Rome. Get there and you’ll find out what made the place so popular. The Vatican's Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo, the Colosseum with its lurid history, and the Trevi Fountain — where a tossed coin promises your return — are not to be missed on any visit to the so-called “Eternal City,” one of the cradles of civilization. Take a walking tour of Rome’s many historical landmarks and enjoy the lively sidewalk cafés, ending the day alla romana strolling through the atmospheric Centro Storico.