| | | | | Arrive | Depart |
| 6th06 | MayMay | 202424 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, embark on the Explora I | | 17:00 |
| Vancouver is a delicious juxtaposition of urban sophistication and on-your-doorstep wilderness adventure. The mountains and seascape make the city an outdoor playground for hiking, skiing, kayaking, cycling, and sailing—and so much more—while the cuisine and arts scenes are equally diverse, reflecting the makeup of Vancouver's ethnic (predominantly Asian) mosaic. Vancouver is consistently ranked as one of the world's most livable cities, and it's easy for visitors to see why. It's beautiful, it's outdoorsy, and there's a laidback West Coast vibe. On the one hand, there's easy access to a variety of outdoor activities, a fabulous variety of beaches, and amazing parks. At the same time, the city has a multicultural vitality and cosmopolitan flair. The attraction is as much in the range of food choices—the fresh seafood and local produce are some of North America's best—as it is in the museums, shopping, and nightlife.Vancouver's landscaping also adds to the city's walking appeal. In spring, flowerbeds spill over with tulips and daffodils while sea breezes scatter scented cherry blossoms throughout Downtown; in summer office workers take to the beaches, parks, and urban courtyards for picnic lunches and laptop meetings. More than 8 million visitors each year come to Vancouver, Canada's third-largest metropolitan area. Because of its peninsula location, traffic flow is a contentious issue. Thankfully, Vancouver is wonderfully walkable, especially in the downtown core. The North Shore is a scoot across the harbor, and the rapid-transit system to Richmond and the airport means that staying in the more affordable ’burbs doesn't have to be synonymous with sacrificing convenience. The mild climate, exquisite natural scenery, and relaxed outdoor lifestyle keep attracting residents, and the number of visitors is increasing for the same reasons. People often get their first glimpse of Vancouver when catching an Alaskan cruise, and many return at some point to spend more time here. Surrounded by mountains, vibrant Vancouver is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts and cosmopolitan adventurers alike. Meandering oceanside pathways surround eclectic neighbourhoods – Stanley Park, the West End, Gastown, Yaletown, Chinatown. A major global city, it is renowned for its cultural diversity and thriving art, theatre, music and food scenes. Its perfectly picturesque setting makes it popular filming location – with old-growth cedar forests, mountains covering 75% and two-thirds of Canada's bird species and land mammals. A big, bustling city perched on the edge of wilderness. |
| 7th07 | MayMay | 202424 | At Sea | | |
| 8th08 | MayMay | 202424 | Astoria, Oregon, United States | 08:00 | 18:00 |
| Astoria bears the watermark of its history as a strategic port on the mighty Columbia River overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The native Clatsop devised an extensive waterfront trade system. In 1805, the Lewis and Clark expedition established a tiny, tactical fort. A few years later, Astoria was founded as a fur-trading post and the first U.S. city west of the Rockies. Soon, the maritime industry lead growth and remains today. Stroll into the solitude of the surrounding forests or along the town’s pleasant river walk, take in its deftly curated museums and growing arts scene. Witness American history unique to the pure and natural Pacific Northwest. |
| 9th09 | MayMay | 202424 | At Sea | | |
| 10th10 | MayMay | 202424 | San Francisco, California, United States | 09:00 | 23:00 |
| With its myriad hills and spectacular bay, San Francisco beguiles with natural beauty, vibrant neighborhoods, and contagious energy. From the hipster Mission District to the sassy Castro, from bustling Union Square to enduring Chinatown, this dynamic town thrives on variety. The city makes it wonderfully easy to tap into the good life, too: between San Francisco's hot arts scene, tempting boutiques, parks perfect for jogging or biking, and all those stellar locavore restaurants and cocktail bars, it's the ultimate destination for relaxed self-indulgence. The city delights with its iconic Golden Gate Bridge and surrounding parks for mindfulness and a strong community committed to oceanic and marine wildlife conservation efforts. You can hear the earth breathing in Muir Woods, as the wind whistles through some of her tallest and longest living redwood trees. Sip the temperate terroir in the valleys of Napa and Sonoma, the most acclaimed wine regions of America. Feel the love of the 1960s that still permeates through Haight Ashbury, where hippy culture still stokes the fires of free-thinkers. Step into iconic cable cars that lumber through gilded Nob Hill or climb the famously steep streets of classic “Dirty Harry” movies. A melting pot of cultures — gold rush pioneers, American farmers, Asian immigrants — is a recipe for the city’s ubiquitous dishes including delicate dim sum to cioppino seafood soup to rustic sour dough bread. San Francisco is to be enjoyed with your imagination fulfilled and your appetite thoroughly sated. |
| 11th11 | MayMay | 202424 | At Sea | | |
| 12th12 | MayMay | 202424 | Los Angeles, California, United States | 07:00 | 19:00 |
| Home of the famous Hollywood sign and Walk of Fame, Los Angeles is the place to visit for anyone interested in film and television and hoping to get a glimpse at some famous actors and artists. Stroll down the Walk and enjoy the glamorous atmosphere and famous surroundings, or take a break on the Santa Monica pier and watch the sun set on the sea. Surrounded by ocean, mountains, forest, and desert, gilded with crystal-clear light and the rich diversity of people, LA glows with a heavenly quality. A blend of neighbourhoods each radiating with their own distinct vibe and character: Beverly Hills with its legendary shopping along Rodeo Drive; Hollywood with its movie studios; and Bel Air with its stately mansions. Relive the glory days of Tinseltown in downtown landmarks. Discover museums that hold illuminating works of Shakespeare, Thoreau and one of 12 surviving original Guttenberg Bibles. Then feel the creative firmament of mother nature at Santa Monica and Malibu Beaches. Truly, the stars have aligned to create such a legendary galaxy of sites. |
| 13th13 | MayMay | 202424 | San Diego, California, United States | 07:00 | 15:00 |
| San Diego is a vacationer's paradise, with year-round temperatures in the seventies and near-constant sunshine. One of America's most family-friendly cities, San Diego is home to LEGOLAND, the New Children's Museum, and the famous San Diego Zoo. Sunbathers and surfers are guaranteed to find their perfect beach, and foodies find delights in artisanal breweries, local bistros, and gourmet restaurants. From the Broadway excitement of La Jolla Playhouse to the European feel of Little Italy to the nouveau-chic of the Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego has something for everyone. San Diego exudes a beachy-chic, active, effortless elegance. Renowned for its idyllic climate, pristine beaches, and charming neighbourhoods. The Gas Lamp Quarter, where Wild West outlaws like Wyatt Earp once roamed, will steal your heart with theatre, art, and music. Little Italy, once home to generations of Italian seafaring families, now alive with cosy cafés and wine bars. Stunning Balboa Park, with its gorgeous gardens, impressive museums, and its richly historic El Prado District (listed on the National Registry of Historic Places), is rimmed with gardens and architectural gems from the early 1900s. Coastal La Jolla, one of the most popular beach destinations in California, is rich for kayaking, biking and wine strolls. You’ll agree with Forbes magazine that this is the “coolest city by the sea”. |
| 14th14 | MayMay | 202424 | At Sea | | |
| 15th15 | MayMay | 202424 | Cabo San Lucas, Mexico | 12:00 | 20:00 |
| Cabo San Lucas, a resort city on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, is known for its beaches, water-based activities and nightlife. Playa El Médano is Cabo’s main beach, with outdoor restaurants and numerous bars. Past the marina is Land's End promontory, site of Playa del Amor (Lover's Beach) and El Arco, a natural archway in the seacliffs. At the southernmost tip of the Baja Peninsula, a massive outcropping of volcanic rock, known as The Arch, is the beacon of welcome to this arid region of golden beaches and rugged mountains. Aboriginal inhabitants, the Pericú, flourished with the bounty of the sea. The waters still brim with so much biodiversity, Jacques Cousteau called it “the aquarium of the world”. Deep-sea fishing and scuba diving are as popular below the surface as sunbathing and celebrity sightings are above. World-class golf is set on some of the sport’s most cinematic courses whilst deep-sea fishing catches weigh-in amongst the sports more massive. Tour agave farms to taste tequila or stroll art galleries with wine, you will discover Cabo is a muse that tempts you to return again and again. |
| 16th16 | MayMay | 202424 | Mazatlán, Mexico | 09:00 | 17:00 |
| 17th17 | MayMay | 202424 | Puerto Vallarta, Mexico | 08:00 | 19:00 |
| Puerto Vallarta is a resort town on Mexico’s Pacific coast, in Jalisco state. It is known for its beaches, water sports and nightlife scene. Its cobblestone center is home to the ornate Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe church, boutique shops and a range of restaurants and bars. El Malecón is a beachside promenade with contemporary sculptures, as well as bars, lounges and nightclubs. Hugging the cerulean Banderas Bay, Puerto Vallarta is a stunning resort city set against the rugged Sierra Madres and the powerful Ameca River. The indigenous Aztatlan lived in this paradise when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s and chronicled the area’s natural beauty still home to birds, humpback whales, and dolphins. Now, bordered by the busiest malecón (waterfront esplanade) in all of Mexico, restaurants and nightclubs go from dusk until dawn. From there, cobblestone streets climb up the hills to reveal galleries, boutiques, and cafés. The perfect place to toast the sunset and Mexico’s natural beauty teeming with life. |
| 18th18 | MayMay | 202424 | At Sea | | |
| 19th19 | MayMay | 202424 | At Sea | | |
| 20th20 | MayMay | 202424 | Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala | 10:00 | 19:00 |
| Puerto Quetzal is Guatemala's largest Pacific Ocean port. It is important for both cargo traffic and as a stop-off point for cruise liners From time immemorial, this region has witnessed cultural, geographical, and political upheaval. Its position adjacent to fertile lowlands that run the length of the gorgeous black shoreline made it a strategic home to ancient civilisations. Pre-Olmec carved stone heads, the massive “fat gods”, are preserved nearby. Spanish conquistadors valued it as a gateway between the Americas. Just beyond, volcanoes strike boldly from the landscape where the Spanish crowned Antigua the capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala. Now a UNESCO-protected village filled with breath-taking scenery – Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture, brightly-coloured colonial buildings, and a lovely central square. Positioned in pursuit of purpose. |
| 21st21 | MayMay | 202424 | At Sea | | |
| 22nd22 | MayMay | 202424 | Puntarenas, Costa Rica | 07:00 | 22:00 |
| This town is not on the Nicoya Peninsula, but rather on Costa Rica's mainland. It is best known as a cruise-ship port and launching pad for ferries heading southeast to the coast of the Nicoya Peninsula and for cruises sailing out on the Gulf of Nicoya. Puntarenas is also a major fishing port with a lively fish market. The town’s reputation suffers from the unimpressive parts you see from your car as you roll through town on the way to the ferry dock. But the town has a lot of character off the main drag, thanks to its illustrious past as an affluent port town and principal vacation spot for San José's wealthy, who arrived by train in the last century. Once the port was moved and roads opened to other beaches, Puntarenas's economy crashed, but it's making a comeback. Sitting on a narrow spit of sand—punta de arenas literally means "point of sand"—that protrudes into the Gulf of Nicoya, the town boasts a beautifully groomed, wide Blue Flag beach with views of the Nicoya Peninsula and spectacular sunsets, along with a public swimming pool, the San Lucas Beach Club, and a marine-life museum. Ticos arrive by bus and car to enjoy the beach and stroll the Paseo de los Turistas, a beachfront promenade lined with tree-shaded concrete benches and seafood restaurants. Crowds of locals, called porteños, cruise by on bicycles, the town’s most popular form of transport. |
| 23rd23 | MayMay | 202424 | At Sea | | |
| 24th24 | MayMay | 202424 | Panama City, Panama, disembark the Explora I | 08:00 | |
| Expect incredible morning views as you arrive into the port for Panama City. Tinged with a silver pre-dawn light, the city will metamorphosise into a golden glow as the sun rises above it. And from then on expect one stunning view after another. Very interesting in its own right, Fuerte Amador is obviously overshadowed by its proximity to Panama City. So should the Miraflores museum of the Canal, which offers a comprehensive and immersive tour of the Canal including a 3-D experience, four exhibition halls, an observation deck, and a surprisingly good restaurant not interest you then there is always the option of lovely Casco Viejo – literally the old quartier of Panama. The grand old colonial houses, cobbled streets, independent boutiques and buzzing street scene make this a must stop on your itinerary. And if you like seafood, you will not want miss the many restaurants and market stalls serving different variations of so-fresh-it’s-still-practically-swimming ceviche. Best eaten like the Panamanians do, with salty crackers and a cold beer on the beach. And if money is no object, a cup of geisha coffee – supposedly the world’s best and definitely the world’s most expensive at $7 a shot is definitely a pick me up! Cool cosmopolitan capital aside, Panama has a skyscraper filled skyline that is worthy of some of its North American counterparts. But if urban utopia is not your scene then fear not, the sandy beaches and lush rainforests are never more than a short cab ride away. Framed by two oceans connected by the singular Panama Canal (the 7th Wonder of the Modern World) this vibrant and dynamic urban centre is truly a city on the world’s stage of commerce and ecology. Sleek skyscrapers are surrounded by pristine nature. Soberanía National Park protects a bounty of flora and fauna minutes from downtown. Casco Antiguo, the cobblestoned colonial centre, is a lovely labyrinth of churches, palaces, and plazas lined with cafes and the best champagne rooftop bars in the city. A UNESCO creative hub for gastronomy, it is home to a vibrant and diverse food scene led by world-class chefs. An incredible cultural crossroads sure to connect you to the uncommon. |
