Oceania Cruises: Sirena

Cosmopolitan Amsterdam is most famous for its narrow, gabled houses lining the canals. Interesting attractions include the medieval weighhouse, Royal Palace on Dam Square, and New Church. Its most glamorous industry is the diamond trade. Not too far from Amsterdam are the flower centers of Aalsmeer, the picturesque fishing villages of Volendam and Marken, cheese markets at Edam and Gouda, and historic Haarlem, the main center of the bulb-growing industry. Enjoy the city’s sights from a glass-topped sightseeing boat which passes characteristic gabled houses and negotiates picturesque arched bridges. Facing Dam Square, the Royal Palace was built in 1648 and is still officially the royal residence, although the royal family resides in The Hague. The marbled Citizens Hall with inlaid maps of the world is worth seeing. One of Amsterdam’s most visited sites is historic Anne Frank House. Rijksmuseum, the city’s most prestigious museum, houses the largest collection of Dutch paintings in the world. Van Gogh Museum houses a striking collection.

Suggested Private Excursions

Amsterdam: An Introduction to Amsterdam – 4 hours

Amsterdam: Highlights of Amsterdam - 8 Hours

Amsterdam: The Three Sisters, Delft & Den Haag - 8 Hours

Graceful old buildings are well maintained and the shore, dock and water further beautify the area. Leith has beautiful waterfront areas with restaurants, bars, and shops lining the streets. A great deal of majestic architecture from the 18th century remain among the sparkling modern buildings. The top excursions to visit here include Royal Mile Road, St. Giles Cathedral, the Scotch Whiskey Heritage Center and the National Gallery of Scotland.

 

Graceful old buildings are well maintained and the shore, dock and water further beautify the area. Leith has beautiful waterfront areas with restaurants, bars, and shops lining the streets. A great deal of majestic architecture from the 18th century remain among the sparkling modern buildings. The top excursions to visit here include Royal Mile Road, St. Giles Cathedral, the Scotch Whiskey Heritage Center and the National Gallery of Scotland.

 

The Orkney Islands are different from mainland Britain and reflect the original 9th century Viking settlement. In addition to Norse heritage are remains of prehistoric monuments such as Stenness Standing Stones at Finstown. Steep-roofed stone houses line streets winding around medieval St. Magnus Cathedral. A museum featuring Orkney artifacts is housed in 16th-century Tankerness House. Other attractions include Maes Howe, Britain's best-preserved megalithic tomb, and the stone-age village Skara Brae. Rock circles, cairns, standing stones, ancient tombs and prehistoric villages are scattered about, gaining these islands international recognition. Only the walls and tower of the 12-century residence, Bishop's Palace, stand. The top of the tower affords a great view of the cathedral and across Kirkwall rooftops. Earl's Palace dates from 1600. Its style blends medieval fierceness with elements of French Renaissance architecture - featuring dungeons, massive fireplaces and magnificent central hall. A good mile south of town is Highland Park - the "most northerly legal distillery in Scotland."

Situated on Loch Broom and only 59 miles from Inverness, Ullapool is the largest settlement in Wester Ross. It was purpose built as a herring station to a Thomas Telford design in 1788. It is also an excellent base from which to explore the Northwest Highlands. Most of the main roads north of here have been upgraded over the years, and staying in Ullapool and using it as a touring base is now a viable and attractive option.

Belfast is popular with travelers who come to discover the city’s physical beauty and renewed tranquility. Enjoy performances at the Grand Opera House, shopping along trendy Donegall Place and visiting numerous pubs along The Golden Mile. St. Anne’s Cathedral, also known as Belfast Cathedral, is the principal church of the Anglican Church of Ireland and contains stones from every county in Ireland. Located next to Europa Hotel, the Grand Opera House boasts an impressive mix of large productions of opera, ballet, musicals and drama. Known as the Big Ben of Belfast, the Albert Memorial Clock Tower was built in 1869 to commemorate the Prince Consort. Built in 1849 as one of Queen Victoria’s colleges, Queens University is one of the foremost universities in the British Isles. The classical-style building of Stormont, erected in 1928-32 to house the Parliament of Northern Ireland, stands 3.5 miles outside the city. The Prince of Wales Avenue is exactly one mile long and is bordered by rose beds containing 600 of the famous Korona roses noted for their scarlet blooms.

Suggested Private Excursions

Belfast - Tour of Antrim Coast - Full Day Tour

Belfast: Cultural Belfast - 8 hours

Belfast: Highlights of Belfast - 6 hours

Holyhead is the largest town on the island of Anglesey and a busy ferry port. The town has a number of interesting attractions and is a bustling shopping and visitors area. Around Holyhead there is excellent fishing, golfing and,of course, sailing facilities. Couple this with wonderful scenery, walks and beaches and you can easily lose yourself and relax for a few days. A day trip by ferry to sample the wonderful Dublin is easily achievable.
Anglesey has a number of both historic and prehistoric sites close-by. The maritime museum in Holyhead is well worth a visit with exhibits on 100 or so shipwrecks that have taken place in the vicinity. Stroll' down to South Stack Lighthouse.

Falmouth is a resort and port in south-western England. The harbor is popular with pleasure craft and Falmouth has several boat-building yards and a major ship repair yard. The Pendennis and St Mawes castles face each other across the Roads. They were built by Henry VIII in the 16th century to guard the entrance to the Roads; the protection they offered played an important part in Falmouth's development as a port. Falmouth was one of the most important ports in Great Britain after 1698, when packet ships, fast, heavily armed sloops, sped across the oceans from Falmouth carrying post, royal messages, and bullion to all parts of the world. The packet service brought great prosperity to Falmouth, and the town's fortunes declined when it was transferred to Southampton. However, after the construction of the railway in 1863, Falmouth gained a new lease of life as a resort town.

Portsmouth is the United Kingdom's only island city and is located on Portsea Island in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England.

The peaceful setting of the picturesque port of Honfleur along the estuary of the Seine attracted many artists and writers over the years, including Impressionist Painters. Throughout its history, numerous maritime journeys were initiated from Honfleur. It's a place of great historic charm, notably around the Vieux Bassin, where lofty slate-and-timber fronted houses overlook the colorful yacht and fishing harbor, and sloping cobbled streets recall 16th century Honfleur. Not to be missed are the 15th century wooden church and the Impressionist paintings of the Musee Eugene Boudin. From here it is possible to visit Monet's Garden, Arromanches, the Normandy Landing Beaches and if there is time, Paris.

Suggested Private Excursions

Honfleur - Flower Coast - 8 hours

Honfleur - Etretat / Fecamp - 8 hours

Honfleur - Normandy Landing Beaches - 8 hours

Honfleur - Pays d'Auge Gourmet Tour - 8 hours

Zeebrugge is an important port city in Flanders, connecting Belgium’s intricate railway and canal transportation systems. It is the gateway to medieval Bruges, one of northern Europe's most picturesque old cities and Brussels with its tree-shaded boulevards, splendid parks, imposing monuments, and beautiful buildings.

Cosmopolitan Amsterdam is most famous for its narrow, gabled houses lining the canals. Interesting attractions include the medieval weighhouse, Royal Palace on Dam Square, and New Church. Its most glamorous industry is the diamond trade. Not too far from Amsterdam are the flower centers of Aalsmeer, the picturesque fishing villages of Volendam and Marken, cheese markets at Edam and Gouda, and historic Haarlem, the main center of the bulb-growing industry. Enjoy the city’s sights from a glass-topped sightseeing boat which passes characteristic gabled houses and negotiates picturesque arched bridges. Facing Dam Square, the Royal Palace was built in 1648 and is still officially the royal residence, although the royal family resides in The Hague. The marbled Citizens Hall with inlaid maps of the world is worth seeing. One of Amsterdam’s most visited sites is historic Anne Frank House. Rijksmuseum, the city’s most prestigious museum, houses the largest collection of Dutch paintings in the world. Van Gogh Museum houses a striking collection.

Suggested Private Excursions

Amsterdam: An Introduction to Amsterdam – 4 hours

Amsterdam: Highlights of Amsterdam - 8 Hours

Amsterdam: The Three Sisters, Delft & Den Haag - 8 Hours