SHORE EXCURSIONS

Watch an entertaining folkloric performance of music and dance that reflects the very best of Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries.

After departing from the pier, you will soon arrive at a popular venue for a folkloric performance that will highlight the traditional songs and dances of Puerto Rico. You can expect it to be an immensely entertaining, high-energy show.

After settling into your seat, the spectacle will begin with gusto. You will instantly recognize rhythms from other parts of the world that have influenced Puerto Rican music and dance. Many of the steps and sounds originated in Cuba, Brazil, the Dominican Republic and other Latin American countries.

You may notice African beats and a passion typically associated with Spain’s flamenco. The dancers will perform the mambo, which was invented in Havana in the 1930s, and the samba, a dance style from West Africa.

You will also enjoy parts of the show dedicated to La Plena, a genre of music and dance indigenous to Puerto Rico. Tambourines are the principal instruments in La Plena, although other instruments such as congas, trombones and guitars are often played.

In this folkloric show, the featured guitarist will be Juan Carlos, an entertainer that has traveled the world playing flamenco and singing in his distinct baritone voice.

After your transfer in to town, you’ll visit Stockholm’s oldest and coziest quarters, the Old Town of Gamla Stan. Witness the historic elegance of the exterior of the dominating Royal Palace, and stroll along the narrow, twisting alleys and cobblestone streets. You’ll experience the medieval intimacy of what is today a living historical monument of international renown. You’ll also see Stortorget and the Great Square - the hub of the Old Town, dominated by the old Stock Exchange, today housing the Nobel Museum and the Swedish Academy, which meets each year to decide the laureate of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Rejoin your coach and continue through the city center and on to the Nordic Hotel in the heart of the city, where the world’s first permanent ice bar is located. The interior is kept at -5 degrees Centigrade all year round. The whole interior, including glasses, is made of pure, clear ice from the Torne River in Northern Sweden. A complimentary drink in an ice glass will be served and the staff will tell you more about the bar and the construction. After tasty drinks you’ll drive to Djurgarden, a favorite getaway spot for Stockholm residents. In the Vasa Museum, you’ll see the Swedish warship Vasa, once considered the pride of Sweden’s navy. The present museum is built around the restored 17th century warship, which sank in Stockholm’s inner harbor on her maiden voyage in 1628. Its salvage in 1961, with more than 12,000 objects on board, is one of the most important events in marine archaeology.

Board one of the world’s most scenic railways as you journey through the spectacular Taieri River Gorge. Welcomed aboard by a friendly crew, settle into your carriage, and get ready for a breathtaking trip into a landscape only accessible by this train. First tracing Otago Harbor, then traversing suburban Dunedin and a fertile plain, you’ll soon be climbing into the sheer cliff faces and plunging ravines of the Taieri River Gorge. Much of the ride takes place high atop soaring stone-and-lattice viaducts that early engineers, masons, and railway gangs somehow managed to build through extremely challenging wild New Zealand terrain. The fact that they succeeded is a true marvel – which you get to experience firsthand today. As you relax and watch in awe, your carriage will pass one unspoiled panorama after another, winding its way through the gorge over dramatic bridges suspended high above the placid river below, and through no fewer than 10 tunnels carved out of solid bedrock. You’ll enjoy a light picnic style boxed lunch while on board. Your journey concludes either at Dunedin Railway Station, a suitably grand Victorian landmark, or continue back to your awaiting ship.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Settle back and experience one of the world’s most breathtakingly scenic railway journeys.
• Travel over countless latticed-steel and stone bridges and through 10 tunnels as you traverse the rugged Taieri River Gorge.
• Take it all in from the civilized comfort of your carriage with morning tea and a light lunch served.
• Disembark at Dunedin’s landmark Victorian railway station, where you can opt to remain in town awhile or return straightaway to the port.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

After your transfer into town, begin with a short panoramic drive of the city. Continue to Gamla Stan, the enchanting, medieval Old Town. You’ll pass the Royal Palace and the dramatic royal theater as you drive to the island of Djurgarden, home of the Vasa Museum.

In the Vasa Museum, you’ll see the Swedish warship ‘Vasa’, once considered the pride of Sweden’s navy. The present museum is built around the restored 17th century warship, which sank in Stockholm’s inner harbor on her maiden voyage in 1628. It was salvaged in 1961 with more than 12,000 objects on board and is one of the most important events in marine archaeology.

Continue on your panoramic drive to Ostermalm, a fashionable neighborhood of stately apartment buildings, then on to Sergel’s Torg, a square that is the focal point of modern Stockholm and the old town, where your guide will lead you on a walk through its cobbled streets, followed by a few minutes of free time to take some pictures or explore a bit on your own, before the return drive to Nynashamn.

OVERVIEW

Experience true indulgence on a tour that seeks out fine epicurean delicacies produced around Burnie, including intensely flavored cheeses, creamy chocolates and robust wines. A century ago, this town was all about timber and papermaking, today it’s evolved into a thriving arts center. And though times change, certain tastes don’t. Like the taste of the exquisite cheeses made in the dairy country surrounding Burnie. The area’s climate, salt-laden atmosphere and lush pasturelands are simply ideal for cheese making. The exact varieties available for tasting at the visited venue change daily – but you’ll likely find sharp cheddar, creamy camembert and distinctly flavored parmesan among them. A visit to the chocolate factory of a Belgian chocolatier will stimulate a different part of your palate. Besides learning about their techniques, you’ll sample treats produced using their signature Anvers couverture chocolate, all made extra-delicious thanks to Tasmania’s extraordinary cream and butter. And what more perfect accompaniment to these delights than a tasting of locally produced wines? Depending on which boutique winery is visited this day, you may sample a deep-garnet Shiraz, a light Pinot Grigio or a fruity rosé. Turns out grapes, too, appreciate the local growing conditions.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Treat your taste buds to a delight-filled survey of the Burnie area’s top culinary indulgences.
• Visit a local cheese producer for a sampling session of what’s on the tasting roster today.
• Call on a local chocolatier with Belgian credentials who combines Tasmanian cream and butter with other artisanal ingredients to create…nirvana.
• Toast your gastronomic good fortune to have found this tour by sampling the wines of a local boutique vineyard.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

Join the perfect introduction to Stockholm, the Capital of Scandinavia. Take a rural drive from Nynashamn into Stockholm while your guide tells you about Sweden and Stockholm.

Enjoy the beautiful sights as you pass by landmark locations like the Medieval Old Town of Gamla Stan, the Royal Palace, the Cathedral, Parliament House and more. Continue along the water and on to the green and lush island of Djugarden. Here you'll visit the Vasa Museum, home to the magnificent warship 'Vasa', one of Sweden’s number one attractions. The 'Vasa' dates back to the 17th century and is the best preserved warship of its time.

Leaving the 'Vasa', drive through the modern downtown and business areas before being dropped off in a central location for free time before your coach picks you up for the return drive to Nynashamn.

OVERVIEW

Enjoy a relaxed orientation tour of Dunedin, home to some of New Zealand’s most elegant Victorian architecture, its oldest university and its first public botanical gardens. Second largest city on the South Island, central Dunedin sits deep within beautiful Otago Harbor. Your picturesque coach drive from the pier traces the harbor’s shore, passing charming Sawyer’s Bay, Roseneath and St. Leonard’s on the way into the city. A tour of the grand Jacobean house known as Olveston Historic Home provides a remarkably well-preserved glimpse into the refined Dunedin life circa 1906. Set on an acre of wooded land, this graceful 35-room residence is the epitome of English Arts & Crafts style and still contains the marvelous artwork and artifacts collected by its original owner. Continuing through the city, you’ll pass many more landmark structures including the Law Courts, Otago Boys High School and First Church, the Edwardian mansions of Royal Terrace and High Streets, and Gothic Revival-styled Otago University, founded in 1869 and as vital as ever. Spanning 69 manicured on a hilltop, magnificent Dunedin Botanic Gardens are older still, but – just like the university – thrive today. Enjoy free time for strolling here and be sure to visit the classic Winter Garden Glasshouse.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a sightseeing drive to central Dunedin from the port, tracing beautiful Otago Harbor and its towns.
• Tour a 35-room home that features fine art and intriguing collectibles, perfectly capturing the style of this city known for its worldly elegance.
• Travel along streets lined with Edwardian and Victorian mansions, churches and cathedrals, and the Gothic campus of New Zealand’s first university.
• Stroll among camellias and rhododendrons, roses and splashing fountains in an 1863 botanic garden.
• Ride back to the pier directly or step off in town to explore awhile longer and catch a shuttle back later.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Travel to a rural wildlife park for up-close looks at Tasmanian devils, kangaroos and some most-unusual other animals, then enjoy a driving overview of Burnie. Your leisurely drive inland toward Mount Dial Nature Recreation Area traverses idyllic terrain and scattered villages where life has changed little over the centuries. Once at Wings Wildlife Park, you’ll have ample free time to ramble the trails and encounter famous fauna like the Tasmanian devil and Australia’s trademark kangaroo, as well as obscure ones like the bettong, a tiny marsupial that hops around like a mini-kangaroo. Other strange and unfamiliar creatures who call the park home include boobook owls, crab-eating macaques, quolls and long-nosed potoroos. Somehow, even American bison and Japanese quail are on the resident list. The more you learn about this immense menagerie of Tasmanian wildlife and their behaviors, the more interesting they seem. Back in Burnie, you’ll enjoy a downtown drive before returning to the pier. Founded in 1828 around an excellent natural harbor on Emu Bay and surrounded by vast eucalyptus forests, the timber industry dominated the town for the next 100 years. Today, the creative arts and culinary endeavors are what Burnie is most known for.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel by coach to Wings Wildlife Park, the largest collection of Tasmanian wildlife in Australia.
• Spend about two hours meandering the park’s paths and encountering its residents.
• See Tasmanian devils, kangaroos, bettongs, quolls, potoroos and others in this curiosity-shop of indigenous fauna.
• Settle in for a scenic return drive across an unspoiled landscape, followed by an informative orientation spin around Burnie itself.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable, closed-toe walking shoes are recommended; no heels.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed

This definitive tour of Kaohsiung presents attractions that reveal the very fabric of life in this thriving southern Taiwanese city. You’ll travel to the massive Spring and Autumn Pavilions, a complex completed in 1951 and embrace the breathtaking sight that shows the importance of legend in Taiwanese culture.

As religious expression is very prevalent in Kaohsiung you’ll also visit two of its most popular Taiwanese temples, the Confucius Temple and Chiming Tang. Completed in 1976, the Confucius Temple is Taiwan's largest Confucian temple and expresses a deep reverence for China's beloved sage. Chiming Tang was constructed in the 1970s. Several different gods are worshipped here, including humanized gods of influential historic figures, such as Confucius.

Head to the Chijin Old Street for a glimpse of daily life in Kaohsiung and where the city was first developed. Colorful, ornate temples such as the 300-year-old Tian Ho abound, and the many small shops are always abuzz. As you stroll along the street exploring the many sights, shops and stands, you will no doubt feel the friendly townspeople and the inviting ambience that is found here.

After your transfer into town, travel through the city districts of Sodermalm, Gamla Stan, Norrmalm, Ostermalm, and Djurgarden. First you’ll cross Gamla Stan, the enchanting Medieval Old Town where you’ll pass the Royal Palace, which overlooks Stockholm’s inner harbor. Pass the Royal Opera, the Parliament Building and along the narrow canal at Slussen, where you’ll enter Sodermalm district. Sodermalm is the large island off Stockholm’s south side which contains a number of small, closely integrated neighborhoods. You’ll also drive west along Soder Malarstrand, where you’ll cross the Western Bridge that spans Riddarfjarden and offers views of the city skyline and City Hall. In the city center, the focal point of modern Stockholm, travel along Strandvagen to the island of Djurgarden. Here, you’ll have a chance to tour the island, which is regarded as Stockholm’s outdoor recreation center, and features attractions such as Grona Lund Tivoli, Skansen Open-Air Museum and extensive park lands beyond. Your panoramic drive also takes you through Diplomatic Town to Ostermalm, a fashionable neighborhood of stately apartment buildings.

Be one with the sky as you ride one of the most remarkable attractions in Sweden, the SkyView. The Ericsson Globe Arena, resembling a giant golf ball, is the largest spherical building in the world. An exhilarating ride will take you to the top of the Globe. At 426 feet (130 meters) above sea level, the glass gondola will stop for you to have ample time to marvel over the magnificent view over the city. Continue your introduction tour of Stockholm on the ground with a panoramic drive covering all major sights before stopping at the Vasa Museum, home to the magnificent warship ‘Vasa’. The ‘Vasa’ dates back to the 17th century and is the best preserved warship of its time. Afterwards you’ll be able to enjoy some free time in the city before returning to Nynashamn and your ship.