Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Here in Amsterdam, you can decide whether the real masterpieces are the gabled houses that flank graceful canals, or the van Goghs, Rembrandts and Vermeers that cover the walls of the city's grand museums.

At Sea - Cruising - Cruising

Cobh (Cork), Ireland - Cobh is just a short train ride to charming Cork, Ireland, whose hilly streets echo with the music of what is renowned to be Ireland's most talkative citizenry. Visit local artisans and witness their skills in the arts of weaving and cutting crystal. The charming English Market is a great place to get a taste of the local flavors (including the chance for an excellent meal at the Farmgate Cafe located within). Also, Cork's lovely art museum has many fine works by lesser known artists from the last few centuries.

Dublin, Ireland - Dublin, the fair city, invites you to wander the streets trod by Joyce, Yeats and Oscar Wilde. Drop in at pubs with mahogany bars and stained glass. In the Trinity College Library, feast your eyes on the illuminated 9th-century Book of Kells. Sample the world's most famous stout at the original Guinness Brewery. And, of course, there are plenty of shopping opportunities — from a souvenir shillelagh to Waterford crystal.

Liverpool, England - Roll over Beethoven! Liverpool is the birthplace of the Beatles! And it won't take long to discover the amazing legacy of art, music and sport that influence this charming city. A short walk from your ship you'll find Albert Dock a bustling, converted maritime business center that now houses all sorts of entertainments (shopping, food, "The Beatles Story" and wonderful modern art at the Tate Liverpool. A bit further afield (but still quite walkable, if you're hearty), you'll find the Cavern Club, where the Beatles got their start.

Belfast, Northern Ireland - So much of Ireland's political history is tied up in Belfast that many visitors are surprised to find that it is also a modern city that blends old and new effortlessly as the troubles of its past fade into history. Just a day trip away are the Giants' Causeway (a series of stone pillars that extends to Scotland) and the spectacular Antrim coast.

Cherbourg, France - Cherbourg offers everything you could want from a seaside town in France - beautiful gardens, cute little shops, appetizing restaurants. As a port, however, Cherbourg is a maritime institution, playing major roles in early transatlantic travel, submarine building and nautical pastimes. One look at its massive man-made sea wall or its bustling piers and any seafaring adventurer will feel right at home here. It is also one of two gateways for cruise vistors to the D-Day landing beaches about an hour's ride away.

Le Havre, France - The allure and romance of cruise to Paris are legendary. This capital city of France is home to innumerable museums, such as the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Musée Picasso and Musée Rodin, parks and gardens, including the Tuileries Garden on the banks of the Seine and the Left Bank Luxembourg Garden, as well as monuments such as the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe.

Dover (London), England - After seeing her fomous "white cliffs" as you arrive, you can take a quick trip to nearby Canterbury to see its medieval cathedral, where Thomas Becket met his tragic end. Or carry on to London for a day filled with whatever your heart desires. This is London, after all, of which Samuel Johnson famously said "Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." Whether its history, fashion, shopping, art, culture or food you're looking for, London's got it.

Bruges (Zeebrugge), Belgium - Bordering the delta of the Scheldt, and the Maas and Rhine rivers, Zeebrugge could be one of the most unique seaports you visit in this lifetime. Zeebrugge is blessed with a picturesque network of canals and fields peppered with graceful windmills. Zeebrugge serves as a gateway port to the historic city of Brussels.