66 Night World Cruise sector sailing from Auckland to Southampton aboard Aurora.

Aurora is a cruise ship with a classic British design. Yet life on board feels distinctly cosmopolitan. French chic. Moorish elegance. International glamour. Her affinity for travel is evident throughout. If you are looking for a truly sophisticated cruising experience, she is the superliner for you.

Water cascades down her Lalique style Atrium, creating a calm central space. From here you can discover some of her many bars, shops and lounges. Relax in the comfortable surroundings of Anderson's. Enjoy coffee and chocolates in Raffles. Or head to the Crow's Nest for sunset. Fancy something more active? Her gym and golf simulator could be just the thing.

Dining on Aurora can be a relaxed or formal affair. Whilst her evening entertainment offers everything from theatre to comedy. All of her Staterooms have a stylish and spacious feel. She also has two luxury two tier penthouses, making her accommodation unique.

About the Cruise:

Aurora departs Auckland for Napier and Wellington.

From its instantly recognisable Opera House to the distinctive Harbour Bridge, Sydney always lives up to expectations with Brisbane proving a popular spot for swimming or surfing. Cairns, tourist gateway to the rainforest, provides a perfect contrast. Your journey continues with a stop in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea which is found inside a large collapsed volcanic crater!

Japan's third largest city, Osaka, combines historical and cultural attractions with futuristic architecture whilst in Nagasaki you'll find poignant reminders of the country's past. From Xingang, China you can visit Beijing or alternatively experience The Great Wall which snakes magnificently through the surrounding countryside. Then it's on to Shanghai and busy Hong Kong followed by the Vietnamese coastal resort of Nha Trang and Phu My, a base for touring Ho Chi Minh City.

In Thailand, explore Bangkok from laid-back Laem Chabang and the island resort of Ko Samui before calling at Singapore and Port Kelang for Kuala Lumpur. Memorable Mumbai and magical Muscat lead up to an overnight call in glittering Dubai - a shopper's dream filled with souks selling everything from spices to gold.

The Red Sea cruise port of Safaga is your entry into Egypt with its lavish tombs, temples and palaces of the pharaohs. Sokhna has long been a favourite of Egyptian holidaymakers and is your next stop before passengers touring Cairo and the Pyramids disembark in Suez. If you have opted to stay on board then you'll make your way through the Suez Canal. Onwards to Limassol in Cyprus and Haifa, entry port for the Holy land. Calls at Civitavecchia for Rome and Lisbon complete your itinerary.

About Auckland
New Zealand's biggest city and major cruise port, Auckland, sits between the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea, which is how it came to host the America's Cup twice - in 1999 and 2002 - attracting investment to transform the harbourside into a superb meeting and eating place which all visitors can now appreciate.
]The Viaduct Harbour area now boasts outdoor restaurants ideally placed to view the hundreds of yachts attracted to this icon of sailing success. This 'City of Sails' is also home to New Zealand's impressive National Maritime Museum which charts the nation's seafaring history.
Harbour ferries offer a great way of viewing the city, either by crossing the bay to old-established Devonport or under the harbour bridge to the suburb of Birkenhead. Otherwise take in all the sights from the revolving restaurant at the top of the Sky Tower, the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere at 328 metres. From Auckland, you can also visit the remarkable geysers and mud pools of Rotorua.

About Wellington
New Zealand's capital and cruise port Wellington, is blessed with a wonderful setting, overlooking a glittering harbour filled with bobbing sailing boats.
Behind the gleaming modern skyscrapers of its centre, you will find the city's history well preserved in some outstanding old buildings - notably the old Government Building, built in 1876, which is the second-largest wooden building in the world.
But to see New Zealand's story brought most vividly to life, visit the Te Papa Museum, a multi-level extravaganza of hands-on learning where you can explore a Maori meeting house, take a virtual reality bungee jump or even experience an earthquake.
Make time, too, to enjoy lunch with a view on the city's lively waterfront, then take a four minute ride in the Kelburn cable car to see the marvellous views from the top of Mount Victoria.

About Brisbane
Classic Australian pastimes such as surfing and swimming from sensational beaches - that is what you will find on the coastline surrounding Queensland's capital and cruise port Brisbane. To the south are the high-rise hotels which make up the exciting Surfers' Paradise and Gold Coast resorts, while to the north there is the beautiful and more sedate Sunshine Coast.
Cultural attractions in downtown Brisbane are located in and around the South Bank Parklands by the Brisbane River - site of the 1988 World Expo. In close proximity you will discover the Queensland Museum and the State Art Gallery, which features many Aboriginal works. Then there's the Butterfly House and Maritime Museum.
The best shopping can be found at the Myer Centre complex on the city's central commercial artery, Queen Street. Walk south to admire the fine architecture around the former Treasury building and then discover the imaginatively landscaped Botanic Gardens.

About Osaka
Japan's third largest city, Osaka combines historical and cultural attractions with modern developments. Before World War II, Osaka was an exotic maze of crisscrossing waterways and traditional wooden buildings, but unfortunately most of these were destroyed in the bombings. Today however, the city has leapt into the architectural future with such buildings as the Imperial Hotel, the inverted U-shape of the Umeda Sky Building and the enormous Ferris wheel on top of the HEP Five complex.
But just a short distance away, you'll see the gentle side of Japan. Kyoto, the former capital, is a serene city of geometric gardens, geisha houses, cherry trees, temples and palaces. Witness the ritual of the tea ceremony or savour a teriyaki lunch in the loveliest of Japanese cities.

About Shanghai
Once known as the Paris of the East, Shanghai now calls itself the Pearl of the Orient. It is China's largest and most cosmopolitan city and no other city can better capture the urgency and excitement of Chinas economic reform.
A port city, lying at the mouth of Asias longest and most important river, the Yangtze, Shanghai's spectacular architecture is catching the worlds attention. Charming old houses are making way for new museums, theatres and shiny new high-rises. But there is a comfortable blend of modern and traditional.
You can admire the exquisite Yu Garden with its Teahouse and Bridge of Nine Turnings or the Temple of the Jade Buddha. At the Shanghai Museum, you can peruse its works of art, which simultaneously draw you through the pages of Chinese history. But today in Shanghai, you can also enjoy the fast-paced lives of Chinas most glamorous, cosmopolitan and open people.

About Bangkok
Much of Laem Chabang's old laid-back charm remains, despite its rapid transformation into the country's 'Riviera' - a major gateway for visiting cruise passengers. Located on Thailand's east coast, this tranquil region of fruit orchards, gem mines and oyster and orchid farms, is now also a great place for swimming, snorkelling and experiencing traditional Thai village life.
You will be hard pressed to know what to do first when you visit the fascinating nearby capital of Bangkok, a treasury of old temples, fine palaces and extravagant art.
For a taste of Old Asia, tour the fabulously ornate buildings of the Grand Palace, where you will see Buddha statues exquisitely worked in ivory, crystal, silver and gold. Or the Royal Barge Museum - home to the splendid vessels used in royal processions.
For shoppers, Bangkok has everything from fake designer good to fine antiques. Barter your way around the markets of Sukhumvit Road and Siam, or browse the traditional shops on Chinatown's Chareon Krung Road.

About Mumbai
Gateway to one of the world's most vibrant cities, India's cruise port Mumbai (formerly Bombay) offers so many memorable experiences it is hard to know where to begin.Perhaps a stroll along Marine Drive, the broad seafront promenade, which links the skyscrapers and bustle of Nariman Point with the serene greenery of Malabar Hill, is the best introduction to the sheer variety of this fascinating city.
Or climb to the top of Malabar Hill to visit the terraced Ferozeshah Mehta Gardens, which overlook the Arabian Sea and the famous Towers of Silence. Then make your way to Crawford's Market (now Jyotiba Phulle), which will take you back in time to Victorian days - the frieze above its entrance was designed by Rudyard Kipling's father, and Rudyard's childhood home lies right opposite.
Bargain hunters should not miss the famous Chor Bazaar and the antique shops of Motton Street at its heart, where you can pick up fabulous memorabilia - and do not be afraid to bargain.

About Dubai
Known as the 'Pearl of the Arabian Gulf', Dubai is one of the seven emirates that comprises the United Arab Emirates. With a mix of traditional architecture and glittering modern buildings, Dubai is a place of fascinating contrasts that can best be described as the 'Middle East meets Hong Kong with a little Las Vegas thrown in for style'. It is also the home of sand, sea and sun.
As you sail into the formidable city of Dubai, you can't help but to gaze up in wonder at the magnificent Burj Al Arab Hotel. Designed to resemble a billowing sail, it stands at a height of 321 metres and dominates the Dubai coastline.
Visit Dubai's waterfront and take a boat trip up Dubai creek, admire the beautiful architecture of the Grand Mosque, boasting the city's tallest minaret, or barter for souvenirs in the many souks around the city. Don't miss the Spice Souk and the glittering Gold Souq - crammed full of exquisite jewellery and at prices lower than anywhere else in the world. From designer clothes and custom-made sari's, to perfumes and spices you can get anything you desire.
With guaranteed sunshine the multitude of water sports is spectacular, but your might like to try sand-skiing, 4-wheel drive desert safaris or camel riding. Or for something a little more relaxing enjoy a moonlit Bedouin barbeque, deep in the heart of the desert.
The nearby emirate of Sharjah, with its captivating architecture and spectacular souks, was selected by UNESCO as the cultural capital of the Middle East.

About Suez
Lying at the Red Sea end of the Suez Canal, the busy Egyptian port of Suez can also be your starting point for exciting trips to Cairo and the Pyramids at Giza.
If your ship goes through the Canal, be out on deck throughout the transit, as it is one of the world's most fascinating maritime experiences, creating the bizarre impression that you are sailing right through the dry heart of the desert.
The present, 101-mile-long Canal took 15 years to build, was completed in 1869 and shaved a mere 7,000 miles off the journey from England to India. It is the second to cross the Isthmus of Suez - the first was constructed in the 5th century BC and was in use until the 8th century.
Even if your ship is just calling at Suez, it is well worth strolling along the Corniche to watch the huge ships lined up to transit the Canal on their way to the other side of the world.

About Limassol
History mixed with a little hedonism is the holiday mixture which makes Cyprus so popular and, sat about halfway along the south coast, Limassol is the ideal base for cruise visitors to enjoy what the country has to offer.
Across the island, there is plenty of rugged coastline and mountain scenery to explore and enjoy along with a variety of archaeological sites. Limassol is a working town as well as a holiday resort but it has been attractively landscaped and its centre is easily walkable. Make sure you visit the 12th century fort where Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria and which now houses an excellent medieval museum.
Cyprus became an independent republic in 1960. But, following the 1974 Turkish invasion and the subsequent division of Cyprus, the Greek Cypriots had to create a brand new tourist industry in its part of the island. The most popular resorts are Ayia Napa and Paphos, both renowned for safe, sandy beaches.

About Lisbon
Some of the best views of the Portuguese capital come as your ship cruises along the Tagus River. You pass the Belem Tower and the impressive Monument to the Discoveries with its statue of Henry the Navigator before arriving at the Lisbon cruise terminal.
Although small for a European capital, this city does sprawl a little so you would do best to concentrate on three districts - Baixa, Bairro Alto and Alfama, each with its own distinctive style.
Baixa has busy streets of inviting shops, cafés and restaurants while Alfama is the atmospheric old town with narrow cobblestone streets, medieval and Moorish-style buildings, wrought-iron balconies with trailing flowers and a mix of small shops and bars. Bairro Alto is another historic district with narrow streets and is a steep climb from Baixa so look out for the 100-year-old lift (Elevador do Carmo) near Rossio Square.