15 Night Cruise sailing from Ft Lauderdale to Barcelona aboard Nieuw Amsterdam.

Launched from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard in Venice on July 4, 2010, the 86,000-ton Nieuw Amsterdam celebrates the glamour and history of New York City, formerly called Nieuw Amsterdam, with its inspired interior design and art collection.

Holland America Line has installed an array of works valued at over $3 million, ranging from antiques by traditional Dutch masters to creations by renowned contemporary artists. Some pieces reflect the Dutch Golden Age while others, such as the spectacular centerpiece in the atrium, express a contemporary curiosity. Adorning the ceiling of Nieuw Amsterdam is an eye-catching abstract sculpture of the inverted New York skyline made from clear translucent blocks that hang upside-down. The sculpture was created by husband and wife Italian artists Gilbert Lebigre and Corinne Roger of Creazioni Lebigre & Roger. The significant collection, which includes works by celebrated artists Andy Warhol, Richard Estes and Roy Lichtenstein, continues with astounding displays throughout the ship.

Nieuw Amsterdam joins the recently launched Eurodam to further define and expand the Holland America Line premium brand with new concepts such as the innovative pan-Asian Tamarind restaurant and Silk Den lounge surrounded by panoramic views overlooking the ocean expanse and the Lido pool. Other additions are an Explorer's Lounge Bar, a premium wine-tasting lounge, an elegant luxury jewelry boutique, new atrium bar area, enhanced and reconfigured The Showroom at Sea, and a new photographic and imaging center.

The new ship continues several much-admired Holland America Line features, including outside-view, glass elevators at midship; the Explorations Cafe -- a cyber-coffee house powered by The New York Times; the Pinnacle Grill and Pinnacle Bar; the innovative Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine Magazine, where culinary experts provide cooking demonstrations and intimate classes in a state-of-the-art onboard show kitchens; an expanded Greenhouse Spa and Salon with thermal suites and hydro-pool, the largest gymnasium ever built for Holland America Line; and a youth facility that includes the teens-only Loft. In addition the ship will feature the family-style Canaletto Italian restaurant.

Nieuw Amsterdam features 11 guest decks and staterooms spotlight all the Signature of Excellence® premium amenities. Also featured are innovative spa staterooms with additional spa amenities.

Highlights of this cruise:

Ft Lauderdale
There is an abundance of things to see and do in the Fort Lauderdale area: visit the newly redesigned Fort Lauderdale Beach and cafes, stroll the historic Riverwalk, shop the luxurious stores on Las Olas Boulevard or venture to the Everglades for an intriguing air boat excursion.

Ponta Delgada
Give a volcano enough time and it will subside into middle-aged gentility. So it is on the Azores island of Sao Miguel, where the mountains have furred over with forests and grasslands, and their calderas transformed into pristine lakes. The climate is Mediterranean and Ponta Delgada, the capital of the Azores, is kissed with highs in the 70s most of the year. Founded by the Portuguese in the mid-1400s, Ponta Delgada offers cruise guests a feast of Baroque architecture. See the Portas de Cidade, the city hall, and the Baixia area. Outside of town, be sure to see the hot springs in Furnas and the rolling volcanic landscapes around Lagoa do Fogo, Lagoa Verde, and Lagoa Azul.

Cadiz
The Moorish palace started as a fort. One of the largest Roman Catholic Cathedrals in the world used to be a mosque. The Renaissance archive contains the annals of the Spanish in the New World. All three - the Alcazar, the Seville Cathedral, and the Archivo de Indias - are UNESCO World Heritage sites. All three were built in the Mudejar style, a Muslim aesthetic that developed under Christian rule. Cruise guests can see what alchemy can happen when cultures intertwine. Walk the narrow lanes of the Jewish Quarter, the expanse of the Plaza de Espana, or the halls of the Museo de Bellas Artes. Then stop for tapas.

Malaga
Every city is a palimpsest, but Malaga takes it to an extreme. The walls of its Phoenician ur-city are visible in the basement of the Picasso Museum. The best-preserved Moorish citadel in Spain is located next to the Roman theater, which was rediscovered in 1951. The nearby caverns of Nerja provided refuge to humans 30,000 years ago and modern tourists alight along the Costa Del Sol during the eight-month-long summer season. Cruise guests can visit the old castles, the museums, and the beaches. Or chew some scenery with a Malaga sweet wine and a plate of tapas.

Cartagena
Cartagena offers a rich cultural legacy from the days of its Roman, Muslim and Arabic rule.

Barcelona
Barcelona effuses the ancient, the modernist, and the Gaudi. Legend has it the city was founded by Hercules 400 years before the founding of Rome. Whatever the truth, the city today is a global capital of commerce, fashion, culture, and sunshine (the city gets about 300 days of it a year). Cruise visitors should start with a walk down Las Ramblas, the glorious tree-shaded thoroughfare at the heart of the city. Claim a patch of sand on one of the city beaches. But, most of all, see what visionary architect Antoni Gaudi wrought. Seven of his creations have been honored as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including La Sagrada Familia, the Park Guell, and Casa Mila.