50 Night Cruise sailing from Sydney to Rome aboard Ocean Princess.

Ocean Princess (previously Tahitian Princess) - along with her sister ship Pacific Princess - is our pearl of the Pacific. Smaller in size yet rich in amenities this beautiful vessel features an array of onboard activities. Relax on deck by the pool or get a massage at the Lotus Spa. At night, fine fare abounds in refined dining rooms and specialty restaurants, with live entertainment rivaling anything on shore. And this ship offers more than 200 balcony staterooms so you won't have to miss a single sunset.

Sydney, Australia
As your ship passes Harbour Heads, you are presented with the shimmering skyline of Sydney - hailed by many seafarers as "the most beautiful harbor in the world." Two prominent landmarks, Harbour Bridge and the sail-like curves of the Sydney Opera House, grace the backdrop of this picturesque harbor. There is a wealth of adventure waiting in Sydney - from its cosmopolitan city center to miles of beautiful beaches and the Blue Mountains.

Australia's oldest and largest city was born in 1788 with the arrival of the "First Fleet" transporting 760 British convicts. Today, Sydney is the largest port in the South Pacific and is often voted the most popular destination in the South Pacific.

Darwin, Australia
Closer to Indonesia than to any other Australian city, Darwin is the capital of the "Top End" - the remote, vast Northern Territory. Home to more than half of the territory's population, the city reflects the rugged endurance and individualism required to survive the Outback. Darwin also boasts a colorful history to add to that heritage. During World War II the Japanese bombed the city and threatened invasion. In 1974, Cyclone Tracy cut a destructive swath through the region. In addition, man-eating crocodiles, tropical monsoons, searing heat and bush fires that burn for weeks are all part of everyday life.

Locals in the Top End consume over 60 gallons of beer a year. All those empties don't go to waste: Each year Darwin residents compete in the Beer Can Regatta, a race with boats, rafts and other vessels manufactured out of beer cans.

Lombok, Indonesia
The crystalline waters of the Lombok Strait separate the island of Lombok from its neighbor Bali. For experienced travelers, Lombok will seem a throwback to Bali''s halcyon days - reminiscent, indeed, of that island some 30 years ago, before globalization brought a steady stream of development to its shores. Like its neighbor, Lombok is renowned for its traditional craft villages. Artisans produce the exquisite brocaded cloth called songket, elegant woodcarvings, and superb pottery made from local hillside clays. The island also possesses great natural beauty, from the dramatic rice terraces and plantations of the south to the tropical rain and cloud forests of the north. Lombok is home to Mt. Rinjani, Indonesia''s second highest peak, a magnificent volcano soaring over 12,000 feet above sea level.

The Lombok Strait is part of the Wallace Line - a major eco-geographical boundary separating the flora and fauna of East Indonesia and Australia from West Indonesia. Many species found on Lombok, for example, are not found on neighboring Bali, just 20 miles away across the strait.

Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Thailand
Laem Chabang is your gateway to Bangkok. This enchanting city on the Chao Phraya River is a magical place where graceful dancers perform in shimmering silk gowns, temples with gold-leaf spires harbor priceless Buddhas and riverboats cruise a maze of canals. The only nation in Southeast Asia to escape colonial rule, Thailand offers a rich and ancient culture that flowered unhindered by Western influence. Proud and strongly nationalistic, the Thai people call their nation Muang Thai - "Land of the Free."

Founded in 1782 by King Rama I, Bangkok is home to more than eight million people. The capital's proper name is Krung Thep - the "City of Angels."

Singapore
Singapore - the very name summons visions of the mysterious East. The commercial center of Southeast Asia, this island city-state of four million people is a metropolis of modern high-rise buildings, Chinese shop-houses with red-tiled roofs, sturdy Victorian buildings, Buddhist temples and Arab bazaars. Founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles of the fabled East India Company, the city is a melting pot of people and cultures. Malay, Chinese, English and Tamil are official languages. Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity are the major faiths. Singapore is an ever-fascinating island boasting colorful traditions, luxurious hotels and some of the finest duty-free shopping in the world.

Lying just 85 miles north of the Equator at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, the island was a haven for Malay pirates and Chinese and Arab traders.

Cochin, India
Cochin on the Kerala coast is an exotic fable sprung to life. The city has been a major seaport and trading center since before the Roman Empire. Cultures from three continents met here in trade, and their legacy is reflected in the city's rich heritage. Cochin boasts a Portuguese church, a Dutch palace, an exquisite Synagogue with Chinese floor tiles and old godowns (warehouses) still bursting with spices and coir.

Cochin is a series of small islands and peninsulas linked by bridges. The city is also your Southern gateway to greater India.

Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India
India's premier metropolis is a city of stark contrasts, modern towers of steel and glass stand next to stately stone edifices from the days of the Raj. Automobiles race down the crowded streets and everywhere one confronts the paradox of India. The commercial capital of the subcontinent, a large percentage of Mumbai's population lives in hutments without running water or electricity. Yet the fabled "Gateway of India" is a place of haunting beauty, from the marble serenity of the Jain Palace to the Elephanta Caves, where sculptures of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu were carved out of solid rock over a millennia ago.

India's principal seaport, Bombay is "Mumbai" in Marathi. The Portuguese aquired the city from Bahadur Shah in the 15th century, they called their new possession Bom Baim, "good bay."

Port Said (Cairo/Giza), Egypt
Port Said has been the "gateway to the East" for ocean liner passengers since the opening of the Suez Canal. Situated where the marshes of the Nile Delta meet the sands of the Sinai Peninsula, the city has a history stretching back to Pharaonic times. Today, Port Said is a popular resort destination for Egyptians, who prize its duty-free stores and boutiques. Port Said is your gateway to Cairo, the Nile Valley, and the mysteries of ancient Egypt. The Great Pyramid of Cheops at Giza was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - and the only one of those ancient landmarks to survive today.

The royal treasures of Tutankhamen on display at the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities in Cairo, are alone worth a trip to Egypt.

Barcelona, Spain
The 1992 Summer Olympics revealed to the world what Europeans and seasoned travelers already knew - Barcelona is one of the world's great treasures. Vibrant and earthy, commercial and cultural, this city of four million residents is the capital of Spain's autonomous region of Catalonia. Stroll along the wide, tree-lined promenades of Las Ramblas and marvel at the spires of Gaudi's cathedral La Sagrada Familia. Or visit the former Olympic Ring on the hill of Montjuic - also home to world-class parks, fountains and museums. Barcelona, which nurtured such artistic giants as Picasso, Dali, Miro and Casals, is a traveler's paradise.

Cannes, France
Movie stars, motor yachts, the crush of paparazzi on the Croisette - such are the images of Cannes and its legendary film festival. But this gracious city with its palm-lined boulevard dividing divine beaches from chic cafés and nightclubs is also your gateway to Monaco and Monte Carlo, Nice and St. Tropez. For centuries this former Roman camp - the Castrum de Canios - was nothing more than a sleepy port. Then in 1834, the British Lord Chancellor interrupted his travels to Italy to take shelter from a cholera outbreak. He fell in love with the stunning coast, built a villa and voila! Two centuries later, the town remains synonymous with glamour, luxury and a sybaritic lifestyle.

Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy
Your gateway to the Eternal City, Civitavecchia has served as Rome's seaport since the 13th century. The port has a long and venerable history. The emperor Trajan built a pleasure villa near the modern city, while Bernini and Michelangelo designed the harbor fortifications.

Yet the Eternal City eternally beckons. The ancient capital of the Western World and the center of Christianity for nearly 2,000 years, Rome provides an inexhaustible feast. Visit the ruins of the Forum, view the splendors of the Sistine Chapel, or climb the Spanish Steps, once the heart of Rome's Bohemian Quarter.

Rome has been a magnet luring the world's greatest artists, architects, and philosophers since the days of the Caesars.