42 Night Cruise sailing from Barcelona to Rome aboard Rotterdam.

As the sixth ship to bear the name, the ms Rotterdam is the standard-bearer for our fleet of five-star cruise ships. The first Rotterdam set sail in 1872, beginning a Holland America Line tradition of elegant cruising and impeccable service that continues through Rotterdam VI.

Commemorating the history of the Rotterdam ships, fascinating Holland America memorabilia, art and antiques can be found throughout the ship. The collection includes remarkable clocks and time pieces, contemporary art by recognized artists, and antiques that represent the rich seafaring heritage of Holland America Line. A highlight is a beautiful 18th-century ship model carved from bone. The ms Rotterdam ensures you the ultimate onboard experience with her graceful combination of classic cruise ship features and state-of-the-art amenities.

Highlights of this cruise:

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.

Monte Carlo
The principality of Monaco is the essence of the Riviera: couture fashion, grand yachts, nightlife centered around its famed Casino.

Ajaccio
Corsica is an island of rocky outcroppings and sandy beaches, with secret trails that lead inland over fields and through lazy villages. In Ajaccio, visit Napoleon Bonaparte's house, containing original furniture of Corsica's most famous son. Buy a wedge of tangy cheese at the market, and in the mountains, delight in the scent of sun-warmed thyme.

Livorno
If on your cruise you mistake Livorno for another city across the Italian peninsula, you'll be forgiven. The Venice District of town is a tangle of streets crisscrossed by canals. A beautiful Renaissance city in its own right, Livorno is also your gateway to Pisa, to the north, and Florence, to the west. Pisa contains a host of beautiful cathedrals, palaces, and bridges over the Arno River, as well as one glorious monument to faulty engineering. More than a city, Florence represents so much of what is vital to human expression in commerce, politics, and the arts.

Valletta
St. John's Co-Cathedral, with its elaborate inlaid marble tombstones and Caravaggios, is here, as is the Grand Master's Palace.

Naples
There is the docile bay; the peaceful cypress-tufted islands of Ischia, Procida and Capri; and the muscular city of Naples itself. And over it all there looms Mount Vesuvius: volcano, national park, and a persistent corrective to any hubris. Cruise to see the only active volcano on the European mainland, which blew in A.D. 79 and buried the city of Pompeii. Naples itself is mere enduring greatness. One of the chief commercial cities of Europe, highlights include Castel dell'Ovo, Castelnuovo and national museums dedicated to art and archaeology. The city center has been designated a World Heritage Site, and the surrounding areas are dotted with cultural and historical treasures, not least them the restored ruins of Pompeii.

Rome
Step off the cruise ship, linger at a sidewalk cafe in the early evening and take in the pageant: the taste of your cappuccino, the kiss of warm air, the immaculately attired locals just getting their evenings started. Rome is nicknamed the Eternal City, and rightly so, for the array of icons - the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Castel Sant'Angelo, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica - and for the role it played shaping the Western world. But there is perhaps a less-recognized genius in the way the city embraces the sensual side of life, as if to acknowledge there's no eternity like the present.

Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik, you Adriatic jewel box, where did you get that red? The city's old town is walled all around, with ramparts that drop to the sea and enclose a town of closely clustered buildings, mostly attired in white walls and brilliant red rooftops. Explore town highlights on your cruise, like Roland's Column, the Bell Tower, or the Old Port. Outside of town, go for a swim in the limpid waters at Lapad or Banje beaches. Or head to the top of Mount Srd for a view of the city, the beaches, and away west to Italy.

Venice
Your eyes deceive you as you get closer. An entire stone city concocted from spires and cupolas seems to float on water. The optics seem off, but by now you're too far charmed to turn back. Cruise to Venice with Holland American Line and start easily. Have a bicerin, a hot mix of espresso, drinking chocolate and whole milk. Then step out into the palatial arcades and outdoor cafes of St. Mark's Square. Ready? Now you can really get going. Venice has 117 islands and a million stories of empire, longing, and glory.

Split
In Croatia, the Old Town of Split wraps around the luxurious palace where the Roman emperor Diocletian lived out his last days after abdicating in AD 305. Today, this remarkable white limestone palace, a UNESCO Site, awaits your discovery. Part luxurious villa, part military camp, the palace is enclosed by imposing walls and connected by roads linking the eastern Silver Gate with the Iron Gate to the west. Within: an octagonal domed mausoleum, temples and a monumental court accessing the imperial apartments.

Kotor
Kotor is located along one of Montenegro's most beautiful bays. First settled during the days of ancient Rome, the city today has a well preserved urban center with a vibrant community. Medieval architecture and numerous monuments of cultural heritage have made Kotor a UNESCO listed "World Natural and Historical Heritage Site."

Corfu
Fortresses flank your entrance to this most beautiful of the Ionians. Lose yourself in the Venetian old town or head north for dramatic seascapes.

Katakolon
Gateway to Olympus, site of the original Olympic Stadium and host to some games of the 2004 Olympiad.

Athens
There's no escaping the Parthenon. The temple to Athena looms over Athens from its perch atop the Acropolis, and it looms across the Western imagination as an icon of art and civilization. You may as well give in and start your cruise visit there. And why not? Completed in 438 B.C., the temple still astounds as the flowering of Greek art and architecture. When you come down off the hill, be sure to visit the Ancient Agora, Syntagma Square, the National Archaeological Museum, and the city's infinite impromptu byways. As you sample some souvlaki or a frappe, take a glance back up the hill from time to time and give the goddess her due.

Alexandria
Founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great, Alexandria offers museums filled with mummies, as well as access to the Pyramids and Sphinx.

Port Said
This port marks the northern entrance to the Suez Canal and offers an interesting National Museum for students of ancient Egypt. Quiet beaches also await.

Ashdod
The largest port in Israel, Ashdod is a gateway to Jerusalem, the 5,000-year-old walled city that is considered sacred to more than a third of the people on Earth. Numerous sites exist nearby, including the Jewish sacred Western Wall, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre said to be the site of Calvary and to contain a piece of the true cross.

In Ashdod, meander along the seaside promenade, or HaMidrehof this area is being termed the Southern Riviera of the city and includes many spectacular beaches. Dip your toes in the Dead Sea waters, long known for their health benefits. Visit the Bar-Gera Museum to view a collection of art by artists who were either banned or persecuted by the Nazis and other fascist governments. The Yad Vashem Memorial Museum is dedicated to the six million Jews who lost their lives during the Holocaust.

Antalya
From the fluted minarets to the graceful arches of Hadrian's Gate, the Roman-Ottoman past is tangible everywhere here and in towns nearby.

Rhodes
Rhodes (the Greek island) shines green and white in the blue of eastern Aegean. Just 11 miles from Turkey, Rhodes is strewn with small towns, littorally. Notable among them is Lindos, with its stunning Acropolis. Rhodes (the city) is located at the northeastern tip of the island and was merely one of the most glorious cities of antiquity. The Colossus of Rhodes stood more than 100 feet high at the edge of the harbor and was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world before an earthquake toppled it in 226 B.C. Of the statue, nothing remains, but Rhodes Old Town, a World Heritage Site, endures as one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe and a place of pilgrimage for cruise travelers.

Volos
Located at the foot of Mount Pelion, which figures prominently in Greek mythology, this modern and lively port city is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Greece. Enjoy the waterfront cafes, bakeries and shops; explore the charming Pelion villages perched on the nearby mountains; spend the day on golden beaches; and visit the spectacular Volos Archaeological Museum and Municipal Gallery.

Istanbul
Cross the Galata Bridge to the old city, past the Süleymaniye Mosque, whose 174-foot dome was once the highest in the Ottoman Empire. Pass the ancient city walls, built by Constantine, and beneath the epic Roman aqueduct. You've come for spice; for the scent of curry, saffron, and myrrh; for a taste of something ancient. A cruise to Istanbul (nee Constantinople nee Byzantium) with Holland America Line takes you to the world's only two-continent metropolis, thick with nearly 10 millennia of history.

Kusadasi
Ephesus is a beautiful ghost. In the first century B.C., the city was one of the largest cites in the world. It's amphitheater sat 24,000 people. Its Temple of Artemis was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The Library of Celsus was perhaps the finest in creation. Today, the amphitheater is a ruin, the temple is gone, and the library is a shell, open to the sky. Still, your cruise excursion will reveal glory in the old stones. Ephesus has one of the largest collections of ruins in the eastern Mediterranean. Prime among them is the library, whose two-story façade still stands, and the house said to be the last residence of Mary, mother of Jesus.

Marmaris
Sometimes referred to as the Turkish Riviera, Marmaris lies where the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas meet. Surrounded by lovely hills, it is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Pamper yourself at the Turkish and mud baths, or wander the tangles of streets in the Kaleici district. Visit the small castle museum, which has a comprehensive archaeological collection on display.

Alanya
Sometimes referred to as the Turkish Riviera, Marmaris lies where the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas meet. Surrounded by lovely hills, it is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Pamper yourself at the Turkish and mud baths, or wander the tangles of streets in the Kaleici district. Visit the small castle museum, which has a comprehensive archaeological collection on display.