14 Night Cruise sailing from Lisbon to Portsmouth aboard Silver Explorer.

Silversea's purpose-built Silver Explorer expedition ship (formerly the Prince Albert II) has been designed specifically for navigating waters in some of the world's most remote destinations, including both of earth's polar regions. A strengthened hull with a Lloyd's Register ice-class notation (1A) for passenger vessels enables Silver Explorer to safely push through ice floes with ease. A fleet of Zodiac boats allows Silversea Expedition guests to visit even the most off-the-beaten path locations and an expert Expedition Team provides insight and understanding to each unforgettable Silver Explorer cruise adventure.

Onboard, savour a convivial cosmopolitan ambience and many special amenities usually found only on larger ships, including a spacious Library with an Internet Cafe, boutique shopping, a full-service spa, beauty salon, fitness centre, sauna and two top-deck whirlpools. Prince Albert II even features live evening entertainment and The Humidor, where connoisseurs can enjoy the finest cigars and cognacs - diversions offered by no other expedition ship.

Highlights of this cruise:

Lisbon
Lisbon bears the mark of an incredible heritage with laid-back pride. Spread over a string of seven hills north of the Rio Tejo (Tagus River) estuary, the city presents an intriguing variety of faces to those who negotiate its switchback streets. In the oldest neighborhoods, stepped alleys are lined with pastel-color houses and crossed by laundry hung out to dry; here and there miradouros (vantage points) afford spectacular river or city views. In the grand 18th-century center, black-and-white mosaic cobblestone sidewalks border wide boulevards. Eletricos (trams) clank through the streets, and blue-and-white azulejos (painted and glazed ceramic tiles) adorn churches, restaurants, and fountains. Some modernization has improved the city. To prepare for its role as host of the World Exposition in 1998, Lisbon spruced up its public buildings, overhauled its metro system, and completed an impressive bridge across the Rio Tejo, but Lisbon's intrinsic, slightly disorganized, one-of-a-kind charm hasn't vanished in the contemporary mix.

Bordeaux
As the capital of the Gironde departement (province), Bordeaux is both the commercial and cultural center of southwestern France and an important transportation hub for the entire region. And if you're a wine connoisseur, it is still the doorway to paradise: pretty Sauternes and Graves lie to the south; Pomerol and St-Emilion to the east; the flat and dusty Medoc peninsula to the northwest, looking across the Gironde Estuary at the vineyards of Bourg and Blaye.

St Malo
Situated at the mouth of the Rance River, Saint Malo is one of the prime tourist destinations in Brittany. In the 17th and 18th centuries, this Channel port was already of great importance for merchant ships and government-sanctioned pirates, more politely known as privateers.

Saint Malo was the home of the famous explorer, Jacques Cartier, who sailed from here to explore and colonize Canada. Today, visitors flock to Saint Malo to experience the unique "intra-muros" (meaning within the walls) streets of the citadel. Much of the old town's appearance is due to faithful reconstruction after heavy bombings destroyed Saint Malo in 1944. Only the ramparts withstood the ravages of war and are original for the most part.

Exploration of the old town should include the Saint Vincent Cathedral, noted for its medieval and modern stained-glass windows, and the museum in the Château de Saint Malo. Exhibits illustrate the city's most prosperous time during its notorious heydays of piracy, colonialism and slave trading. Various staircases allow access to the ramparts, affording great views over the rooftops and the harbour.

Saint Malo also serves as a gateway for excursions to the legendary Mont Saint Michel, one of France's most spectacular monuments. About 25 miles (40 km) south of Saint Malo is the medieval town of Dinan. Once totally surrounded by ramparts, there are still 14 towers left and a good part of the walls encircling beautiful 15th-century timbered houses.

Portsmouth
Portsmouth also known as Pompey, is home to three hugely important historic ships, HMS Victory, Nelson's famous flagship at the battle of Trafalgar, HMS Warrior the first ironclad warship and the Mary Rose, Henry VIII's warship that sank in the Solent just off of Southsea Castle.

These are all housed at the Historic Dockyard, home of the Royal Navy and also home to the world's first dry dock. The Historic Dockyard is one of the top ten visitor attractions in the UK.

But Portsmouth is not just about history, the city is a cosmopolitan University city, with much to offer visitors and residents alike.

Portsmouth has a Premier league football team, a superb seafront area, excellent shopping and a wide range of restaurants, pubs and bars.

Portsmouth UK is home to the tallest publicly accessible structure in the UK, the Spinnaker Tower built right on the edge of Portsmouth Harbour at Gunwharf Quays.

Portsmouth Harbour has been used in a number of films and television programmes such as Tomorrow Never Dies (James Bond), Oscar and Lucinda, Making Waves, Silent Witness, Mr Bean and Eastenders. The local area was used extensively in the filming of Tommy, The Who's rock opera.