18-Day Voyage of the Vikings

Rotterdam, Europe's largest port, is a city that rebuilt itself from wartime ruin into one of the continent's most exhilarating architectural laboratories — a skyline of Cube Houses, the pencil-thin Westerkade skyscrapers, and the breathtaking Markthal arching over an indoor food market of extraordinary abundance. The Boijmans Van Beuningen collection ranks among Europe's finest, while the art district of Witte de With pulses with galleries and design studios. Day-trip to Kinderdijk's nineteen iconic windmills, a UNESCO World Heritage site rising from the polders just south of the city. Spring and early summer offer the finest conditions.

Cork (via Cobh cruise port) offers Ireland's largest natural harbor, the last port of call for the Titanic, and access to Ireland's culinary capital with its legendary English Market and artisan food culture. Must-dos include visiting the Cobh Heritage Centre, shopping the English Market for artisan cheeses, and day-tripping to gourmet Kinsale. Visit May to September for the warmest weather and longest days.

Dublin is Europe's most literary capital, home to four Nobel laureates in literature, the extraordinary Book of Kells, and Georgian architecture rivaling any on the continent. Visit May through September via Holland America Line or Windstar for Trinity College's Long Room, the definitive Guinness pint at St. James's Gate, and the spontaneous pub conversations that make this city one of the world's most immediately welcoming.

Belfast, Northern Ireland’s capital, is a vibrant port city renowned for its rich shipbuilding heritage, highlighted by the Titanic Belfast museum. Must-do experiences include exploring the historic Cathedral Quarter and tasting traditional dishes like Irish stew and soda bread at St. George's Market. The best season to visit is during the spring and summer when the city comes alive with festivals and outdoor events.

Reykjavik, the world's northernmost capital, distils the entire improbable beauty of Iceland into one compact, creatively charged city. The soaring basalt columns of Hallgrímskirkja dominate a skyline of primary-coloured rooftops, while the Harpa Concert Hall shimmers beside the harbour like a captured aurora. Day trips from the city unlock the Golden Circle's geysers and Geysir hot spring, the black sand beaches of Vík, and the ethereal glacier lagoon at Jökulsárlón. Geothermal pools — from the legendary Blue Lagoon to intimate neighbourhood hot pots — offer warmth year-round. June and July bring the bewitching midnight sun.

Grundarfjörður is a fishing town at the base of Kirkjufell, Iceland's most photographed mountain, and the gateway to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula—dubbed "Iceland in miniature" for its concentrated geological diversity. Must-dos include photographing Kirkjufell with its companion waterfall and exploring Snæfellsjökull, the glacier volcano from Jules Verne's novel. June and July offer midnight sun and the most reliable weather for peninsula exploration.

Prince Christian Sound is Greenland's most dramatic navigable passage — a forty-kilometer corridor between thousand-meter cliffs and hanging glaciers that expedition ships from Seabourn to Silversea transit when ice conditions permit. Navigate July through September for humpback whale encounters, iceberg-studded waters, and the visceral Arctic experience that empties every cabin and fills every open deck regardless of weather.

Qaqortoq is southern Greenland's largest town, where brightly painted houses climb above a fjord harbour amid open-air stone sculptures and Norse ruins. Must-do experiences include visiting the Hvalsey Norse church ruins, soaking in the Uunartoq hot springs surrounded by icebergs, and tasting Arctic char and musk ox. June through September offers the accessible season, with July and August warmest for fjord exploration.

Saint-Anthony perches at Newfoundland's northern tip, where massive Greenland icebergs drift past headlands and humpback whales chase capelin through frigid waters. Must-dos include iceberg boat tours (May-July), visiting the Grenfell Historic Properties, and day-tripping to L'Anse aux Meadows — the Viking settlement predating Columbus by five centuries. The best season spans June through September, with May-July ideal for iceberg viewing and July-August for whale watching.

St. John's is North America's oldest English-founded city, a colourful Newfoundland harbour capital where Jellybean Row houses climb steep hills, Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal, and icebergs drift past the harbour mouth each spring. Must-dos include climbing Signal Hill for Atlantic panoramas, the screech-in cod-kissing ceremony, and hiking to Cape Spear — the continent's easternmost point. Visit July or August for warm weather and iceberg season.

Halifax, the historic capital of Nova Scotia, is a refined Atlantic port where centuries of maritime heritage meet a flourishing culinary scene anchored by Digby scallops, donairs, and one of North America's oldest farmers' markets. Visitors should not miss the star-shaped Citadel Hill and the harbourfront boardwalk's constellation of galleries and tasting rooms. The ideal season stretches from late June through October, when autumn's blazing foliage transforms the entire province into a masterwork of colour and the cruise terminal welcomes the world's finest vessels.

Boston is America's revolutionary birthplace and intellectual capital, a supremely walkable city where the Freedom Trail connects sixteen historic sites past Italian North End bakeries and Beacon Hill's gaslit streets. Must-do experiences include walking the Freedom Trail, eating a lobster roll at the Union Oyster House, and exploring the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. September and October bring peak fall foliage; spring brings the Marathon and blooming gardens.