14 Night Cruise sailing from Barcelona to Lisbon onboard Seabourn Sojourn.

Seabourn Sojourns godmother was the English fashion icon and actress Twiggy. Like her sisters, Seabourn Sojourn enchants her guests with an array of public areas scaled to encourage a relaxed sociability. One of the most unusual features of Seabourn Sojourn and her sisters is Seabourn Square, an ingenious “living room” that replaces the traditional cruise ship lobby with a welcoming lounge filled with easy chairs, sofas and cocktail tables. An enclave in its center houses knowledgeable concierges discreetly seated at individual desks, ready to handle all sorts of business or give advice and information. The ship’s shops are conveniently located just off the Square and it has its own open terrace aft.

The Spa at Seabourn is the largest on any ultra-luxury ship, 11,400 square feet encompassing indoor and outdoor space over two decks. A variety of open terraces are scattered over seven decks, offering places to gather with a few friends or spend an isolated hour with a book. Seabourn Sojourn offers six whirlpools and two swimming pools, including the Pool Patio, with a pair of large whirlpool spas and a “beach” style pool, a casual Patio Grill and the Patio Bar. On the sun deck above sits Seabourn’s popular open-air Sky Bar. High atop Deck 11 is a Sun Terrace with 36 tiered double sun beds. Just aft of that is The Retreat, with shuffleboard courts and a nine-hole putting green. The panoramic Observation Bar on Deck 10 offers 270° forward views over the sea. The Club is a lively spot for dancing before and after dinner, while the larger Grand Salon is used for dancing as well as lectures, production vocal shows, cabaret performances and classical recitals.

Highlights of this cruise:

Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is said to have been founded by the Phoenicians, and was once the rival of the powerful states of Venice and Genoa for control of the Mediterranean trade. Today, it is Spain's second largest city and has long rivaled, even surpassed Madrid in industry and commerce. The medieval atmosphere of the Gothic Quarter and the elegant boulevards combine to make the city one of Europe's most beautiful. Barcelona's active cultural life and heritage brought forth such greats as the architect Antonio Gaudi, the painter Joan Miro, and Pablo Picasso, who spent his formative years here. Other famous native Catalan artists include cellist Pau Casals, surrealist Salvador Dali, and opera singers Montserrat Caballe and Josep Carreras. Barcelona accomplished a long-cherished goal with the opportunity to host the Olympics in 1992. This big event prompted a massive building program and created a focal point of the world's attention.

Tangier, Morocco
Situated just across the narrow Strait of Gibraltar from Europe, Tangier has long comprised a hybrid culture that is nearly as European as it is African. Standing atop Cap Spartel, one can gaze down on the place where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. The “Hollywood” district where the foreign embassies have traditionally been located reflects the European influence. But ascending the hill above the waterfront, one enters the narrow, winding alleys of the Kasbah, the city’s oldest, most Moroccan section. Down the coast, nearby Tetouan retains a nearly untouched walled medina, with sections originally occupied by Andalusian, Berber and Jewish populations. It is small enough that visitors can explore it without risking becoming lost, making it a perfect choice as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Casablanca, Morocco
Casablanca, located on the Atlantic coast, is with 4 million inhabitants Morocco's largest city, and at the same time the largest port in Africa. Built on the site of ancient Phoenician Anfa, it remained a small fishing village for many centuries until the French arrived in 1912. Since then Casablanca has become a vast modern city, ever on the increase since Morocco's independence from France in 1956. A successful blend of oriental-style, white cubic dwellings with modern Moroccan quarters gives the city an interesting flair. Lovely beaches and attractive hotels make for a popular year-round holiday resort. To help understand Moroccan culture a visit to the Medina, the quaint old Moorish quarter, is a must for all visitors.

Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain
Lanzarote is the northernmost of the Canary Islands, often known as "volcano island." Its capital is Arrecife, a quiet town of about 30,000 inhabitants. Present day Lanzarote consists of two quite distinct massifs: Famara in the north, and Los Ajaches in the south, where centuries of erosion have sculpted abrupt cliffs and deep ravines, contrasting sharply with the smoothly rounded hills of the island's central region.

Santa Cruz De La Palma, Canarias, Spain
The island of La Palma is a UNESCO Word Heritage Biosphere Site, inscribed for its unique volcanic landscape and lush vegetation. The old town of Santa Cruz is an atmospheric port, with narrow, stone paved streets and many older buildings. Avenida Maritima has a particularly well-preserved stretch of typical Spanish colonial houses, painted in fruit hues with characteristic cantilevered, wood-fretted balconies overhanging from the first floor. There are two castles, the Castillo de Santa Catalina and the Castillo de la Virgen, and a high mirador overlooking the harbor. The Our Lady of the Snows church sits on a mountaintop a short way from town, and has a revered statue of the Virgin, an elaborate Moorish ceiling and a silver altar. Tours maybe offered touring the island’s volcanic peaks and the lushly forested calderas of the extinct volcanos.

Santa Cruz (Tenerife), Canary Islands, Spain
Tenerife is the largest of the seven main islands, which comprise the Canaries. Beyond its quaint whitewashed villages, the Canary Islands' eternal spring keeps flowers, fruits and vegetables growing year-round. From Tenerife, you can travel up through pine forests to Mt. Teide, Spain's highest peak.The Iglesia del Salvador’s Islamic Mudéjar ceiling is one of the best in the islands, and La Palma’s odd, erosion caldera called La Cumbrecita is a UNESCO Biosphere Site.

Funchal (Madeira), Portugal
The Madeira Archipelago, consisting of the islands Madeira, Porto Santo and Desertas, is situated in the Atlantic, about 400 miles from the African coast and 560 miles from Lisbon. Discovered by the Portuguese in 1419, Madeira, the largest of the islands, became of great importance to Portugal for its sugar production and later on for the cultivation of wine. The unusually temperate oceanic climate and extraordinary scenery had Northern Europeans flocking to Madeira as early as the 18th century to spend the winter months. The winning combination of high, rocky peaks, steep green ravines and waterfalls in the interior, with the flowering charm of Funchal still attracts nearly half a million visitors each year.

Lisbon, Portugal
The great period of "the Discoveries" accounted for phenomenal wealth brought back from India, Africa and Brazil by the great Portuguese navigators. Gold, jewels, ivory, porcelain and spices helped finance grand new buildings and impressive monuments in Lisbon, the country's capital city. As you sail up the Tagus River, be on deck to admire Lisbon's panorama and see some of the great monuments lining the river. Lisbon is one of Europe's smallest capital cities but considered by many visitors to be one of the most likeable. Spread over a string of seven hills, the city offers a variety of faces, including a refreshing no-frills simplicity reflected in the people as they go unhurriedly through their day enjoying a hearty and delicious cuisine accompanied by the country's excellent wines.