Star Explorer: 8-Night NORTHERN EUROPE

Lisbon cruise port is one of the most atmospheric arrivals in Europe. Ships sail up the Tagus River past the 25 de Abril Bridge (a near-twin of San Francisco's Golden Gate) and the Christ the King statue, with the city rising up on seven hills to the north.

Porto is Portugal's second city, sitting on the steep banks of the Douro River near the Atlantic coast. Cruise ships dock at the port of Leixoes, an industrial harbor in the suburb of Matosinhos about 8 kilometers north of Porto's historic center.

Bordeaux is one of France's great cities, a UNESCO-listed urban center on the Garonne River in southwestern France known worldwide for its wine but increasingly recognized for its architecture, food scene, and cultural institutions. The Bordeaux cruise port is unusual: ocean-going cruise ships dock at the industrial port facility at Le Verdon-sur-Mer at the mouth of the Gironde estuary, about 100 km from Bordeaux city center, or occasionally at Bassens or Pauillac closer to the city.