Day 1 (OCT 24): Sydney, Australia

Depart @ 4:00pm

As your ship passes Harbour Heads, you are presented with the shimmering skyline of Sydney - hailed by many seafarers as "the most beautiful harbor in the world." Two prominent landmarks, Harbour Bridge and the sail-like curves of the Sydney Opera House, grace the backdrop of this picturesque harbor. There is a wealth of adventure waiting in Sydney - from its cosmopolitan city center to miles of beautiful beaches and the Blue Mountains.

Day 2 (OCT 25): Day at Sea

Day 3 (OCT 26): Melbourne, Australia

Victoria may be Australia's smallest continental state, but Melbourne, its capital, is big on everything. With a population of 4.25 million people living in 59 separately named communities within 715 square miles, Melbourne is a sprawling city offering culture, art, fashion and friendly, sports-minded Australians. It is also an easy city to explore. At the heart of the city is the Golden Mile, the city's governmental and commercial center, home to hotels, shops, restaurants and theaters.

Day 4 (OCT 27): Day at Sea

Day 5 (OCT 28): Kagaroo Island, Australia

Kangaroo Island boasts the kind of beauty that will stop you in your tracks. Over half the island is covered with "old-growth" bush land supporting huge populations of kangaroo, koala, goana, wallaby and other native Australian animals. Blessed by vast, open spaces and loads of sun, the "Islanders" raise sheep, create and cellar wines, produce sheep's milk cheese, distill eucalyptus oil, and harvest the honey of the treasured Ligurian Bee. And there is a thriving art community producing internationally-renowned artwork, woolen items, and crafts. The quintessential seaside town of Penneshaw, where cruise ships dock and ferries come and go, is your gateway to it all.

Day 6 (OCT 29): Adelaide, Australia

Founded in 1836, this graceful city lies nestled on the coastal plain between Gulf St. Vincent and the Adelaide Hills. Adelaide was the vision of Colonel William Light, Australia's Surveyor General, who created a one-mile-square grid for the city's center and surrounded it with a belt of stunning parkland. Today, Adelaide is a metropolis of over one million people, boasting wide, tree-lined boulevards, superb Victorian and Edwardian architecture, tranquil parks, world-class shopping, and the highest number of restaurants per capita of any city in Australia.

Days 7-8 (OCT 30-31): Days at Sea

Day 9 (NOV 1): Hobart, Australia

Tasmania's capital has much in common with Sydney. Founded but a few years later, Hobart also owes its origins to the establishment of a penal colony - and its natural setting is just as impressive. Seen from its fine deep-water harbor, Hobart spills over the lower reaches of the Derwent Valley as Mt. Wellington towers in the background. Much of the city's heritage is centered on the historic waterfront. North of the city stretches the vast parkland of the Queen's Domain. Many of Tasmania's other attractions are within easy reach of Hobart.

Day 10 (NOV 2): Port Arthur, Australia

Port Arthur is named for George Arthur, the Lieutenant Governor of Tasmania from 1823 to 1837. It was Arthur who converted a small convict lumber station on the Tasman Peninsula into the most feared penal colony in Australia. Preserved today as the Port Arthur Historical Site, the then state-of-the-art prison was designed to hold repeat offenders in isolation and hard labor. When it closed in 1877, it marked the end of a dark chapter in English and Australian history.

Both Port Arthur is also your gateway to the wild and scenic Tasman Peninsula. Its wave-lashed coast is the site of spectacular rock formations such as Tasman Arch, the Tessellated Pavement and the Devil's Kitchen. The peninsula is also home to small farms, superb fruit orchards and acclaimed vineyards.

The Tasman Peninsula is one of the last refuges for the endangered Tasmanian devil. The Tasmania Devil Conservation Park is in the forefront of protecting these unique - if surly and downright disagreeable - remnants of Tasmanian prehistory.

Day 11 (NOV 3): Day at Sea

Day 12 (NOV 4): Sydney, Australia

Arrive @ 6:00am