Southampton is England's leading passenger port. It is rich in historic embarkations, from Henry V's fleet bound for France and the battle of Agincourt to the Mayflower, the ill-fated Titanic, and the maiden voyages of the great ocean liners of the 20th century such as the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth 2. Parts of the town center can seem mundane, having been hastily rebuilt after World War II bombing, but bits of the city's history emerge from between modern buildings. The Old Town retains its medieval feel, and some remnants of the old castellated town walls remain. Other attractions include a decent art gallery, extensive parks, and a couple of good museums. The Southampton Boat Show, a 10-day event in mid-September, draws huge crowds.

Devon's largest city has long been linked with England's commercial and maritime history. The Pilgrims sailed from here to the New World in the Mayflower in 1620. Although much of the city center was destroyed by air raids in World War II and has been rebuilt in an uninspiring style, there are worthwhile sights. A harbor tour is also a good way to see the city.

Perched on a clifftop and stunningly picturesque, Fishguard is considered the very heart of North Pembrokeshire. A small market town that almost seems untouched by time, you’ll find clusters of quayside cottages, family businesses selling local produce and plenty of Gaelic charm! Market day falls on a Saturday and although principally food, some stalls are selling local arts and crafts too. If you are not lucky enough to be visiting on market day, the pretty high street has some lovely shops where you can easily while away a couple of hours. Known internationally as the place of the last invasion of Britain when the French landed in 1797, the village heaves with history. Historians will of course already know that the two-day invasion soon failed and the peace treaty was signed in the Royal Oak pub in the market square.

Who can say Liverpool without thinking of The Beatles? Home to the fab four, Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields and the Cavern Club, this northern English city is undoubtedly one of the most important places on the 20th-century music scene. Even UNESCO agrees - Liverpool became a City of Music (one of only 19 in the world) in 2015. So understandably, it’s bursting with pride. Not only for its most famous former residents but also for its football team, its maritime heritage and its thriving cultural scene (it was Capital of Culture in 2008). A huge regeneration project over the past two decades has seen Liverpool blossom from being a below-par northern English city to a somewhere buzzing with charm. The arrival of the Tate Liverpool paved the way – quickly followed by the restoration of some 2,500 plus listed buildings (that’s more than any English city outside London).

Ask any Dubliner what's happening and you may hear echoes of one of W. B. Yeats's most-quoted lines: "All changed, changed utterly." No matter that the decade-long "Celtic Tiger" boom era has been quickly followed by the Great Recession—for visitors Dublin remains one of Western Europe's most popular and delightful urban destinations. Whether or not you're out to enjoy the old or new Dublin, you'll find it a colossally entertaining city, all the more astonishing considering its intimate size. It is ironic and telling that James Joyce chose Dublin as the setting for his famous Ulysses, Dubliners, and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man because it was a "center of paralysis" where nothing much ever changed. Which only proves that even the greats get it wrong sometimes.

Reborn as a cool, modern city, Belfast has successfully left its troubles behind, emerging as a hotbed of culture and architecture, where the comfort of a cosy pub is never far away. Take a voyage of discovery in its maritime quarter, home to a celebrated museum dedicated to the most famous ship ever built, which was constructed right here in the city’s shipyards. A walk across the Lagan Weir Footbridge brings you to Belfast’s fascinating Titanic District – an area of the city devoted to its rich ship-building heritage. The state-of-the-art Titanic Museum brings the story of the doomed vessel to life, and is the largest museum dedicated to the infamously ‘unsinkable’ ship.

A titan of culture and character, with a disarmingly warm welcome, Glasgow is a lively, Scottish city with bucket-loads of personality. Built on a bedrock of hard-work, and deep industrial roots, the city is a fascinating balance of old and new. Architectural treasures like the elegant Glasgow City Chambers of 1888 blend with new, angular shocks like the Riverside Museum and armadillo-shaped Clyde Auditorium - both part of a clutch of exciting new developments along the River Clyde’s banks. Also towering over the river - and perhaps Glasgow’s mightiest symbol - is the Titan - a colossal crane and an almighty reminder of Glasgow’s heritage as a constructor of giant battleships and cruise liners. It is far from a grey industrial city these days, however, and leafy parks, manicured gardens and stacked galleries douse the city with its colour and cultural intrigue.

Oban, "little bay" in Gaelic, today has a resident population of 8,500 and is the unofficial capital of the West Highlands - the "Gateway to the Isles." The panoramic views of the mountains, lochs and islands which have captivated artists, authors, composers, and poets for centuries are as striking now as they were when Dunollie Castle, a ruined keep which has stood sentinel over the narrow entrance to the sheltered bay for around six hundred years, was the northern outpost of the Dalriadic Scots. It is no surprise to find Oban in the 21st-century remains a magnet for travelers from all over the world. 

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

Seyðisfjörður, a beautiful 19th-century Norwegian village on the east coast of Iceland, is regarded by many as one of Iceland's most picturesque towns, not only due to its impressive environment but also because nowhere in Iceland has a community of old wooden buildings been preserved so well as here. Poet Matthías Johannessen called Seyðisfjörður a 'pearl enclosed in a shell'. The community owes its origins to foreign merchants, mainly Danes, who started trading in the fjord in the mid-19th century. But the crucial factor in the evolution of the village was the establishment of the Icelandic herring fishery by Norwegians in 1870-1900. The Norwegians built up a number of herring-fishing facilities, and in a matter of years, the little community grew into a boomtown. Today, about 800 people live in Seyðisfjörður. The local economy has long been based on the fisheries, while the light industry also flourishes.

Slow the pace, and discover the refreshing approach to life that Djupivogur has made its trademark. You can leave your phone behind as you step out into this Icelandic town, which has won awards celebrating its leisurely outlook and stubborn rebellion against the frenetic pace of modern life. After all, who needs emails and notifications when you have some of the most humbling monochrome scenery and gashed fjords, waiting on your doorstep? Sitting on a peninsula to the south-east of Iceland, the glacial approach to life here wins many hearts. A place where hammers knock on metal in workshops, artists ladle paint onto canvases, and wild ponies roam across mountains, Djupivogur is an uninhibited artistic hub - full of makers and creatives. The most expansive project is the 34 egg sculptures that dot the coastline, created by the Icelandic artist, Sigurður Guðmundsson. 

Rising like craggy icebergs from the waves, Heimaey and the Westman Islands are a perfect example of nature’s extraordinary power to both create and destroy. Haunted by the same volcanic forces that once forged the islands, it was only the brave actions of the island’s villagers - who stopped the flow of lava from the Eldfell volcano with a wall of seawater - that saved this charming whitewash wooden town from destruction. The volcano that exploded in 1973 made headline news around the globe and saw the islanders evacuated during an elaborate rescue mission. Learn more of the most fateful day in the islands’ history at the museum, and see houses - charred black by lava - which have been salvaged and exhibited, frozen in time. The volcanic forces created a beautiful mosaic of craggy islands, just off-shore from the mainland. 

The capital of Iceland’s land of ice, fire and natural wonder, Reykjavik is a city like no other - blossoming among some of the world’s most vibrant and violent scenery. 

Disembark after breakfast.