18 Night Cruise sailing from Vancouver to Ft Lauderdale aboard Zaandam.

Designed to carry fewer guests while providing more space for maximum comfort, the ms Zaandam is a prize in the mid-size ship category. Offering spacious public areas and plush accommodations, many staterooms have private verandahs.

The musically themed ms Zaandam offers a unique shipboard atmosphere. Inspired by the world's great music, artifacts and memorabilia from a variety of musical genres decorate the ship. You'll find musical instruments such as Bill Clinton's saxophone and signed guitars from Queen, Iggy Pop, Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones used as art objects throughout the ship. At the heart of the ms Zaandam, in a soaring three-story atrium: a Baroque-style Dutch pipe organ, inspired by the traditional barrel organs still found on the streets of The Netherlands. Enjoy an onboard IPod self-guided tour of the complete Zaandam art collection.

Highlights of this cruise:

Vancouver
Galleries, boutiques, colorful public markets, restaurants of every ethnicity: this vital port city has them all. Visit vibrant Chinatown and Stanley Park, with its 1,000 acres of forests, gardens, lakes and lawns in the heart of the city.

Astoria
Once they reached the ocean, Lewis and Clark hoped to return home by ship. When none came, they built Fort Clatsop, a few miles south of present-day Astoria, to ride out the winter of 1805-6. Today the fort is a national memorial with exhibits, living-history demonstrations, and trails through the surrounding wetlands. The town itself nestles into the southern bank of the Columbia River, one long bridge ride away from Washington state. Cruise visitors can climb the spiral steps of Astoria Column for a view of the town, the river and the surrounding countryside. Climb down and you can walk or ride a trolley along the river.

San Diego
Sunshine and fun are business as usual taking a cruise from San Diego. Walk on Coronado Island's sandy beach, take in the Old Town that brings the city's early Spanish days to life, have a wild time at the famous San Diego Zoo or a whale of a good time at Sea World.

Cabo San Lucas
It's desert, beach, blue surf and big fish along the southern tip of Baja California. Cabo San Lucas is the entertainment hub and the end of the road, where the peninsula goes off a cliff into the sea. San Jose del Cabo is the old town, and exudes classic Mexico. In between the two cities, the resort-fringed coast is slathered in sunshine. Cruise visitors will find that Cabo is fine, the shopping divine, and the beaches all shine. Lover's Beach is a great place to see the arch at Land's End. Medano and Chileno beaches are placid and lovely. Las Playitas is a series of mini-beaches tucked into weathered coves.

Huatulco
Everything you ever wanted in a seaside resort: warm sun, sandy beaches and nine beautiful bays rimmed in every shade of blue. Nearby: low-growth caducifolia jungles teeming with birdlife and the nesting grounds of endangered sea turtles.

Puerto Chiapas
Puerto Chiapas is the Pacific gateway to the Mayan world. Just north of the Guatemalan border on southern Mexico's Pacific Coast, the port is the starting point for excursions to the ruins at Izapa. Founded around 1500 BCE, Izapa is noted for its large, intricately carved "Tree of Life" stone. Nearer port, explore San Cristobal de Las Casas cathedral, journey to a rainforest, or shop for local handicrafts like stone carvings or colorful textiles. Or, simply wander the beaches and take in the untamed and exotic surroundings.

Puerto Caldera
It's hard to throw a stick in Costa Rica and not have it hit a national park. The city of Puerto Caldera, on Costa Rica's Pacific coast, has a number of them within easy reach for cruise visitors. Just to the south, Carara is a mecca for birders, especially those chasing the scarlet macaw. Poas Volcano is inland, and rises to nearly 9,000 feet. See it before it blows again. Barra Honda contains a series of limestone caves. Palo Verde preserves one of the last tropical dry rainforests in Central America. Arenal has the most active volcano in the country. Tapanti contains species of orchids discovered only in 2009. Grab your hiking boots and a pair of binoculars. It's all a feast, wherever you go.

Cartagena
Privateers loved Cartagena, the chief Spanish port in New Granada (today's Colombia). Sir John Hawkins besieged the city in 1568 and his nephew, Sir Francis Drake, sacked it 18 years later. In response, Spain poured millions into the port's defense, building the fortifications that are today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town the walls protected is also part of that World Heritage designation. Cruise visitors can walk those deeply textured alleyways today through some of the best-preserved colonial neighborhoods of the Americas. When you're ready for a change, there are beaches ready to hand. Bocagrande is busy and close to the city. Playa Blanca is south across the bay and quieter. Both are lovely.

Ft Lauderdale
There is an abundance of things to see and do in the Fort Lauderdale area: visit the newly redesigned Fort Lauderdale Beach and cafes, stroll the historic Riverwalk, shop the luxurious stores on Las Olas Boulevard or venture to the Everglades for an intriguing air boat excursion.