8-Day European Cruise Vacation.

Sail the MS Fram on your European Easter cruise vacation with ports of call at the beautiful Atlantic Islands of Gran Canaria and Madeira. Then your Easter cruise takes you to Seville where you will join in spectacular Holy Week celebrations. Next it's off to Portugal's lovely coastal cities. During your 8-day European cruise vacation our crew offers on-board cultural lectures and activities as well as Easter specials to enhance this spectacular experience.

Founded in 1478, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria boasts an important historical and cultural heritage. Much of it can be experienced in the district of Vegueta, the oldest quarter of the town, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990. Today, Las Palmas is a bustling city overflowing with Spanish ambiance, history and culture. It has a large infrastructure of hotels and apartments, and its harbor, Puerto de La Luz, is one of the most important in Europe, giving the city a very cosmopolitan flair. Your European Cruise begins as you embark the MS Fram in the early afternoon.

Funchal is the capital of the Portuguese island of Madeira. Explore this lovely city and its unique surroundings. The local geological features form an "amphitheater" that surrounds Funchal and rises almost 4,000 feet high on gentle slopes. This natural shelter is what attracted the first European settlers in 1421. Madeira has many fabulous botanical gardens, but the best way for visitors to enjoy the abundant springtime flora of the island is to join one of Hurtigruten's optional excursions, through its hilly countryside, which soars up into tremendous volcanic peaks.

Your European cruise vacation continues. We set course northeast towards mainland Spain and the Golfo de Cadiz, where we will find the entrance to the river Guadalquivir. Enjoy on-board lectures and our Easter celebration program.

We will sail up the River Guadalquivir right into Seville, the heart of Andalucía and the historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. The city's history stretches back more than 2,000 years and has endowed Seville with a distinct personality and a well-preserved historical center. Visit the medieval Gothic cathedral and its bell tower, La Giralda. Tour the Alcazar, the royal palace packed with Moorish influences; and explore the narrow alleys of the old Jewish quarter of Santa Cruz. Holy Week (Semana Santa) in Seville allows the visitor a precious glimpse into the very soul of Spain. Thousands of people visit the ancient city's winding streets to remember the events of The Passion. The combination of the heady clouds of incense and flamenco song, along with the sheer spectacle of the parades, serves to create a powerful atmosphere.

Portimao is a popular holiday resort on Portugal's Algarve coast. The weather is among the best in Europe, offering around 300 days of sunshine each year. Portimao is a commercially oriented town of 35,000 inhabitants, and its location in a natural harbor at the mouth of the River Arade means that it has been associated with many famous smugglers and pirates in the past. Join an optional excursion to Lagos, one of the most interesting towns on the Algarve. Inhabited, in turn, by Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and Moors, Lagos later became the launching point for Henry the Navigator's caravels of discovery to Africa. On a more somber note, it was also the site of the first slave market in Europe, founded in 1444.

We arrive in Lisbon in the morning, and here your European cruise ends. We recommend that you acquaint yourself with the beautiful capital of Portugal before continuing your journey home with new pages full of experiences added to your life's book of memories.

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*Cabin category H is equipped for physically challenged guests.

Hurtigruten explorations including a European Easter cruise vacation await. Request a brochure, contact a travel agent or book online. Embark on a journey of exploration, adventure and luxury with Hurtigruten, authentic voyages to pristine lands.