Tours

There are a number of views commonly held by those who haven't actually been on a cruise. Those views may be keeping them from even exploring the possibility of taking one. So, exposing some of those misconceptions may help.

St. Petersburg is a fascinating mixture of old-style Russia and Gilded Age Europe. St. Petersburg can be considered the Venice of the north.

The Market Square is located on the shoreline and offers great views, great food and outstanding atmosphere. The bright orange cloth-covered stalls are a pick-me-up in winter and an even greater delight under Helsinki's gentle summer sun.

On one side of the bay is the South Harbor, the other faces Katajanokka headland. Turn around and there's the Swedish Embassy and, to the left, the Presidential Palace. You can catch a ferry to the excellent Helsinki Zoo on Korkeasaari island. Or, you can stroll through the surrounding neighborhood to the indoor Hietalahden Tori marketplace.

Easily reached by boat, it is a pleasant 30 minute ride from Helsinki harbor in Kruunuvuori bay. Once you arrive, you'll be treated to over 200 animal species with over 1,000 plant species. Though small by comparison to the great zoos, the collection offers a fascinating look at creatures all the way from the frozen Artic to the sweltering tropics.

The Plaza Mayor remains one of Madrid's chief tourist attractions. Though called by many names over the centuries and subject to several fires, it retains its allure. The reasons are not hard to find.

Madrid has a long and complex history. Center of power of a monarchy that for centuries ruled half the world, it is now one of the major tourist spots of Europe.

Most ancient civilizations buried their dead under the ground, a few burned them on pyres. But there are some that placed bodies of the dead in coffins and hung the coffins on a precipice.

Macau, sometimes called Macao, has the image of Europe in China.