Royal Caribbean Northern Europe: 7 nights from Southampton with Independence Of The Seas
Sep 22, 2025

Paris

Paris is a unique city that makes everyone who visits it fall in love with it. Its atmosphere is magical, and its many characters make it beautiful and varied. Walking along the streets in Paris brings you back in time. In short, walking in Montmartre, you will relive the atmosphere of the Belle Époque, when Paris was the best destination for artists in search of fame.
Some of the most famous painters in the world chose Paris as the city to settle in, including Pisarro, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec and Modigliani. The city offers all kinds of attractions, from noteworthy works of architecture such as the Notre-Dame Cathedral, dated back to 12th century and the principal place of worship of the city and the Arc of Triomphe, located at the end of Champs-Élysées and built to celebrate Napoleone Bonaparte's victories.

It is inconceivable that you go to Paris and you do not visit the Palace of Versailles that was the residence of the Sun King until the French Revolution. The palace is located about 20 kilometers from the center and it is a true spectacle, both inside and outside. Famous is the Gallery of Mirrors, where the play of light makes it looks like as if it were bathed in gold, and its gardens, as far as the eye can see, are true gems. The interplay of perspective was designed by the architect André Le Nôtre and the result is an
expanse of water play and geometry, sculptures and canals. If you are an art lover, you can indulge yourself in Paris. The Gare d'Orsay, is a real railway station used as art gallery in 1986, features some of
the world's most famous works, such as Degas's ballerinas or Renoir's portraits. The structure itself is noteworthy: it is the old Paris station dating back to 1900.

Worth mentioning is the Centre Pompidou (or Beaubourg), inaugurated in 1977 and restructured in the 1990s by a group of architects including Renzo Piano. The gallery hosts works of architecture, modern art and photography with a permanent exhibition that is always active and lots of itinerant exhibitions that go hand in hand with conferences, concerts and cultural activities. Another attraction not to be missed is the Bibliothèque Publique d'Information, located inside Beaubourgand it is the main library in Paris that hosts hundreds of thousands of sources including books, magazines, maps, scores and much more.

Paris is also the city of fashion. Some of the most famous and exclusive brands have their headquarters in this city and the Fashion Week makes the city full of eccentric people showing off their extravagant outfits.

Bilbao

Bilbao, located on the Northern coast of Iberian Peninsula, is the ideal starting point to visit this area of Spain. Tourists come here to enjoy the beaches, discover its culture and absorb its mild climate. With one of Europe's largest ports, the vibrant city has been able to invest in a redevelopment plan, trasforming its brownfield sites into cutting-edge cultural and architectural venues.

But it is its historic center, which continues to fascinate with its stores, alleys and monuments. The city was officially founded in the 1300s, consolidating its economic position. Thanks to the exploitation of mining and steel industry areas, port and ship activity and its financial center, the city became one of the most important cities during the Industrial Revolution. 

A modern and transportation network connects Bilbao to other cities in Spain. Thanks to its beautiful beaches, the city is the ideal destination for beach lovers. Beaches are not the only attractions in Bilbao, there are very fascinating places besides the beautiful beaches: the Cathedral of Santiago, located in the heart of the Old Town (Casco Viejo) is dedicated to the apostle Santiago, the official patron saint of the city of Bilbao since 1643.

Built at the end of the 14th century in the Gothic style, the neo-Gothic tower and façade were made by Severino Achúcarro in late 1887. The Old Bridge of San Antonio is located next to the church of the same name. Pablo de Alzola and Ernesto Hoffmeyer built a second bridge in 1877 but it was destroyed during the Civil War in 1937. San Antonio Bridge dates from the early 20th century, also known as the Atxuri Bridge, connecting the old neighborhood to the rest of the city. For nature lovers, the city is surrounded by a fertile landscape of forests, mountains, beaches, and cliffs that make Bilbao a tourist destination. A holiday aboard a cruise offers the opportunity to visit this beautiful city and partecipate in one of these unique activities.

La Coruna

Vigo

Southampton

Southampton is a city positioned in the South of Great Britain and its port is one of the main ports in Europe. From the port of Southamptos it is possible to set sail for a Cunard transatlantic cruise and reach New York, or visit Amsterdam and Belgium with an MSC cruise. The city offers, further to the New Forest National Park, a wide natural park with its suggestive woods, also many museums and art galleries and remarkable architectural works. Noteworthy is King John’s Palace, of Norman origins as well as the old walls with 7 entrances to the city. An evidence of the Victorian Age is Tudor House, collecting objects dated back to that period. For the art lovers, Southampton City Art Gallery offers exhibitions of any kind of art, from drawing to photography with shows that attract many visitors.