Islamic and French influences blend together in charming Casablanca, Morocco’s iconic coastal city. Frequently used as a port for Spanish and Mediterranean cruises, Casablanca lies halfway between Marrakesh and Fes and is the perfect entryway for exploring the rest of Morocco.

Cruz Bay is the welcoming gateway to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where vibrant Caribbean life meets rich island history. Stepping off the ferry from nearby St. Thomas, visitors find themselves in a lively waterfront town filled with cafés, bars and boutiques that lead toward sandy streets and shimmering views of the bay. This small town is also home to the Cruz Bay Visitor Center, a helpful place to start planning outings into Virgin Islands National Park and to learn about the island.

Warnemunde (or Warnemünde) is a port city in Germany and a frequent stop on many Northern European cruises. Across the Baltic Sea from Denmark's capital, Copenhagen, this charming seaside city has a number of delightful attractions, including the Warnemünde Lighthouse, a variety of local shops along the marina, and surfing lessons on the beach.

Portovenere, in the region of Cinque Terre, is a characteristic medieval village situated at the far west of the gulf. With its colored, narrow high houses, the Genoese Castle, the St. Pietro Church on the steep cliff, it unites history with charm.

Manama pulses with stories from long ago and today. Just beyond the modern skyline lies Qal’at al‑Bahrain, a layered mound once the capital of Dilmun, used by societies from the Kassites to the Portuguese. Visitors can climb its crumbling stairways and imagine life across centuries there. Nearby, the Bahrain National Museum, opened in 1988 in a stately waterside building, displays archaeological finds from ancient Dilmun to modern-day artifacts and is one of the Gulf's first modern museums.