As the Andrea charts a course from the Canary Islands into the Mediterranean, you’ll follow the sea lanes of Roman galleys, Moorish battleships, Spanish and Portuguese treasure ships and British 18th-century men-o’-war. Early April is an exceptional time to explore these diverse islands and coastal towns, with colorful blossoms and warm weather a harbinger of spring. Lanzarote, unique among the Canaries, is remarkable for its dark-hued volcanic landscape, interspersed with charming whitewashed villages and sandy beaches.

Morocco offers a contrast in Safi, known for its pottery and tile workshops, and in Casablanca, with its attractive colonial center of art-deco buildings. From these towns, explore further afield, to Marrakesh, with its famed Djemaa el Fna Square and labyrinth-like Medina, or to the ancient imperial city of Rabat. From Cadiz, enjoy an optional excursion to the Andalusian cultural center of Seville, with its stunning 15th-century cathedral and Alcâzar Gardens. From Motril, travel inland to Granada and its legendary Alhambra palace complex.

Mahón, Menorca may be the best natural harbor in all the Mediterranean, and was critically important to the British Empire in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Cagliari, Sardinia is an active fishing port built on seven hills, with its heart in the old Castello district overlooking the harbor. The Andrea heads toward Sicily’s southern shores, where we dock at Port Empedocle for Agrigento, a charming city on a plateau overlooking the sea. Carthaginian, Greek and Roman ruins are found nearby. Conclude your cruise in the fortress city of Valletta, Malta, built by the Knights of St. John in the 16th century.