11-Night Dublin To Amsterdam
on the World Voyager

11-Night Dublin To Amsterdam

Experience extraordinary Antarctica to the fullest and in the shortest amount of time aboard our newest yacht, World Voyager ™. Spend more time exploring the Antarctic Peninsula by flying over the Drake Passage one way and still lay claim to the iconic experience of sailing the other direction with our NEW Drake Express options. Or, if you’re an intrepid explorer, you can still conquer the famed Drake Passage both ways with all Ushuaia Roundtrip expeditions.

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11-Night Dublin To Amsterdam

Day 1

Dublin

Dublin is making a comeback. The decade-long "Celtic Tiger" boom era was quickly followed by the Great Recession, but The Recovery has finally taken a precarious hold. For visitors, this newer and wiser Dublin has become one of western Europe's most popular and delightful urban destinations. Whether or not you're out to enjoy the old or new Dublin, you'll find it a colossally entertaining city, all the more astonishing considering its intimate size.It is ironic and telling that James Joyce chose Dublin as the setting for his famous Ulysses, Dubliners, and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man because it was a "center of paralysis" where nothing much ever changed. Which only proves that even the greats get it wrong sometimes. Indeed, if Joyce were to return to his once-genteel hometown today—disappointed with the city's provincial outlook, he left it in 1902 at the age of 20—and take a quasi-Homeric odyssey through the city (as he so famously does in Ulysses), would he even recognize Dublin as his "Dear Dirty Dumpling, foostherfather of fingalls and dotthergills"?For instance, what would he make of Temple Bar—the city's erstwhile down-at-the-heels neighborhood, now crammed with cafés and trendy hotels and suffused with a nonstop, international-party atmosphere? Or the simple sophistication of the open-air restaurants of the tiny Italian Quarter (named Quartier Bloom after his own creation), complete with sultry tango lessons? Or of the hot–cool Irishness, where every aspect of Celtic culture results in sold-out theaters, from Once, the cult indie movie and Broadway hit, to Riverdance, the old Irish mass-jig recast as a Las Vegas extravaganza? Plus, the resurrected Joyce might be stirred by the songs of Hozier, fired up by the sultry acting of Michael Fassbender, and moved by the award-winning novels of Colum McCann. As for Ireland's capital, it's packed with elegant shops and hotels, theaters, galleries, coffeehouses, and a stunning variety of new, creative little restaurants can be found on almost every street in Dublin, transforming the provincial city that suffocated Joyce into a place almost as cosmopolitan as the Paris to which he fled. And the locals are a hell of a lot more fun! Now that the economy has finally turned a corner, Dublin citizens can cast a cool eye over the last 20 crazy years. Some argue that the boomtown transformation of their heretofore-tranquil city has permanently affected its spirit and character. These skeptics (skepticism long being a favorite pastime in the capital city) await the outcome of "Dublin: The Sequel," and their greatest fear is the possibility that the tattered old lady on the Liffey has become a little less unique, a little more like everywhere else.Oh ye of little faith: the rare ole gem that is Dublin is far from buried. The fundamentals—the Georgian elegance of Merrion Square, the Norman drama of Christ Church Cathedral, the foamy pint at an atmospheric pub—are still on hand to gratify. Most of all, there are the locals themselves: the nod and grin when you catch their eye on the street, the eagerness to hear half your life story before they tell you all of theirs, and their paradoxically dark but warm sense of humor. It's expected that 2016 will be an extra-special year in the capital, as centenary celebrations of the fateful 1916 Easter Rising will dominate much of the cultural calendar.

Day 2

Douglas

The Isle of Man, situated in the Irish Sea off the west coast of England, is a mountainous, cliff-fringed island and one of Britain’s most beautiful spots. Measuring just 30 miles by 13 miles, the Isle of Man remains semi-autonomous. With its own postage stamps, laws, currency, and the Court of Tynwald (the world’s oldest democratic parliament), the Isle of Man is rich with history and lore.Inhabited from Neolithic times, the island became a refuge for Irish missionaries after the 5th Century. Norsemen took the island during the 9th Century and sold it to Scotland in 1266. However, since the 14th Century, it has been held by England. Manx, the indigenous Celtic language, is still spoken by a small minority. The Isle of Man has no income tax, which has encouraged many Britains to regard the island as a refuge. Otherwise, it is populated by Gaelic farmers, fishermen, and the famous tailless manx cats. The varied landscape features austere moorlands and wooded glens, interspersed by fine castles, narrow-gauge railways, and scores of standing stones with Celtic crosses. The hilly terrain rises to a height of 2,036 feet at Mount Snaefell, which dominates the center of the island.

Day 3

Belfast

Before English and Scottish settlers arrived in the 1600s, Belfast was a tiny village called Béal Feirste ("sandbank ford") belonging to Ulster's ancient O'Neill clan. With the advent of the Plantation period (when settlers arrived in the 1600s), Sir Arthur Chichester, from Devon in southwestern England, received the city from the English Crown, and his son was made Earl of Donegall. Huguenots fleeing persecution from France settled near here, bringing their valuable linen-work skills. In the 18th century, Belfast underwent a phenomenal expansion—its population doubled every 10 years, despite an ever-present sectarian divide. Although the Anglican gentry despised the Presbyterian artisans—who, in turn, distrusted the native Catholics—Belfast's growth continued at a dizzying speed. The city was a great Victorian success story, an industrial boomtown whose prosperity was built on trade, especially linen and shipbuilding. Famously (or infamously), the Titanic was built here, giving Belfast, for a time, the nickname "Titanic Town." Having laid the foundation stone of the city's university in 1845, Queen Victoria returned to Belfast in 1849 (she is recalled in the names of buildings, streets, bars, monuments, and other places around the city), and in the same year, the university opened under the name Queen's College. Nearly 40 years later, in 1888, Victoria granted Belfast its city charter. Today its population is nearly 300,000, tourist numbers have increased, and this dramatically transformed city is enjoying an unparalleled renaissance.This is all a welcome change from the period when news about Belfast meant reports about "the Troubles." Since the 1994 ceasefire, Northern Ireland's capital city has benefited from major hotel investment, gentrified quaysides (or strands), a sophisticated new performing arts center, and major initiatives to boost tourism. Although the 1996 bombing of offices at Canary Wharf in London disrupted the 1994 peace agreement, the ceasefire was officially reestablished on July 20, 1997, and this embattled city began its quest for a newfound identity.Since 2008, the city has restored all its major public buildings such as museums, churches, theaters, City Hall, Ulster Hall—and even the glorious Crown Bar—spending millions of pounds on its built heritage. A gaol that at the height of the Troubles held some of the most notorious murderers involved in paramilitary violence is now a major visitor attraction.Belfast's city center is made up of three roughly contiguous areas that are easy to navigate on foot. From the south end to the north, it's about an hour's leisurely walk.

Day 4

Greenock

Trendy stores, a booming cultural life, fascinating architecture, and stylish restaurants reinforce Glasgow's claim to being Scotland's most exciting city. After decades of decline, it has experienced an urban renaissance uniquely its own. The city’s grand architecture reflects a prosperous past built on trade and shipbuilding. Today buildings by Charles Rennie Mackintosh hold pride of place along with the Zaha Hadid–designed Riverside Museum.Glasgow (the "dear green place," as it was known) was founded some 1,500 years ago. Legend has it that the king of Strathclyde, irate about his wife's infidelity, had a ring he had given her thrown into the river Clyde. (Apparently she had passed it on to an admirer.) When the king demanded to know where the ring had gone, the distraught queen asked the advice of her confessor, St. Mungo. He suggested fishing for it—and the first salmon to emerge had the ring in its mouth. The moment is commemorated on the city's coat of arms.The medieval city expanded when it was given a royal license to trade; the current High Street was the main thoroughfare at the time. The vast profits from American cotton and tobacco built the grand mansions of the Merchant City in the 18th century. In the 19th century the river Clyde became the center of a vibrant shipbuilding industry, fed by the city’s iron and steel works. The city grew again, but its internal divisions grew at the same time. The West End harbored the elegant homes of the newly rich shipyard owners. Down by the river, areas like the infamous Gorbals, with its crowded slums, sheltered the laborers who built the ships. They came from the Highlands, expelled to make way for sheep, or from Ireland, where the potato famines drove thousands from their homes.During the 19th century the population grew from 80,000 to more than a million. And the new prosperity gave Glasgow its grand neoclassical buildings, such as those built by Alexander "Greek" Thomson, as well as the adventurous visionary buildings designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and others who produced Glasgow’s Arts and Crafts movement. The City Chambers, built in 1888, are a proud statement in marble and gold sandstone, a clear symbol of the wealthy and powerful Victorian industrialists' hopes for the future.The decline of shipbuilding and the closure of the factories led to much speculation as to what direction the city would take now. The curious thing is that, at least in part, the past gave the city a new lease of life. It was as if people looked at their city and saw Glasgow’s beauty for the first time: its extraordinarily rich architectural heritage, its leafy parks, its artistic heritage, and its complex social history. Today Glasgow is a vibrant cultural center and a commercial hub, as well as a launching pad from which to explore the rest of Scotland, which, as it turns out, is not so far away. In fact, it takes only 40 minutes to reach Loch Lomond, where the other Scotland begins.

Day 5

Invergordon

The port of Invergordon is your gateway to the Great Glen, an area of Scotland that includes Loch Ness and the city of Inverness. Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, has the flavor of a Lowland town, its winds blowing in a sea-salt air from the Moray Firth. The Great Glen is also home to one of the world's most famous monster myths: in 1933, during a quiet news week, the editor of a local paper decided to run a story about a strange sighting of something splashing about in Loch Ness. But there's more to look for here besides Nessie, including inland lochs, craggy and steep-sided mountains, rugged promontories, deep inlets, brilliant purple and emerald moorland, and forests filled with astonishingly varied wildlife, including mountain hares, red deer, golden eagles, and ospreys.

Day 8

Tilbury

Just 22 nautical miles down river from the Tower Bridge in London, Tilbury is a popular turnaround port for cruises visiting Baltic and Northern European destinations.

Day 9 - 10

IJmuiden

North Holland’s ‘Gate to the North Sea’, IJmuiden has four harbours: the Vissershaven, Haringhaven, IJmondhaven and the Seaport Marina - the latter used by pleasure craft. It is the largest Dutch fishing port, but is a relatively young town: it grew up in the 1870s when the North Sea Canal was opened. During World War II, the German Navy demolished much of the town and built huge fortified concrete bunkers for their torpedo boats and submarines. After 1945, the town was rebuilt by the architect Willem Marinus Dudok. He designed IJmuiden’s most impressive building, the Stadhuis van Velsen, which houses local government offices. For cruise passengers IJmuiden is the gateway to Amsterdam, the Dutch capital and one of Europe’s truly great cities, where elegant canals are lined by old brick gabled houses, and superb art galleries and museums are home to some of the world’s best-known paintings. Please note that complimentary shuttle buses operate from the port to the centre of IJmuiden, not to Amsterdam.

Atlas Ocean Voyages, WORLD VOYAGER, Antarctica 1

When dining goes beyond simply being a meal and becomes an experience you look forward to every day, both your appetite and your soul are satiated. Our onboard dining options offer extraordinary culinary adventures with globally inspired gourmet cuisine artfully crafted to awaken your senses one delectable morsel at a time. From Portuguese soul food alfresco with an ocean view to breakfast in bed before embarking on your next endeavors, every detail is taken into careful consideration to deliver an upscale experience with simple elegance.

Atlas Ocean Voyages, World Voyager Restaurant 700 x400

The vision for Atlas Ocean Voyages was conceived in Portugal, so our elegant main restaurants pay homage to that heritage with Madeira aboard World Voyager, Lisboa aboard World Traveller and Porto aboard World Navigator.

Here you’ll find an indulgent breakfast buffet with an array of pastries, fruit, jams, freshly churned butter and peanut butter, cold meats, bacon and a selection of fruit juices. A made-to-order menu features omelets, waffles and frittatas. For lunch, enjoy an abundant buffet with hot and cold options, carving stations, and a variety of salads and desserts.

Five-course dinner menus showcase classic favorites such as chicken breast, Black Angus tenderloin and grilled salmon. When you’re feeling adventurous, your palate can take a culinary journey on board, from delectable appetizers, like braised rabbit with butternut squash puree, to decadent desserts, such as alfajores, German black forest cake or pistachio lemon raspberry delight, from various regional cuisines featured each evening.

Plus, each regional menu offers complementary plant-based, vegan options – like an appetizer of organic tomato soup with cassoulet chez maison for dinner and a dessert of crepe suzette – that you can feel free to mix and match with that evening’s offerings.

Our main restaurants also offer the specialty Alma multi-course menu on select evenings. Alma means “soul” in Portuguese and this authentic dining experience, paired with Portuguese wines, showcases the gastronomic soul of Portugal, an ode to the line’s beginnings. Authentic recipes passed down for generations are prepared using artisanal techniques, cookware and ingredients, introducing you to the essence of Portuguese culinary culture.

Menus change daily, providing your taste buds with a new adventure every day. And you can enjoy it all when dining indoors or while enjoying a fresh sea breeze out on the deck, weather permitting.

7AFT Grill

After serving a casual lunch poolside by day, 7AFT Grill transforms into an open-air chophouse by night for a Josper Grill Dining Experience, exclusively on our Epicurean Expeditions™. Here the finest cuts of steak and fresh seafood are seared to perfection on a legendary Josper grill, the world leader in charcoal gastronomy. The revolutionary design allows our chefs to perfect the age-old art of grilling over charcoal – and the results are yours to savor on our Epicurean Expeditions.

When you want a quick bite, stop into our cozy café for a grab’n’go snack. Try a muffin or croissant and one of our fresh-pressed juices for a light breakfast, or enjoy a sandwich, wrap or salad for a midday nibble. You’ll also find fresh-pressed juices, as well as specialty coffees made with small-batch, hand-roasted, Fair Trade Certified beans from Caffè Milano. As with our main restaurant, new menu items are offered each day at Paula’s Pantry.

Room Service

Enjoy breakfast in bed or midnight tapas from our “always available” menu with FREE 24-hour room service, including spirits, wine and beer in all accommodations. Guests in suites also enjoy an expanded room service menu.

Aboard our intimate, yacht World Voyager you will find everything you want and need. Including three decks of spacious and elevated accommodations, various onboard dining options, spa and sauna amenities, social spaces for gathering with your fellow travelers and more, World Voyager has been designed to always deliver relaxed luxury and highly personalized service.

After exploring ashore, return to the yacht and toast your incredible experiences at our signature Après Sea celebration. Inspired by the longstanding tradition of "après ski" following a day on the slopes, Après Sea lets you unwind with a craft cocktail, nibble on small plates, and relive the day with friends as you imagine what new wonders await tomorrow, knowing full well they’ll be beyond your imagination.

Atlas Lounge

Amid stylish décor and a relaxing atmosphere throughout the day, look out at the stunning scenery from picture windows. Feel a sense of ease with a book in one hand and drink in the other. Or gather for pre-dinner cocktails with newfound friends.

Relive the day’s adventures with like-spirited explorers as you stargaze with 270-degree and overhead views with drinks in hand. Enjoy a talented pianist and energetic Cruise Director as they put on a fun and entertaining show.

Zephyr Lounge

When it’s time to set sail, settle into a cozy couch on the aft deck at the Zephyr Lounge. As you enjoy a glass of wine or after-dinner coffee, watch the scenic coastline diminish on the horizon.

Lean back and relax for a casual moment at the 7 AFT Pool Bar. From fresh-pressed juices and smoothies to craft beer options, you’ll find the perfect refreshment to share with new friends.

Water's Edge

Watch for wildlife sitting just 30 feet above the sea’s surface from Water’s Edge, including heated seating for absolute comfort. Catch sight of a whale fluke nearby as the giant creature prepares to dive deep for its next hunt or look out for dolphins swimming alongside the ship.

Atlas Ocean Voyages, Enrichment, Excursions (1)

EXPLORE AT WILL

Atlas Ocean Voyages takes great care to ensure you explore as far and wide as you wish, be it before, during or after your expedition. During your journey, guided outings ashore let you delve deep into the history, culture and natural wonders of each destination.

FREE CULTURAL IMMERSION ON EVERY VOYAGE

Learn to make traditional Ligurian pesto in the beautiful seaside village of Porto Venere. Listen to classical music amid the ancient ruins of Ephesus in the evening, long after all visitors have gone. Explore the UNESCO-listed Tierra del Fuego before embarking on an Antarctica expedition. Immerse yourself into history, nature and culture with a FREE excursion that may include sampling regional specialties, tasting regional wines, escorted local market visits, guided tours of local traditions and more.

EPICUREAN EXPEDITION EXCURSIONS

Whether your Epicurean Expedition finds you in the Mediterranean, British Isles or Northern Europe, experience all of the region’s culinary delights, marquee sights, hidden treasures and cultural traditions with our immersive shoreside excursions. Tour Barcelona’s famed La Boqueria market with a chef to find ingredients for your private cooking class. Go truffle hunting in the Tuscan countryside or create your own personal fragrance with the guidance of a master perfumer in Cannes. Some destinations, like the colorful villages climbing the Amalfi Coast cliffs, are best experienced from the sea. So head to the yacht’s marina to board a FREE kayak or paddle board and set off in search of the most scenic stretch of coastline.

POLAR EXPEDITION EXCURSIONS

On expeditions in Antarctica, the Arctic and Norwegian Fjords, Iceland and Greenland, your captain quietly navigates to the ideal position for wildlife viewing, where you can set off on a Zodiac, kayak or paddle board – escorted by expert field guides – in search of breaching whales or sunbathing seals. The most epic moment may come when you set foot on a massive glacier and follow your guide to a local penguin colony or spot a polar bear diving from an ice floe. Take the polar plunge into Arctic and Antarctic waters from the yacht’s marina. Call on more modern destinations, like the Icelandic capital of Reykjavík, Norway’s Lofoten Islands, and Nuuk, the largest city in Greenland. Immersive excursions to national museums, local markets, natural spas and more reveal how human culture carves out an existence amidst the majestic fjords and glaciers.

EXTEND YOUR EXPEDITION

Should you wish to spend more time in the fascinating cities where your voyage begins or concludes, Atlas Ocean Voyages can assist with hotels – including a FREE 1-Night Pre-Cruise Hotel Stay for all Antarctica expeditions. We also offer pre- and post-expedition multi-day Land Programs to iconic sights that lie inland from the port. To ensure a seamless travel experience from the moment you leave your home until the time you return, we also offer assistance with air travel, and transfers between the airport, the yacht and hotels.

Auditorium

Atlas Ocean Voyages provides an exceptional curation of special guest speakers and lecturers to keep you engaged throughout your journey. Seminars and demonstrations from experts in their fields pique your interest at the yacht’s auditorium. Enjoy a FREE cultural immersion on every voyage, including culinary and wine adventures with Gastronomic Guests and Visiting Vintners aboard Epicurean Expeditions. Aboard Polar Expeditions, expedition leaders, naturalists, kayak guides, photographers, scientists and other experts in their fields guide and educate you through your exploration of polar regions both on board and on shore.

Travel naturally inspires a sense of well-being by stimulating the mind, providing fresh perspectives and renewing your sense of wonder. On a journey with Atlas Ocean Voyages, your health and wellness is further enhanced by experiences on board that invite you to take a journey inward. Throughout your voyage, take the time to relax and stretch as well as challenge yourself and keep up with a workout routine.

Outfitted with state-of-the-art exercise equipment, our Fitness Studio gives you the tools you need to keep your body at peak strength. Break a sweat and follow it up with a blissful treatment at SeaSpa by L’OCCITANE.

Seaspa by L'OCCITANE

Pamper yourself with an optional, signature treatment at the first and only SeaSpa by L’OCCITANE. Soothe your body and spirit with a revitalizing treatment using luxe, organic products from the iconic French luxury brand. After an invigorating massage or rejuvenating facial, relax in the warmth of the spa’s sauna, complete with multiple panoramic windows that give way to views that replenish the soul.

Feel free to take it slow with a dip in the pool or in a whirlpool hot tub. Catch the rays of the sun with an easy morning or afternoon on the sun deck. The view of the sunrise on the sun deck might just move you to practice some morning yoga.