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There’s something particularly exciting about arriving somewhere new by sea. Before you’ve even stepped onto land, the destination begins to unfurl: a jumble of whitewashed houses clinging to cliffs, a soaring skyline framed by mountains, or a harbour dotted with colourful boats.
While some ports are simply starting points for exploring further afield, others are destinations in their own right. In these picturesque ports, sightseeing begins before you leave the ship, and the journey into the harbour can be every bit as memorable as the time you spend on land.
To give you a taste of just how unforgettable a cruise can be, we’ve partnered with Oceania Cruises, a luxury, adults-only cruise line. Their smaller ships visit more than 600 ports across Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, and the South Pacific, including characterful harbours that larger vessels can’t reach. With longer stays in many ports and a wide choice of excursions and activities, their itineraries offer plenty of opportunities to explore far beyond the waterfront.
So, from the forested islands of Alaska to the turquoise lagoons of French Polynesia, here are 10 of the world’s most beautiful ports.
1. Kotor, Montenegro
Few arrivals are as dramatic as sailing into Kotor. The town lies deep within the mountain-ringed Bay of Kotor, and reaching it means passing tiny villages, stone churches, and steep green slopes that plunge towards the water. Although it’s not technically a fjord, the scenery is so striking that it’s easy to see why it’s mistaken for one – and as you cruise across the calm blue water, it’s worth finding a good spot on deck and watching the landscape unfold.
Once ashore, you can wander through the narrow lanes of Kotor’s medieval old town, stopping in shady squares, at pavement cafés, and at the 12th-century Cathedral of Saint Tryphon. The walled centre is compact and easy to explore, and getting lost in its maze of streets is all part of the fun. If you’re feeling energetic, you could climb the old fortifications to San Giovanni Fortress. It’s a steep walk, but the views over the terracotta rooftops and shimmering bay are a wonderful reward.
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Oceania Cruises Rome to Trieste*
Rome (Civitavecchia) - Naples/Pompeii - Catania - Valletta - Argostoli (Cephalonia) - Igoumenitsa - Bari - Kotor - Dubrovnik - Zadar and 2 more
Italy, Greece, Croatia & 2 more | 11 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$600 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 22 Sep 2028
Includes taxes and fees
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Oceania Cruises Athens to Trieste*
Athens (Piraeus) - Ephesus (Kusadasi) - Nauplion - Gythion - Katakolon - Igoumenitsa - Kotor - Dubrovnik - Zadar - Koper and 1 more
Italy, Greece, Turkey & 3 more | 10 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$600 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 10 Mar 2029
Includes taxes and fees
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Oceania Cruises Trieste to Rome*
Trieste - Koper - Rijeka - Split - Dubrovnik - Kotor - Corfu - Valletta - Tunis (La Goulette) - Palermo (Sicily) and 2 more
Corfu, Italy, Croatia & 4 more | 12 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$600 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 20 Mar 2029
Includes taxes and fees
2. Santorini, Greece
The beauty of Santorini’s volcanic landscape is hardly a secret, but admiring it from the water reveals its true scale. This crescent-shaped island forms part of an ancient caldera, with rust-coloured cliffs rising from the glimmering Aegean and clusters of whitewashed buildings clinging to the rugged slopes. As you sail into the flooded caldera, the sheer height of the cliffs is mesmerising.
Ships anchor inside the caldera, so you can carry on admiring the scenery as you make your way to shore. From the old port, make your way up to Fira, where clifftop terraces overlook the sea, or head to Oia to see its famous blue-domed churches and spectacular sunsets. There’s plenty to discover during the day, too: you could explore the ancient ruins of Akrotiri, visit a local winery, or spend a few hours relaxing on one of the island’s black-sand beaches.
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Oceania Cruises Athens to Trieste*
Athens (Piraeus) - Ephesus (Kusadasi) - Mykonos - Santorini - Argostoli (Cephalonia) - Igoumenitsa - Dubrovnik - Zadar - Trieste
Mykonos, Santorini, Italy & 3 more | 9 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$400 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 20 Apr 2029
Includes taxes and fees
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Oceania Cruises Barcelona to Athens*
Barcelona - Sete - Provence (Marseille) - Monte Carlo - Florence/Pisa/Tuscany (Livorno) - Rome (Civitavecchia) - Salerno - Messina (Sicily) - Santorini - Athens (Piraeus)
Santorini, Spain, France & 3 more | 10 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$600 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 10 Apr 2029
Includes taxes and fees
3. Juneau, Alaska, USA
Tucked between forested mountains and the narrow Gastineau Channel, Alaska’s state capital has a wonderfully wild setting. With no roads connecting Juneau to the rest of Alaska or North America, arriving by sea isn’t only the most scenic way to get there, but also one of the most practical. As you approach the colourful waterfront, look out for waterfalls tumbling down the mountainsides and bald eagles circling overhead.
Once ashore, you can take the tramway up Mount Roberts for sweeping views, or visit the Mendenhall Glacier, where walking trails wind through temperate rainforest to viewpoints overlooking the ice. Juneau is also a popular spot for whale-watching, with humpbacks regularly spotted in the surrounding waters. If you’re lucky, you might even see one breach, or slap its tail against the surface.
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Oceania Cruises Vancouver to Seattle*
Vancouver - Ketchikan - Juneau - Skagway - Icy Strait Point (Hoonah) - Sitka - Victoria - Seattle
USA & Canada | 10 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$600 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 21 Aug 2028
Includes taxes and fees
4. St George’s, Grenada
With its pastel-coloured houses, lush green hills, and horseshoe-shaped harbour, St George’s is one of the Caribbean’s prettiest capitals. Fort George overlooks a waterfront dotted with fishing boats, yachts, and red-tiled roofs, while shops and restaurants line the sheltered inner harbour, known as the Carenage. It’s a lovely place for a stroll, with plenty of waterside spots where you can stop for a drink and watch the boats come and go.
Grenada is known as the Spice Isle, and the scent of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves drifts in the air; if you’re looking for souvenirs, these local spices are piled high in St George’s bustling markets. Once you’ve explored the town, you could tour a spice estate, visit a rum distillery, or cool off beside a waterfall in the rainforest. If you’d rather hit the beach, Grand Anse – a two-mile stretch of pale sand and clear blue water – is just a short journey away.
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Oceania Cruises Miami to Miami*
Miami - Oranjestad - Willemstad - Kralendijk - St. George's - Castries - Pointe a Pitre - Philipsburg
USA, St Lucia, Grenada & 5 more | 12 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$600 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 28 Nov 2027
Includes taxes and fees
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Oceania Cruises Miami to Miami*
Miami - Oranjestad - Willemstad - Kralendijk - St. George's - Roseau - Tortola
USA, Dominica, Grenada & 4 more | 11 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$600 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 05 Dec 2028
Includes taxes and fees
5. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
At the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, the desert meets the sea. Sapphire waters lap golden beaches, cacti dot the sun-baked hills, and rugged rock formations rise from the waves. The most famous is El Arco, a natural stone arch at Land’s End, where the Pacific Ocean joins the Sea of Cortez. It’s an unusual landscape, made even more striking by the contrast between the desert and bright blue water.
As ships anchor in the bay, El Arco dominates the view. To see it up close, you can take a small boat around Land’s End, keeping an eye out for sea lions and, depending on the season, humpback whales. Back in town, the marina is lined with cafés and restaurants overlooking the boats, making it a lovely place for a stroll or a leisurely lunch. And if you’re keen to escape the crowds, peaceful beaches and the wide-open desert are within easy reach.
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Oceania Cruises Lima to Los Angeles*
Lima/Machu Picchu (Callao) - Salaverry - Manta - Golfito - Puerto Quetzal - Cabo San Lucas - Los Angeles
USA, Mexico, Peru & 3 more | 15 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$800 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 22 Dec 2028
Includes taxes and fees
6. Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour perfectly captures the city’s unique blend of old and new. Gleaming skyscrapers soar between the shoreline and steep, subtropical mountains, while traditional red-sailed junk boats slowly drift across the water. As the sun moves through the sky, the scenery changes: in daylight, green hills frame the glass-and-steel skyline; after dark, illuminated towers cast colourful reflections across the water.
For the classic view of the city, take the Peak Tram up Victoria Peak, or ride the Star Ferry between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island to see the harbour from the water. Away from the waterfront, you can browse busy markets, visit incense-filled temples, and wander through historic neighbourhoods lined with traditional shops and family-run restaurants. The skyline might be futuristic, but at street level, Hong Kong’s history and traditions are never far away.
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Oceania Cruises Hong Kong to Singapore*
Hong Kong - Hanoi (Ha Long Bay) - Hue (Chan May) - Cam Ranh - Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My) - At Sea - Singapore
Vietnam, Singapore & China | 9 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$400 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 16 Nov 2027
Includes taxes and fees
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Oceania Cruises Bali to Hong Kong*
Bali (Benoa) - Surabaya - Semarang (Java) - Jakarta (Java) - Ko Samui - Bangkok (Laem Chabang) - Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My) - Cam Ranh - Hong Kong
Bali, Thailand, Vietnam & 2 more | 14 days
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 07 Dec 2026
Includes taxes and fees
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Oceania Cruises Singapore to Hong Kong*
Singapore - Muara - Kota Kinabalu (Borneo) - Puerto Princesa - Boracay Island - Manila - Hong Kong
Malaysia, Singapore, China & 2 more | 9 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$400 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 12 Dec 2027
Includes taxes and fees
7. Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town’s skyline isn’t dominated by buildings, but by nature. The flat-topped Table Mountain looms behind the harbour, flanked by Lion’s Head and Devil’s Peak, with the deep-blue Atlantic stretching out in front. On clear days, the entire mountain is visible; at other times, its summit disappears beneath the famous ‘tablecloth’ of cloud. As evening approaches, the rock is bathed in gold and pink light, making the view from the water even more beautiful.
Cruise ships dock close to the V&A Waterfront, a charming working harbour filled with restaurants, shops, and lively public spaces. From here, you can take the cableway up Table Mountain, wander through the colourful streets of Bo-Kaap, or admire the native plants of Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. Beyond the city, the Cape Peninsula has white-sand beaches, rugged cliffs, and plenty of wildlife; look out for African penguins at Boulders Beach and seals basking along the coast.
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Oceania Cruises Lisbon to Cape Town*
Lisbon - Funchal (Madeira) - Santa Cruz de La Palma - Santa Cruz de Tenerife - Porto Grande - Dakar - Banjul - Abidjan - Sekondi-Takoradi - Lome and 4 more
Spain, Portugal, South Africa & 8 more | 24 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$1,000 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 14 Jan 2027
Includes taxes and fees
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Oceania Cruises Cape Town to Lisbon*
Cape Town - Luderitz - Walvis Bay - Sao Tome - Lome - Sekondi-Takoradi - Abidjan - Banjul - Dakar - Porto Grande and 3 more
Spain, Portugal, South Africa & 9 more | 24 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$1,000 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 07 Feb 2027
Includes taxes and fees
8. Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Bora Bora is idyllic from any vantage point, but it’s at its most beautiful when seen from the water. A coral reef teeming with marine life surrounds a turquoise lagoon, while the jagged green peaks of Mount Otemanu and Mount Pahia rise from the island’s centre. Tiny palm-covered islets, known as motus, are scattered around the reef, and overwater bungalows stretch out across the shallows.
Cruise ships anchor offshore, with smaller boats carrying passengers across the lagoon to Vaitape, the island’s main settlement. The journey is a highlight in itself, passing brilliant blue waters and steep, jungle-cloaked slopes, with Mount Otemanu almost always in view. Once ashore, you can snorkel among coral gardens and spot tropical fish, take a boat trip around the lagoon, or relax on the soft white sands of Matira Beach.
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Oceania Cruises Papeete to Lautoka*
Papeete (Tahiti) - Bora Bora - Rarotonga - Aitutaki - Alofi - At Sea - Vava'U (Neiafu) - Port Denarau - Lautoka
Fiji, French Polynesia, Cook Islands & 2 more | 10 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$600 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 28 Nov 2027
Includes taxes and fees
9. Ålesund, Norway
Spread across a string of islands on Norway’s western coast, Ålesund seems to spring straight out of the sea. Mountains loom in the distance, fishing boats bob in the harbour, and rows of colourful buildings curve around the waterfront. Water appears between the streets and around almost every corner, while bridges connect the different islands that make up this compact town.
After much of Ålesund was destroyed by fire in 1904, the town was rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style. As you wander through the centre, look out for turrets, spires, and ornate façades decorated with flowers and other intricate details. You can also climb the 418 steps to the viewpoint on Mount Aksla, where you’ll be rewarded with views across the town’s islands and distant Sunnmøre Alps.
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Oceania Cruises London to Reykjavik*
London (Southampton) - Invergordon - Lerwick (Shetland Islands) - Vik - Alesund - Seydisfjordur - Akureyri - Isafjordur - Reykjavik
Norway, Iceland & United Kingdom | 10 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$600 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 31 Jul 2028
Includes taxes and fees
10. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Few cities have a setting as spectacular as Rio de Janeiro. Lush, forested peaks rise around Guanabara Bay, sweeping beaches curve along the coast, and Christ the Redeemer watches over the city from the summit of Corcovado. As you sail into the bay, Sugarloaf Mountain comes into view, with Rio’s high-rise neighbourhoods squeezed between the mountains and the sea. It’s a wonderfully cinematic approach.
Once you’re on land, you can ride the cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, take the train through Tijuca Forest to Corcovado, or stroll beside the waves at Copacabana. But Rio has plenty more to offer: wander through tropical gardens, hike along rainforest trails, sample mouthwatering street food, explore the city’s lively neighbourhoods, or climb the mosaic-covered Selarón Steps.
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Oceania Cruises Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires*
Rio de Janeiro - Ilha Grande - Buzios - Parati - Sao Paulo (Santos) - Porto Belo - Rio Grande - Punta Del Este - Montevideo - Buenos Aires
Argentina, Brazil & Uruguay | 10 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$600 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 22 Nov 2028
Includes taxes and fees
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Oceania Cruises Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro*
Buenos Aires - Montevideo - Punta Del Este - Rio Grande - Florianopolis - Itajai - Sao Paulo (Santos) - Parati - Ilha Grande - Buzios and 1 more
Argentina, Brazil & Uruguay | 12 days
Complimentary Wine & Beer or US$600 Shore Excursion Credit
The finest cuisine at sea®. Small ship luxury™.
Departs: 07 Mar 2027
Includes taxes and fees
Final thoughts…
Whether you dream of sailing between Norway’s fjords or exploring the islands of the South Pacific, travelling by sea can make the journey every bit as memorable as the destination.
Oceania Cruises offers voyages across Europe, North America, the Tropics, Asia, Africa, and the South Pacific. Their smaller ships visit both famous cities and lesser-known ports, and their itineraries are designed to help you experience more of the culture, history, and food in each place.
On board, comfortable, luxurious surroundings, warm service, and an adults-only environment make it easy to relax after a day of exploring. Food is a particular focus, with speciality dining included, so you can spend your days discovering somewhere new before returning to an excellent meal at sea each evening.
Oceania’s Your World Included® promise paired with their Best Value Guarantee also ensures every voyage feels easy, simple, and full of value. Guests enjoy complimentary speciality dining, unlimited Wi-Fi, and included shipboard gratuities in between exploring, along with a choice of curated extras: a generous shore excursion credit or wine and beer by the glass during lunch and dinner hours.