Valencia Cruises, Spain
Valencia is an expert in marrying up the old and the new. Ancient Arabian architecture and Gothic churches are given a run for their money by new icons like the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences. Beyond the city borders, Albufera National Park follows the coast south. The massive lake here is home to 250 species of birds, including flamingos.
• Valencia Cathedral is a Gothic masterpiece framed by flying buttresses and intricately-carved arches. The chalice here is said to have been used by Christ during the Last Supper.
• Fallas Museum collects memorabilia from the La Fallas festivals, when hundreds of effigies are burned on bonfires. The best creations are rescued and displayed on the museum’s shelves.
• The aquarium at the City of Arts and Sciences is made up of space-age buildings and a 70-metre viewing tunnel – the longest in Europe. Residents include sharks, whales and dolphins.
SHORE EXCURSIONS View all excursions

Valencia City Tour
Valencia’s well-known for its beautiful buildings. All Arabian, Gothic and Baroque flourishes, it’s literally knee-deep in design history. But there are plenty of modern touches, too. Your day starts with a fly-by driving tour taking in the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences with its space-age buildings, and the Gothic masterpiece, La Lonja – Valencia’s silk market. Next you’ll pass the Cathedral and Generalitat Palace. A flamboyant Gothic building, built in 1421 as the seat of the Valencian Autonomous Government. And be sure to check out the Gothic statue of the Virgin of the Less Fortunate you’ll find nearby. After that, you’ll make a beeline for the old quarter. Wander the cobblestone streets. Admire the Arabian architecture. And catch the rugged beauty of the city wall on camera. Other monuments that you can admire with the panoramic drive are the Bullring, Train Station, Quart Towers and Serranos Towers.

Valencia & Oceanographic Park
This easy-going tour does exactly what it say on the tin. A coach will whizz you from the ship to the centre of Valencia, ready for a short, guided walking tour of the old quarter. There’s plenty to see en route. Think Gothic monuments, Renaissance architecture and elegant art nouveau buildings. Part two takes in Oceanografic, the biggest aquarium in Europe. There you’ll find over 500 different marine species ranging from sea urchins and sharks to whales and walruses.

Enjoy Oceanographic
You’ll swap Valencia’s historical landmarks for a look at life under the sea on this day out. It stars Oceanographic, Europe’s biggest aquarium. The centre is spread over more than 100,000 square metres, and holds around 42 million litres of water. The state-of-the-art surroundings mean 500 different species can be catered for here. You’ll see sharks, exotic fish, sea lions, penguins and much more. Plus, you can take a stroll through Europe’s longest underwater submarine tunnel. Your trip is rounded off with an action-packed dolphin show, which sees Flipper and friends perform for a crowd of 2,000.