Day 7
Arriving in the verdant, mid-Atlantic Azores archipelago, there’s a welcome opportunity to step ashore in historic Ponta Delgada. The city has been a stopping-off point for transatlantic sailors down the centuries.
Day 14
The UNESCO-listed streets of Willemstad, on Curacao, welcome Columbus today. While here you may be able to visit the distillery where the island’s blue liqueur is produced, ride a trolley train around the city and join excursions to the extraordinary limestone caves at Hato or out to the coral reefs to the south of the island on a semi-submarine.
Day 17
Cartagena is a Spanish colonial treasure on the Colombian coast. Visit Downtown to discover streets and squares lined by brightly coloured buildings and bougainvillea-covered mansions, elegant balconies and magnificent churches.
Day 18
As Columbus calls at Colon at the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal, there’s a chance to cross by coach to the Pacific and visit Panama City itself. Re-join the ship during the afternoon for the transit of the Panama Canal.
Day 29
After a week of balmy days at sea, the breathtaking islands of French Polynesia are a colourful sight. Taiohae harbour, on tiny Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Isles, is your first chance to absorb the atmosphere of this languid, tropical world.
Day 31-32
Tahiti is, perhaps, the most famous South Pacific island. Its capital, Papeete, is home to historic Le Marche market, the lush Vaipaha Gardens and a perfect lagoon, and seems to have appeared straight out of a Gauguin painting. Columbus will spend the night here, giving you ample time to enjoy your idyllic surroundings.
Day 33
Today, legendary Bora Bora, a quintessential island paradise, with mountains, lagoons and sublime beaches, completes Columbus’s French Polynesian calls.
Day 38
Columbus arrives at the tiny island of Tonga, today. Disembark to explore the colourful, charismatic capital, Nuku'alofa, home to a bustling main street, numerous churches, the Royal Palace and a lively market brimming with local produce, handicrafts and livestock.
Day 40
The largest city in the South Pacific and the capital of Fiji's 300-odd idyllic islands, Suva is a melting pot of Indo-Fijian and colonial influences. Uncover the history and culture of the islands at the Fiji Museum, which stands amid the landscaped lawns and beds of Turston Gardens. The ocean-going war canoes, in particularly the 13-metre double-hull Ratu Finau Tui Nayau, in the Maritime Gallery, are particular highlights.
Day 44
Rotorua is one of New Zealand's most popular destinations. Join a shore excursion to discover bubbling hot-springs, gushing geysers and the traditional Maori culture of the Te Arawa people. Visit the fascinating Agrodome for a display of sheep-shearing skills, see the traditional Maori village of Te Puia and the wondrous Thermal Reserve, with its boiling mud pools and geysers.
Day 45
Columbus crosses the International Date Line on her way to Auckland, the glittering City of Sails on New Zealand's North Island. Step ashore to take in the Auckland Museum's priceless carvings and artefacts, or to enjoy a trip up the 328-metre Sky Tower, the country's tallest structure.
Day 47
New Zealand's cosmopolitan capital, Wellington, boasts striking modern architecture, colourful Botanic Gardens, and friendly bars, restaurants and cafes. Discover the city on a guided tour, or perhaps head around the bay to the grassy coastal landscape of Pencarrow Station - home to New Zealand's oldest lighthouse.
Day 51
Vibrant, fun-loving Sydney’s iconic Opera House, Harbour Bridge and famous beaches are just a handful of the highlights of this wonderful city.
Day 54
Today, Columbus calls at privately owned Hamilton Island, in Captain Cook’s Whitsundays archipelago (named after the day he arrived there in 1770). Spend a lazy day here, or take a boat to the other islands in the group. Alternatively, seek out the glass lifts that feature in some of the resort’s hotels, and take a ride to enjoy the stupendous views.
Day 56
Continue your Australian exploration as Columbus stops in the beautiful anchorage of Yorkey’s Knob, about 40 miles north of Cairns. There will be opportunities to take a glass-bottomed boat to a coral cay - as this is the stopping-off place for the extraordinary Great Barrier Reef - or head inland on an excursion into the magnificent tropical rainforest of the Atherton Tablelands.
Day 60
Nestled into the north of Papua New Guinea, Madang is surrounded by towering rainforests, crystal-clear coastal waters and beautiful volcanic islands. Make the most of your time in this tropical paradise - it's your last chance to enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the South Pacific before Columbus cruises back over the Equator on her way to Japan.
Day 67
The great Japanese port of Yokohama offers easy access to the vast mega-metropolis of Tokyo. Join an excursion to discover some of the Japanese capital's extraordinary sights - from ancient shrines and tranquil parks to the neon signs and electronics emporiums of Akihabara Electric Town and the apparent chaos of Shibuya Crossing.
Day 69
Kagoshima, at the tip of Japan's southern island, Kyushu, is a tranquil counterpoint to the constant energy of Tokyo. This friendly, laid-back city lies beneath the cone of the Sakurajima volcano, on a beautiful bay. From here you'll have the chance to visit Nagasaki, the second (and last) city to feel the effects of an atomic bomb. Explore the city that provides the backdrop for 'Madame Butterfly', and where a Peace Park commemorates the world-shaping events of August 1945.
Day 72
Today Columbus docks in Tianjin, on China's northeastern coast, giving you the chance to visit China’s astonishing capital, Beijing. See Tiananmen Square, site of Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum and the Great Hall of the People, and explore the huge complex of imperial palaces that make up the Forbidden City. A little further south, in Tiantan Park, you'll find the Temple of Heaven, the Ming Dynasty shrine that was the heart of ceremonial life in the city for five centuries.
Day 75
Columbus spends today in Shanghai - one of the world's most amazing cities. See the colonial grandeur of the buildings that line the Bund on the west bank of the Huangpu River, and the towering futuristic skyscrapers and rocket-shaped Pearl TV Tower of the east. Explore the old city's bustling bazaars and street markets, and the tranquil pools, bridges and ornate pavilions of the Yuyuan Garden that shelter in its heart.
Day 78
Discover still more of China's complex colonial history and modern energy as Columbus spends a day in Hong Kong. Explore under your own steam, or choose from optional excursions - to Victoria Peak, floating city Aberdeen, colourful Stanley Market, to take in the North Shore's spectacular skyline or cross Victoria Harbour on the Star Ferry.
Day 80
Cruise into bewitching, UNESCO-listed Halong Bay, where countless limestone pillars and cone-shaped islands rise out of the water. An optional shore excursion today takes you to the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, with its labyrinthine '36 Old Streets', tranquil Hoan Kiem Lake and its island Ngoc Son Temple. Elsewhere in the city, highlights include the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the former leader’s traditional house, the fascinating Museum of Ethnology and colourful Dong Xuan market.
Day 83
A call close to Vietnam’s famous Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), brings opportunities to join a number of fascinating optional shore excursions. Visit the remarkable Cu Chi tunnel complex - a former Viet Cong base - or the Mekong Delta’s scenic landscape of rice paddies, orchards and colourful market towns.
Day 85
Cambodia offers you the chance to unwind and relax on its perfect white beaches, and to enjoy the warm tranquil waters of the Gulf of Thailand. The ruins of Angkor, the capital city of the Khmer Empire, should be on every visitor’s list. Here the vast temple complex of Angkor Wat has become the Cambodian equivalent of the Taj Mahal and was intended as both a state temple and an eventual mausoleum for King Suryavarman II in the early 12th Century.
Day 86
Columbus docks in Laem Chabang this morning, bringing the chance to head into the Thai capital. A city of contrasts, Bangkok is an intriguing juxtaposition of old and new, with ancient temples standing alongside modern high rises. Explore its temples, gilded Buddhas and colourful Khlong (canals), and make sure you take the time to try some of the city's famous street food.
Day 89
Say goodbye to Columbus, her crew and your fellow travellers today, as you disembark in Singapore. From here you're free to begin your journey home straight way, or to spend a few days exploring this spectacular, complex, colourful city on your own.