GRAND ASIA & AUSTRALIA CRUISES

In 1853, American naval officer Matthew Perry demanded Japan open to foreign trade, and Yokohama was changed forever. The city emerged as an international trading center, and while today it is often overshadowed by Tokyo, it continues to be one of Japan’s liveliest, and most cosmopolitan, destinations. With its microbreweries and international restaurants, Yokohama has a decidedly different feel from many other Japanese cities. From Yokohama, it’s a quick trip to peaceful Kamakura, home to a huge bronze Buddha, and to the important Shinto shrine Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. Head to Hakone National Park on a clear day for views of majestic Mt. Fuji. 

Among the world's most glamorous and cosmopolitan cities, Hong Kong sits on the southern coast of China at the Pearl River estuary of the South China Sea. It comprises Hong Kong Island, where the Central Business District and most affluent areas and attractions are, and, on the mainland, Kowloon and the New Territories. Hong Kong is a regional and global hub for banking, shipping, fashion and food, boasting more than 60 Michelin-starred restaurants. Its five-star hotels are among the most elegant to be found anywhere; many are set in the towering skyscrapers that carpet Hong Kong Island's steep slopes and light up its skyline so beautifully.

Shanghai is one of Asia’s most dynamic cities, and one of juxtapositions. It’s divided in two by the Huangpu River—to the west is Puxi and to the east Pudong. Puxi is the city’s downtown and its historic center; it’s here that much of the shopping, dining and nightlife is concentrated. Shanghai has more than 30,000 restaurants, from humble soup dumpling spots to formal affairs helmed by Michelin-starred chefs. Its museums, particularly the Shanghai Museum with its 120,000-strong collection of antiquities, are equally impressive. Pudong is where the city’s major skyscrapers stand, among them the Jin Mao and Oriental Pearl towers.

Most of Polynesia has stories of the demigod Maui. In Hawaii, he's given credit for fishing up the islands from the ocean floor. But to the rest of the world, the word Maui just means the perfect island paradise, and Lahaina is the gateway to its most photogenic areas. How does a place win the title of paradise of paradises? Well, start with enormous stretches of beautiful beach. Toss in two volcanic craters and a rain forest, with a scenic drive full of twists and turns and waterfalls. At the end of the road, you're rewarded with cool ponds perfect for a soak.