There's hardly a major destination in the world you can't visit on a cruise vacation. Today's cruise passengers have a wide choice of itineraries to hundreds of ports from Antarctica to Zanzibar.

Historic locales

Luckily, today's cruisers need not suffer the hardships endured by the Vikings, Columbus, Captain Cook or Darwin; they have a much more comfortable, luxurious way to roam the globe. From west to east, cruises represent the perfect opportunity to visit many of the world's major cultural and historical sites and cities of Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Europe offers more geographical, cultural and political diversity than any other cruise destination. The romance of the Mediterranean and Greek Isles is truly special, if not magical. The French Riviera and Monaco from the vantage point of a cruise ship is unique as it offers a glimpse into the exclusive yachting lifestyles of the rich and famous. Then there are historic waterfront cities like Barcelona, Marseille, Naples and access to historic inland cities like Rome and Florence.

No-one ever forgets the first time they cruise into Venice; that magical moment when their ship passes St Mark's Square, affording the same breathtaking view seafarers have enjoyed for centuries. The Greek Isles of Mykonos, Corfu, Rhodes, Santorini, Patmos, Samos and uninhabited Delos, are frequently visited by cruise lines. Turkey also features heavily on a cruise of the eastern Mediterranean, with Istanbul, Bodrom and Kusadasi among the ports of call.

Of course there's northern Europe where cruises call on Amsterdam, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki, St, Petersburg and Tallinn. There's also access to famous cities like London and Paris. There are a number of cruises that sail to the Middle East's most intriguing destinations, including the United Arab Emirates' Dubai, Egypt's Safaga and Luxor, Alexandria and Safaga, Oman's Salalah, and Jordan's Aqaba which offers access to the ancient city of Petra.

Australia and New Zealand cruises offer visits to cosmopolitan cities, coral reefs, verdant jungles and majestic fjords. Still farther afield, new voyages to Russia, South Korea, India, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia are being added.

South American cruising is growing in popularity. You can tango in Buenos Aires or trek ancient cities in Peru. The region offers high-octane adventure cruising since it is the starting point for all voyages to Antarctica and Darwin's paradise - the Galapagos Islands.

North American ports of call are available too. New England and Canada cruises in the fall afford majestic views in foliage season and call upon a number of historic and cosmopolitan cities from New York City to Montreal.

The Caribbean remains cruise travel's major destination offering year-round sailings. There are more than 7,000 islands in the Caribbean; although many are small or uninhabited, you are sure to visit some of the best of them on a Caribbean cruise. Most eastern Caribbean cruises make the familiar stops - Nassau, St. Thomas, St. Martin/St.Maarten, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic. While western Caribbean cruises visit Cozumel, Belize City, Honduras, and Grand Cayman. Southern Caribbean cruises are becoming increasingly popular with stops in Aruba, Curacao, St. Kitts & Nevis, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and exotic Dominica.

With its chic coastal resorts, lush mountain jungles and quaint fishing villages, it is understandable why the Mexican Riviera is the fourth most popular cruise destination in the world. From the ruggedly spectacular scenery of Cabo San Lucas to the sportfishing of Mazatlan, and the wild nightlife of Acapulco, cruise passengers are discovering the Mexican Riviera in ever increasing numbers.

The vast ice kingdom of Alaska is unlike any place on earth, with a variety of snow encrusted mountains, glaciers, and sprawling tundra home to an incredible diversity of wildlife. Most Alaska Inside Passage cruises sail from Vancouver and Seattle - a few from San Francisco.

Cruise lines are always adding new itineraries around the world - complete with wide-ranging shore excursions that bring each and every destination to life. No matter what travelers yearn for in terms of destinations, cruise vacations are guaranteed to feature itineraries that perfectly fit the bill.

- Anita Dunham-Potter
Anita Dunham-Potter is a Pittsburgh-based travel journalist specializing in cruise travel and cruise vacations. In addition to writing pieces for Princess Cruises, Anita is a weekly travel columnist for MSNBC.com and Tripso, and she is a contributor to Fodor's "Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises 2007