DAY 1: UK - San Diego.
Fly to San Diego where you will be met and transferred to your hotel, the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Resort & Spa, for an overnight stay.

DAY 2: San Diego.
Enjoy this morning at your leisure, perhaps relaxing by your hotel pool or acquainting yourself with exciting San Diego, with its elegant streets, charming historic district and famous zoo. This afternoon, transfer to your cruise ship, MS Westerdam. (D)

DAY 3: At sea.
A day to relax and enjoy the facilities on board your ship as you cruise southwards over the shimmering Pacific Ocean. (B, L, D)

DAY 4: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Sitting on the tip of the glorious Baja Peninsula where the Pacific Ocean meets the sapphire waters of the Sea of Cortes, Cabo San Lucas is surrounded by awe-inspiring rocky landscapes, beaches and desert terrain. Centred around a beautiful marina and complete with its own underwater nature reserve near the towering Land's End rock formations, Cabo is renowned as a fishing and watersports paradise. Boasting a stretch of water known as 'Marlin Alley', the crystal-clear seas that lap its shores are frequented by tuna, billfish and marlin, as well as parrotfish, manta rays and, in certain months of the year, whales. (B, L, D)

DAY 5: At sea.
(B, L, D)

DAY 6: Acapulco, Mexico.
The world-class city of Acapulco awaits you today. This intoxicating city sits in stunning Acapulco Bay, its high-rise hotels soaring from golden beaches and shimmering in the heat. Renowned for its pristine sands, amazing watersports and gourmet restaurants, Acapulco also boasts a surprising historical heritage - during colonial times, the Spanish used it as their base and the city was the only port in the New World authorised to receive Spanish galleons. Immerse yourself in the exciting atmosphere today and marvel at the legendary cliff divers or 'clavadistas'. Swan diving some 130 feet from jagged cliffs at La Quebreda into waters just 12-feet deep, their amazing bravery and exploits are thrilling to behold. (B, L, D)

DAY 7: Santa Cruz Huatulco, Mexico.
Peaceful Huatulco is Mexico's hottest new resort. Surrounded by lush forests teeming with wildlife, this breathtakingly beautiful place is blessed with nine dazzling, white-sand and azure-water bays. The new town is also brimming with chic boutiques and waterside restaurants serving superb fresh fish plucked from its pristine Pacific waters. (B, L, D)

DAY 8: Puerto Chiapas, Mexico.
Offering a wealth of opportunities for fascinating cultural and historic tours, this port in western Mexico serves as the gateway to the country's rich Mayan heritage and archaeological sites. One of the most spectacular is Palenque, an ancient Mayan city dating from AD300-900 and shrouded in rich tropical rain forest. Marvel at the exquisite temples and mystical palaces, built by hand without metal tools, pack animals or the wheel, all set against a majestic jungle backdrop inhabited by monkeys, ocelots and toucans. Alternatively, take a cultural tour of Tapachula City and the Izapa archaeological site, or enjoy time in the surrounding countryside on either a trip to explore the mangroves or a coffee and flowers plantation tour. (B, L, D)

DAY 9: Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala.
The Pacific coastal area of Puerto Quetzal is named after the beautiful Quetzal bird, which was once sacred to the Mayan people. Explore this lovely area on an optional excursion, perhaps heading into the highlands to see the modern-day Maya, visit Panajachel and enjoy a cruise on picturesque Lake Atitlan, or alternatively, the lowlands, for impressive views of volcanoes, a rural sugar plantation tour, or a trip the World Heritage site of La Antigua, a colonial city brimming with charming streets, churches, monasteries and museums. You could also choose to take a short flight to either Petén, for the impressive Mayan pyramid ruins of Tikal, or the archaeological site of Copán in Honduras, for Mayan pyramids, temples, stele and the remarkable hieroglyphic stairway. (B, L, D)

DAY 10: At sea.
(B, L, D)

DAY 11: Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Vibrant Puntarenas is the largest city in the Central Pacific and is Costa Rica's most important fishing port, famed for its fresh seafood, beach life and buzzing waterfront restaurants. Take the opportunity to visit San Jose to marvel at the incredible pre-Columbian gold artifacts in the Gold Museum and the jade carvings at the Jade Museum on an optional tour. In the first century AD, Costa Rica's early inhabitants used jade as a currency and often buried it in graves for use in the after life. Alternatively, choose from a range of optional excursions, including a trip to the Poas Volcano National Park, an incredible Garden of Eden topped by the mighty Poas Volcano and replete with wonderfully lush forests, animals and birdlife. (B, L, D)

DAY 12: Golfo Dulce, scenic cruising.
Enjoy a day of scenic splendour as we sail the turquoise waters of the Golfo Dulce or 'Sweet Gulf'. Nestled between the Osa Peninsula and Costa Rica's south Pacific Coast, this spectacular, huge bay is encircled by secluded, white sand beaches and countryside famed for its rich biodiversity, making it a true tropical paradise. Soaring emerald rainforests rise from the coast and the Osa peninsula is home to 400 species of birds, 140 mammals and over 100 species of amphibians and reptiles. (B, L, D)

DAY 13: Panama Canal - daytime transit.
Today, experience the full scale and ingenuity of the engineering wonder that is the Panama Canal. On board, an exclusive Exploration Speaker programme will tell the fascinating story behind this incredible man-made feat, covering its history and construction, which cost over 300,000 lives and was finished by the US in 1914. Running for 80 kilometres through lush Panamanian countryside, the Canal makes for a magnificent journey, as your ship steers its way through a series of vast locks. Having entered the canal at Balboa on the Pacific side, you end your journey at Cristobal on the Caribbean. (B, L, D)

DAY 14: Cartagena, Colombia.
Today, arrive in Cartagena, the oldest city in the New World. Founded in 1533, this atmospheric city brims with plazas and cathedrals and served not only as a slave port, but also as the treasury of the Spanish occupiers, who channeled the gold, silver and emeralds they found on their conquests through here on its way back to Madrid. Admire the austere beauty of San Felipe Castle, the fortress the Spanish built to defend Cartagena. Cartagena's modern quarter, Bocagrande, is home to the city's sandy beaches, buzzing restaurants and superb shopping. (B, L, D)

DAY 15-16: At sea.
Spend two days relaxing on deck as you sail over blue Caribbean seas, and enjoy the superb amenities and comforts on board MS Westerdam. (B, L, D)

DAY 17: Fort Lauderdale - UK.
After breakfast, disembark your ship in Fort Lauderdale and transfer to Miami airport for your return flight to the UK. (B)

DAY 18: Home landing in the UK.