More than most travel experiences, a world cruise is an exposure to the exotic and the wondrous.

Even for those who call themselves seasoned travelers, world cruises invariably will open the window to new destinations, new cultures or a new way of looking at the world.

Holland America Line's Rotterdam in Monte Carlo

Consider the extended call that Holland America Line’s Rotterdam makes at Victoria, Seychelles. Victoria, a small city on Ile Mahe, one of the 115 Seychelles Is- lands. This is the Hawaii of the Indian Ocean, an absolute paradise. Something of a colonial football, tossed back and forth by the French and the British, Victoria is relatively unknown to Americans, but a couple of months into a world cruise, it will surely surprise and delight.

Or if you are looking at making a Grand Circumnavigation on Regent’s Seven Seas Voyager, you might be interested in an excursion from Shanghai to the Great Wall of China. This visit also includes time in Beijing, including an exclusive visit arranged by Regent to the Jinqui Study in the inner court of the Forbidden City.

These moments occur regularly on a world cruise as the ships call on the great wonders of the world and other destinations that are off the path that American travelers typically follow. A world cruise will provide access to exotic cultures, enchanting islands and jaw-dropping natural wonders.

Australia and New Zealand are excellent examples of these juxtapositions of culture and nature that one finds on a world cruise. The welcoming nature of these destinations are well known, but what a stark contrast they offer: Their cast open spaces and dramatic landscapes are populated by curious wildlife, and yet their cities are clean and modern, surging with an upbeat spirit and some world class attractions.

Unless you are so well read and so well traveled that there can be nothing new under the sun, a world cruise is sure to deliver you to new experiences, people and places – a trip to be savored and remembered.