7-night New England Islands Cruise

Providence, Rhode Island, New England's second-largest city, is an old city, established in 1636 by Roger Williams; but Providence is also young in spirit, with a youthfulness replenished by a steady flow of immigrants.

The hub of culture, governance and commerce in Rhode Island, Providence is also very accessible to other travel destinations in New England, making it both a convenient gateway city as well as an attractive place to live for young professionals, empty-nesters, and Boston and New York refugees.

Six universities call Providence home, including the prestigious Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design; both are located on the East Side, one of more than a dozen walking neighborhoods in the city. On Smith Hill, you'll find the Rhode Island State House, which has the world's fourth-largest self-supported marble dome. Perched atop Providence's gleaming white Capitol is a bronze statue of The Independent Man—a 10-ft/3-m reminder of Williams and the small band of nonconformists who followed him and founded Providence. In the shadows of the State House building, you'll see massive, centuries-old four- and five-story homes.

Providence is also known for dirty politics, potent organized crime and other assorted controversies. One of Providence's most flamboyant characters is Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci Jr., the former and longest-serving mayor, who held office for 20 years. Cianci served five years in a federal prison for a 2002 racketeering conviction. (He also bottled his own pasta sauce.) Another mayor, David Cicilline, is the son of a reputed Mafia lawyer and was also the first openly gay mayor of a U.S. state capital.

Since the 1970s, downtown Providence has been the focus of a large and successful urban renewal project. At its heart are the upscale Providence Place Mall and WaterPlace Park, a 4-acre/2-hectare public area with riverwalks, an amphitheater and a tidal basin created at the confluence of the Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck rivers. The renaissance has placed the city on any number of best-cities lists, and whether you're interested in early U.S. history, the arts, authentic Italian food or just hanging out on popular Thayer Street, with its trendy bookstores, eateries and shops, Providence is well worth a visit.

From 1820 to 1860, the waterfront town of New Bedford, Massachusetts, was the world's most active whaling port, which made it one of the world's wealthiest cities of its time.

In addition to 90 restored buildings, this town 60 mi/100 km south of Boston has the New Bedford Whaling Museum on Johnny Cake Hill. Visitors there can board a fully rigged half-scale model of a whaling bark and watch a film that takes viewers along on a 19th-century whaling expedition (http://www.whalingmuseum.org).

Across the street is the Seamen's Bethel, the chapel described in Herman Melville's Moby Dick. The Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum provides a glimpse into the daily life of a wealthy whaling merchant and his family circa 1834. The New Bedford Fire Museum, with its collection of antique fire trucks and firefighting equipment, showcases another side of the town's history.

Bargain shoppers will want to check out the factory outlets in town.

The Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery, just west of New Bedford, produces nationally acclaimed sparkling wines. Tour the winery, walk the grounds and take in pastoral vistas.

New Bedford's annual events include the Whaling City Festival (mid-July), Feast of the Blessed Sacrament (celebrating Portuguese culture—early August), the Working Waterfront Festival (September) and the Apple-Peach Harvest Festival (after Labor Day).

Captain Gosnold noted Nantucket as he sailed past on his way to Jamestown, but records hold that Norsemen first set foot on the island in the 11th century. Home base for hundreds of whaling vessels and refuge for thousands of Quakers, the island saw construction of its first summer homes in the 1800s. Its beauty became backdrop for a new influx of inhabitants, all leaving their marks on this fascinating island. Visit the Whaling Museum for a closer look at the hard-working side of Nantucket, and the old Quaker Meeting House for a taste of the simple, strong aesthetic that governed their lives.

A summer resort island just off the coast of Massachusetts, Martha's Vineyard floats in the memories of generations of vacation society. Visit the beach front avenue of Oak Bluffs lined with gingerbread-trimmed cottages, and the Flying Horses antique carousel.

Newport became important as a resort for wealthy industrialists who built their “summer cottages”, modeled after European palaces, here and elevated Newport to position of “Queen of Summer Resorts.” A tour of the mansions is a must. Newport is also famous as a yachting capital and site of international tennis championships. Colonial Newport boasts a collection of 18th- and 19th-century and pre-Revolutionary buildings. Colonial Downtown is best explored on foot, and much of the town was burned down during British occupation, but enough buildings survived to rival Boston in number of original 18th-century homes. George Washington’s assurances to Newport’s Jewish community of religious liberty encouraged them to build Touro Synagogue in 1763, making it the oldest in the nation. St. Mary’s Church is the oldest Catholic parish in Rhode Island. The Grand Newport Casino and International Tennis Hall of Fame held the first national tennis championship in 1881 and is now Tennis Hall of Fame with a museum on tennis fashions and trophies.

Providence, Rhode Island, New England's second-largest city, is an old city, established in 1636 by Roger Williams; but Providence is also young in spirit, with a youthfulness replenished by a steady flow of immigrants.

The hub of culture, governance and commerce in Rhode Island, Providence is also very accessible to other travel destinations in New England, making it both a convenient gateway city as well as an attractive place to live for young professionals, empty-nesters, and Boston and New York refugees.

Six universities call Providence home, including the prestigious Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design; both are located on the East Side, one of more than a dozen walking neighborhoods in the city. On Smith Hill, you'll find the Rhode Island State House, which has the world's fourth-largest self-supported marble dome. Perched atop Providence's gleaming white Capitol is a bronze statue of The Independent Man—a 10-ft/3-m reminder of Williams and the small band of nonconformists who followed him and founded Providence. In the shadows of the State House building, you'll see massive, centuries-old four- and five-story homes.

Providence is also known for dirty politics, potent organized crime and other assorted controversies. One of Providence's most flamboyant characters is Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci Jr., the former and longest-serving mayor, who held office for 20 years. Cianci served five years in a federal prison for a 2002 racketeering conviction. (He also bottled his own pasta sauce.) Another mayor, David Cicilline, is the son of a reputed Mafia lawyer and was also the first openly gay mayor of a U.S. state capital.

Since the 1970s, downtown Providence has been the focus of a large and successful urban renewal project. At its heart are the upscale Providence Place Mall and WaterPlace Park, a 4-acre/2-hectare public area with riverwalks, an amphitheater and a tidal basin created at the confluence of the Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck rivers. The renaissance has placed the city on any number of best-cities lists, and whether you're interested in early U.S. history, the arts, authentic Italian food or just hanging out on popular Thayer Street, with its trendy bookstores, eateries and shops, Providence is well worth a visit.