Mediterranean Cruise (France, Italy, Turkey)

We depart on our flight for Barcelona.

We arrive in Barcelona and transfer to our ship. This evening we set sail and enjoy our first delicious dinner on board.

Time to relax, get acquainted with the ship and enjoy the endless array of facilities, activities and entertainment. Visit the health club for a workout, join an exercise class or perhaps wine tasting.

The great Rock of Gibraltar, standing like a sentinel at the entrance to the Mediterranean, is home to British culture and the grotto of St. Michael’s Cave. You may want to take a cable car for a rapid ascent of the Rock affording spectacular views of Europe, Africa and the sparkling Mediterranean. The Top Station is steeped in military history and home to the acrobatic Barbary Apes.

Dominating the harbour of Marseille is the famous Chateau d’if – the rocky prison from which Alexander Dumas’ Count of Monte Cristo escaped. Marseille is also your gateway to Provence. Optional excursions will be offered to explore the countryside around Arles and Avignon, immortalized in the paintings of Van Gogh, Cezanne, Matisse and Picasso.

Genoa was the birthplace of Christopher Columbus and due to its maritime roots the city has absorbed aspects of Neopolitan, Calabrese and Portuguese culture. Optional excursions will be offered, including one to Milan, where you can view Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece “The Last Supper” in its original location - the refectory wall of Santa Maria delle Grazie Abbey. Another tour will be offered to Portofino - the most beautiful and famous resort on the Ligurian Coast and haunt for the rich and famous since the 1950’s.

From Livorno you may join an optional excursion to Pisa and its extraordinary leaning tower. Or, see the beautiful city of Florence, where every square, church, and ancient building can be viewed as a work of art. To see Michelangelo’s “David”, go to Piazza Della Square.

We dock in Civitavecchia for an opportunity to take one of several optional excursions to Rome. Explore this living museum, from the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, to Vatican City and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Make a wish at the Trevi Fountain or walk the famous Spanish Steps.

Be on deck as we approach Naples for the breathtaking views of the city and Mount Vesuvius. Strolling here is a delight, or you may want to visit nearby Pompeii - the once great city destroyed when Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. Other excursions will be offered to Sorrento and the Isle of Capri - once the vacation destination for Roman Emperors.

Crete is the largest of the Greek Islands and home of the 4,000 year old Minoan Empire. Enjoy an optional excursion to the Palace of Knossos, considered Europe’s oldest city.

For those who enjoy strolling, this charming seaside resort has a lively downtown area and atmospheric shopping bazaar. You may also choose to take an optional tour to the incredible white marble ruins of Ephesus.

Be on deck upon arrival in this fantastic city to admire the skyline with its countless mosques and the ferries criss-crossing the Bosphorus River. Many optional tours will be offered to see the famous sights: the Byzantine Church of St. Sophia, the Suleymaniye Mosque, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the ever popular Grand Bazaar.

This small Greek island is picture-postcard beautiful with cobblestone streets and white-washed facades. The ancient archaeological site of Delos is on an adjacent island.

We disembark in the morning in Piraeus and transfer to Athens airport for our flight home.

Be on deck as we approach Naples for the breathtaking views of the city and Mount Vesuvius. Strolling here is a delight or you may want to visit nearby Pompeii - the once great city destroyed when Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. Other excursions will be offered to Sorrento and the Isle of Capri - once the vacation destination for Roman Emperors.

We disembark in the morning in Southampton, England and transfer to the London airport for our flight home