7-night Mediterranean Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise

Cruise Itinerary for 7-night Mediterranean Cruise Greece

Alexandria (Cairo)

10/3/2009

10/3/2009 6:00:00 PM

This Mediterranean city, blessed with a mild, pleasant climate and white beaches, is a popular playground and the country's summer capital. Nightclubs, sidewalk cafes and restaurants lining the Corniche add to Alexandria's attractions. There are museums, Roman theater, and catacombs to explore. Alexandria also serves as gateway for excursions to Cairo and the famous El Alamein battlefield. Visitors will find plenty of interest in this "Pearl of the Mediterranean." Good shopping buys include gold and silver jewelry, especially the gold cartouche with your name inscribed in hieroglyphs, cotton goods, carpets, leather articles, copper- and brassware, basketware and papyrus prints. The city boasts a reputation of having the country's best food. Other sights include: Ras at-Tin Palace, with its surrounding gardens; Hussein Sobhy Museum of Fine Arts; and Hotel Cecil, a grand and elegant hotel with romantic and intriguing history. There is a War Museum and Commonwealth War Cemetery.

7-night Mediterranean Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Seadream SeaDream I

Paphos

10/4/2009

10/4/2009

The charming coastal town of Paphos focuses around an attractive harbor whose picturesque open air restaurants line a quayside of bright fishing boats and pleasure craft. Paphos nestles against the Western Troodos Mountains, which add another dimension of scenic beauty to this area, and combines holiday charm with history. Old-day elegance is lent to the town by classical style buildings in the upper part of town which leads to the shopping area. The lower part of town - known as Kato Pafos has a life of its own near the harbor, the fish tavernas, souvenir shops and several beautiful hotels with important archaeological sites around them. Landmarks associated with Aphrodite are the chunky, rugged rocks of her beautiful birthshore known as Aphrodite Rocks or "Petra tou Romiou", the evocative sanctuary of Aphrodite at Kouklia Village, one-time shrine and scene of pagan festivals for thousands, the Baths of Aphrodite at Polis, supposed source of fertility and the Fountain of Love, or Fontana Amorosa.

7-night Mediterranean Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Seadream SeaDream I

Rhodes

10/5/2009

10/5/2009

Rhodes is one of Greece’s favored vacation centers and was an important cultural center with a well-known School of Rhetoric attended by such greats as Cicero and Caesar. Rhodes' most famous attractions originated with the Knights of St. John, who occupied parts of the island from 1310 to 1522 and left a medieval town, dominated by the Palace of the Grand Masters and Knights' Hospital, which houses an Archaeological Museum with interesting exhibits of national archaeological finds. Rhodes has inspired many artists. The Old Town offers shopping opportunities and lively nightlife. At Mount Filerimos a church has been built on the site of an ancient temple. A popular excursion is to the charming village of Lindos. Its premier attraction, the ancient acropolis, stands atop sheer cliffs. Walls of a 13th-century Crusader castle enclose the site. Today, the winding path up to the acropolis is lined by stalls, where locals sell lace tablecloths and souvenirs. Mandraki Harbor's entrance is flanked by stone columns topped by figures of a stag and a hind, the town's heraldic animals.

7-night Mediterranean Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Seadream SeaDream I

Kos

10/6/2009

10/6/2009

The island of Kos, just off the coast of Turkey, was the birthplace of Hippocrates, father of modern medicine. Byzantine and Hellenistic ruins, glorious beaches and natural beauty make this island a favorite. There really is so much to see on the island, visitors will have trouble deciding which site to see if there is limited time. There is the Asklepeion Sanctuary, which was built in 357 BC and was to ancient Greeks what a spa is to us today. There are also temples of Aphrodite and Dionysus, the Palace of the Knights of Rhodes which is a quite impressive medieval structure with double walls and a moat and Casa Romana. Other attractions include a museum, Turkish mosques, the Roman Odeon and fountains and Roman baths. If time permits, also visit the ruined Byzantine fortress and 14th-century church in Palio Pili as well as the medieval castle at Antimahia.

7-night Mediterranean Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Seadream SeaDream I

Kusadasi

10/7/2009

10/7/2009

Visitors come to Kusadasi for beaches and nearby ruins of Ephesus. The major attraction is the archaeological site of ancient Ephesus, considered to be most important in Turkey. The history of this ancient city dates back to 10th century BC; many remarkable structures seen today are result of an excavation and restoration program. Along a white marble road grooved by ancient chariot wheels, the two-story Library of Celsus presents a striking sight. There are temples, houses of noblemen, and community buildings lining ancient streets. Nestled in the mountainside is a 25,000-seat amphitheater, still used for performances during Festival of Culture and Art. Bible buffs may know Ephesus as inspiration for St. Paul’s Epistle to Ephesians and the site of one of the first seven churches of Asia Minor. Treasures are kept in the Seljuk Archaeological Museum. Among the better-known ancient sites near Kusadasi are ancient Miletus and Dydima. Remains include a well-preserved Roman theater at Miletus and Dydima's sacred temple of Apollo.

7-night Mediterranean Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Seadream SeaDream I

Mykonos

10/8/2009

10/8/2009

Mykonos's many captivating attributes make it one of the most celebrated Greek holiday islands. Its main village is a colorful maze of narrow streets lined with white-washed houses, many with bright blue doors and shutters. As an attractive backdrop, famous windmills are lined up like toy soldiers on the hillside, vestiges of a time when wind power was used to grind grain. Mykonos has churches and chapels scattered about the island; quite a number of them are located right in town. Radiant flowers spill over white-washed walls and shady courtyards. In addition to swimming, sunning, water-skiing and surfing, visitors find endless shopping opportunities. Artists have relied on Mykonos’ beautiful setting to inspire them. The most photographed site is the Paraportiani, a cluster of white-washed churches resting below windmills. Mykonos's museums include an Archaeological Museum, which houses relics from the Trojan War, a Folk Art Museum and a Maritime Museum. The best beaches are Aghios Stephanos, Psarou, Kalafatis, Onros, Panormos and Elia.

7-night Mediterranean Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Seadream SeaDream I

Santorini

10/9/2009

10/9/2009

Santorini is everything that has made the Greek islands legendary. The world famous island of Santorini is the southern most island of the Cycladic group in the Aegean Sea, and is located north of Crete. Its population is distributed among thirteen villages and just exceeds nine thousand. The marvelous dry climate and unbroken sunshine create year around conditions which are perfect for observation, photographs and videos under an extraordinary variety of natural lights and colors.

7-night Mediterranean Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Seadream SeaDream I

Athens (Piraeus)

10/10/2009 9:00:00 AM

10/10/2009

Piraeus is the seaport for Athens, the capital of western civilization, which boasts a fantastic mix of classical ruins and vivacious modern life. Climb the hill of Acropolis to wonder at the Parthenon, join the lively Athenians in Constitution Square, and find a welcoming taverna for spirited bizouki music, plenty of ouzo to drink, and energetic Greek dancing. Piraeus is the largest harbor in the country. The white chapel of St. George at its summi has a theater bearing the same name. The hill of Nymphs is the site of a planetarium, which is located above magnificent Thesseio temple. Among all of these hills, Acropolis is the one that glorified Athens and the whole Greek world and became the symbol of the western civilization. Bays and small rocky or sandy coves dot the area and during the summer are filled with Athenians and foreigners enjoying their beauty.

7-night Mediterranean Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Seadream SeaDream I