14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise

Cruise Itinerary for 14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece

Athens (Piraeus)

10/3/2009

10/3/2009 5:00:00 PM

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.

14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Holland America Rotterdam

At Sea

10/4/2009

10/4/2009

Every day at sea is packed with activities...from deck games to entertainment. Indulge yourself in a relaxing massage. Exercise. Shop at onboard boutiques. Take a dip in the pool. The day is yours. Indulge!

14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Holland America Rotterdam

Varna

10/5/2009 7:00:00 AM

10/5/2009 4:00:00 PM

Varna has a cosmopolitan atmosphere where visitors can mingle with uniformed sailors as they promenade along shady boulevards lined by 19th and early 20th century buildings. Attractions include the 19th century Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin; the 2nd century thermae, the remains of the largest Roman public building in Bulgaria; the granite monument commemorating the 1444 Battle of Varna. The Varna Museum is full of historical treasures of interest. Other museums include Ethnographic Museum, with interesting displays of costumes, masks, and jewellery, and Natural History Museum of coastal flora and fauna. The chief attraction is Botanical Garden, which surrounds the small summer palace of the Romanian Queen Marie. Euxinograd Palace, a royal summer residence built in 1882, and its wonderfully kept formal gardens resemble a French chateau set in beautiful wooded parkland which reaches down to a fine sandy beach.

14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Holland America Rotterdam

Sevastopol

10/6/2009 8:00:00 AM

10/6/2009 5:00:00 PM

Nestled between the sea and beautiful green valleys, Sevastopol, meaning “majestic city” in Greek, sits on hills forming a natural amphitheater overlooking magnificent Bakhtiarsky Bay. This city is laden with bays of astonishing beauty, impressive architectural ensembles, unique museums, charming gardens and attractive squares and boulevards. At Malakhov Kurgan, the command post of the first defense of Sevastopol, are remains of bastions which protected the city during its 200-year old history. An eternal flame burns in honor of Crimean and Soviet naval heroes. The city has a great military and naval history, and its people are proud of the title of Hero City earned for their valiant stand against Nazis during World War II. The State Historical and Archaeological Museum houses the heritage of a 2,500-year-old civilization, with relics of the city’s past. Among numerous other attractions is Balaklava, scene of long and bitter clashes in the Crimean War. Sevastopol Aquarium displays a vast array of fish and marine life from the waters of the Black Sea.

14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Holland America Rotterdam

Sochi

10/7/2009 12:00:00 PM

10/7/2009 8:00:00 PM

With the Caucasus Mountains as its backdrop, the Black Sea town of Sochi is the jewel of the Russian Riviera. Sand and pebble beaches stretch nearly 20 miles along the Black Sea coast. With its subtropical climate, warm seas and adjoining trendy resort complex of Dagomys, the resort has long attracted heads of state, foreign tourists, and Russians alike. Botanical Gardens, therapeutic pools, and the dachas (country houses) of the powerful and famous are all local landmarks. Historical and architectural monuments, unique flora and fauna, magnificent panoramas, mysterious canyons and caves, and dramatic waterfalls are all found in Sochi.

14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Holland America Rotterdam

At Sea

10/8/2009

10/8/2009

Every day at sea is packed with activities...from deck games to entertainment. Indulge yourself in a relaxing massage. Exercise. Shop at onboard boutiques. Take a dip in the pool. The day is yours. Indulge!

14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Holland America Rotterdam

Istanbul

10/9/2009 8:00:00 AM

10/9/2009

This exotic capital guards the slender waterway between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and is the doorway between the West and the East. The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Sarai await-as does the Grand Bazaar, laden with carpets, beaten brass and spices from far-off lands. A walk down any backstreet gives the feeling of entering a completely different environment. Traders with handcarts, stevedores carrying burdens twice their size, limbless beggars and shoeshine boys all frequent the streets around the city center. Men monopolize public bars and teahouses, while many women cover their heads, their gaze downcast. In summer, dust tracks take the place of pavements, giving way in winter to a slurry of mud. Where there are pavements, they are punctuated at intervals with unmarked pits large enough to swallow you without trace. And this is before you even begin to cross any bridges into Asia.

14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Holland America Rotterdam

Istanbul

10/10/2009

10/10/2009 11:00:00 AM

This exotic capital guards the slender waterway between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and is the doorway between the West and the East. The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Sarai await-as does the Grand Bazaar, laden with carpets, beaten brass and spices from far-off lands. A walk down any backstreet gives the feeling of entering a completely different environment. Traders with handcarts, stevedores carrying burdens twice their size, limbless beggars and shoeshine boys all frequent the streets around the city center. Men monopolize public bars and teahouses, while many women cover their heads, their gaze downcast. In summer, dust tracks take the place of pavements, giving way in winter to a slurry of mud. Where there are pavements, they are punctuated at intervals with unmarked pits large enough to swallow you without trace. And this is before you even begin to cross any bridges into Asia.

14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Holland America Rotterdam

Kusadasi

10/11/2009 7:00:00 AM

10/11/2009 8:00:00 PM

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.

14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Holland America Rotterdam

At Sea

10/12/2009

10/12/2009

Every day at sea is packed with activities...from deck games to entertainment. Indulge yourself in a relaxing massage. Exercise. Shop at onboard boutiques. Take a dip in the pool. The day is yours. Indulge!

14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Holland America Rotterdam

Ashdod

10/13/2009 6:00:00 AM

10/13/2009 8:00:00 PM

Ashdod is one of Israel’s largest ports and a living museum of ancient history. It was one of the five cities of giants, and it was here the Philistines brought the captured Holy Ark, sacred to the Hebrews. Ashdod’s 23-level tel (archaeological dig) lies southeast of the modern city. Among the remains of the 10th century CE Fatimid Fortress, archaeologists discovered an early Arabic document recounting Byzantine ships once brought Muslim prisoners to Ashdod to sell back to their families.

14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Holland America Rotterdam

At Sea

10/14/2009

10/14/2009

Every day at sea is packed with activities...from deck games to entertainment. Indulge yourself in a relaxing massage. Exercise. Shop at onboard boutiques. Take a dip in the pool. The day is yours. Indulge!

14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Holland America Rotterdam

Alexandria (Cairo)

10/15/2009 6:00:00 AM

10/15/2009 11:00:00 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.

14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Holland America Rotterdam

At Sea

10/16/2009

10/16/2009

Every day at sea is packed with activities...from deck games to entertainment. Indulge yourself in a relaxing massage. Exercise. Shop at onboard boutiques. Take a dip in the pool. The day is yours. Indulge!

14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Holland America Rotterdam

Athens (Piraeus)

10/17/2009 7:00:00 AM

10/17/2009

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.

14-night Black Sea & Egyptian Explorer Cruise Greece Cheap Cruise aboard the Holland America Rotterdam