12-night Europe Cruise Mediterranean Cheap Cruise

Cruise Itinerary for 12-night Europe Cruise Mediterranean

Rome (Civitavecchia)

10/17/2008

10/17/2008 7:00:00 PM

Civitavecchia is the port city for Rome. Rome has always been and remains the Eternal City. With its splendid churches, ancient monuments and palaces, spacious parks, tree-lined boulevards, fountains, outdoor cafés and elegant shops, Rome is one of the world’s most attractive cities. Among the most famous monuments is the Colosseum where spectators watched combats between muscled gladiators and ferocious animals. Stop to see the remains of the Forum, once a political and commercial center. Rome’s squares were enhanced with such imposing structures as the Vittorio Emanuele Monument and grandiose fountains like the Fontana di Trevi. Awe at Christendom’s most magnificent church, the Sistine Chapel. The busy square Piazza Venezia is easily recognized by its imposing Vittorio Emanuele II Monument. Take a stroll to Rome's famous Trevi Fountain. Vatican City is the site of lovely St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica, where for 200 years, Renaissance masters worked on its design and created an unparalleled masterpiece. Visit Vatican Museum.

12-night Europe Cruise Mediterranean Cheap Cruise aboard the Carnival Carnival Splendor

Naples

10/18/2008 7:00:00 AM

10/18/2008 6:00:00 PM

From Naples visitors can explore the rugged Amalfi coast, Italy's most romantic stretch of coastline. Near Amalfi is the resort of Positano, where visitors enjoy strolling through streets and shopping in small boutiques. Take an excursion to legendary Pompeii, an ancient Roman city covered and preserved by the debris from the violent eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The monuments of this city are considered to be among the finest of any ancient city in Europe, and visitors can spend a day here learning about life in a Roman town during the first century A.D. The Cathedral of San Gennaro, a fine medieval building, has one chapel containing the tomb of Charles of Anjou, while another houses the cathedral's gold and silver treasure. Among the Christian underground burial vaults discovered in an area of suburban heights, the Catacombs of San Gennaro can be visited. Capodimonte Park - a well-kept tropical park - has a royal palace built by Charles III in 1738 that now houses Naples' picture gallery, the National Museum of Capodimonte.

12-night Europe Cruise Mediterranean Cheap Cruise aboard the Carnival Carnival Splendor

At Sea

10/19/2008

10/19/2008

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!

12-night Europe Cruise Mediterranean Cheap Cruise aboard the Carnival Carnival Splendor

Marmaris

10/20/2008 11:00:00 AM

10/20/2008 6:00:00 PM

Despite the many tourists, Marmaris has managed to retain its charm. Marmaris is in the deep recesses of a pretty bay, framed by pine-clad mountains. The sheltered harbor provides ideal anchorage for boats, which are protected from the stiff breezes out at sea. Secluded coves around Marmaris offer nice beaches with hotels and resorts. Many visitors use Marmaris as a starting point for trips to Caunos, an important ancient city famed for its rock tombs. Attractions include the statue of Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic. Also interesting to see is Menzilhane, an Ottoman version of a pony express station, dating back to the days of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, who ordered the station built in 1545. Beyond that, one can spend a lazy day in the sun or join locals and fellow visitors in a waterfront taverna. It's fun to stroll along the palm-lined waterfront promenade. Approximately 10 minutes away are good, sandy beaches, backed by green mountains. The clear waters of the Aegean are ideal for swimming and watersports, including scuba diving offered at Hotel Mares.

12-night Europe Cruise Mediterranean Cheap Cruise aboard the Carnival Carnival Splendor

Izmir

10/21/2008 9:00:00 AM

10/21/2008 4:00:00 PM

Izmir is a major seaport in western Turkey, on the Aegean Sea and is the gateway to Ephesus and Sardis. Ephesus is one of the ancient world's largest and most important archaeological and religious sites. Some of the site's most significant structures included the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Basilica of St. John, where the Apostle is buried and the House of the Virgin Mary. Other highlights include the Great Amphi-theatre where St Paul was arrested, Kuretes Street and the Library of Celsus. Sardis was an ancient city of Asia Minor, and the recently uncovered remains lie to the north-east of Izmir. The city attained its greatest prosperity during the reign of Croesus, king of Lydia, and after his overthrow in 546 BC by Cyrus the Great of Persia, it became the western capital of the Persian Empire.

12-night Europe Cruise Mediterranean Cheap Cruise aboard the Carnival Carnival Splendor

Istanbul

10/22/2008 9:00:00 AM

10/22/2008 8:00:00 PM

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.

12-night Europe Cruise Mediterranean Cheap Cruise aboard the Carnival Carnival Splendor

At Sea

10/23/2008

10/23/2008

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!

12-night Europe Cruise Mediterranean Cheap Cruise aboard the Carnival Carnival Splendor

Athens

10/24/2008 6:00:00 AM

10/24/2008 5:00:00 PM

Even though you've probably come here to see the "glory that was Greece," perhaps best symbolized by the Parthenon and the superb statues and vases in the National Archaeological Museum, allow some time to make haste slowly in Athens. Your best moments may come sitting at a small cafe, sipping a tiny cup of the sweet sludge that the Greeks call coffee, or getting hopelessly lost in the Plaka -- only to find yourself in the shady courtyard of an old church, or suddenly face to face with an ancient monument you never knew existed. With only a little advance planning, you can find a good hotel here, eat well in convivial restaurants, enjoy local customs such as the refreshing afternoon siesta and the leisurely evening volta (promenade or stroll) -- and leave Athens planning to return, as the Greeks say, tou chronou (next year).

12-night Europe Cruise Mediterranean Cheap Cruise aboard the Carnival Carnival Splendor

Katakolon

10/25/2008 8:00:00 AM

10/25/2008 3:00:00 PM

Katakolon is a port admired for beautiful beaches. Equally important, Katakolon is the gateway to Olympia, the great Panhellenic sanctuary. The site of ancient Olympia is situated at the foot of wooded Mount Kronos in an area of gentle hills; excavations began in 1875 and are considered one of archaeology’s great achievements. A direct consequence was the revival of Olympic Games by Baron Pierre de Coubertin; the first modern games were held in Athens in 1896. Today, visitors to Olympia are overwhelmed by the impact of ancient remains and their significance. The site’s most important excavations include numerous monuments, such as Temple of Zeus in the Sacred Precinct, Treasuries, and Stadium. There is an excellent Archaeological Museum with a large collection of bronzes, pottery and sculptures unearthed during the excavations. The main reason for a visit to Katakolon is the trip to Olympia. Those guests who wish to remain in Katakolon will enjoy its unhurried atmosphere and the friendliness of the people.

12-night Europe Cruise Mediterranean Cheap Cruise aboard the Carnival Carnival Splendor

At Sea

10/26/2008

10/26/2008

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!

12-night Europe Cruise Mediterranean Cheap Cruise aboard the Carnival Carnival Splendor

Florence/Pisa (Livorno)

10/27/2008 7:00:00 AM

10/27/2008 7:00:00 PM

Livorno serves as a convenient gateway to Tuscany - which is known for classic landscapes and lush vineyards. Visitors come to see great art centers of Florence, Lucca and Pisa - where names like Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Boticelli, da Vinci, Donatello and Dante come to mind. Pisa is known for its brilliant monuments, which include the 11th-century Cathedral, the Baptistery and the leaning Bell Tower. Lucca is one of the most handsome Romanesque cities in Europe. Its historic center features several fine old churches and lovely squares. Lucca is also known as home of composer Giacomo Puccini, whose birthplace is now a museum. Walking in the historic center, shopping in its elegant stores and enjoying a meal of renowned Tuscan cuisine are some highlights of this area. Downtown Livorno has a fine local market and a variety of fine shops and restaurants. Sights include the 14th-century Loggia della Signoria assembly hall in Florence; the Uffizi Gallery, which houses one of the world's famed museums and the Accademia best-known for Michelangelo's sculptures.

12-night Europe Cruise Mediterranean Cheap Cruise aboard the Carnival Carnival Splendor

Rome (Civitavecchia)

10/28/2008 6:00:00 AM

10/28/2008

Civitavecchia is the port city for Rome. Rome has always been and remains the Eternal City. With its splendid churches, ancient monuments and palaces, spacious parks, tree-lined boulevards, fountains, outdoor cafés and elegant shops, Rome is one of the world’s most attractive cities. Among the most famous monuments is the Colosseum where spectators watched combats between muscled gladiators and ferocious animals. Stop to see the remains of the Forum, once a political and commercial center. Rome’s squares were enhanced with such imposing structures as the Vittorio Emanuele Monument and grandiose fountains like the Fontana di Trevi. Awe at Christendom’s most magnificent church, the Sistine Chapel. The busy square Piazza Venezia is easily recognized by its imposing Vittorio Emanuele II Monument. Take a stroll to Rome's famous Trevi Fountain. Vatican City is the site of lovely St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica, where for 200 years, Renaissance masters worked on its design and created an unparalleled masterpiece. Visit Vatican Museum.

12-night Europe Cruise Mediterranean Cheap Cruise aboard the Carnival Carnival Splendor

Rome (Civitavecchia)

10/29/2008

10/29/2008

Civitavecchia is the port city for Rome. Rome has always been and remains the Eternal City. With its splendid churches, ancient monuments and palaces, spacious parks, tree-lined boulevards, fountains, outdoor cafés and elegant shops, Rome is one of the world’s most attractive cities. Among the most famous monuments is the Colosseum where spectators watched combats between muscled gladiators and ferocious animals. Stop to see the remains of the Forum, once a political and commercial center. Rome’s squares were enhanced with such imposing structures as the Vittorio Emanuele Monument and grandiose fountains like the Fontana di Trevi. Awe at Christendom’s most magnificent church, the Sistine Chapel. The busy square Piazza Venezia is easily recognized by its imposing Vittorio Emanuele II Monument. Take a stroll to Rome's famous Trevi Fountain. Vatican City is the site of lovely St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica, where for 200 years, Renaissance masters worked on its design and created an unparalleled masterpiece. Visit Vatican Museum.

12-night Europe Cruise Mediterranean Cheap Cruise aboard the Carnival Carnival Splendor