Day 1 – Southampton (for London), England

Departs 04:30 pm.

The south of England boasts a dramatic coastline that encloses some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain. The landscape of hills and heaths, downs and forests, valleys and dales, is without rival. Southampton serves as your gateway to the countryside – and to a wide variety of historic sites, national landmarks and charming. And of course, London is a two-hour drive by modern highway. The United Kingdom’s premier passenger ship port, Southampton was home for many years to the great transatlantic liners of yesteryear.

Day 2 – At Sea

Day 3 – At Sea

Day 4 – Seville (Cadiz), Spain

Arrives 09:00 am, departs 06:00 pm.

Mention Spain and the images that inevitably spring to mind are images of Andalusia – shadows falling across the bullring, the staccato rhythms of flamenco, the waft of orange blossoms from a Moorish garden. Cadiz is your gateway to this storied land and the city of Seville. Visit Seville’s massive Alcazar fortress, modeled on the legendary Alhambra Palace of Granada. See the city’s cathedral, a 15th-century Gothic masterwork that boasts a Moorish patio, fountain and minaret. Seville is also the legendary home of Don Juan, Bizet’s Carmen and Rossini’s Barber of Seville.Cadiz is one’s of Europe’s oldest inhabited cities, dating from 1100 B.C., and your gateway to Seville and Andalusia.

Day 5 – At Sea

Day 6 – At Sea

Day 7 – Valletta, Malta

Arrives 09:30 am, departs 05:00 pm.

Malta is the largest in a group of seven islands that occupy a strategic position between Europe and Africa. The island’s history is long and turbulent. Everyone from the Normans to the Nazis have vied for control of this small, honey-colored rock. For centuries the island was the possession of the knightly Order of St. John – the Knights Hospitaller. Valletta, Malta’s current capital, was planned by the Order’s Grandmaster Jean de la Valette to secure the island’s eastern coast from Turk incursions. Founded in 1566, Valletta’s bustling streets are lined with superb Baroque buildings and churches.Malta has a long history: the megalithic stone temples at Gozo may be the oldest freestanding structures on Earth. Malta has two official languages, Maltese (constitutionally the national language) and English. Malta was admitted to the European Union in 2004 and in 2008 became part of the eurozone.

Day 8 – At Sea

Day 9 – At Sea

Day 10 – Limassol, Cyprus

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 06:00 pm.

Limassol offers everything a traveler desires in a Mediterranean destination. The second-largest city on Cyprus is surrounded by a wealth of historic sites ranging from the Greco-Roman ruins at Paphos and Curium to Crusader castles. The Troodos Mountains feature quaint villages, dramatic scenery and cool, dense pine forests. The island’s capital of Nicosia is a mere hour’s drive from the port. And for the casual visitor, Limassol offers its own medieval castle, a superb Public Garden, excellent beaches and that exhilarating Mediterranean light.Cyprus lies at the crossroads of the Eastern Mediterranean. Over centuries, every major power has contended for control of the island. Today, the Republic of Cyprus is a member of the European Union.

Day 11 – At Sea

Day 12 – Alexandria, Egypt

Arrives 07:00 am, departs 09:00 pm.

Day 13 – At Sea

Day 14 – Kusadasi, Turkey (for Ephesus)

Arrives 07:00 am, departs 05:00 pm.

From the port of Kusadasi on Turkey’s Anatolian Coast, one travels into the past. Nearby stand the ruins of ancient Ephesus, a major site of archeological excavation. The city was once a Roman provincial capital and trading center. Ephesus is also home to several of Christendom’s holiest sites. St. Paul preached at the Great Theater and the ruins of Ephesus’ Basilica cover the tomb of Christ’s most beloved disciple, St. John the Apostle.In Kusadasi, whitewashed stone houses rise in tiers behind the market district. The palm-lined esplanade is the center of town life, with thousands of merchants offering wares to rival the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

Day 15 – Athens (Piraeus), Greece

Arrives 07:00 am, departs 05:00 pm.

The past maintains a vibrant presence in the cradle of Western civilization. Atop the Acropolis, the serene Parthenon sails above the commotion of the modern city. The tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides were performed in the Theater of Dionysus at the foot of the Acropolis. On Pnyx Hill, citizens of a fledgling democracy gathered to cast their votes on Athens’ destiny. Then there is the hustle and bustle of the modern city, a metropolis of 4.5 million that spreads out from the foot of Mt. Lycabettus and across the plain. Packed with busy shops and lively tavernas, modern Athens is a colorful counterpoint to classical Greece. Piraeus is the port city for Athens and has been Athens’ port of entry for over two millennia.

Day 16 – Katakolon (for Olympia) , Greece

Arrives 10:00 am, departs 06:00 pm.

Day 17 – At Sea

Day 18 – Palermo, Italy

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 04:00 pm.

Day 19 – At Sea

Day 20 – Alicante, Spain

Arrives 09:00 am, departs 05:00 pm.

Day 21 – At Sea

Day 22 – Lisbon, Portugal

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 04:00 pm.

Draped across seven hills, Lisbon was once the center of a vast maritime empire that stretched from the west coast of Africa to the Spice Islands of the East Indies. Then, on November 1, 1755, a violent earthquake destroyed two-thirds of the city in the space of 10 minutes. Only the Alfama, the old Moorish quarter, survived. Today, Lisbon is a stately city of Neoclassical buildings and wide plazas.

Day 23 – At Sea

Day 24 – At Sea

Day 25 – Southampton (for London), England

Arrives 06:30 am.

The south of England boasts a dramatic coastline that encloses some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain. The landscape of hills and heaths, downs and forests, valleys and dales, is without rival. Southampton serves as your gateway to the countryside – and to a wide variety of historic sites, national landmarks and charming. And of course, London is a two-hour drive by modern highway. The United Kingdom’s premier passenger ship port, Southampton was home for many years to the great transatlantic liners of yesteryear.