Optional Pre Tour of
Venice-
Pre Day 1 -Feb
15
- Leave the US
Pre Day 2 -Feb
16
- Arrive in Venice! Upon
arrival you will be transferred to your 4* hotel to leave your bags and
then continue on to a wonderful ½ city tour to introduce you to the Island of Venice!!
This is a two-hour
walking tour highlighting all the important monuments, from San Marco Square to
the Rialto
Bridge. You'll learn the
history behind the famous landmarks, including the basilica's Byzantine heritage
and the adjoining prisons of the Doge's Palace. Plus, you'll visit the famed
basilica of St. Mark's without having to stand in long lines!
You will also enjoy a relaxing
cruise along the Grand Canal of Venice. Along the way you will learn the history
of the stunning palaces and churches that line the famous canal, as well as
anecdotes about the famous people who have resided on Venice's most important
'street'..
** Venice is subject to flash floods and
occasionally the Basilica is closed to the public (without notice) because of
high water or festivities. **
Pre Day 3 - Feb
17
- Enjoy breakfast at the hotel
before you are transfers to the cruise terminal for boarding!
Cruise Package
Day 1 -
Feb 16, 2011
Today depart Salt Lake City for Venice, Italy!
Day 2 - Feb 17, 2011 - Venice
Welcome
to Italy! Upon arrival transfer to the beautiful MSC Magnifica which will serve
as our home for the next 12 days! After boarding feel free to explore the ship
at your leisure.
For those who are interested, we will meet together tonight to
get to know others in our group and go over the exciting details of the days
ahead of us.
Day 3 - Feb 18, 2011 - Bari, Italy
This
morning sleep in and enjoy breakfast in your cabin or get up and going early.
Take a stroll around the deck or read in one of the lounges. It is all up to
you!
This afternoon our first port of call will be in Bari, Italy.
Situated in Italy's heel and famous for its beaches, hill towns and fabulous
food it is an increasingly popular tourist destination. Bari is the commercial
and administrative capital of Puglia. It is a university town and southern
Italy's second city. It's rich cosmopolitan past embracing Byzantine, Norman,
Arabic, Angevin and Pisan culture is reflected in the city's glorious
architecture.
Day 4 - Feb 19 , 2011
Enjoy a fun day at
sea. The ship has many fun public rooms to explore at your leisure!
There are 3 pools and classes to enjoy.
Day 5- Feb 20 , 2011 - Rhodes, Greece
Welcome to
Greece! This morning we will port in Rhodes, home of Helios, God of the Sun.
Rhodes is enchanting from its ancient walled city to the Temple of Lindos
overlooking the sea.
Tonight after dinner we will meet again as a group to discuss the
significance of the next port stops.
Day 6 - Feb 21 , 2011 - Alexandria, Egypt
This
morning we will arrive in Alexandria. The city, immortalizing Alexander's name,
quickly flourished into a prominent cultural, intellectual, political, and
economic metropolis, the remains of which are still evident to this day.
Alexandria lies north-west of the Nile delta and stretches along a narrow land
strip between the Mediterranean Sea and Lake Mariut (Mareotis). It is linked to
Cairo by two major highways and a railroad line.
LDS Shore Excursion - We
will drive through the Desert
Road to Cairo to visit
the archaeological site in Giza to see the magnificent pyramids of
Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinos. As you stand beside and even ON one of the
great pyramids you be amazed at the ability the ancient craftsmen who
built them. We will the get to see the Valley Temples and the Great Sphinx with the head
of pharaoh and a lion's body who sits guard after all these years. Lunch
will be included at we stop by a local restaurant and then continue to the
Egyptian
Museum which features
artifacts from the Pharaonic period. The museum displays a rare collection
of 5000 years of art which is considered the largest most precious collection of
Egyptian art in the World including that of the famous Tutankhamen collection of
treasure, gold, and jewelry which was enclosed in his tomb for over 3500
years!
Day 7 - Feb 22, 2011 - Limassol, Cypress
This
morning will be at your leisure onboard. This afternoon we will arrive in
Limassol which is not only the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love but
is also where the Apostle Paul lived and preached during his first missionary
journey. Walk on the path of the crusaders and marvel at the Byzantine frescoes,
temples and villas of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
LDS Shore Excursion -
This afternoon we will follow the footsteps of Paul, and Barnabas on
their first missionary journey as we travel from Limassol to Paphos the ancient
capital of the island of Cyprus. We will visit St Paul's Pillar where
Paul was bound and given 39 lashes as a punishment for preaching Christianity.
In Paphos, Paul encountered the
sorcerer and false prophet Bar-Jesus (Elymus), and in the power of God struck
him blind. As a result, Paul converted the governor to Christianity, making
Cyprus the first Christian state in
the world. Paphos is a treasure
trove of ancient archaeological sites and mesmerizing historical architecture.
In 1980 it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. We will see the
beautiful scenic site known as birthplace of Aphrodite, goddess of love and fertility
from Greek mythology; the
amazing mosaics of Paphos considered among the finest in the Eastern
Mediterranean; the Medieval Castle built by the Byzantines to guard
Paphos harbor; and the Tombs of the Kings, carved out of solid rock. Most
importantly we will walk where Paul had his first major mission success which
marked the beginning of the worldwide spread of Christianity.
Day8 - Feb 23 , 2011 - Haifa, Israel
Today we
will spend in Israel. We will port in Haifa which is the largest city in
Northern Israel. Built on the slopes of Mount Carmel, with a history dating back
to Biblical times. Over the centuries, the city has changed hands: It has been
conquered and ruled by the Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottomans, Egyptians,
and the British. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the
city has been governed by the Haifa Municipality. Today, the city is a major
seaport located on Israel's Mediterranean coastline in the Bay of Haifa. Located
about 56 miles north of Tel Aviv, it is the major regional center of northern
Israel.
LDS Shore Excursion- Today
we will celebrate Christ life as we visit his home village of Nazareth and then to his beloved Galilee where he bid us to follow him. As
we leave the port of Haifa the landscape of the Lower
Galilee will start to open to us. We will arrive in Nazareth and visit the
Church of the Annunciation where it is celebrated to be the site of Mary's home
where the Angel visited with her. As we pass by Cana we come to Tiberias
which is a lovely resort town along the Sea of
Galilee. We will stop at the Mt of Beatitudes and
remember the beloved sermon given there before we have a lunch stop. After
lunch we make our way to visit Capernaum where
Jesus lived and preformed miracles after being forced from Nazareth and see the
ancient synagogue where he taught. We will continue on to Tabgha, the
beloved site where the miracle of the fish and loaves happened, and finally to
the Jordan River where we remember Christ's
baptism by his cousin John.
Day 9- Feb 24 , 2011
Relaxing day at sea! At
this point of the cruise you might enjoy spending time at the SPA!!
Day 10 - Feb 25 , 2011- Olympia, Greece
Moving
back north again we will Venture to the birthplace of the Olympic Games in
Katakolon. With the stadium, the temples of Hera and Apollo you can visit the
Olympic museum, whose most popular attractions include Painios famous Victory
and Praxiteles Hermes.
Day 11 - Feb 26 , 2011 - Dubrovnik, Croatia
Today
we will port in one of the unsung cities of the Mediterranean, DUBROVNIK. It is
reputed to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. Upon his first
visit there, George Bernard Shaw said "Many writers and travelers remain
astonished by its charm, defining the town as the Adriatic Pearl, the Slav
Athens: a true paradise on Earth."
For those interested tonight after dinner we will meet one last time as a
group to review the sites we had the opportunity to visit and to discuss the
experiences and insights we have gained with each other.
Day 12 - Feb 27, 2011 - Trieste, Italy
Today
visit Trieste which lies on the sun kissed south facing shores of the Golfo de
Venezia with an extensive coastline of beautiful beaches along the Adriatic Sea.
A world away from the hubbub of Milan and offering an entirely different
experience to Venice, Trieste is a unique city where you can genuinely get away
from it all. Experience true Italian culture and it's many charms and history.
Thanks to the city's former role as the sole port of the otherwise-landlocked
Austro-Hungarian Empire, which housed a small fleet there. Today, Trieste is a
border town par excellence. The sights in Trieste include numerous examples of
Art Nouveau and neoclassical architecture from its Austrian past and Trieste
University.
Day 13 - Feb 28, 2011- Venice to airport
This
morning we will arrive into the port of Venice and be transferred to the airport
for our Delta flights back home!
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