Journeys of Paul

Join us for 2-night pre-cruise tour of Venice & Slovenia or fly into Trieste, Italy and meet us onboard the ship.

We visit two sixth century basilicas that are famous for their mosaics portraying many ancient temple symbols. The first is the Basilica di Sant'Apollinare which was consecrated in 549 A.D. This Basilica is located in Classe. We go to Ravenna and walk to the entrance of the Basilica of San Vitale while our guide tells us about the rich history of the area. We see the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the second basilica. Time permitting, we visit the part of town where Dante Alighieri, the famous Italian poet, lived and was buried. We have time on our own to explore Ravenna, before we board our bus for our return to the ship. $70 if paying by check.

We begin with a short bus ride to Trogir. There we stroll through the historical center taking in sights such as Karmelengo Catle & St. Marco's Tower, the main piazza, several nobleman palaces, the town hall, convents and monasteries. Time permitting; we go inside of St. Lawrence Cathedral where we see some of the finest Romanesque and renaissance sculptures of Croatia. We may have the opportunity to do some shopping or grab a snack. We return to Split where we focus on the history of Emperor Diocletian as we tour Diocletian's Palace, including 4 palace gates, Peristill, Bestibul, Mausoleum and Jupiter's Temple. We visit Diocletian's Mausoleum which has been repurposed as a cathedral & baptistry. Following this, we make our way back to the ship on foot, an easy 15 minute walk, or spend more time exploring Split on our own. $75 if paying by check.

We explore the Old City of Dubrovnik on foot. Our guide makes sure we see all of the major sites including the Old Town Pile Gate, Onofrio's Fountain, the Franciscan Monastery, Sponza Palace, Saint Blaise Church, the Recot's Palace, Assumption Cathedral and Old Town port. We enjoy some time on our own to walk around the city. We visit the old mill and wool pounding facility where we are be greeted by girls wearing traditional Konavle clothes. We sample various local sweet products and juices. We watch a demonstration of the watermill and wool pounding as we learn about the history of the watermill. We enjoy a small plate of prosciutto, bread and cheese. We drive to Cavtat and admire the beautiful homes and churches. We have the chance to walk up a hill and admire the view of Dubrovnik and surrounding islands. $130 if paying by check. A light snack is included.

Our bus picks us up from the cruise port and takes us on a scenic drive to Paleokastritsa, one of the most picturesque villages on the island. There we have an opportunity to see Monastery of Theotokos. We drive to Kanoni where we stop for the famous view of Mouse Island or Pontikonisi. Following our time there, we return to Corfu and enjoy strolling through the old Corfu town taking in sights such as the old fortress and the Liston district. After our time in Corfu, we return to the cruise ship. $60 if paying by check.

We be picked up from the old port of Fira where we take a water taxi to Athinios port and our bus. We enjoy a guided walk through the quiet, picturesque village of Magalochori. Following our visit, we drive to Profitis Ilias, the highest point on the island, for a scenic photo stop. Our next stop be the Monolithos Black Beach (no swimming) where we have a short time to enjoy the water and beach. We then journey to Oia, the northern most village where we see the classic blue domed buildings, the ruins of a Venetian castle and admire the breathtaking view over the caldera. We have time on our own to explore or eat. We take in any sights we might have missed as we enjoy the journey back to the port. $105 if paying by check.

Our tour takes us to one of the most impressive archaeological sites in the world, Ephesus. We tour the terrace houses that are part of the Ephesus site. We see the Odeon, the marble street where Paul held daily discussions, the Library of Celcus, the Temple of Hadrian and the great theater. We spend several hours strolling through this site. Following this we board the bus for a quick photo stop at the Artemision or Temple of Artemis. We return to the port at Kusadasi and you have the option of remaining on land for shopping or boarding the ship and relaxing. $70 if paying by check.

Our day begins with a visit to the Hippodrome, once a huge stadium seating over 100,000 chariot race spectators. We walk from there to the famous Blue Mosque built between 1609 -1616. We visit the domed Basilica of St. Sophia, one of the oldest standing churches in the world. Our next destination is the Topkapi Palace which served as the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for about 400 years. It is home to many holy relics. We examine the Basilica Cistern, the largest of the cisterns running underneath Istanbul. We feast on authentic Turkish cuisine. After lunch, we stroll through the Grand Bazaar. It is truly an experience not to be missed. $120 if paying by check. Lunch is included.

We take a short water taxi ride from the port to the town of Mykonos. We have a guided walking tour of the city with some time to explore on our own. We then board our coach for a tour of the island. We enjoy beautiful vistas including a photo stop as we make our way inland to the village of Ano Mera and its 16th century monastery. Following our time in Ano Mera, we tour a local dairy where we meet the producer, learn about the history of his operation and enjoy a sampling of his cheeses and other local products. We then return to the ship. $70 if paying by check. A light snack is included.

We start our day with a one-hour scenic bus ride to visit ancient Corinth where Paul arrived in 51 AD. We take a look at the Corinth Canal and enjoy lunch featuring authentic Greek cuisine. We head back to Athens where we visit Acropolis Hill including the Parthenon, Erechtheion, Temple of Athena Nike and more. We also be see Mars Hill where Paul once preached. We drive by other interesting sites as we make our way to our hotel. The hotel is right across the street from the airport making it easy for those with early flights. $325 if paying by check, based on double occupancy. Lunch and 1-night hotel stay are included.