23-Night Africa Cruise on Seven Seas Splendor

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Depart 7:00 pm

Before the 1960s, Abu Dhabi was only a bleak fishing and pearling village. Now everything is modern, sleek and shiny and makes up 85% of the total area of the UAE. It has become the richest and most politically important of the UAE's seven emirates. It is a big city for doing business and considered safe and secure for foreigners as long as you avoid demonstrations and political gatherings. It has been accused of being a soulless place, but to be honest it does have its attractions. Some key attractions are the Al-Hosn Palace used by the Cultural Foundation, the beautiful Capital Garden of the Corniche, and the Women's Craft Centre where you will be able to shop for some very detailed souvenirs.

CRUISING THE GULF OF OMAN

CRUISING THE ARABIAN SEA

Salalah, Oman

Arrive 9:00 am · Depart 6:00 pm

Like a magic carpet spread before the sea, Oman's coastal plain is one of the most fertile areas of Arabia. Famous since antiquity as the source of frankincense, Salalah was already a prosperous town when Marco Polo visited it in the 13th century! Inland rise the forbidding Al-Quar... Mountains, and the desolate "Empty Quarter" of central Saudi Arabia.

CRUISING THE ARABIAN SEA

CRUISING THE GULF OF ADEN

CRUISING THE RED SEA

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Arrive 8:00 am · Depart 8:00 pm

CRUISING THE RED SEA

Luxor/Karnak (Safaga), Egypt

Arrive 6:00 am

Luxor/Karnak (Safaga), Egypt

Depart 10:00 pm

Aqaba, Jordan

Arrive 11:30 am

Aqaba, Jordan

Depart 10:00 pm

SUEZ CANAL TRANSIT

SUEZ CANAL TRANSIT

Haifa, Israel

Arrive 6:00 am

A lovely seaport in its own right, Haifa is a departure point for Tel Aviv and Holy Land sightseeing. Jerusalem beckons with the Mount of Olives and the Western Wall. Jericho, Nazareth, Bethlehem, and the crusader city of Acre are also within reach.

Haifa, Israel

Depart 7:00 pm

A lovely seaport in its own right, Haifa is a departure point for Tel Aviv and Holy Land sightseeing. Jerusalem beckons with the Mount of Olives and the Western Wall. Jericho, Nazareth, Bethlehem, and the crusader city of Acre are also within reach.

Limassol, Cyprus

Arrive 7:00 am · Depart 4:00 pm

The birthplace of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, is nearby on this island - the third largest in Europe. Explore what is now called the Medieval Museum, a restored castle where Richard the Lionheart married in 1191. Visit a mosque, browse the local artisan shops and take in the natural and architectural delights of Cyprus.

Rhodes, Greece

Arrive 10:00 am · Depart 8:00 pm

Legend has it that Apollo blessed this isle with sunshine and beauty. True to the myths, the "Island of Roses" is rich in magnificent scenery and umbrella-lined beaches. Take an excursion to Lindos, where high on a hill rises an ancient acropolis dedicated to the goddess Athena. You will also want to see the medieval Old Town, once home to the Crusading Knights of St. John, and tour the Grand Master's Palace, an Italian restoration famed for its superb mosaic floors.

Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey

Arrive 7:00 am · Depart 4:00 pm

This charming, picturesque resort where Antony and Cleopatra used to vacation is best known as the port for the ancients ruins of Ephesus - one of the world's most wondrous archaeological sites. Explorations should include such masterpieces as the Great Amphitheatre, where St. Paul addressed the Ephesians, the Library of Celsus, and the temples of Athena and Apollo - all connected by marble streets rutted by the wheels of countless chariots.

Piraeus (Athens), Greece

Arrive 5:30 am · Depart 5:00 pm

Piraeus is the seaport for Athens, the capital of western civilization, which boasts a fantastic mix of classical ruins and vivacious modern life. In a single day, you can climb the hill of the Acropolis to wonder at the Parthenon, join the lively Athenians in Constitution Square, and then find a welcoming taverna for some spirited bizouki music, plenty of ouzo to drink, and with luck, energetic Greek dancing.

CRUISING THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

Sorrento, Italy

Arrive 9:30 am · Depart 6:30 pm

Some of Italy's most romantic villages cling to the dramatic slopes of the ruggedly beautiful Amalfi Coast. Sorrento's one so beautiful it inspired a song. Take a drive along the scenic coastal road. Or venture further, to the amazing ruins of Pompeii, uncovered from the ashes of Vesuvius, or to Capri, known as the "Island of Love."

Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

Arrive 6:00 am

The port of Civitavecchia is the gateway to The Eternal City, where all roads lead. Mad traffic careens past monuments of the great civilizations of the past. You will want to see it all: the soaring inspiration of St. Peter's, the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel; the flow of life along the Spanish Steps, the Coliseum, the Via Veneto and Trevi Fountain. Be sure to leave time for la dolce vita in one of the piazzas.