10 Night Footsteps of Faith in the Holy Lands Yacht Cruise from Athens Return

pend long moments in quiet reflection among uncrowded exhibits and holy places during this 10-day cruise featuring excursions in Greece, Israel, and Egypt.

Departure date: 27 October 2020
Embark port: Athens (Piraeus) Greece
Cruise line: Windstar Cruises
Ship: Star Legend

Deal Inclusions

10-Night yacht cruise aboard Star Legend.
All meals, in all venues
Non-alcoholic beverages, including specialty tea and coffee drinks
Beautifully appointed ocean view stateroom or suite
Plush bathrobes and slippers
Fresh flowers and fruit in your stateroom or suite
Marble finished baths (power yachts only)
Flat screen TV and DVD player
Spectacular onboard deck barbecue
Onboard entertainment, including local performances in most regions
Fully equipped Watersports Platform, use of all water sports equipment included
Access to the Open Bridge
Champagne Welcome Reception
Beautiful Sail Away from every port
Port taxes and government fees.

Highlights:
Take the opportunity to go on an overland into Jerusalem from Ashdod
From Port Said take an overland to Cairo and the Egyptian Pyramids for a full day visit
Haifa is the gateway to an overland overnight to Petra and the Dead Sea
Find the historical sites of Alexandria, including the Roman Amphitheater, the Pharos Lighthouse and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Discover the Minoan Knossos Palace on Crete
Tour the Paphos Archaeological Park, a UNESCO site

Cruise Description

10 Night Cruise sailing from Athens roundtrip aboard Star Legend.

Spend long moments in quiet reflection among uncrowded exhibits and holy places during this 10-day cruise featuring excursions in Greece, Israel, and Egypt. Choose from a selection of excursions to fit your interests, including an overnight overland option in Israel. Embark from Piraeus, a brief distance from the Parthenon atop the Acropolis. Ride a donkey and learn Cypriot traditions in Paphos, a small port city in southwest Cyprus where ancient Greeks believed Aphrodite, arose from the sea. Stay overnight in Haifa for visits to the Golan Heights and Galilee, or venture overland on an unforgettable overnight tour of Petra, Masada and the Dead Sea. Explore the narrow streets of Jerusalem, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem or art, architecture, and artifacts at the Ilana Goor Museum in Old Jaffa. Spend a day in Cairo or around the Pyramids of Giza, the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, and Khan El Khalili Bazaar. Wake the next day and venture overland to Alexandria and the Bibliotheca Aexandrina, Qait Bay Fort, the Roman Amphitheater, and your waiting ship. Amble among weather blocks, painted pillars and 9,000-year-old relics within the ruins of the Knossos Palace on Crete. This exceptional journey concludes back where you started in Piraeus.

Highlights of this cruise:

Athens
With 3,000 years of history, you can’t turn around in Athens without encountering the past. The Acropolis, a UNESCO site, the Plaka, and the Acropolis Museum are must-sees. But leave time if you can to climb Pnyx Hill for photos of the Parthenon at sunset, to buy your own set of Greek komboloi (worry beads), and to explore the metro stations that serve as mini-museums for the relics that are constantly being unearthed.

Haifa
The major seaport of Haifa has many fascinating sites like Elijah’s Cave, a pilgrimage site for believers, the Stella Maris Church and Monastery, located near the Cave, Muhraka, now a Carmelite monastery on the site where Elijah the Prophet defeated the prophets of Baal, and the Bahai Shrine, a lovely gold-domed shrine where the remains of Said Ali Muhammad, one of the two founders of the Bahai religion are buried. Three gardens of note are The Remembrance Garden, Gan Ha’em, situated in the Carmel Center, and the Sculpture Garden, where 22 bronze statues overlook the striking bay area and landscape. Here is your gateway to Petra with an overnight tour.

Ashdod
Ashdod is one of the most ancient cities in the world. Visit the Korin Maman Museum, which has a permanent archaeology exhibition called “Philistian World,” Climb to Giv’at Yonah, the highest point of the city at 492 feet, with a city lighthouse atop and named after the prophet Jonah, believed to be buried there. Ashdod is your gateway to Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, the Western Wall and the Temple Mount.

Alexandria
Egypt’s second-largest city and largest seaport is an important tourist resort, founded around 331 B.C. by Alexander the Great. The constant warring in the region destroyed most of the ancient buildings but Pompey’s Pillar, located on Alexandria’s acropolis, still stands a tall 99 feet high since 297 A.D., and the catacombs known as Kom el-Shoqafa consist of a multiple-level labyrinth of chambers and tunnels unique in their decoration and layout. Other sites to see include El Montazah Palace, built in 1892, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, El-Mursi Abul-Abbas Mosque, built in 1774 over the tomb of a famous 13th century saint, and Attaring Mosque, originally a church and converted to a mosque.

Terms & Conditions

Cruise costs are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD). Offer subject to availability at time of booking. Prices are per person share twin based on best available cruise fare, inclusive of all discounts unless otherwise stated. Subject to availability and currency fluctuations. All fares and taxes are subject to change without notice up until full payment is received. Itinerary may be subject to change. Credit card payments will incur a fee. Cruise deposit, amendment and cancellation conditions apply. Travel agent service fees may apply. Special conditions apply - please ask for full details at time of enquiry. Cruise Line reserves the right to re-instate the fuel supplement for all guests up to US$9 per person per day if the price of light sweet crude on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) exceeds US$70 per barrel. Please consult cruise line website for current information.