The Mystical Mediterranean (November 8-22, 2008)

Day 1 – Saturday, November 8, 2008
Depart Home Cities

Today we will depart from Calgary for an overnight flight via London, England to Barcelona, Spain.

Day 2 – Sunday, November 9, 2008
Barcelona, Spain

We will arrive in Barcelona late in the afternoon. After dinner we may chose to rest in preparation of a truly exciting itinerary that is planned for us.

Hotel: – Hotel Catalonia Barcelon Plaza

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Day 3 – Monday, November 10, 2008
Embark Celebrity Century

Today we will embark the beautiful cruise ship Celebrity ‘Century’ to begin our ‘voyage of discovery’. The ship will depart at 6:00 pm from Barcelona and we will sail the Mediterranean Sea overnight as we journey to our next wonderful destination.

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Day 4 – Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Marseille, France

One of the largest ports in Europe, Marseille is also regarded as France’s ’second’ city. It is a melting pot of commerce, culture and tourism and serves as the gateway to Provence. Marseille is also the oldest city in France, and today boasts one of the cosmopolitan populations in Europe. In the bay fronting Marseille are several islands, including the islet of If, site of the 16th-century Château d’If, mentioned in The Count of Monte Cristo by the French novelist Alexandre Dumas Père. Several forts protect the harbor, and on a high strip of land projecting west into the bay is the 19th-century Church of Notre Dame de la Garde, surmounted by a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary.

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Day 5 – Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Nice, France

Another fabulous day awaits us as we spend time in Nice, France. Located on a large bay in the Mediterranean Sea called the Baie des Anges (Bay of the Angels), Nice has a higher density of museums than many comparable French cities. The Old Town, beginning at the foot of “the Rock” and stretching out from Place Massenais is a maze of narrow streets, teeming with local life and studded with the least expensive restaurants in Nice. Here we can buy an onion pizza (la pissaladiere considered a local ‘delicacy’) from one of the local vendors, or perhaps we may enjoy a stroll along the famous pebble beach, which stretches for miles along the French coastline known as the French Riviera.

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Day 6 – Thursday, November 13, 2008
Florence / Piza, Italy

Today we may choose to visit two of the most world renowned sites in Italy. The cultural and historical impact of Florence (or Firenze) is overwhelming, however, the city is one of Italy’s most beautiful and pleasant, retaining a strong resemblance to the small late-medieval centre that contributed so much to the artistic and political development of Europe. Its striking buildings, formidable galleries and treasure-crammed churches attest to the Florentine love of display. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the monument that stirs the imagination of everybody, from the old to the young. The construction of this imposing mass was started in the year 1174, but when the tower had reached its third storey the works ceased because it had started sinking into the ground. The tower remained untouched for 90 years before being completed. The top of the Leaning Tower can be reached by mounting the 294 steps which rise in the form of a spiral on the inner side of the walls.

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Day 7 – Friday, November 14, 2008
Rome

Roma: The name inverts neatly to form amor (love). No wonder that a natural occurrence is to fall in love with Rome, the fabled Eternal City. For a mix of spectacular art, grand history, and exuberant street life, no other city comes close. We will have the chance to visit the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, Piazza del Popolo, as well as some of the heritage sights, such as the Pantheon the Vatican and the Colosseum.

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Day 8 – Saturday, November 15, 2008
Corsica, France

Today we find ourselves in Corsica. Corsica “always conquered, never subdued” has been successively Pisan and Genovese and has been French since 1768. It enjoys a special constitutional status. ‘Mountain in the sea’, Corsica is also called Island of beauty, not without reason. The diversity of its scenery, and its preservation from the aggressions of development and tourism, makes it one of the pearls of the Mediterranean Sea.

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Day 9 – Sunday, November 16, 2008
At sea

We will sail the Mediterranean Sea in a south westerly direction to our next destination. A day to relax and enjoy the many amenities the ship has to offer.

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Day 10 – Monday, November 17, 2008
Gibralter, UK Territory

Known as the the ‘Rock’, Gibraltar is located at the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula, where Europe meets Africa. Breathtaking scenery, wildlife and architecture, captures the unique flavour of this Mediterranean city. Off the southernmost tip of Spain, the tiny British colony of Gibraltar is a heady compound of curiosities. To the ancient Greeks and Romans, it was one of the two Pillars of Hercules, set up by the mythical hero to mark the edge of the known world. Today, it’s a little piece of the European continent populated mostly by Gibraltarians (of mixed Genoese, Jewish, Spanish and British ancestry), along with sizeable British and Moroccan minorities. Signs are in English but the languages spoken are English, Spanish and a curious mix of the two.

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Day 11- Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Casablanca, Morocco

‘Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world’, Ingrid Bergman had to walk into Humphrey Bogart’s in Casablanca. And ever since, Casablanca has been considered one of the most romantic places on earth. With its majestically faded architecture and dusty colonial boulevards, this Moroccan port city feels like a fossil of bygone days, which is exactly what makes it so enticing. Just the name of the city stirs a hint of spice in the nostrils. – the minute you set foot in the country of Morocco you will know you’ve arrived somewhere very different.

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Day 12 – Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tangier, Morocco

For decades, between 1920 and the late 1950’s, Tangier was a playground for adventure seekers and the rich and famous, attracting all those seeking a tax haven or a ‘different destination’, from authors to artists and spies to aristocrats. Regular visitors included the likes of Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams, and Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton. When Spain relinquished Tangier back to Morocco in 1960 its duty-free status went with it. Today visitors are discovering that it still has much to offer, from its palm-treed promenade and sandy beach to the old town section. An essential part of a visit to Tangier is to promenade along the beach, which extends along a curve for several miles.

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Day 13 – Thursday, November 20, 2008
At sea

Today we once again will sail the Mediterranean Sea, this time in a north westerly direction as we sail back to Barcelona, Spain. Perhaps this could be a day to relax and reflect on the many wondrous sights we have seen.

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Day 14 – Friday, November 21, 2008
Barcelona

Now we will disembark the ‘Century’, and after checking in to our hotel we will enjoy a tour of this magnificent city. Barcelona has transformed itself into one of the most dynamic and stylish cities in the world. In a privileged position on the northeastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula and the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain in both size and population. The rich history of Barcelona is pressed right between the aged walls and well-preserved facades of the city s architecture, which so well reflects the general approach to life in this always pulsating and reverberating city.

Hotel: – Hotel Catalonia Barcelon Plaza

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Day 15 – Saturday, November 22, 2008
Barcelona

This morning, after a short drive to the airport, we will depart from Barcelona to our home cities, no doubt with tales to tell of the memories we have made and the wonderful sights we have seen during ‘The Mystical Mediterranean’ cruise.

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FEATURES OF THIS PACKAGE:

RATES PER PERSON:

Inside Stateroom – $3,995.00 per person
Ocean View Stateroom – $4,295.00 per person
Balcony Stateroom – $4,795.00 per person

Rates are based on double occupancy.

The rates quoted are in Canadian currency and are those in effect at the time of printing – should the tariff or exchange rates vary at any time prior to date of your deposit we reserve the right to change the stated rates without notice.