Great Pyramid of Giza
Temple of Artemis
The Colosseum
May 9th - July 10th
Ultimate Middle East
& Med Cruise
Ancient Civilizations,
Fresh Adventures
Departing from Dubai, where dynamic high-rises meet gold souks and desert sands, make for new horizons on this extraordinary 63-night vacation, which takes in 44 astounding destinations. Cutting through the heart of the Middle East, unwind on Oman’s wild beaches, be wowed by rose-hued Petra before taking in Egypt’s ancient treasures. Explore the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Eastern Med, visiting Cypriot castles and Turkey’s Temple of Artemis. At the shores of the Black Sea, admire Bulgaria’s Byzantine architecture, Romania’s vineyards, Odessa’s museums and Istanbul’s cosmopolitan culture. Travel to Bodrum’s honey-colored sands and the rugged Greek Islands, ringed by the ultramarine Aegean Sea. Finally, discover the best of the Eastern Mediterranean including Venice’s waterways, the walled city of Dubrovnik, the Colosseum in Italy, before soaking up the glamor of the French Riviera, and Gaudi’s surreal architecture in Barcelona, where this segment ends.
Amenities
Included in your adventure
Wash & fold service
Deluxe beverage package
Voom Surf & stream
Gratuities
May 9th - July 10th
Arabian Delights
Age-old Sites
Enjoy the life-changing sights
Brand New
Adventures
The discovery of oil in Dubai in the 1960s transformed this fishing settlement-turned trading port into a modern metropolis where five-star hotels and swish restaurants rub up against traditional gold souks. In Oman’s Salalah, discover how this city sandwiched between the Dhofar Mountains and the Arabian Sea was shaped by fragrant frankincense. Walk through the past in Jordan’s Petra, an astonishing Nabataean City carved into sandstone cliffs, and in Egypt, where magnificent, ancient monuments such as the Pyramids of Giza still stand. The Holy City of Jerusalem in Israel remains of major significance in Judaism, Islam and Christianity today, and this epicenter of faith has a wealth of sacred sites to uncover including the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, believed to be the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection.
With well-preserved ancient cities and monuments, the birthplace of three major religions, and cosmopolitan cities, culture in the Middle East and North Africa is broad and varied. Superlatives reign supreme in Dubai, where malls and modern skyscrapers mix with mysterious desert and a strong Islamic identity. Art - considered an expression of the divine in Islam - is woven into life here; head to the Miraj Islamic Art Centre, to wonder at intricately-woven Persian textiles, precious Mughal-era jewelry and gracefully fluid Arabic calligraphy. Grand landmarks writ large across sun-baked desert landscapes - Petra’s dusky-pink 4th-century temples and sandstone facades, and the Great Pyramids of Giza - remain a lasting legacy of Jordan’s ancient Arab tribes and Egypt’s Great Pharaohs. And, no matter your religion, it’s impossible not to be moved in storied Jerusalem, which remains an important pilgrimage site for many today.
Shaped by North Africa, the Middle East, Persia and Mediterranean influences, you can look forward to mouthwatering chargrilled meats, cleverly-spiced, pulse-packed dips, and perfectly-baked flatbreads here. While global Dubai is known for its luxurious global restaurants, meat, fish and rice are Emerati staples; don’t miss shawarma - spit-roasted meat served in pita bread, followed by lugaimat - sugary, fried saffron and cardamon-spiced dough balls. Falafel’s common across the Middle East, but Jordan’s deep-fried mini chickpea, cumin, garlic and parsley patties have garnered a reputation as the region’s best. In Egypt, start the day with ful medames a creamy fava bean stewed with olive oil and tahini, seasoned with cumin, lemon and garlic that’s been around since the pharaohs’ days. For dessert try delicate rosewater-flavored rice dessert mahalabiya and kanefeh a syrup-soaked cake made from spun shredded wheat filled with cream and nuts.
From Dubai’s modern Burj Al Arab, a steel, concrete and glass superstructure, inspired by the sail of a traditional Arabian fishing dhow, to ancient World Wonder the mighty Pyramids of Giza and the desert canyons of Rose City Petra, opportunities to immerse yourself in mesmerizing architectural landmarks just keep coming. Soar into the clouds at the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, experience sensory overload at spice-filled souks, shop in vast malls or take in beachy sunsets in Dubai. Visit 4th-century ruins Sumharam and the Frankincense museum in Oman to uncover the ongoing influence of this aromatic resin. Hop between holy sites in Jerusalem, including Islamic shrine the Dome of the Rock, famed for its gold-plated dome, the Western - or Wailing - Wall, Judaism’s holiest prayer sites, where pilgrims can be seen writing prayers on paper and placing them in the wall’s cracks.
Pyramids of Giza
May 9th - July 10th
Contrasts and
Coast
The Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea
Sun, Sea
& Antiquities
With well-preserved ruins which hark back to ancient Greek and Roman times, the Eastern Mediterranean combines impressive landmarks with alluring, sun-kissed coastline. In Limassol, explore the ruins of Kolossi Castle and ancient Kourion, which dates back to Roman times. Discover the Golden Age of Greek history, Byzantine Churches and 19th-century neoclassical elegance in Athens, and learn how it was instrumental in shaping democracy, philosophy, science and literature as we know it. Admire the ruins of ancient Greek city Ephesus in Turkey, and as you travel through the Black Sea, see Roman mosaics in Romania, walk along neoclassical boulevards in Odessa, uncover historic East-West trade route the Great Silk Road, and the 4th century cliffside Sumela Monastery, in Turkey’s Trabzon, before taking in minarets and bazaars in Istanbul. The Greek Islands bring historical highs in the form of Crete’s Minoan Palace, Akrotiri on Santorini, a Bronze Age settlement preserved in ash following a volcanic eruption, and birthplace of the Olympic Games, Olympia.
While ancient treasures abound in this region, there’s plenty of contemporary culture too. As well as an archeology museum with an excellent pottery collection, Limassol’s silky-sand beaches give way to a glamorous marina which hums with restaurants and bars. Wonder at ancient ships at the Naval Museum, and Bronze Age sculptures at the Piraeus Archaeological Museum, before relaxing at a classic taverna in the picturesque port of Mikrolimano. Whilst passing through the Black Sea, don’t miss renowned arts hub, the Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater, or the mind-bending optical illusion of the Potemkin Steps. Istanbul’s architecture is staggering, and the sight of Ottoman-era Blue Mosque, and Byzantine wonder the Hagia Sophia are sure stop you in your tracks. Embrace the slow pace of village life and outdoor pursuits on the Greek Islands, getting to sun-drenched sands - such as Mykonos’ Kalafati Beach - and Italianate architecture, fishing villages and olive groves in Corfu.
Mediterranean cuisine, characterized by the ‘Mediterranean Trinity’ of exquisite olive oil, bread and wine, utilizes seafood, fresh fruit and vegetables in abundance. Locally-grown produce, and a culture which delights in gathering to eat with friends and family, makes for a wonderful culinary experience. Limassol’s renowned for clams and mussels, famed Cypriot cheese halloumi, and ttavas, a lamb, rice and vegetable stew, seasoned with cumin and cooked in a clay pot. Feta cheese gets top billing in Greece; try feta me meli (baked and wrapped in filo pastry) or sprinkled atop a classic Greek Salad with Kalamata olives. Also don’t miss souvakli - skewers of chargrilled meat and vegetables, and oven-baked aubergine and tomato classic moussaka. Indulge a sweet tooth with Turkish baklava - sheets of syrup-soaked filo pastry sprinkled with pistachios. Signature Black Sea dishes include Odessa’s plov, or pilaf, rice cooked in seasoned broth with mussels, banitsa, a moreish crispy Bulgarian filo and cheese pastry, and Romania’s ciorbă de burtă, tripe soup.
Along the way, lounge on Limassol’s Blue Flag beaches, then shop for intricate traditional lace along Agiou Andreou Street. Try your hand at windsurfing on blustery Burgas beach in Bulgaria, dive down into the bluer-than-blue waters of the Aegean from Santorini’s red and black sandy beaches, before soaring by cable car to cathedral-filled capital Fira. Embark on subterranean explorations in Odessa’s catacombs, explore along Istanbul’s historic underground funicular the Tunel, or hop aboard a traditional gulet boat to explore Bodrum’s sparkling bays. Wonder at mosaics in Thessoloniki’s Rotunda of St George, get blown away by scenic windmills and watery thrills in surf, scuba and sailing hotspot Mykonos, venture into the Samarai Gorge - Europe’s second-largest canyon - which cuts through Crete’s towering White Mountains, and take the train through Olympia’s olive grove and vineyard-covered hills.
Mykonos, Greece
May 9th - July 10th
State
of
the Arts
The Western Mediterranean and the Adriatic
Cradles
of Creativity
Packed with spectacular age-old landmarks and grand architecture, history comes thick and fast in the Western Med and the Adriatic. Journeying through Italy, wonder at the Colosseum and Pantheon - ancient reminders of Rome’s time as world’s largest empire - and wander Pompeii’s ruins, frozen-in-time after Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79AD. Against the bold blues and powder-white sands of the Adriatic, admire Slovenia’s Venetian-influenced buildings, the 4th-century pizazz of Split’s Diocletian's Palace, Dubrovnik’s dramatic Old Town, and Montenegro’s mighty forts. Whether genning up on the Knights of Malta in Valletta, discovering Napoleon’s childhood in Corsica, cruising along the French Riviera to Mallorca - where Arab and Balearic influences meet - or reveling in Gaudi’s masterpieces in Barcelona, you’ll be enthralled by history at every stop on this story-filled vacation.
The legacy of the Renaissance - a cultural movement borne in 14th-century Italy, which spread throughout Europe shaping intellectual life, art, architecture and the arts can be seen in abundance as you travel through the region’s most extraordinary cities. Discover the mind-blowing art of the Renaissance masters at Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice and Rome’s Galleria Borghese, a 17th-century villa which houses art, sculptures and antiquities. See first-hand why Michelangelo’s dreamy ceiling frescoes at the Sistine Chapel, and the famed corridors of Florentine mega-museum The Uffizzi deserve a spot on every art-lover’s bucket list. Just as compelling are Kotor’s Maritime Museum, which reveals the area’s fascinating seafaring history, and Malta’s National Museum of Archeology, which houses masses of prehistoric art and Neolithic pottery. Altogether more contemporary, is Cannes, renowned for its glamorous film festival.
A warm climate, fertile landscapes and teeming waters make for a rather delicious roll call as you sail through the Adriatic and the Western Mediterranean. Live La Dolce Vita - or sweet life - in Italy, where cafe culture reigns, and staples include fresh pasta, pizza, gelato, and lashings of olive oil and wine. Try pillowy-soft burrata cheese in Puglia, Sicilian eggplant and ricotta signature pasta alla norma, and classic Neopolitan-style Margherita pizza in its birthplace, Naples. Seafood’s a real Adriatic superstar; don’t miss Slovenian seafood rizota (risotto) - with a glass of local white rebula wine - and Dalmatian pašticada (beef stew) and rožata custard pudding in Croatia. Corsica’s signature civet de sanglier offers heartiness aplenty, while socca (chickpea pancakes) are a French Rivieran favorite, Marseille’s seafood bouillabaisse packs a liquorice-y kick thanks to fennel and pastis, while Barcelona excels at seafood paella and crema catalana, a Catalan take on creme brûlée.
Alongside a serious hit of history and culture, awaken your senses exploring the region’s sun-soaked beaches, crystal-clear bays and breathtaking volcanic, forested landscapes. Take invigorating dips in Bari’s bays or sun yourself on Torre Sant’Andrea whilst admiring its dramatic sea stacks. Dubrovnik’s an adventure junkie’s dream; try cliff diving, kayaking, or scuba dive to see the Taranto wreck, and its quirky submerged tractors. Get your heart rate going hiking in Portofino Regional Park’s lush network of trails, and wonder at Mount Etna’s volcanic vineyards and lava pits in Sicily. For more natural thrills, travel to Corsica’s Scandola Nature Reserve to spot eagles soaring over stunning rock formations, or discover the Cuevas del Drach - Mallorca’s dragon caves - an underground lair full of limestone stalactites and stalagmites.
A rip-roaring journey packed with exhilarating through-the-ages adventures, the Ultimate Middle East & Med segment is a vacation that cannot fail to set your imagination on fire. Whizz up Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world for unrivalled city views, be moved as the history of age-old civilizations - of the Nabateans, the Pharaohs and Ancient Greeks and Romans - comes to life before your very eyes in pink-hued Petra, the wild Egyptian desert, dominated by the Pyramids of Giza, and Rome’s Colosseum and Athens’ Acropolis. Along the way you’ll connect with religious heartlands and sacred shrines, revel in Renaissance art and regal architecture and enjoy relaxing at a multitude of sun-kissed beaches, taking blissful dips in transformative turquoise waters.
Barcelona, Spain
Segment 3
World Wonders
- 1/4 — Petra
- 2/4 — The Great Pyramid of Giza
- 3/4 — Temple of Artemis
- 4/4 — The Colosseum
Your journey to the great ancient city of Petra begins at the Siq — a once-sacred, winding canyon passage that has protected this UNESCO World Heritage Site for centuries. Suddenly, the path opens into the Treasury, a tomb carved out of iron-laden sandstone, which got its name from the legend that an Egyptian pharaoh hid his treasure in its Hellenistic façade. Plus other spectacular monuments.
Framed by golden sands and vivid blue skies, the Pyramids of Giza create a truly impressive picture. Among them sits the Great Pyramid, the oldest and tallest of the three and the only Wonder of the Ancient World that’s still intact. Built in the 26th century B.C. as a tomb for the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Khufu, it was the tallest man-made structure for nearly 4,000 years.
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was built entirely from marble over two thousand years ago to honor the Greek goddess of fertility and the hunt. Though only its foundations remain, along with a column made of stone fragments found in the area, this once-grand temple is a must-visit site for history buffs and a fascinating stop on your way to the nearby ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus.
Tales of armored gladiators, intense battles and frenzied spectators fuel the history of The Colosseum. Constructed in 80 A.D., this 80,000-seat amphitheater perfectly represents the power and spectacle of ancient Rome — and remains in impressively good shape. Just know that photos truly can’t compare to the emotion of exploring this World Wonder for yourself.
Explore
Highlights
A rip-roaring journey packed with exhilirating through-the-ages adventures, the Middle East Treasures & Marvels of the Med Expedition cannot fail to set your imagination on fire. Whizz up Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world for unrivalled city views, be moved as the history of age-old civilisations - of the Nabateans, the Pharaohs and Ancient Greeks and Romans - comes to life before your very eyes in pink-hued Petra, the wild Egyptian desert, dominated by the Pyramids of Giza, and Rome’s Colosseum and Athens’ Acropolis.
Along the way you’ll connect with religious heartlands and sacred shrines, revel in Renaissance art and regal architecture and enjoy relaxing at a multitude of sun-kissed beaches, taking blissful dips in transformative turquoise waters.
Insider tips
Good to know in every situation
Clothing
When visiting religious sites such as churches, mosques or synagogues, dress modestly, particularly in the Middle East. Opt for long sleeves, and keep your shoulders, back and legs covered. A lightweight scarf or sarong can come in handy as a makeshift headscarf or coverup, which can be easily thrown on at the last minute if it’s unexpectedly required.
Footwear
Sprawling ancient marvels and Europe’s cobblestone-lined, often narrow city streets are best explored on foot. To ensure you make the most of things, pack a well-worn-in pair of comfortable shoes, and some trusty blister plasters, just in case.
Heat
Temperatures in the Middle East and the Med can really soar, plus there’s plenty of time spent on beaches and in the desert on this segment, so invest in a decent wide-brimmed hat, eco-friendly sunscreen, and keep a refillable bottle of water with you as you explore.
Frequently
asked questions
The Ultimate World Cruise can be taken as a whole, or you can choose from the four available Ultimate Cruise segments to take a portion of the voyage instead. The names and dates of the four Ultimate Cruise segments that make up the Ultimate World Cruise are as follows:
Ultimate Americas Cruise: December 10, 2023 – February 11, 2024, 64 Nights, 36 destinations
Ultimate Asia Pacific Cruise: February 11, 2024 – May 9, 2024, 87 Nights, 40 destinations
Ultimate Middle East & Med Cruise: May 9, 2024 – July 10, 2024, 63 Nights, 44 destinations
Ultimate Europe & Beyond Cruise: July 10, 2024 – September 10, 2024, 63 Nights, 40 destinations
Considering all that’s included in your Ultimate Cruise segment fare, you’ll enjoy an incredible value. No matter which stateroom you choose, your fare includes Ultimate Cruise segment complimentary amenities like Deluxe Beverage Package, gratuities, VOOM internet package, and wash and fold laundry service.
Ultimate Americas Cruise
Stateroom Category Lead Rate Price per day Interior Stateroom $13,399 Per Person* $213 Per Person* Ocean View Stateroom $14,799 Per Person* $235 Per Person* Balcony Stateroom $18,899 Per Person* $300 Per Person* Ultimate Asia Pacific Cruise
Stateroom Category Lead Rate Price per day Interior Stateroom $17,799 Per Person* $205 Per Person* Ocean View Stateroom $19,599 Per Person* $225 Per Person* Balcony Stateroom $25,099 Per Person* $335 Per Person* Ultimate Middle East & Med Cruise
Stateroom Category Lead Rate Price per day Interior Stateroom $14,899 Per Person* $240 Per Person* Ocean View Stateroom $15,799 Per Person* $255 Per Person* Balcony Stateroom $20,799 Per Person* $288 Per Person* Ultimate Europe & Beyond Cruise
Stateroom Category Lead Rate Price per day Interior Stateroom $14,299 Per Person* $231 Per Person* Ocean View Stateroom $15,299 Per Person* $247 Per Person* Balcony Stateroom $19,799 Per Person* $319 Per Person* *Taxes, fees, and port expenses are additional and are subject to change at any time. All starting prices listed are per person, in USD, cruise only, based on double occupancy and are subject to change at any time.
Guests who join us for the entire Ultimate World Cruise will receive the following inclusions:
Embarkation Amenities
Round-trip business class airfare
Pre-cruise hotel and gala
Premium transfers between airport, hotel and ship
Onboard Amenities
Deluxe Beverage Package for entire voyage
VOOM Wi-Fi internet for entire voyage
Gratuities for entire voyage
Wash and fold laundry service
Our Crown & Anchor Society guests who hold Platinum status and above will also receive the exclusive benefit of included excursions to the 7 New World Wonders.
Guests who join us for one of the four segments will receive the following inclusions:
Deluxe Beverage Package for entire segment
VOOM Wi-Fi for entire segment
Gratuities for entire segment
Wash and fold laundry service for entire segment
