USA Home City to Rome, Italy

Today you will depart from your home city and travel to Rome!

LDS Temple and the Vatican

This morning we travel outside the "old city" of Rome and visit the LDS Rome Temple. This afternoon after a lunch break we will tour the Vatican, the world's smallest, yet wealthiest independent state. Your guide will start with an overview of the history of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.  Then we explore St. Peter's Square, with Bernini's 284 columns, before entering St. Peter's Basilica, the largest church in Christendom. See the many treasures including the golden mosaics of the apse, Bernini's bronze baldachin, and the famed 'Pieta' by Michelangelo. Dinner is on your own tonight to explore the many wonderful options available to you!

Rome, Italy to Civitavecchia Cruise Port 

This morning we'll enjoy breakfast at the hotel and board your coach to a local LDS Church to attend sacrament meeting before heading to the coast to board our home for the next 12 nights on the Odyssey of The Seas.

Day at Sea

Today we meet with our director, Historian Bruce Newbold, for a group seminar on the Apostles. 

Chania, Crete, Greece

Chania is rich in remnants of the past. Start your adventure in Crete's second-largest city at Venetian Harbor, the entry to the old port. Soak in the vibe while wandering the narrow streets lined with shops and waterfront restaurants serving local fare like zucchini fritters and sardines stuffed with herbs and sun-dried tomatoes. Then head to Souda Bay, a strategic commercial and military harbor since ancient times, where you'll find the Aptera Fortress and the oldest Ottoman building in Crete. Cruise to Crete and stop into Archeological Museum of Chania, with artifacts from neolithic to Roman times. Or splash around in the translucent waters of Fallasarna, a beach surrounded by olive groves.

Optional Excursion in Chania- $99.00 Each

Your tour begins a the Port of Souda where you join the coach en route to the British Commonwealth War Cemetery, which lies three miles to the east of Chania on a small plateau, just above sea level on the eastern rim of Souda Bay. You tour continues to Ag. Triada Monastery (Holy Trinity) of Jagarolon. It contains a rich offering of the history and education of Crete. Continue your tour to Chania town, where neoclassical mansions and massive Venetian fortifications testify to the city's turbulent and diverse past. There you will have the chance to explore the town before you return back to the port.

Mykonos, Greece

Nestled in the heart of Greece’s Cyclades archipelago, Mykonos pulses with irrepressible energy. With its powder white houses, and sparkling blue waters, The Island of the Winds is as colorful as the people who call the island home. You can walk narrow marble pathways laced with purple bougainvillea blooms or go cycling on two wheels past off-the-path Ano Mera village. Explore Greece’s maritime history at Armenistis Lighthouse, and check out the Folklore Museum’s Mykonian ship models. Join in the raucous beach party on Super Paradise’s shimmering sands, or watch the sun burn out beyond an Aegean horizon from an open-air seaside taverna.

Ephesus, Turkey

The UNESCO World Heritage ruins of Ephesus impress even those familiar with the world's other ancient cities. Though excavations have been underway for 150 years, only 20 percent of the city has been uncovered.

Optional Excursion in Ephesus- $89.00 Each

We will start our tour with a drive to Mary’s House. We will visit this quiet and peaceful place and will continue to visit Ephesus, home of Paul for more than 2 years. After visiting Ephesus, we will continue to our lunch with free time for shopping and later will drive to Basilica of John. Basilica of John built on a hill where John’s home was before he was exiled to Patmos. As our tour ends, we will return back to the Port of Kusadasi.

Day at Sea

Enjoy all that the cruise ship has to offer today as we cruise towards our next destination!

Limassol, Cyprus

Limassol is a picturesque Mediterranean town on the coast of idyllic Cyprus. It's a favorite destination for Europeans, and many cruise itineraries let you see this Mediterranean treasure for yourself. The region holds a ton of historical significance as it was the alleged birthplace of Aphrodite, and a significant part of the Crusades. Limassol's landscape is a mixture of striking cliffs and beautiful beaches mixed with developed resort towns full of fantastic entertainment, shopping and dining options. 

Rhodes, Greece

The Colossus might not be standing anymore, but the Greek island of Rhodes still delivers beauty and allure on a giant scale. The island instantly greets you with serene white-sand beaches and wide-open blue skies. See the site in the harbor where the now-destroyed wonder of the ancient world once stood. Then, head to the Old Town, surrounded by medieval walls and seven ancient gates. Don't miss the Palace of the Grandmaster, with its mosaic floors dating from Hellenic, Roman and early Christian times. Shop for a colorful menagerie of seashells by the shoreline — and don't forget to spend some time relaxing beside the translucent blue waves with your Greece cruise.

Santorini, Greece

Santorini is one of the world’s most popular islands, known best for its dramatic scenery, whitewashed villages, and fiery volcanic activity. Here adventure bubbles above the Aegean Sea in the most bold and breathtaking ways. A cable car takes you to the capital of Fira, a bustling cliff-top town awash with old cathedrals, enthralling museum collections, and cozy tavernas. Venture to the coast for a swim in the deep blue waters that lap red and black pebbled beaches. And peel back layers of lava and history among excavated Akrotiri. Whether it’s by bicycle, ATV, or on your own two feet, exploring this Cyclades isle never fails to impress.

Optional Excursion in Santorini- $109.00 Each

Driving through the picturesque scenery and small villages from the southern to the northern end of the island, you'll travel across rich, volcanic countryside. The beautiful village of Oia is perched atop a craggy cliff at the northern most point of the island, offering panoramic views of steep plummeting cliffs and nearby small islands surrounded by deep blue sea. After your visit to Oia, you'll continue t the world famous Acrotiri's archaeological site. The tour concludes a the hilltop village of Fira, where you'll have the option of returning directly to the ship or remaining in town to shop or explore independently. 

Athens, Greece

Athens offers a looking glass back in time into Greece's powerful ancient civilization. Art lovers, epicureans, and history buffs will be delighted by the ancient ruins, museums, and tavernas of this picturesque town. Just 10 minutes from the port, you'll find the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus, filled with sculptures from the Bronze Age to the Romans. Walk to the Zea Harbour to discover how the Hellenic Maritime Museum will bring to life the grandeur of ancient Greece's naval capacities. Jump onboard an Athens cruise and relax at the small harbor of Mikrolimano, enjoying a meal of grilled octopus and chilled white wine at a small restaurant overlooking the sea.

Optional Excursion in Athens- $99.00 each

In Athens, it is all about Paul and Acts 17.  Our private guide will give us a wonderful tour of the city including Syntagma Square and the Olympic stadium but it will be when we head to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon and Mars Hill your heart will start to race.  We’ll hear Paul's sermon bout the unknown Gods and climb to the top of the Parthenon and walk around the monumental ruins of the UNESCO-listed site. This afternoon after a lunch stop we’ll visit the ancient site of Corinth.

Cruising

Today we meet as a group to discuss our past excursions and study their significance. 

Naples, Italy

With a skyline defined by towering Mount Vesuvius, Naples is a bustling Italian city brimming with beauty. Experience its rich neoclassical architecture at sites like Gesu Nuovo Church, with its lavish interior adorned with detailed frescoes, statues, and gold inlay. Go even deeper into history at the San Gennaro catacombs, where Naples' first bishops were buried in the second century A.D. Walk along the Miglio Sacro ("Holy Mile") and people-watch your way through the cafes and shops of the Sanita district with a zucchetto (sweetened espresso) in hand. Jump onboard a Naples cruise and take the short bus ride to the base of Mount Vesuvius — it's an easy 20- to 30-minute hike that will take you to the summit — and tour the ruins of Pompeii afterward.

Optional Excursion in Pompeii (Naples)- $149.00 each

Today our private group will be met at the port by our host to start our tour at the amazing town of Pompeii and discover this city hidden for hundreds of years under the ash of Mt Vesuvius. This city tells many stories of the ancient Romans and their lifestyle and will surely be a tour highlight for all. After an included lunch stop we will travel back to the port.

Civitavecchia - Rome, Italy – Flights Home 

This morning we will be picked up and returned to the airport for our flight home with memories to last a lifetime!!