There are some journeys that entertain you. Others educate you. And then there are those rare experiences that stay with you long after the suitcase is unpacked. My recent Mediterranean Apostle Cruise with Morris Murdock Escorted Tours was exactly that kind of journey.
From the moment our group arrived in Rome, I knew this was going to be a special experience. Rome has a way of making history feel alive around every corner. With the help of our incredibly knowledgeable local guides, we stood before some of the world’s most iconic sites and tried to absorb the centuries of history surrounding us.
Of course, no visit to Rome is complete without seeing the magnificent Trevi Fountain. Photos simply cannot prepare you for the artistry and scale of this Baroque masterpiece. Travelers gathered shoulder to shoulder tossing coins, making wishes, and trying to capture “the perfect photo” while simultaneously trying not to get photobombed by a hundred other tourists doing the exact same thing!
Then came the Roman Colosseum, one of those places that leaves you speechless no matter how many times you’ve seen it in books or documentaries. Built in AD 80, this massive structure once held over 65,000 spectators who came to witness gladiator battles, wild animal hunts, and even mock sea battles. Yet for our group, standing in this place carried a much deeper meaning. To walk where early Christian believers were persecuted for their faith was a deeply sobering and emotional experience.
And then, of course, there was the Vatican. Saint Peter’s Basilica is overwhelming in the best possible way. It is grand, sacred, artistic, and inspiring all at once. For me personally, the highlight was once again seeing Michelangelo’s Pietà. Carved in 1499 and still breathtaking over 500 years later, the sculpture captures both heartbreak and hope in marble. It’s one of those rare works of art that quietly stops an entire room.
After our unforgettable Roman pre-cruise stay, we boarded Royal Caribbean International’s beautiful Odyssey of the Seas, which became our floating home for the next part of our adventure. Our wonderful group of 39 travelers quickly settled into cruise life enjoying fantastic food, beautiful ocean views, laughter-filled dinners, and the excitement of waking up in a new destination almost every morning.
One of the things I loved most about this journey was how perfectly the excursions aligned with our firesides we enjoyed together and then our discussions about the Apostle Paul and the spread of early Christianity. Suddenly, the scriptures became very real as we stood in the very places where these events unfolded.
One unforgettable stop for all of us was Ephesus. Standing before the magnificent Library of Celsus, which once housed nearly 12,000 scrolls, our group marveled at the incredible preservation of this ancient city. One detail that especially touched many of us was seeing the faded carving of a Hebrew menorah which is a reminder that before the library stood there, the site had once been a Jewish synagogue. Perhaps Paul himself taught the gospel of Jesus Christ in this very location during the more than three years he spent in Ephesus. Moments like that made history feel deeply personal.
In Athens, we climbed to the Parthenon, built in 438 BC and dedicated to the goddess Athena. While the architecture itself is astounding, it was the spiritual significance that moved our travelers most. This is the setting where Paul boldly addressed the Epicureans and Stoics about the “Unknown God.” Standing there together, overlooking Athens, many in our group reflected on the courage it must have taken for Paul to preach in a world often hostile to his message.
Our final major excursion brought us to Pompeii near Naples, a place both fascinating and heartbreaking. Preserved beneath volcanic ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, Pompeii offers a haunting glimpse into daily Roman life frozen in time. Seeing the ash-covered “casts” of those caught in the disaster left our group quiet and reflective. It was one of the most sobering experiences of the entire journey.
As our cruise came to an end, one comment kept being repeated again and again by our travelers: this experience was both entertaining and educational. There was time to relax and enjoy the beauty of cruising, but there were also meaningful moments of learning, reflection, and spiritual connection that made this journey unique. Many guests shared how much they appreciated the firesides being timed alongside the very places we visited, helping the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul come alive in a completely new way.
For me, that is always the greatest joy of hosting these experiences and getting to help my travelers not simply see these destinations, but truly experience them.
And I can already say with certainty… I look forward to returning in the future to share this unforgettable journey again with another wonderful group of travelers who love history, faith, discovery, and cruising as much as we do.
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