Oceania Cruises: Marina

Barcelona, the self-confident and progressive capital of Spain, is a tremendous place to be. Though it boasts outstanding Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings, and some great museums – most notably those dedicated to Picasso and Catalan art – it is above all a place where there's enjoyment simply in walking the streets, stopping in at bars and cafés, drinking in the atmosphere. A thriving port and the most prosperous commercial centre in Spain, it has a sophistication and cultural dynamism way ahead of the rest of the country. In part this reflects the city's proximity to France, whose influence is apparent in the elegant boulevards and imaginative cooking. But Barcelona has also evolved an individual and eclectic cultural identity, most perfectly and eccentrically expressed in the architecture of Antoni Gaudí. Scattered as Barcelona's main sights may be, the greatest concentration of interest is around the old town (La Ciutat Vella). These cramped streets above the harbor are easily manageable, and far more enjoyable, on foot. Start, as everyone else does, with the Ramblas.

Suggested Private Excursions

Barcelona: A Walk Through Barcelona and The Sagrada Familia Park Guell for Families- 6 Hours

Art and Architecture in Barcelona (8 hours)

Gaudi’s Barcelona (4 hours)

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Valletta is the capital of Malta. This remarkable fortified city with its massive bastions followed the most advanced Renaissance ideas in town planning, with streets laid straight on a grid looking over the Grand Harbour. Outside the 'City Gate' is the famous Triton Fountain. 'City Gate' has public buses and vendors selling soft drinks and all sorts of traditional fresh Maltese bread and sweets. Freedom Square shows an extraordinary capital with buildings of fine architecture of different tastes and styles ranging from the Mannerism to Baroque to Rococo to Neoclassicism. Valletta is a fascinating city for wandering around looking at what used to be the Knight's own cathedrals and Auberges. The city's backbone is Republic Street, which runs straight through the city center to Fort St. Elmo. Valletta has several narrow, steep side streets decorated with traditional Maltese pastel colored balconies and a statue on almost every street corner. There are plenty of shops, cafes, and restaurants to choose from.

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Every night people celebrate events momentous and trivial. Explore Limassol Castle, which contains the Cyprus Medieval Museum, or the Folk Art Museum, housed in an old mansion. Walk ten miles of beautiful beaches, known as Cypriot Riviera. Stroll in the sea promenade or visit lush Municipal Gardens. On the coastal road to the east, just after luxurious hotels, you will find Amathus, one of the ancient city kingdoms of Cyprus. See the ruins and take a dip near the site of an ancient port. West of Limassol lies Kolossi Castle, a medieval fortress whose walls contain a tower surrounding living quarters, and an ancient sugar factory. Visit the Kourion archaeological site, an ancient city-kingdom, where you can take in a play or concert at the ancient Greco-Roman Theater, overlooking the blue Mediterranean. And explore a treasure trove of Greek and Roman sites, such as the Sanctuary of Apollo.

Ashdod is one of Israel’s largest ports and a living museum of ancient history. It was one of the five cities of giants, and it was here the Philistines brought the captured Holy Ark, sacred to the Hebrews. Ashdod’s 23-level tel (archaeological dig) lies southeast of the modern city. Among the remains of the 10th century CE Fatimid Fortress, archaeologists discovered an early Arabic document recounting Byzantine ships once brought Muslim prisoners to Ashdod to sell back to their families.

Suggested Private Excursions

2 days/1 night shore excursion from Haifa or Ashdod - Jerusalem and Masada

1-day shore excursion from Ashdod: Jerusalem Old & New

1-day shore excursion from Ashdod: Jerusalem & Bethlehem

Holy Land to three of the world's major religions, Israel has a great emotional and spiritual effect on its visitors through its magnificent religious shrines and tenacity of a nation that, against all odds, made the desert bloom. As a center of shipping, banking, foreign commerce and wholesale trading, Haifa boasts institutions for higher education and for scientific research, a theater, a concert hall, museums and places of culture and entertainment. The residential areas and major hotels are situated along the ridge of Mount Carmel, about 900 feet above sea level. Clandestine Immigration & Navy Museum features the ship which ran the British blockade during the Mandatory period. Mane Katz Museum is dedicated to the world-renowned Jewish artist of the same name who left his home, paintings and other works of art to the city. Gan Ha-Pesalim, a lovely garden overlooking the bay, is home to over 20 bronze sculptures by Ursula Malbin. Elija’s Cave, known as the center of the prophet’s activities, is holy to Jews, Christians, Moslems and Druze.

Suggested Private Excursions

1-day Shore Excursion from Haifa: Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee

1-day Shore Excursion from Haifa: Akko Caesarea

1-day Shore Excursion from Haifa: Caesarea Tel Aviv

1-day Shore Excursion from Haifa: Akko - Safed

2 days/1 night Shore Excursion from Haifa - Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Jerusalem and Bethlehem

Holy Land to three of the world's major religions, Israel has a great emotional and spiritual effect on its visitors through its magnificent religious shrines and tenacity of a nation that, against all odds, made the desert bloom. As a center of shipping, banking, foreign commerce and wholesale trading, Haifa boasts institutions for higher education and for scientific research, a theater, a concert hall, museums and places of culture and entertainment. The residential areas and major hotels are situated along the ridge of Mount Carmel, about 900 feet above sea level. Clandestine Immigration & Navy Museum features the ship which ran the British blockade during the Mandatory period. Mane Katz Museum is dedicated to the world-renowned Jewish artist of the same name who left his home, paintings and other works of art to the city. Gan Ha-Pesalim, a lovely garden overlooking the bay, is home to over 20 bronze sculptures by Ursula Malbin. Elija’s Cave, known as the center of the prophet’s activities, is holy to Jews, Christians, Moslems and Druze.

Suggested Private Excursions

1-day Shore Excursion from Haifa: Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee

1-day Shore Excursion from Haifa: Akko Caesarea

1-day Shore Excursion from Haifa: Caesarea Tel Aviv

1-day Shore Excursion from Haifa: Akko - Safed

2 days/1 night Shore Excursion from Haifa - Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Jerusalem and Bethlehem

The old town of Alanya dates from Seljuk and Ottoman times. Alanya has become a popular tourist center due to its wide sand beach stretching more than four miles from town. A short ride from old town is citadel hill and the courtyard of the upper fortress. Here stands castle mosque, or Kale Camii. In the same courtyard are ruins of a cruciform Byzantine church and a lighthouse from 1720. From citadel hill, there is a superb panoramic view over the Mediterranean coastal plain, the scattered houses and fruit orchards along Alanya's shore. Visit Seljuk Dockyard - with five vaulted galleries with linking arched entrances. Here a Seljuk sultan built warships enabling him to extend his power across the eastern Mediterranean. The harbor's Red Tower was key to Alanya's harbor defenses.

Visitors come to Kusadasi for beaches and nearby ruins of Ephesus. The major attraction is the archaeological site of ancient Ephesus, considered to be most important in Turkey. The history of this ancient city dates back to 10th century BC; many remarkable structures seen today are result of an excavation and restoration program. Along a white marble road grooved by ancient chariot wheels, the two-story Library of Celsus presents a striking sight. There are temples, houses of noblemen, and community buildings lining ancient streets. Nestled in the mountainside is a 25,000-seat amphitheater, still used for performances during Festival of Culture and Art. Bible buffs may know Ephesus as inspiration for St. Paul’s Epistle to Ephesians and the site of one of the first seven churches of Asia Minor. Treasures are kept in the Seljuk Archaeological Museum. Among the better-known ancient sites near Kusadasi are ancient Miletus and Dydima. Remains include a well-preserved Roman theater at Miletus and Dydima's sacred temple of Apollo.

Suggested Private Excursions

Kusadasi Port - The Glories of Ephesus (Full Day Tour)

Kusadasi Port - A Taste of Ephesus- (Half day tour)

Kusadasi Port - Ephesus & Virgin Mary House - (Half Day Tour)

Kusadasi: Ancient Ephesus Tour - 7 hours

Kusadasi: Priene Day Tour - 7 hours

Kusadasi: The Greco-Roman City of Ephesus & the Wine-making Village of Sirince - 7 hours

Kusadasi Port - Three Ancient Cities; Didyma, Miletus & Priene (Full Day Tour)

Kusadasi Port - Biblical Tour of Ephesus ( Full Day tour)

Kusadasi Port - Ephesus & Didyma & Miletus (Full Day Tour)

This centuries old capital guards the slender waterway between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and is the doorway between the East and West. Visitors can explore remnants of Byzantine Constantinople in the Sultanahmet district, where you will have the chance to see ancient splendors, such as the Haghia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. At night the city boast a lively nightclub scene and excellent Turkish dining options that may include cultural entertainment and dancing. Istanbul also features splendid shopping malls, boutiques, and hand crafted items can be found all over the city.

Suggested Private Excursions

Istanbul Port - Treasures of Istanbul (Full Day Tour)

Istanbul Port - Byzantine Highlights- (Half Day Tour)

Istanbul Port - Cultural Istanbul-(Full Day Tour)

Istanbul Port - Ottoman Collection - (Half-Day Tour)

Istanbul: Highlights - 7 hours

Istanbul: Jewish Heritage Tour - 7 hours

Istanbul: Private Art Collections - 7 hours

Istanbul: Private Yacht Cruise along the Bosphorus - 7 hours

Istanbul: The 16th Century Masterpieces of Sinan the Architect - 7 hours

Istanbul Port - Private Bosphorus Cruise (Half Day)

Istanbul Port - Private Cooking Class in a Local Home with Market Visit

Istanbul Port - Private Culinary Walking Tour ( Half Day Tour)

Istanbul: Edirne Highlights - 11 hours

This centuries old capital guards the slender waterway between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and is the doorway between the East and West. Visitors can explore remnants of Byzantine Constantinople in the Sultanahmet district, where you will have the chance to see ancient splendors, such as the Haghia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. At night the city boast a lively nightclub scene and excellent Turkish dining options that may include cultural entertainment and dancing. Istanbul also features splendid shopping malls, boutiques, and hand crafted items can be found all over the city.

Suggested Private Excursions

Istanbul Port - Treasures of Istanbul (Full Day Tour)

Istanbul Port - Byzantine Highlights- (Half Day Tour)

Istanbul Port - Cultural Istanbul-(Full Day Tour)

Istanbul Port - Ottoman Collection - (Half-Day Tour)

Istanbul: Highlights - 7 hours

Istanbul: Jewish Heritage Tour - 7 hours

Istanbul: Private Art Collections - 7 hours

Istanbul: Private Yacht Cruise along the Bosphorus - 7 hours

Istanbul: The 16th Century Masterpieces of Sinan the Architect - 7 hours

Istanbul Port - Private Bosphorus Cruise (Half Day)

Istanbul Port - Private Cooking Class in a Local Home with Market Visit

Istanbul Port - Private Culinary Walking Tour ( Half Day Tour)

Istanbul: Edirne Highlights - 11 hours

The birthplace of Sappho, a famous poet in ancient Greece, Lesbos is a charming island of picturesque villages like Agiassos. The Byzantine Monastery of Limonos and its beautiful frescoes are of special interest.

Piraeus is the seaport for Athens, the capital of western civilization, which boasts a fantastic mix of classical ruins and vivacious modern life. Climb the hill of Acropolis to wonder at the Parthenon, join the lively Athenians in Constitution Square, and find a welcoming taverna for spirited bizouki music, plenty of ouzo to drink, and energetic Greek dancing. Piraeus is the largest harbor in the country. The white chapel of St. George at its summit has a theater bearing the same name. The hill of Nymphs is the site of a planetarium, which is located above magnificent Thesseio temple. Among all of these hills, Acropolis is the one that glorified Athens and the whole Greek world and became the symbol of the western civilization. Bays and small rocky or sandy coves dot the area and during the summer are filled with Athenians and foreigners enjoying their beauty.

Suggested Private Excursions

Piraeus: The Ancient City of Athens - 8 Hours

Piraeus: Cape Sounion - 5 hours