Cruise Line |
Silversea Cruises |
Ship |
Silver Spirit |
Destination |
EU Mediterranean |
Nights |
17 |
Departure Date |
27 Mar 2021 |
Description |
17 Night Cruise sailing from Mumbai to Athens aboard Silver Spirit.
Join us for an allegorical journey that weaves astonishing cities, days at sea and ancient treasures. Starting in the happy cacophony of Mumbai, recharge your batteries with three sea days before the opulence of Oman opens itself to you. Then it’s on to Petra’s gorgeous sandstone city and Luxor’s Valley of the Kings. Enjoy overnights in both Nazareth and Athens to bring an extra layer of understanding to your trip.
Highlights of this cruise:
Mumbai, India
Delhi may be the capital city, but it's Mumbai that encapsulates all the dynamic, chaotic parts that make up modern India. This is where you'll find everything from succulent street food to haute cuisine, bargain-basement bazaars to the finest haute couture, humbling poverty to staggering wealth, sacred temples to hedonist nightclubs. Mumbai is India—vibrant, hectic, frustrating, enervating, and exhilarating, warts and all. Mumbai is a city of extremes, where slum-dwelling strivers making dollars a day serve Bollywood stars and industrial billionaires.
Salalah
Combining thrilling history with gorgeous beaches and luxury spas, Oman’s second-biggest city is cradled by tempting ocean waters and the soaring Dhofar Mountains. A refreshing rainy season waters down the intense heat of the Gulf region, painting a rich green hue across the land and separating it from the barren desert elsewhere. Banana plantations sprawl out, and dense gatherings of coconut palms rustle together, before Salalah's cherished powdery white beaches. Sweet fragrances linger in Salalah's souqs, where exotic incenses, perfumes and spices are traded. Set in Dhofar province, the desert staging is smudged with greenery and life during the downpours and misty rains of Khareef season. The clouds tame the heat and fuel stunning waterfall torrents, with a local festival celebrating the arrival of this monsoon each year. Even in drier months, the earlier deluges ensure that there is an added vibrancy to the ravines and wadis nearby. Enjoy the sunshine and settle into the sandy embrace of luxury beaches, before indulging in stress-relieving massages. Head to popular spots like Al Mughsail beach, where explosive blowholes boom with frothing spray, as the waters collide with coastal rock formations. Travel back in time at the UNESCO World Heritage Site listed ancient city of Dhufa - which has been reclaimed from the rusty desert soil at Al Baleed Archeological Park. An ancient centre of frankincense trade, the on-site museum explains the history of this precious ingredient, extracted from the region's fragrant Boswellia trees and exported far and wide.
Safaga
Unravel the mysteries, and marvel at the artistry and scale, of some of Ancient Egypt's most important and impressive monuments, which rise from the fertile plains and palm groves of the River Nile. Safaga’s port sits on the Red Sea's dazzling coastline, where gorgeous beaches and super waters for diving and snorkelling await. Unwind here, amid the colourful fish life, or lie back to soak in ever-reliable sunshine. Most will choose to head inland to the banks of one of the world’s longest and most storied rivers - where the immense treasures of Ancient Egypt loom in the desert's haze. Modern Luxor rests beside the Nile, and is set amid an unparalleled archaeological site of swirling legend and ancient beauty. This vast, open-air museum sprawls out below the burning sun, and you'll discover preserved ancient tombs, momentous statues like the Colossi of Memnon, and vast columned temples with rows of statues, such as the Temple of Karnak. Soak in the surroundings on boats, which meander up and down the river, or head out to tick off as many of the remarkable ruins as you can. Cultural treasures like the World Heritage Site listed Valley of the Kings – carved into the copper rock of the desert – provided elaborate resting places for Ancient Egypt's revered Pharaohs. Built between the 16th and 11th centuries BC, no fewer than 63 temples have been discovered here so far. Head into incredibly preserved tombs, decorated with majestic and mystical symbols and colourful artworks. See famous sites like the cursed tomb of King Tutankhamun, and the imposing rise of Queen Hatshepsut's temple, amid the countless highlights and wonders.
Athens
A city of legend, civilisation and enduring culture, Athens is a majestic and magical urban sprawl. Extraordinary elegance and grace combine with grit and graft in Greece's capital, where highways encase ruins from antiquity, and gleaming museums and galleries stand beside concrete sprayed with edgy street art. These contrasts enhance and elevate the wonders of this 2,500-year-old city, however, which can count notable contributions to philosophy, drama and democracy, among its global legacy. Piraeus' giant port and naval base welcome you to the edge of the Athens' urban area. From there it's a simple jaunt to the centre. The majestic ancient citadel of the Acropolis dominates an elevated platform and is a constant presence as you explore the city. The wonderful remains of the columned temple of the Parthenon - which date back to the 5th century BC - stand here, representing the pinnacle of classical architecture. The nearby Acropolis Museum adds context to your visit and frames the broad views from its giant glass windows. Or rise up Mount Lycabettus, to be rewarded with perhaps Athens' best panorama of the Acropolis sitting high over the city on its grand stage. See the marble horseshoe of the Old Olympic Stadium, where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896, for more of the city's enduring legacy. Elsewhere, golden beaches and temples stretch out along the coastline, should you wish to explore a little further afield. Coffee is an art form to the Greeks, and it's an unwritten rule that coffee time must never be rushed. So prepare to settle down for a couple of hours and lose yourself in a good chat. Feeling hungry - try traditional souvlaki made with sauces handed from generation to generation. |
|
Itinerary |
Cruise Itinerary
Day | Date | Activity | Arrive | Depart |
1 |
27/03 |
Mumbai (Bombay), India |
|
07:00 PM |
2 |
28/03 |
At sea |
|
|
3 |
29/03 |
At sea |
|
|
4 |
30/03 |
At sea |
|
|
5 |
31/03 |
Salalah, Oman |
07:00 AM |
04:00 PM |
6 |
01/04 |
At sea |
|
|
7 |
02/04 |
At sea |
|
|
8 |
03/04 |
At sea |
|
|
9 |
04/04 |
At sea |
|
|
10 |
05/04 |
Aqaba, Jordan |
07:00 AM |
06:00 PM |
11 |
06/04 |
Safaga (Luxor) |
06:30 AM |
11:00 PM |
12 |
07/04 |
At sea |
|
|
13 |
08/04 |
Suez Canal |
04:00 AM |
06:30 PM |
14 |
09/04 |
Haifa, Israel |
09:30 AM |
overnight |
15 |
10/04 |
Haifa, Israel |
|
10:00 PM |
16 |
11/04 |
At sea |
|
|
17 |
12/04 |
Athens (Piraeus) Greece |
02:00 PM |
overnight |
18 |
13/04 |
Athens (Piraeus) Greece |
|
|
|
All itineraries and ports of call at the discretion of the cruise line subject to local weather conditions and may change without notice.
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