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OFFER ID 1467164
The Signature Collection – A Hosted Sailing
Hosted Sailings offer Outstanding Value and Exclusive Amenities.
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Piraeus: The Ancient City of Athens - 8 Hours
Dominated by the remarkable Parthenon, which has stood for over 2,000 years, Athens is a city of major architectural and archaeological treasures. At Piraeus Port you will receive a warm welcome from your guide and driver who provides a captivating insight into the city’s history and culture during your full day tour.
For most, the highlight of a visit to Athens is the world famous Acropolis and the Parthenon. Dedicated to the Goddess Athena, it is one of the most important ancient monuments in the Western world. This afternoon, delight in the mesmerising display of eclectic Greek and Oriental art at the Benaki Museum. Complete your day with a drive past the Panethenaic Stadium, the pure marble masterpiece that served as the original site for the modern Olympics. At the end of the tour you are privately transferred back to your cruise ship.
Highlights:
Piraeus: Cape Sounion - 5 hours
Meet your guide as you disembark your cruise ship in Piraeus and venture along the scenic coast to Cape Sounion where you visit the ancient ruined Temple of Poseidon. This temple is believed to date from the 5th century BC and was built to honour Poseidon, who ranked second only to Athena herself in terms of power. The Temple enjoys an impressive position, high on the cliffs, and has, over the centuries, been marked by many travellers’ carved signatures, including that of Lord Byron. After touring the site, you return to your cruise ship in Piraeus.
Highlights:
2024 Kusadasi Customize Your Day Option - 8 Hours - Provided by Sea Song Tours
Guests have the flexibility to customize their day to explore as they wish. Guests may advise their Private Guide on the day of the tour where they would like to go. Please plan ahead to secure any necessary reservations or entrance tickets for your guests' planned stops. *
Included:
Excluded:
*Mileage restrictions may apply.
**Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Kusadasi Local Highlights Option - 8 Hours - Provided by Sea Song Tours
Guests will enjoy a pre-arranged sightseeing itinerary with a Private Car and Guide to explore the following destination highlights.
You will meet your professional guide, holding a name sign, outside of the terminal building at the port for a full day’s private sightseeing.
First, you will visit the House of Virgin Mary, where the Virgin is said to have lived the last years of her life. The building was rediscovered in the late 19 th Century by Lazartis from Smyrna based on the vision of a German nun. The site is officially declared a shrine of the Roman Catholic Church and visited by Pope Paul VI in 1967, Pope John Paul II in 1979, and Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.
Next, you will visit Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous throughout the ancient world for its Temple of Artemis. You will first visit the Odeon Theatre where state affairs used to be held. Then, view the Hadrian Temple, it was dedicated in 118 AD to Hadrian, Artemis, and the people of Ephesus but greatly reconstructed in the 4 th Century. This impressive Corinthian style temple has beautiful reliefs on the porch. According to the belief of the Ephesians, the Medusa head on the porch would protect the city from its enemies.
The Terrace Houses (Villas) on Curetes street belonged to the rich people of Ephesus. Many of them were three-storied and had peristyles surrounded by rooms without windows but included frescoes and mosaics of mythological scenes. Some of the frescoes were scenes from the comedies of Menander and the tragedies of Euripides. They were luxuriously furnished private houses with fountains and central heating. Between the street and houses was a portico with a mosaic floor behind which were shops.
The Celsus Library is a Roman mausoleum and library built in the early 2 nd Century AD. The Library of Celsus was commissioned by the Julius as a mausoleum for his father, Roman governor of the Asian Provinces. It is one of the most beautifully reconstructed buildings in Ephesus, it has become an icon of the ancient city.
The Great Theatre dates to the Hellenistic period. It is one of the most impressive buildings in Ephesus, which has a capacity of 25,000 seats. The theatre was used for concerts, plays and religious, political, and philosophical discussions and for gladiator and animal fights. Marble Road runs between the Library of Celsus and the theater and is a part of the sacred walkway.
Lunch suggested at a local restaurant.
After your lunch, you will visit the Ephesus Museum. Many of the artifacts displayed here were found in Ephesus and other ancient sites in the region. Highlights include the fresco of Socrates, statues and heads of Eros, crosses, coins, and the works of the 1 st Century AD. Such as glass trays and theatrical masks, and much more.
Then, your tour will continue to the ruins of the Basilica of St John. The Basilica had a cruciform plan with four domes along its longitudinal axis and a pair flanking the central dome to form the arm of the cross. Under the central dome was the grave of St John.
At the end of your tour, you can return to Kusadasi for some shopping in town or visit one of the carpet villages along the way before embarking on the ship. If you are not interested in shopping, please advise your guide that you would like to return directly to the ship.
Included:
Excluded:
*Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
No information currently available.
2024 Istanbul Customize Your Day Option - 8 Hours - Provided by Sea Song Tours
Guests have the flexibility to customize their day to explore as they wish. Guests may advise their Private Guide on the day of the tour where they would like to go. Please plan ahead to secure any necessary reservations or entrance tickets for your guests' planned stops. *
Included:
Excluded:
*Mileage restrictions may apply.
**Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Istanbul Local Highlights Option - 8 Hours - Provided by Sea Song Tours
Guests will enjoy a pre-arranged sightseeing itinerary with a Private Car and Guide to explore the following destination highlights.
You will meet your professional guide, holding a name sign, outside of the terminal building at the port for a full day of private sightseeing.
Your private tour of Istanbul starts with a visit to the Byzantine Hippodrome, which was one of the largest chariot race grounds of the Byzantine Empire. Istanbul's Byzantine Hippodrome was the heart of Constantinople's political and sporting life, and the scene of games and riots throughout 500 years of Ottoman history as well. This was the largest hippodrome of the ancient world with a design that was conceptually based on the Circus Maximus in Rome. You will see Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column, and Constantine Column, which are remnants from the original Hippodrome.
You will take a short walk to the Blue Mosque, completed in 1616, it is a triumph of harmony, proportion, and elegance. The mosque was a part of a complex also including, tombs, fountains, kitchens, and a bath. Its colourful 260 windows enables the sunlight to reach inside. This makes the interior unusually light. The blue Iznik Tiles covering the walls have given the mosque its popular name.
After a short walk, you’ll enter the awe-inspiring Topkapi Palace Museum, royal residence of the Ottoman sultans for the better part of four centuries. There are four main courtyards which contain extensive gardens, pavilions, fountains, royal gates, divans, kitchens, library, and mosques. Steps away, a visit to the Harem section offers a revealing look into how the sultans of the Ottoman Empire lived in private.
Lunch is suggested at the Seasons Restaurant which serves international cuisine.
Next, you will visit one of the greatest buildings in the world: St Sophia Mosque, it was built during the reign of Emperor Justinian (AD 537) and remained the greatest church in Christendom until the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by Sultan Mehmet II who ordered to convert Hagia Sophia into a Mosque.
Your last stop will be the famous Grand Bazaar. It is the largest and oldest covered Bazaar in Turkey with more than 4,000 shops. A variety of Turkish Handicrafts, Oriental carpets, rare jewels, and inexpensive souvenirs all sold in small shops next to each other. The streets are named according to the trades, such as gold and silver sellers, carpet sellers, booksellers, etc. The most oriental atmosphere in Istanbul is found in the bazaar.
At the end of your sightseeing, you will return to your ship.
Included:
Excluded:
*Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Istanbul Customize Your Day Option - 8 Hours - Provided by Sea Song Tours
Guests have the flexibility to customize their day to explore as they wish. Guests may advise their Private Guide on the day of the tour where they would like to go. Please plan ahead to secure any necessary reservations or entrance tickets for your guests' planned stops. *
Included:
Excluded:
*Mileage restrictions may apply.
**Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Istanbul Local Highlights Option - 8 Hours - Provided by Sea Song Tours
Guests will enjoy a pre-arranged sightseeing itinerary with a Private Car and Guide to explore the following destination highlights.
You will meet your professional guide, holding a name sign, outside of the terminal building at the port for a full day of private sightseeing.
Your private tour of Istanbul starts with a visit to the Byzantine Hippodrome, which was one of the largest chariot race grounds of the Byzantine Empire. Istanbul's Byzantine Hippodrome was the heart of Constantinople's political and sporting life, and the scene of games and riots throughout 500 years of Ottoman history as well. This was the largest hippodrome of the ancient world with a design that was conceptually based on the Circus Maximus in Rome. You will see Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column, and Constantine Column, which are remnants from the original Hippodrome.
You will take a short walk to the Blue Mosque, completed in 1616, it is a triumph of harmony, proportion, and elegance. The mosque was a part of a complex also including, tombs, fountains, kitchens, and a bath. Its colourful 260 windows enables the sunlight to reach inside. This makes the interior unusually light. The blue Iznik Tiles covering the walls have given the mosque its popular name.
After a short walk, you’ll enter the awe-inspiring Topkapi Palace Museum, royal residence of the Ottoman sultans for the better part of four centuries. There are four main courtyards which contain extensive gardens, pavilions, fountains, royal gates, divans, kitchens, library, and mosques. Steps away, a visit to the Harem section offers a revealing look into how the sultans of the Ottoman Empire lived in private.
Lunch is suggested at the Seasons Restaurant which serves international cuisine.
Next, you will visit one of the greatest buildings in the world: St Sophia Mosque, it was built during the reign of Emperor Justinian (AD 537) and remained the greatest church in Christendom until the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by Sultan Mehmet II who ordered to convert Hagia Sophia into a Mosque.
Your last stop will be the famous Grand Bazaar. It is the largest and oldest covered Bazaar in Turkey with more than 4,000 shops. A variety of Turkish Handicrafts, Oriental carpets, rare jewels, and inexpensive souvenirs all sold in small shops next to each other. The streets are named according to the trades, such as gold and silver sellers, carpet sellers, booksellers, etc. The most oriental atmosphere in Istanbul is found in the bazaar.
At the end of your sightseeing, you will return to your ship.
Included:
Excluded:
*Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
No information currently available.
2024 Heraklion Customize Your Day Option - 4 Hours - Provided by Travelive
Guests have the flexibility to customize their day to explore as they wish. Guests may advise their Private Guide on the day of the tour where they would like to go. Please plan ahead to secure any necessary reservations or entrance tickets for your guests' planned stops. *
Included:
Excluded:
*Mileage restrictions may apply.
**Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Heraklion Local Highlights Option - 4 Hours - Provided by Travelive
Guests will enjoy a pre-arranged sightseeing itinerary with a Private Car and Guide to explore the following destination highlights.
Knossos Palace & Archaeological Museum
Leaving Heraklion Port, you will head inland. The archaeological site of Knossos is at 5 Kms. southeast of Heraklion city. The name Knossos is mentioned by Homer, who speaks of Knossos as a big city. The palace was built on the Kephala hill and had easy access to the sea and the Cretan interior. The Knossos palace is famous all over the world through the myths of Europa, the Minotaur, the Labyrinth and Theseus, Daedalus and Ikarus.
Next, you will reach Heraklion city where the Archaeological Museum is located. The Archaeological Museum is one of the most important and richest of Greek museums and it commands a significant place among the list of the greatest museums in the world. Its 20 rooms house a wealth of exhibits originating exclusively from Crete and related to the island’s past (from Neolithic to Roman times). Unique are the finds from excavation at Knossos, Phaestos, Agia Triada, Malia and other Minoan centers of central Crete.
Included:
Excluded:
*Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Nafplio Customize Your Day Option - 4 Hours - Provided by Travelive
Guests have the flexibility to customize their day to explore as they wish. Guests may advise their Private Guide on the day of the tour where they would like to go. Please plan ahead to secure any necessary reservations or entrance tickets for your guests' planned stops. *
Included:
Excluded:
*Mileage restrictions may apply.
**Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Nafplio Local Highlights Option - 4 Hours - Provided by Travelive
Guests will enjoy a pre-arranged sightseeing itinerary with a Private Car and Guide to explore the following destination highlights.
Guided Mycenae & Wine Tour
Accompanied by a licensed guide, explore the remains of the ancient city of Mycenae. A major centre of Greek civilization from 1600 BC to 1100 BC, visit the famous Lion Gate, the arched tombs, and walk in the footsteps of King Agamemnon.
Then, visit a winery and the endless vineyards of Nemea, the place where Hercules killed the lion and performed the first of his 12 labors and taste unique varieties of wine, accompanied by Greek delicacies. Meet their producers and discuss with them the details of wine making in Greece.
Note: Wine tasting is not allowed for those under 18 years old.
Included:
Excluded:
*Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
Piraeus: The Ancient City of Athens - 8 Hours
Dominated by the remarkable Parthenon, which has stood for over 2,000 years, Athens is a city of major architectural and archaeological treasures. At Piraeus Port you will receive a warm welcome from your guide and driver who provides a captivating insight into the city’s history and culture during your full day tour.
For most, the highlight of a visit to Athens is the world famous Acropolis and the Parthenon. Dedicated to the Goddess Athena, it is one of the most important ancient monuments in the Western world. This afternoon, delight in the mesmerising display of eclectic Greek and Oriental art at the Benaki Museum. Complete your day with a drive past the Panethenaic Stadium, the pure marble masterpiece that served as the original site for the modern Olympics. At the end of the tour you are privately transferred back to your cruise ship.
Highlights:
Piraeus: Cape Sounion - 5 hours
Meet your guide as you disembark your cruise ship in Piraeus and venture along the scenic coast to Cape Sounion where you visit the ancient ruined Temple of Poseidon. This temple is believed to date from the 5th century BC and was built to honour Poseidon, who ranked second only to Athena herself in terms of power. The Temple enjoys an impressive position, high on the cliffs, and has, over the centuries, been marked by many travellers’ carved signatures, including that of Lord Byron. After touring the site, you return to your cruise ship in Piraeus.
Highlights:
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Grand Suite 2 [ G2 ]
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Food and Beverages
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All Onboard Luxury Inclusions
Food and Beverages
Butler Service
Shore Excursions
All Onboard Luxury Inclusions
Food and Beverages
Butler Service
Shore Excursions
All Onboard Luxury Inclusions
Food and Beverages
Butler Service
Shore Excursions
All Onboard Luxury Inclusions
Food and Beverages
Butler Service
Shore Excursions
All Onboard Luxury Inclusions
Food and Beverages
Butler Service
Shore Excursions
Port, security and handling fees, government fees and taxes are included in the fare. Price does not include airfare, transfers and airline government fees and taxes.
Cruise Only Fares are in US dollars, per person, based on double occupancy.
All fares are quoted in US Dollars.
Swainu2019s Travel Best of Nantucket
35 Old South Rd.
Nantucket, MA 02554
United States
Swain's Travel, Inc.
35 Old South Road
Nantucket, MA 02554
Monday thru Friday, 9:00am - 5:00pm
Weekends and evenings by appointment
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