Cruise Description

30 night cruise and land package sailing from Mumbai to Athens aboard Aegean Odyssey. Hotel stays pre-cruise in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur and post-cruise in Athens.

AEGEAN ODYSSEY is a premium class ship that was rebuilt to cater for cruising in the coastal waters of the central and eastern Mediterranean. The vessel provides the best features of a mid-size ship such as passenger space, a choice of restaurants and stability in inclement weather.

Originally a vessel carrying up to 570 passengers, Aegean Odyssey’s new configuration includes generously-sized suites, junior suites and staterooms with balconies. She now carries an average of 350 passengers. By creating these new staterooms we have added a dimension of spaciousness to the vessel and this has enabled us to create a special level of accommodation entitled “Balcony Class”.

Classically elegant, but far from stuffy and formal, Aegean Odyssey has been designed to offer the sophisticated traveller every comfort at sea.

Highlights of this cruise:

Mumbai
Mumbaî formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, and the most populous city of India. It is a city filled with excitement being home to India’s Hindi film and television industry, known as Bollywood. Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment capital of India and has attracted migrants from all over India because of the immense business opportunities, and the relatively high standard of living, making the city a potpourri of various communities and cultures.

The city has a deep natural harbour and the port handles over half of India’s passenger traffic and a significant amount of cargo. Mumbai is also one of the rare cities to accommodate a national park, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, within its city limits.

Muscat
Muscat is the capital of Oman. The Governorate consists of six wilayats: Muscat, Muttrah, Bowshar, A’Seeb, Al Amerat and Quriyat. The city lies on the Arabian Sea along the Gulf of Oman and is in the proximity of the strategic Straits of Hormuz.

Muscat is distinguished by the presence of citadels, forts, towers, walls, gates and historical houses. The city has numerous mosques including the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Ruwi Mosque and Zawawi Mosque. There are also a number of museums of interest in Muscat, including the Museum of Omani Heritage and the National Museum of Oman.

Salalah
Salalah is the capital and seat of the governor or Wali of the southern Omani province of Dhofar. It is a popular destination for tourism due to the natural attractions of the nearby mountains and abundant stands of frankincense trees lining mountain wadi courses.

Major attractions also include Salalah’s beautiful beaches and coastline which make for great scuba diving and bird watching. There is also the ruins of the fortified town of Sumharam (Khor Rori).

Aqaba
Aqaba is a Jordanian coastal city situated at the northeastern tip of the Red Sea. It is the largest city on the Gulf of Aqaba and Jordan’s only coastal city. The city of Aqaba is the most southern part of Jordan and the capital of Aqaba Governorate.

Aqaba is one the major tourist attractions in Jordan, and famous for its warm water and rich marine life. It is best known today as a seaside and diving resort and also as a home for Jordan’s mega projects.

Rhodes
The Island of Rhodes is the sunniest place in Europe; it averages 300 days of sunshine per year. It is the fourth largest island in Greece. Occupied by Italy until only 56 years ago, it is now “occupied” by thousands of enthralled international visitors.

The “palia poli” (the old city) is the medieval city of Rhodes, surrounded by a high defensive wall. It is one of the few medieval cities still inhabited in its largest part, excluding its museums, of course. Walking along its cobbled streets one is reminded of iron-armored horse’s hooves clapping, and steel swords clashing and clanging

The New Town of Rhodes, just a short distance from the Old Town, is where the beaches lie, and where hotels, shops, restaurants, discotheques, and even a casino, are packed together to create a lively ambience. A walk in Rodini Park is a must. This park is perhaps the first landscaped park in the world. It is a couple of kilometers away from the Old Town, and one can see part of the ancient aqueduct system of Rhodes within it.

No visit of Rhodes is complete without visiting Lindos. You’ll find Lindos at a distance of 55 kilometers from Rhodes town, on the eastern side of the island. Built in the 12th Century B.C., it is now a top-class resort, with a fine sandy beach and a tiny lagoon, which reflects the whitewashed houses and the Lindos Acropolis above. The village contains many houses dating from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, which are known as “the houses of the captains.” Their architecture and decoration are unique in the Greek world.

Athens
The port of Piraeus is one of the last old-style Mediterranean ports from where you can catch ferries to all of the Greek islands and travel a short distance to Greece’s capital city Athens.

In the heart of the city lies the ancient Plaka district, with its honeycomb of streets, little shops – and tavernas that come alive at night. Situated on the north and east slopes of the Acropolis, it is rich with historic sites, such as ancient monuments and churches. Within Athens there are eight large hills, including the Acropolis, and on the outskirts, Mount Parnitha, Mount Pendeli and Mount Hymettos surround the city. A trip to Athens’ most famous tourist attraction, the impressive Parthenon built on the Acropolis around 2,500 years ago, will be memorable to say the least.

There are an extraordinary number of historic tourist sights in Athens and many of these are known world-wide. Some of the top Athens attractions include the Agora – a grand, ruined Roman building, Hadrian’s Arch – originally the city gate linking the Roman quarters with original town of Athens and the stunning Dionysos Theatre – the world’s oldest theatre where many great plays have been performed over the years.

Cruise Itinerary

Itinerary may vary by sailing date and itineraries may be changed at the cruise lines discretion. Please check itinerary details at time of booking and before booking other travel services such as airline tickets.

Available Sailing Dates

• 23 Mar 2015