Passages of the Bible Cruise with Guest Speakers Rurel & Lisa Ausley | Sept. 27, 2024
Join us for a 10 Night Mediterranean Cruise aboard Norwegian Getaway on the Passages of the Bible Cruise with Guest Speakers Rurel & Lisa Ausley starting at $4799* on September 27, 2024, from Piraeus, Greece, to Haifa, Israel. You will see Athens the Academy, Hadrian’s Arch, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the National Gardens, Corinth, the archaeological museum, the marketplace, Ephesus, the huge agora, the library, Istanbul, the famous Blue Mosque, St. Sophia, the Isle of Patmos, and much more!
Register Early & Save
$200 Register by July 1, 2023
$100 Register by September 27, 2023
Full deposit required. Savings deducted from balance.
What’s Included
- Border Taxes
- Cruise
- Deluxe A/C Motor Coaches
- Entrance and Program Fees
- Fuel Surcharges and Gov't Taxes
- Guided Tours
- Hotel Gratuities
- Meals on Ship
- Overseas Airport Transfers
- Port Charges
- Classic Beverage Package
- Unlimited Surf Wifi Package
- Administrative Fees
† If air purchased through EO.
Daily Itinerary
Day 1 EPTEMBER 27 – DEPART THE USA
Your Journey of a Lifetime begins as you depart the USA on your international overnight flight.
Day 2 SEPTEMBER 28 – ARRIVE IN ATHENS
Arrive in Athens and see the best of Athens on a panoramic drive designed for those who prefer a more leisurely tour of the city. Board a comfortable coach for a narrated tour covering both modern and ancient attractions, including the Academy, Hadrian’s Arch, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the National Gardens, and a stop at the pedestrian zone below the majestic Acropolis. Overnight in Athens. (Late arrivals may experience a shorter panoramic tour.)
Day 3 SEPTEMBER 29 – CORINTH/EMBARKATION
Travel to the city of Corinth, where the Apostle Paul met fellow tentmakers Aquila and Priscilla and received a vision from the Lord. As Paul spoke, Crispus (chief ruler of the synagogue) and many others believed and were baptized, establishing the church at Corinth to whom Paul later wrote his two epistles. Discover the archaeological museum, marketplace, and temples. As you walk among the ruins, stand on the Bema, where the apostle Paul stood before Gallio to face charges brought against him by the Jews. Transfer to the ship to embark after your tour.
Day 4 SEPTEMBER 30 – EPHESUS
Day 5 OCTOBER 1 – ISTANBUL
The bejeweled capital of Istanbul sits between two continents and is home to 450 mosques. You will visit the famous Blue Mosque with its six minarets and sparkling interior. Walk through St. Sophia (Hagia Sophia), which was the largest church in Christendom for 1,000 years and was built by Justinian (532-537 AD). The church has 107 columns, fossil-embedded, white marble floors, and beautiful glass mosaics. Today, it is the Museum of Byzantine Art. Enjoy the aroma of cinnamon, cloves, thyme, and other exotic spices as you explore the Spice Market. Shops sell everything from herbs to gold.
Day 6 OCTOBER 2 – PATMOS
In Paul’s life, Ephesus represents an important stage. Not only did he find a flourishing community there from where his faith spread to neighboring cities, but he wrote several of his letters there dealing with the Judaizing crisis. Arrive in Ephesus, the marble city where Paul spent three years of his ministry, and walk among the ruins that have been restored almost to their original state as the city was in Paul’s time. Visit the Agora, the main market of 110 square meters, built under the principality of Augustus in 3 BC. and see the Gran Teatro, whose acoustics must have been the delight of the twenty-five thousand spectators that could fit in it. Return to the ship for lunch. This afternoon, arrive at the Isle of Patmos, which stands out for its natural beauty, to visit the Monastery of Saint John on top of the mountain that dominates the entire island. Walk towards the Grotto of the Apocalypse, which is located halfway up the mountain on the Greek island. This grotto is believed to mark the place where John received his visions and where the exiled Apostle John lived and was inspired by God to write the Book of Revelation as well as other letters to the early church.
Day 7 OCTOBER 3 – MYKONOS
Nestled in the heart of Greece’s Cyclades archipelago, Mykonos pulses with irrepressible energy. With its powder white houses and sparkling blue waters. The Island of the Winds is as colorful as the people who call the island home. You can walk narrow marble pathways laced with purple bougainvillea blooms or go cycling on two wheels past off-the-path Ano Mera village. Explore Greece’s maritime history at Armenistis Lighthouse and check out the Folklore Museum’s Mykonian ship models. At the end of the day, watch the sun burn out beyond an Aegean horizon from an open-air seaside taverna. Shore excursions today will be booked directly through the cruise line.
Day 8 OCTOBER 4 – SANTORINI
Day 9 OCTOBER 5 – AT SEA
Day 10 OCTOBER 6 – ALEXANDRIA (CAIRO)
Day 11 OCTOBER 7 – PORT SAID
PORT SAID
Day 12 OCTOBER 8 – JERUSALEM
Journey to Jerusalem to see Caiphas’ House, where Jesus was tried before the Sanhedrin. Stand upon the Mount of Olives and view the city as Jesus did. See the ancient olive trees of the Garden of Gethsemane. Wander the Old City to view the Pool of Bethesda and walk along the Via Dolorosa. Step inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built over the sites of the crucifixion and the resurrection.
Day 13 OCTOBER 9 – DISEMBARKATION/GALILEE/RETURN TO THE USA
Disembark the Norwegian Getaway. Then, venture inland to the Sea of Galilee to stand on the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus preached. At Tabgha, the traditional location of the feeding of 5,000, you will visit the Church of the Loaves and Fish. On the shores of the Sea of Galilee is the Chapel of the Primacy of St. Peter, where three times Peter professed his devotion to the risen Christ. From there, travel to Capernaum, where Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, John, and later Matthew to be disciples. Return to the USA.
Enhance Your Journey
Greece Pre-tour Starting from $1098
September 23 - 28, 2024 | Starting at $1,098*
SEPTEMBER 23 - DEPART THE USA
SEPTEMBER 24 - ARRIVE IN THESSALONIKI
Discover Thessaloniki, where Paul was accused of turning the world upside down with his preaching of Christ (Acts 17: 3-6). As you explore St. George’s Basilica, believed to be built over the synagogue where Paul preached, reflect on the two epistles the Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church here. Stroll through the archaeological museum and the beautiful basilicas of St. Sophia and St. Demetrios. Along the Via Egnatia stands the Galerius Arch, and you can look out over the second-largest city in Greece from the Old City Ramparts, some dating back to Roman times. Overnight in Thessaloniki.
SEPTEMBER 25 - AMPHIPOLIS, PHILIPPI & NEAPOLI
Follow in the footsteps of Paul and Silas to Amphipolis and explore the ruins of the many Christian basilicas there. Philippi is a baptismal site commemorating where God opened the heart of Lydia (a seller of purple from Thyatira) to hear the words of Paul (Acts 16:13-15). Lydia and her household were the first Christian converts baptized on European soil. View the Roman-era crypt thought to have served as a prison for the Apostle Paul, and explore Philippi’s famous acropolis, marketplace, the Basilica of Paul, and theater. Today’s last stop is Neapolis (Kavala), one of Greece’s most picturesque mainland ports, where Paul landed with his disciples, Timothy and Silas. See the Roman aqueduct and acropolis before returning to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight. Overnight in Thessaloniki.
SEPTEMBER 26 - VEREA & METEORA
Follow the path of Paul when he fled Thessaloniki for the safety of Veria (Berea), where Jews and some honorable Greeks accepted the new faith (Act 17: 10-12). As you visit the rock forest of Meteora (“in the heavens above”) in western Thessaly, imagine the Apostle Paul walking that treacherous terrain on his missionary journey. Gaze up at the breathtaking Byzantine monasteries spectacularly perched on soaring, sheer-sided grey sandstone pillars. In the 13th century, monks sought refuge in cliffside caves before fleeing higher to build the original wooden shelters that later became these monasteries. Overnight in Kalambaka.
SEPTEMBER 27 - DELPHI
Travel to scenic Delphi, the religious center of the ancient Greek world and marked by the conical stone called the omphalos or “navel.” Walk the Sacra Via to the Athenian Treasury, theatre, and the Temple of Apollo, where the oracle performed her prophetic rituals. As you consider the incredible amount of pagan influence just in Delphi alone, you will gain a new appreciation for the tremendous spiritual opposition the Apostle Paul faced in preaching the Gospel of Christ here. In the Museum are many ancient treasures, including the 5th- century, bronzed Charioteer so detailed you can see his eyelashes. Overnight in Athens.
SEPTEMBER 28 - JOIN THE CRUISE GROUP IN TOURING ATHENS
Guests taking an extension may be on a different flight than their group and/or traveling companion.
*A 3.5% surcharge will be added to all credit card transactions.
Wonders of Petra Post tour Starting from $998
October 9-13, 2024 | Starting at $998*
OCTOBER 9 – OVERNIGHT IN GALILEE
OCTOBER 10 – JERASH
This morning, you will journey across the Allenby Bridge on your way to Jerash, one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world. Stroll through the oval piazza and wander along colonnaded streets etched by the wheels of ancient chariots. Stand in the grand theatre where an onstage whisper can be heard in the top row. Continue to your hotel for dinner and overnight.
OCTOBER 11 – PETRA
Begin your journey south towards Petra today. Explore the city of Petra. Its entrance passes through a long, narrow gorge known as the Siq and can only be accessed by carriage, horseback or on foot. Once inside the city, marvel at the intricate detail of a city that was cut into the cliffsides of rose-colored rock. Travel to your hotel at the Dead Sea for dinner and overnight.
OCTOBER 12 – MADABA & MOUNT NEBO
Travel to Madaba, the City of Mosaics, to visit the Church of Saint George with its sixth-century, Byzantine mosaic map showing Jerusalem and other holy sites. Continue to Mount Nebo, where Moses caught a glimpse of the Promised Land (Deut. 34). On a clear day, you can see all the way across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea to the rooftops of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.
OCTOBER 13 – RETURN TO THE USA
Guests taking an extension may be on a different flight than their group and/or traveling companion.
*A 3.5% surcharge will be added to all credit card transactions.
Departure Dates
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Friday, September 27, 2024From $4999* Register Now!