Voyages of Paul Cruises with Guest Speaker Matt Tuggle | Oct. 5, 2024
Join us for 7 nights aboard Royal Caribbeans Voyager of the Seas for a Voyages of Paul Cruise starting at $3,699* from New York, departing on October 5, 2024 with Guest Speaker Matt Tuggle. You will see a Panoramic Tour of Rome, Salerno, Messina, Sicily, Sacrario di Cristo Re, Kusadasi, Santorini, Ephesus, Mykonos, Armenistis Lighthouse, Athens, Propylaea, Parthenon; Erectheum, Mars Hill and much more.
What’s Included
- All Inclusive Pricing
- Cruise
- Deluxe A/C Motor Coaches
- Fuel Surcharges and Gov't Taxes
- International Airfare from NY
- Overseas Airport Transfers
- Port Charges
- Select Shore Excursions
- Cruise Taxes $92.67
- Fuel surcharges $500
- Government Taxes $98.00
- Most meals
^ Additional Baggage & Optional fees may apply.
† If air purchased through EO.
Daily Itinerary
Day 1 OCTOBER 5 - DEPART THE USA
DEPART THE USA
Day 2 OCTOBER 6 - ARRIVE IN ROME
You will arrive in Rome, where you will be met by our representative, and do a panoramic tour of Rome. Overnight in Rome.
Day 3 OCTOBER 7 - ROME - EMBARKATION
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before touring Ancient Rome. Then transfer to the Port of Civitavecchia to board the Voyager of the Seas.
Day 4 OCTOBER 8 - SALERNO (AMALFI COAST)
The lively cliffside village of Salerno is a gateway to the many historical and scenic coastal towns with cruises to the Amalfi Coast. Take a stroll by the water along the city’s modern promenade, or stop into a cafe. Break a sweat with a hike up Mount Vesuvius before you wander through the ancient city of Pompeii. Or take a drive along the coast on the winding roads and bask in views of steep cliffs over crystal blue water. Shore excursions today will be booked directly through the cruise line.
Day 5 OCTOBER 9 - MESSINA
Messina is Sicily’s panoramic gateway, located on the northeastern corner of the island. The city just kisses the boot of mainland Italy’s southern tip. Get lost among the patchwork of churches and antique palaces. The Messina Cathedral is in the heart of the city, and its famous bell tower houses the largest mechanical clock in the world. Every day at noon, the statues move to Schubert’s “Ave Maria.” In front of this church, you’ll find the Fontana di Orione, a 16th-century fountain that’s a work of art in itself, with sculptures of figures from ancient mythology. Cruise to Sicily and take a leisurely walk to the Sacrario di Cristo Re, a hilltop church with panoramic views of the town and the surrounding mountains. Shore excursions today will be booked directly through the cruise line.
Day 6 OCTOBER 10 - AT SEA
AT SEA
Day 7 OCTOBER 11 - SANTORINI
Dock in Santorini today, one of the most beautiful of the Greek islands, where picturesque whitewashed villages topped with brilliant blue domes stand in stark contrast to the sheer drop cliffs overlooking the Aegean Sea. The island itself perches on the edges of a volcano whose eruption 3,500 years ago is thought to have led to the collapse of the Minoan civilization. Explore the island on your own or join one of the optional excursions available for purchase onboard. Shore excursions today will be booked directly through the cruise line.
Day 8 OCTOBER 12 - EPHESUS
Ephesus is one of the Seven Churches of Revelation and was once a bustling port town with wide, colonnade-bordered streets and a population of 250,000. Spectacular excavations have revealed much of the glory of ancient Ephesus, including the huge agora and library, but much has been lost. The ancient world once declared the Temple of Artemis to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but today only a single column remains to mark its site. View the terrace houses, also known as “the house of the rich,” which give a true impression of the ancient lifestyle. Explore the Museum of Ephesus for an up-close look at ancient artifacts. You will have time to explore on your own and retrace some of the footsteps of Paul.
Day 9 OCTOBER 13 - 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 10 OCTOBER 14 - ATHENS & CORINTH
Discover the rich architectural splendor of the ancient city of Athens as you explore the world-renowned Acropolis, the Propylaea, the Parthenon, and the Erectheum. Stand on Mars Hill as the Apostle Paul did when he proclaimed, “I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.” Also, view the House of Parliament, the Presidential Palace, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This afternoon, tour the city of Corinth, where the Apostle Paul met fellow tentmakers Aquila and Priscilla and received a vision from the Lord saying, “I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.” 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. Overnight in Athens.
Day 11 OCTOBER 15 - RETURN TO THE USA
Enhance Your Journey
Rome Pre Tour Starting from $939
October 4, 2024 - October 7, 2024 | $939
October 4 - Depart USA
Your pilgrimage begins as you depart the USA on your international overnight flight.
October 5 - Arrive in Rome
Today, you will arrive in Rome, Italy, where you will be met by our representative and travel along the Appian Way. Step beneath the surface into the Catacombs of Callixtus, built along the Appian Way. Here 16 Popes from the 2nd through 4th Centuries were interred, though they have been removed to various churches over the centuries. Check in to your hotel this evening and enjoy dinner and rest.
October 6 - Vatican City & Christian Rome
Visit the Vatican and explore its museum. Marvel at the beauty of St. Peter's Basilica and stand in awe of Michaelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. Next on to the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. The present structure stands over the place where Constantine built the first church over Saint Paul’s grave. The church features a portrait of every Pope who has served the church. Climb the graceful Spanish Steps and stop at the famous Trevi Fountain before returning to your hotel this evening.
October 7 - Ancient Rome
Discover the history woven throughout Rome with visits to the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Forum, Circus Maximus, the Arch of Titus, the Baths of Caracalla, and the Arch of Constantine today. After touring, you will be transferred to the Port of Civitavecchia to board the Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas.
Greece Post Starting from $1098
October 16 - October 19, 2024 | $1098
October 15 - Delphi
Travel to scenic Delphi, the religious center of the ancient Greek world and marked by the conical stone called the omphalosor (“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. Many ancient treasures in the Museum, including the 5th century bronzed Charioteer, so detailed you can see his eyelashes. Overnight in Kalambaka.
October 16 - 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 cliff-side caves before fleeing higher to build the original wooden shelters that later became these monasteries. Overnight in Kalambaka.
October 17 - Amphipolis, Philippi & Neapoli
Follow in the footsteps of Paul and Silas to Amphipolis and explore the ruins of the many Christian basilicas there. In 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, Market Place, 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.
October 18 - 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, dedicated to a distinguished Roman proconsul martyred for his Christian faith. Along the Via Egnatia stands the Galerus 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
October 19 - Return to USA
Departure Dates
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Saturday, October 5, 2024From $3699* Register Now!