EXCURSIONS TERRESTRES

You’ll journey to the ancient place of Mayan pilgrimage known today as Chacchoben, also known as "The Place of Red Corn". At the pier, you’ll be greeted by a bilingual guide who will direct you to an air-conditioned bus. Onboard the bus your guide will brief you on the interesting history and unique attributes of this sacred Mayan site. Upon arrival at Chacchoben you’ll be surrounded by jungle. Your guide will escort you through the ruins, giving you a complete explanation of the sacred temples and other structures seen there. See original red paint on the stucco walls of one of the pyramids and the temple where a mural was found showing the astronomical positions of the planet Venus. You’ll have time to climb the Gran Basamento taking you above tree level. Here archaeologists found ceremonial offerings dating to around 1000 B.C. Your guide will also explain about the wildlife and medicinal plants that are used by the modern-day descendants of the ancient Mayan people. During the tour, you will reach a structure known as the Gran Basamento, which is not a pyramid, but an elevated platform.

Snap selfies at the most photogenic spots in and around Santorini, many of them iconic attractions that define the city. To ensure the best possible results, a selfie tutor will offer tips so you can capture just the right angle, lighting and composition for every shot. Selfie sticks are available and complemented by a convenient photo frame, enabling you to capture, share, and post the best pictures in the future.

As you walk and ride through Santorini, you will pause at designated selfie stops that include:
• Aroma Avlis restaurant
• Oia’s Blue-Domed churches
• Metropolitan Church of Ypapanti Thira

HIGHLIGHTS

• Take inspiring selfies at the most photogenic attractions in Santorini.
• Follow tips from your selfie tutor to ensure the very best pictures.
• Learn the historical significance of the locales while enjoying their dramatic settings.
• Sample a local glass of wine at Aroma Avlis, a hilltop restaurant with panoramic views.
• Pose in front of the blue-domed churches in Oia and explore the coastal town.
• Stand above the Metropolitan Church of Ypapanti Thira and capture the ultimate shot of the city Fira.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
• Be sure your phone or camera is fully charged.

Experience the ultimate family getaway at the all-new Great Tides Waterpark on Great Stirrup Cay. Your ticket includes full-day access to four exciting zones — Tidal Tower, Cliffside Cove, Wandering River, and Splash Cay — featuring 19 total waterslides throughout the park, including 11 main attractions and 8 kid-friendly slides in the splash zone. From towering slides and cliff jumps to a winding lazy river and splash-filled fun for every age, Great Tides Waterpark delivers nonstop excitement the whole family will love.

L'île de Mykonos est mondialement célèbre pour sa beauté époustouflante composée de moulins à vent, de baies étincelantes, de plages superbes, de maisons et d'églises blanches aux dômes bleus et rouges. You'll pass by Ornos Beach, one of the most cosmopolitan beaches on the island with an abundance of luxurious hotels, tavernas and yachts mooring offshore.

You'll make a short photo stop at the beach of Kalafatis to experience one of the island's beautiful beaches and to enjoy the breathtaking view. As you head to the center of the island, you'll visit the village of Ano Mera and the Monastery Panayia Tourliani. You'll also have a chance to enjoy ouzo and Greek appetizers in the peaceful little square of the village.

OVERVIEW

View the absolute icons of New York from a water perspective while cruising the Hudson River and up close while driving through the heart of Manhattan. The Big Apple’s skyline will look especially dramatic from the boat as you will see One World Trade Center – the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere – looming in the background. Once you pass Lower Manhattan, you will cruise past Ellis Island and on to the Statue of Liberty, where the boat will pause long enough for you to take close-up photos of this inspiring beacon of freedom and hope. The bus will follow a route that also presents one landmark after another, including Times Square, the Empire State Building and Central Park, the urban oasis that famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted co-designed in 1858. You will hear insightful commentary throughout the tour and all the way to the airport.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cruise the Hudson River for an unforgettable water perspective of Manhattan.
• Snap photos while the boat stops as close as possible to the Statue of Liberty.
• See countless landmarks while riding through Manhattan.
• Pass Times Square, the Empire State Building and Central Park.
• Head to either JFK or LaGuardia airport in plenty of time for your flight.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Enjoy extra time to unwind and savor the ship at your own pace – no rushing, no waiting at the airport, just more time to relax and soak in the experience.

• Relaxed, stress-free departure.
• Enjoy the ship at your own pace with leisurely lunch and extra time onboard.
• Complete with the added convenience of included shuttle transfer to airport.

Visit the Melanesian village of Hnathalo, where ancient customs are still practiced religiously and traditional island values are held in high esteem. Hnathalo is also the name of the tribe living there. Following a welcoming coconut drink, you will walk among the village’s thatched huts, hand-carved totems and open expanses shaded by swaying palms and towering Royal Poinciana trees. It will be like traveling back in time, as little has changed over the years because traditional Melanesian ways are still fervently practiced in Hnathalo. That is especially true in the preparation of dishes such as bougna, a concoction that you will sample after seeing how it’s cooked over red-hot stones in a cleverly designed ground oven. You will also be invited to enter the circular Chief’s Hut, one of the largest of its kind in New Caledonia, and view a church that French Catholic missionaries constructed in 1883. It is decorated with period furnishings that enhance the authenticity.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Learn about the traditional Melanesian way of life in the rural village Hnathalo.
• Sample the Melanesian dish bougna, which is cooked in banana leaves in an earthen oven.
• See the interior of the revered Chief’s Hut and a missionary-built, 19th-century church.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Enjoy extra time to unwind and savor the ship at your own pace – no rushing, no waiting at the airport, just more time to relax and soak in the experience.

• Relaxed, stress-free departure.
• Enjoy the ship at your own pace with leisurely lunch and extra time onboard.
• Complete with the added convenience of included shuttle transfer to airport.

Visit the site of the first Olympic Games and learn about its glorious history. Then head to the beach and spend the rest of the day basking in the sun and swimming in the warm, sparkling waters of the Ionian Sea. Even though the temples and monuments have disappeared and only the ruins are left, you can’t help but to envision the grandeur of the Temple of Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The site was a sanctuary even before the stadium was built and the games took place.

The famous stadium, the largest of its day, is entered through a long, tunnel-like passage constructed in Roman times. Today, you can stand at the starting line and imagine the roar of the spectators seated on the marble benches, as the athletes took their marks. Reboard your coach and head to the beach to bask in the sun and swim in the sparkling Ionian Sea. Enjoy use of a sun bed and umbrella at the main beach, as well as a complimentary refreshment. Food and drinks are available for purchase.

OVERVIEW

Treat your inner adventurer to an exhilarating multi-transport survey of the Southern Alps high country by coach, offroad touring vehicle and jet boat. It all starts sedately enough, as you head out by motorcoach into the fertile earthen patchwork of the Canterbury Plains – where the island grows its wheat and grazes its cattle. But don’t get too comfortable; the scenery changes dramatically as you reach Rubicon Station on the banks of the spectacular Waimakariri river gorge and make the switch into rugged offroad touring mode. Piloted with skill around Mt Torlesse Station, bouncing heartily across a spectacular landscape framed by jagged Southern Alp peaks and gorges, you’re bound to fill your camera with social media friendly shots. A well-deserved stop for lunch provides a break from the action, but it won’t last. Soon enough, you’ll shift back into thrill gear as you board a lightning-fast jet boat capable of 360-degree spins and strap in for a ride up the steep-walled Waimakariri River gorge to Staircase Viaduct. Learn more about Kiwi Jetboating thanks to the persistence of Bill Hamilton in perfecting the water jet and providing a new way to explore parts of back country New Zealand at the Jet Boat World museum. After that little jaunt, the coach drive back to Lyttelton will feel like slow motion.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Experience adventure without exhaustion on a thrilling, multi-vehicle tour of the Southern Alps.
• Travel by coach across the fertile Canterbury Plains to the Springfield Adventure Centre and a switch into offroad mode.
• Buckle up for a rollicking drive through rugged high country terrain framed by mountains and gorges.
• Hold onto your hat again later as you zoom up the majestic Waimakariri river gorge on a jet boat nimble enough to make 360-degree spins.
• Enjoy lunch at midday and return back to port with spectacular photos and memories.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing including a water-resistant jacket.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Settle in for a panoramic driving tour through Florence with occasional stops for closer views of the must-see landmarks. You will ride around the city in a double-decker bus that offers 360º from the top. As an alternative, you can sit in the shaded lower deck. Either way, commentary will describe the points of interest and give you a clear understanding of their significance. UNESCO deemed the historic center of Florence a World Heritage site because of its artistic and cultural importance over the centuries, so there is plenty to see. The bus will stop at the shop-lined Ponte Vecchio bridge that spans the Arno River, the museum within the Palazzo Strozzi and Santa Maria Maggiore, which is among the oldest and most beautiful churches in Florence. For the ultimate view of the city, you will pause at Piazzale Michelangelo, a hilltop terrace with a bronze replica of Michaelangelo’s David.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ride around Florence on the top of a double-decker bus or in the shaded lower deck.
• Hear enlightening commentary that describes the upcoming landmarks.
• Take the opportunity to stop at the most intriguing attractions for a closer look.
• See landmarks as diverse as the Ponte Vecchio bridge and the museum in Palazzo Strozzi.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Take a scenic drive through the countryside to the magnificent city of Florence. Pause in the Piazza del Duomo to admire the exterior of the Cathedral (Duomo) of Santa Maria del Fiore, its elaborate Gothic façade is covered in a mix of pink and green marble.

View the statues in the Piazza della Signoria on your way to the Ponte Vecchio, the medieval stone bridge was the first bridge built across the River Arno, and has been well known for its goldsmiths and jewelers since the 16th century. Lunch is included at a local restaurant, and after the meal you'll have free time to explore on your own or to shop, before your tour continues to the historic town of Pisa. Here, you'll have free time in Miracle Square for a look at the exterior of that famous Leaning Tower. Built in the 12th century, it began to lean soon afterwards, but has now been stabilized.