Drive through the beautiful Andalucia region to an acclaimed cheese-producing village for an insider’s look at the artisanal process and to sample the most representative cheeses. Your host will be a farmer that tends payoya goats and Grazalemeña sheep, whose milk is used to produce the cheeses. The most well-known and award-winning cheese is El Bosqueño, a smooth textured, light-colored cheese. The farmer will lead you through the fields where the goats and sheep graze and walk you through the cheese-making process step by step. You will also browse a cheese museum with displays of cheese-making hand tools and exhibits detailing the history of cheese production in the area. Afterwards, you will enjoy a sampling that may include an emborrado cheese cured in olive oil and wheat bran. Other cheeses produced here are cured with fresh spices such as rosemary and paprika. To complement the experience, you will be served a glass of locally produced wine.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• See how several award-winning cheeses are produced at a farm in the town of El Bosque.
• Browse a cheese museum with displays that trace the importance of cheese in this region.
• Sample various cheeses made with milk from payoya goats and Grazalemeña sheep.

This sightseeing cruise features guaranteed whale watching! Following a short motorcoach ride to scenic Auke Bay, you’ll board a water jet powered catamaran specially designed for wildlife viewing. Relax in the warm, comfortable, spacious main cabin, surrounded by large windows as your experienced Captain guides you through the island studded waters of Stephens Passage. Against a majestic backdrop of snow-capped peaks and glaciers, the onboard naturalist will explain the behavior and habitat of wildlife you may encounter, including humpback and killer whales, Steller sea lions, Dall’s porpoise, harbor seals, bald eagles, bears and deer.

The operators of this tour guarantee that you'll see a whale. If not, you’ll receive a $100 cash refund as you disembark the vessel. Don’t anticipate a refund; in the past 10+ years, whales have been sighted on every tour! To fully enjoy the sights and sounds of a close encounter with wildlife, be sure to bring a warm, rainproof jacket to wear on the topside observation deck and don’t forget your camera! Day use binoculars and a souvenir wildlife guide and map are provided, along with complimentary snacks and beverages. less

See the innovative solar and wind installations on Tilos that made it the first island in the Mediterranean to be fully powered by green energy. A ferry will bring you to the island, where you will see the hybrid power station that stores the renewable energy in batteries. Although Tilos is small with only about 500 residents, it has made a huge impact in encouraging other places to follow its lead in sustainable energy. You will meet the mayor and other officials that supported the project from the beginning and learn how they ensured its success. Tilos once bought its oil-based electricity from the nearby island of Kos; it now plans to sell its excess green energy back to Kos. Being completely powered by renewable energy has allowed Tilos to become more self-sufficient, have greater stability and make a smaller ecological footprint.

HIGHLIGHTS
• See how Tilos became the first island in the Mediterranean fully powered by green energy.
• Visit the solar and wind power station that supplies the island’s renewable energy.
• Talk to the mayor and other officials that helped Tilos develop its sustainable energy plan.

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

Capture the moment by taking the perfect selfie photo in Santorini! Instantly share your experience with family & friends on your favorite social media site as many of the stops will include wi-fi in real time. Professional photographers & selfie experts will teach you how to take the best selfie photo including composition, posing, lighting etc. Capture the spirit of this incredible destination.

Your tour will start with a scenic drive from the ship to the Aroma Avlis. Your walking tour will have designated selfie stops at: • Aroma Avlis
• The Blue Domes Churches of Oia
• Church Bells in Fira

Enjoy an enlightening tour of Puerto Limon as a prelude to a cultural performance and hands-on cooking class. The walking portion of the tour will begin at leafy Parque Vargas, a popular gathering place that overlooks the sea. Be sure to notice Uvita Island just offshore, as it is renowned as the spot where Christopher Columbus landed in 1502 on his fourth and final voyage to the New World. He is credited with naming Costa Rica, which is Spanish for “Rich Coast.” You will also pause to take in the sights at Playa Bonita, a beautiful stretch of sand nearby. A dance performance to live calypso music follows at the House of Culture, after which you will learn to prepare a few signature local dishes. Chances are, they will include a Costa Rican version of rice and beans, a beef-stuffed turnover and a sweet plantain tart. Later, you will snack on your tasty concoctions.

Capture the moment by taking the perfect selfie photo in Florence & Pisa! Instantly share your experience with family & friends on your favorite social media site as many of the stops will include wi-fi in real time. Professional photographers & selfie experts will teach you how to take the best selfie photo including composition, posing, lighting etc. Capture the spirit of this incredible destination.

Your tour will start with a scenic drive from the ship to Piazza della Signoria. Your walking tour will have designated selfie stops at: • Piazza della Signoria
• Santa Maria de Fiore Cathedral
• Piazza della Repubblica
• Ponte Vecchio
• Piazzale Michelangelo
• The Tower of Pisa

To make this experience even more fun, you will be provided with a selfie stick and utilize our Selfie Station in order to help catch the perfect picture. During the tour, you will stop for some traditional treats and a wine tasting.

Gain an understanding of how local craftsmen make traditional Greek musical instruments and take in the island’s natural beauty. Pyrgos is known for its 13th-century Venetian castle, the classic Cycladic design of its homes and the panoramic views from its hilltop location. It will be an ideal setting to pause for a cup of coffee and a Greek sweet. Megalochori is equally picturesque, as you will discover while meandering the village’s atmospheric cobbled streets lined with neoclassical houses. The intriguing Museum of Musical Instruments honors the history of the instruments that make Greek music so recognizable. You will learn how classic instruments such as the bouzouki and laouto are handmade and have the chance to play some of them. Afterwards, you will visit the family-owned Gavalas Winery, which has been producing traditional wines such as Katsano and Nykteri since the 19th century. There you will sample wines indicative of Santorini’s terroir and snacks that pair perfectly with them.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Pause for a snack and to revel in the village of Pyrgos’ classic Cycladic setting.
• Discover how some of the most recognizable Greek musical instruments are hand-crafted.
• Sample a selection of traditional wines and local delicacies at a family-owned winery.

Experience local life by exploring food markets and a shopping mall, sampling Finnish cuisine and then strolling a serene waterfront park. As you meander about the historical market Vanha Kaupahalli, you will gain an understanding of daily life in Helsinki. Similarly, after a short tram ride to the Kamppi Shopping Centre, you will get a feel for other types of merchandise available to the residents, mainly fashions and jewelry. You will then ride the metro to Hakaniemi Market, a shopping area that specializes in gourmet foods and delicacies. To see if the local cuisine suits your palate, you will sample traditional snacks such as cold smoked reindeer with marinated red onion, Finnish archipelago bread with lemon crème fraiche and salmon, and non-alcoholic rhubarb soda. To become further immersed in local life, you will stroll through waterfront Kaivopuisto Park, which is on the southernmost tip of Helsinki and surrounded by embassies and extravagant homes.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Observe local life while browsing the merchandise at several popular shopping areas.
• Recognize the vast range of stores available in urban Helsinki.
• Sample traditional Norwegian snacks and stroll a waterfront park.

Come experience the world famous, magnificent ruins of the walled city of Tulum, the only Mayan city built right on the blue Caribbean Sea! After a 45-minute ferry to Playa del Carmen, your guide will lead you to an air-conditioned motor coach for a scenic and informative one-hour drive to Tulum.

Once there, your guide will escort you through the ruins giving a complete narration along the way. See the restored temples and some of the mysterious hieroglyphic writings still visible today. Visit the temple of the frescos, famous for the detailed carved figures and original paints. And perched on the edge of the Caribbean and rising high above all of the other ruins is “El Castillo” with its breathtaking view of the aqua-colored water below.

Once back in Playa del Carmen, you may have free time for shopping etc., depending on the ferry schedule. There will be a stop on the way to Tulum to purchase food, refreshments, souvenirs and use of the restroom.

Discover the charms of two inland villages, one a medieval gem with fine shopping, the other featuring a rare olive mill. Unlike other villages in Provence, Valbonne was designed on a Roman grid plan, so the streets are straight and perpendicular rather than winding. After a guided walking tour through the leafy plazas, you will enjoy free time in Valbonne. You might be surprised by how cosmopolitan it is, especially with regard to shopping and dining. You will then drive a bit farther inland to Opio, a smaller village surrounded by olive groves and pine trees. Opio has one of the area’s few remaining olive mills, which has been operating since the 15th century. Now powered by electricity rather than water, the mill still presses fresh oil from locally gathered olives as it has for centuries. After hearing about the mill’s history, you will sample some the olives and freshly pressed oil with a glass of wine.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Enjoy a leisurely and immensely picturesque drive inland to two villages in Provence.
• Spend free time in medieval Valbonne, where you may shop in its sophisticated boutiques.
• Sample olives, freshly pressed olive oil and a glass of wine at a 15th-century olive mill.

Snorkel the azure waters adjacent to the of Belize's Barrier Reef, the world’s largest living barrier reef. This is a shallow water entry, well suited for beginners and intermediate snorkelers. Depart from the Harvest Caye Marina on one of our comfortable snorkel vessels for the short scenic ride to a beautiful site along the reef. This location is teeming with multitudes of colorful reef fish, co-habiting among the beautiful hard and soft coral formations, intermingled with sponges, sea fans, and delicate sea anemones.

Possible sightings of spotted eagle rays and schools of larger fish are quite common, large starfish, queen conchs, and sea cucumbers also call this patch of the reef home. After snorkeling, re-board your boat and enjoy the return trip while listening to Caribbean rhythmic vibes. After returning to the pier, as you step off the boat, you can pick up your complimentary rum punch.

Learn about the famous explorer Captain Cook during this informative tour that traces the coastal route he explored over 250 years ago. Before going on to discover New Zealand, Australia, and Hawaii, Captain Cook learned his skills as a navigator and captain in Newfoundland. The route you will follow today includes delightful fishing villages inhabited by people of English, French, and Aboriginal ancestry. Among the highlights you will enjoy are the rugged coastal scenery and inland forests, along with the possibility of sighting some seals and other wildlife.

A stop will be made at Lark Harbor where you will be treated to a sampling of Newfoundland flavors with a coffee/tea break served by the friendly locals. This visit in the small community of Lark Harbor always proves to be a high point of the tour and gives participants a chance to meet the genial residents.

Before returning to the pier, you will stop at the dramatic lookout site of Cook's Look-out National Historic Site.