SHORE EXCURSIONS

OVERVIEW

Gain a greater understanding of Northern Ireland and its culture by following a foodie guide through Belfast and sampling classic dishes and delicacies. The exact locations to be visited will be determined the day of the excursion, but they will definitely be establishments that best represent the cuisine of Northern Ireland. They will be the markets, restaurants and cafés that the locals frequent, rather than those typically found in guidebooks. Tastings are frequent and generous! Along the way you will encounter the places the locals like to frequent for lunch or dinner or for a cup of coffee. You will visit a variety of eating establishments in the city center, each specifically chosen to highlight the unique foods of Northern Ireland. The best way to get to know a city is through its food, and this tour highlights what makes Belfast so appealing.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Follow a local foodie around Belfast and sample a variety of classic dishes.
• Stop in the markets, restaurants and cafés that the locals frequent.
• Expect to taste favorites such as Belfast bap, colcannon and boxty, a potato pancake.

HELPFUL HINTS

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

Discover Puerto Vallarta´s charming Downtown and Oldtown districts with the help of your friendly, bilingual guide. You´ll ride in air conditioned comfort to the center of downtown where you´ll have a chance to stroll the length of our Malecon (seawall) to see our collection of sculptures by local and international artists.

You´ll visit the main square, where your guide will take you through the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe and keep you entertained and informed along the way. Enjoy a stroll down the Cuale River Island's colorful garden pathway. Re-board the coach briefly to ride to our refreshment/restroom and shopping stop. Complimentary beverages are offered as well as free tequila tastings, as you shop or observe the local artists at work. Afterward, we'll make the short walk to Vallarta's newest attraction, Mosaic Park, which has become one of the most impressive collections of urban art, anywhere. The entire area shimmers and sparkles with Mexican themes, covering everything from the columns to the benches. We'll spend about 40 minutes there, before returning directly to the ship.

You’ll be taken to a beautiful white-sand beach to enjoy a rum or fruit cocktail before being escorted to your complimentary lounge chair, reserved for you on the beach. Once rested and enjoying your special day at the beach, savour a delicious buffet style lunch: chicken or fish, rice, baked potato, vegetables, salad - including a refreshing beverage (rum and/or fruit punch drink). A pasta dish will also be available for vegetarians. A pasta dish will also be available for vegetarians. Relax on the beach, take a leisurely walk or swim in the sea. Changing facilities, restrooms, water sports (at additional cost supplied by outside vendors), freshwater showers as well as a beach bar and restaurant are available.

Delight in the medieval character of Taormina while strolling its atmospheric streets and admiring landmarks such the Greek theater from the 2nd century. After departing from the pier, you will have a short panoramic tour of Messina. Continuing along the coast to the south, you will approach Taormina, an ancient city that rises almost perpendicularly from the sea. It’s a beautiful setting with an alluring medieval character, as you will discover while navigating its narrow, cobbled streets. As French author Guy de Maupassant wrote of his stay in 1883, “Were a man to pass a single day in Sicily and ask, ‘What must one see?’ I would answer him without hesitation, Taormina.” Among the highlights are the Arabian-influenced Palazzo Corvaja and the ruins of a 2nd-century Greek theater. It sits on a seaside hilltop with a view of Mount Etna that is so inspiring that it can detract from the entertainers that still perform there in the summer. After visiting, you will enjoy free time to wander about the areas that interest you the most. You might take in the views from the fragrant public garden or shop along boutique-lined Corso Umberto. The most popular merchandise includes designer fashions, jewelry and colorful ceramic pine cones, a Sicilian symbol of hospitality.

This 1.5-hour adventure brings you up-close with swimming pigs as you watch them swim at a private island. Breathe in the salty air as you ride in a boat across electric-blue waters surrounded by wide-open ocean scenery. Travel to a private isle nestled among the northern Berry Islands. Here along the white-sand shoreline you'll meet a friendly group of pigs that call the island's tropical setting their home. You'll learn all about these animals and then have the chance to step into the waters of a shallow beach and be involved in a controlled and professionally supervised environment. Photographer will be on site and photos will be available for purchase! Get your photo taken with the swimming pigs and then head to the observation deck for sweeping views of the ocean.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Bahamas: Travel by boat across crystal-clear blue waters, delighting in the beautiful scenery among the Berry Islands.
• Berry Islands: Here's your chance to get up-close to the swimming pigs, with controlled supervised staff feedings..
• Beach views: Chill out on a beachfront observation deck.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Bring a swimsuit and towel.
• Aqua shoes are recommended.

Your tour begins with a scenic drive along the coast to a small town known as St. Ann’s Bay. View the sights from your comfortable coach as your guide narrates the history and provides interesting facts about Jamaica. Observe the town’s classic Statue of Columbus, honoring his landing here. Continue to Fern Gully, a gorge filled with hundreds of varieties of ferns.

Visit Konoko Falls and Park, the Taino Indians called this Paradise and you’ll see why these original inhabitants choose this as a settlement site. You’ll hear the roar and feel the fresh mist of the spray from the spectacular waterfall. Follow the trails with your guide through this amazing rainforest. Visit the museum which features artifacts from the original inhabitants and early colonials that were excavated on site.

Stop at the colorful gift shop offering native products and handicrafts before re-boarding your coach. Enjoy a cup of Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Coffee and delicious banana bread as you relax at the Almond Tree Restaurant overlooking the Caribbean Sea. On the return, you’ll drive through bustling Ocho Rios, there’s an optional drop off at the shops in the center of town or you may return directly to the ship.

OVERVIEW

Watch a fascinating woodworking demonstration in Sorrento and wander through the ruins of Pompeii, which reveal ancient life in a surprisingly candid way. The craftsmen will demonstrate the art of intarsia or wood inlay, which has long been associated with Sorrento. During free time that follows you might browse the boutiques and dine on your own. If you stop for lunch, be sure try a glass of chilled Limoncello, a sweet lemon-flavored liquor that has been produced locally for more than a century. You will then head to Pompeii, a Roman town forever known for the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius that buried it under ash and pumice in 79 AD. After watching artisans hand-carve classic cameos, you will meander through the excavated ruins. The buildings are largely intact, frescoes adorn the villas and everyday objects are scattered about, just as they were when the volcano erupted. Expect to see ancient baths, temples and residences with intricate mosaic floors.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Watch woodworkers demonstrate the art of intarsia or wood inlay, a specialty in Sorrento.
• Browse Sorrento’s museums and boutiques or dine on your own during free time.
• See the artistry behind the making of traditional cameos in Pompeii.
• Walk through the ruins of Pompeii for an eye-opening look into ancient life.

HELPFUL HINTS

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

OVERVIEW

Hop aboard the vintage White Pass & Yukon Route Railway for an immensely picturesque train ride high into the mountains, following a path blasted out of the rocks in 1898, during the height of the Klondike Gold Rush. As soon as the narrow-gauge train begins its ascent, you will understand why the beloved WP&YR is known as “The Scenic Railway of the World.” The train will climb almost 3,000 feet in just 20 miles and present one breathtaking view after another, from thundering Bridal Veil Falls to the rugged peaks at Inspiration Point. You will also pass over the soaring bridge that spans precipitous Dead Horse Gulch, named for pack animals loaded with prospecting gear that fell to the bottom of the gorge. It will be an exhilarating ride on a railway so ingeniously constructed that it is recognized as an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ride a narrow-gauge train on a route used during the Klondike Gold Rush.
• Climb high into the mountains and behold Alaska’s majestic scenery.
• Admire the ingenious engineering behind the railway’s construction.
• Receive a collectible magazine that details the railway’s history.

HELPFUL HINTS

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

OVERVIEW

Bicycle through neighborhoods and areas known more to locals than visitors, an experience that will leave you with a genuine understanding of daily life in Valencia. Fishermen founded the residential district El Cabanyal in the 13th century, and it is an excellent place for bicycling, as the streets are relatively flat and easy to negotiate, freeing you to really enjoy the setting. While bicycling through the outskirts of Alboraya, you will likely pass farmhouses surrounded by fields of vegetables and chufa, a vitamin-rich superfood known more casually as tiger nuts. It is also well-known for producing horchata, a beloved chilled beverage made with the milky juice of chufa and sugar. Valencia is synonymous with orchata, and you will enjoy a tasting at an authentic, local establishment before bicycling toward Malvarrosa Beach. The fresh sea air and views of the lively promenade along the golden sand will make the final leg of your journey more memorable.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Bicycle through areas of Valencia unknown to most visitors for a true glimpse at daily life.
• Pass a beach, farmhouse and field where you will see the diversity of local crops.
• Sample authentic horchata, beloved chilled beverage made with the milky juice of chufa and sugar

HELPFUL HINTS

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

See the sights before your flight. Hop On and Discover, Hop Off and Explore as you enjoy the perfect introduction to Miami from the top deck of an open-air double decker bus! With fantastic views, fresh air, and a great atmosphere to explore, this tour takes in the most iconic sites of the city. With the multi-lingual audio tour in six different languages and the Hop On Hop Off option at eight different locations, this the only way to get to know Miami. No worries about your luggage as we will store it for you until you are finished enjoying your day of discovery and exploration. Departing from the cruise terminal, you will make your way to Miami Beach via the MacArthur causeway where you will enjoy fantastic views of the Port of Miami and Star Island, home to some of Miami’s most sought after celebrities. Upon arrival on Miami Beach, your journey takes you into the heart of South Beach, world famous for its Art Deco buildings, white sand beaches and vibrant nightlife. Traveling north on Collins Avenue you will pass many famous hotels before crossing back to the mainland and onto the Wynwood arts district. Here you will find an array of art galleries and ecliptic eating establishments. The upper deck provides the best views to enjoy the many wall murals that have made this area famous worldwide. You will then make your way to the high-rise business district of downtown Miami and into Little Havana. Home to the famous Domino Park, you will take in the Cuban and Latin American culture this area is famous for. Finishing your tour is a stop at our Big Bus Station located at Bayside Marketplace in Downtown Miami. Still have some time before your flight; Bayside offers an array of shops and eating establishment for you to enjoy. Once it is time to head to the airport simply collect your luggage from our storage area. Taxi’s and ride shares are easily available.

Drive along the elegant Passeig de Gracia with its wrought-iron street lamps and fine array of Modernist buildings, including Gaudi’s Casa Mila, with its arches and spiral chimneys. It is known locally as “the stone quarry,” because of its wavy facade of rough stone. Originally designed as an apartment building, it now houses a cultural center. Stop for a photo of Gaudi’s controversial and towering masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia (The Holy Family) Church. Begun in 1883, it is still unfinished. A panoramic drive takes you through the memorial Arch of Triumph and Ciutadella Park, home to State of Catalona’s parliament, museums and a monumental fountain designed by a student of Gaudi. You’ll also enjoy spectacular views of the harbor and the Olympic Stadium from the top of Montjuic. Last but not least, stroll at your leisure the narrow streets and handsome squares of the old Quarter, lined with medieval buildings contemporary shops, bohemian artist workshops and cool bars and restaurants.

Take an approximately 45 minute cruise along the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda. On arrival, open safari buses take you on an approximately 15 minute drive through Spanish Town to The Baths for a self-guided tour, where you can swim (weather permitting) in the unique atmosphere of mammoth boulders, palms, and sea caves. Travel along the trails and boulders to discover hidden caves and sea pools.