Explore two lively markets in downtown Cartagena; one for food and the second a favorite locale for handmade jewelry and crafts. While walking to the Santa Florentina covered market, you will pass landmarks such as Conception Castle and several leafy parks. Long a staple for shopping, the market offers every imaginable culinary ingredient, and you can expect the atmosphere to be extraordinary lively as the residents and vendors interact and socialize. The guide will lead you to stalls where you can taste tapas topped with favorite ingredients. You might try one of these small-plate appetizers with fried squid, anchovies, artisanal cheese or vegetables, as produce is a specialty. Continuing on to the nearby Artisan Center, which is housed inside an 18th-century palace, you will browse stalls full of locally made arts and crafts. The ceramics, jewelry and glassware are particularly noteworthy. Chances are, you will see artisans making their pieces by hand.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Browse the stalls of the Santa Florentina market, which is revered for its fresh produce.
• Sample small-plate tapas at the market, topped with local specialties such as squid and cheese.
• Shop for hand-made jewelry and glassware at the Artisan Center, another favorite venue.

Enjoy an enlightening tour of Naples and folded pizza, a classic Neapolitan treat. Your panoramic drive will present views from affluent Posillipo Hill and of the imposing Castle Nuovo. The castle’s five towers make it one of Naples’ most recognizable landmarks. You will also see the Egg Castle, which holds a commanding position on the sea. In time, you will reach Spaccanapoli, a long street whose name means “Naples splitter,” a reference to it somewhat dividing the city in two. Here, you will visit the Jesuit church Gesú Nuovo and the Church of Santa Chiara, which was founded in 1310 and features an austere Provencal-Gothic style. To delve even deeper into daily life, you will walk through the narrow streets of Old Town, which UNESCO has declared a Cultural Heritage site. As you will discover, there is no better setting for an espresso and portafoglio or folded pizza, as the dish was invented in Naples.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Drive through Naples taking in the panoramic views and passing key landmarks. • See two castles and several churches among the architectural highlights. • Walk through Old Town and pause to enjoy folded pizza, a treat invented in Naples.

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.

OVERVIEW

Experience the joys of two iconic Scottish activities: drinking a wee dram of whisky and playing the bagpipes. After departing from the pier, you will soon arrive at a downtown venue for a whisky tasting. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society will host the event, in which the whiskies will be served at cask strength. That means the drams will not have been subjected to chill filtration or any other interference that would alter their tastes. You will be served three drams, a dram being an eighth of a fluid ounce. The tasting will reveal the remarkable variety within the distillation processes and present the complexities that the different oak casks and aging times impart. Before each dram is sampled, one of the society’s members will describe the whisky’s characteristics. Some whiskies might taste spicy and dry while others may be heavily peated with strong smoky flavors. The experience will be enlightening and entertaining. Your immersion into the world of bagpipes will be just as fulfilling. Louise Marshall, one of Scotland’s most renowned pipers, will lead your workshop. She has played for Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Benedict XVI, and her instruction will be based on years of experience. Marshall will teach you basic chanter techniques, show you how bagpipes work and describe the instrument’s history. If you wish to look the part, Scottish attire such as kilts, sporrans and feather bonnets will be available.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Discover the basics of chanter technique, how bagpipes function, and the instrument’s rich cultural history.
• A fun and educational way to experience two pillars of Scottish heritage—whisky and bagpipes in one engaging outing.
• Optional use of traditional Scottish attire, including kilts, sporrans, and feather bonnets, adds to the immersive experience.

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.

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.

OVERVIEW

Explore parts of Edinburgh that are often overlooked but shouldn’t be, as these revitalized areas have become thriving destinations. After departing from the pier, you will soon reach Dean Village, a historical area of Edinburgh where grains were milled for 800 years. Once a separate village where many mill workers lived, it still seems vastly different from busier Edinburgh. Highlights include a 19th-century residential building for the mill workers known as Well Court and Dean Bridge, which spans the Water of Leith. Thomas Telford, the engineer behind the ingenious Caledonian Canal, designed the bridge. While meandering about, you might also see decorative mill stones and stone plaques with carvings of baked breads and pies, a nod to the grains used to make them. Continuing, you will next explore Stockbridge, a village on the north edge of Edinburgh that is wonderfully bohemian and artsy. Landmarks include the Roman temple-inspired St. Bernard’s Well, whose waters supposedly have medicinal qualities, and the Stockbridge Colonies, a cluster of 19th-century stone homes that is really a village within a village. A leisurely walk to Leith follows. A port for more than 1,000 years, Leith has been thoughtfully renovated and revitalized, yet its historical character has remained intact. During the guided portion of your visit, you might see what the largest swing bridge in the United Kingdom was once, a 17th-century signal tower that was originally a windmill, and the statue of Roberts Burns. During free time, you can explore even further.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Spot mill stones, stone plaques, and carvings of bread and pies, paying tribute to the area’s milling past.
• Enjoy a leisurely walk to Leith, Edinburgh’s historic port, revitalized yet rich in heritage.
• Wander at your own pace to discover more of this dynamic, waterfront neighborhood blending history with modern culture.

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.

Enjoy the serenity of several natural settings, including the Big City Park in Tivat, where you will plant a tree that will benefit the Earth for years to come. The urban park is a green oasis full of indigenous and exotic plants that include eucalyptuses, magnolias, Chilean firs and unusual herbs. By planting a small tree on the grounds, you will add to the botanical diversity and perhaps most important help the environment, as trees absorb harmful carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air. A bit of free time in Porto Montenegro will follow, after which you will wander through Solila Reserve on the Bay of Tivat. Although salt was once produced in the pools along the shore, birdwatching is now the main activity in the protected wildlife reserve. Keep an eye out for auks, ibises and curlews. A leisurely and informative walk through Old Town Kotor will perfectly complement the experience.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Plant a tree in a park known for its botanical diversity.
• Meander about a protected bayside reserve that supports abundant birdlife.
• Enjoy free time in architecturally important Porto Montenegro and Old Town Kotor.

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

Enjoy a combination of Slovenia’s best known sites the capital city of Ljubljana and Lake Bled. Both are a wonderful gateway to Slovenian heritage. After a guided tour, you’ll have free time to explore on your own. Following your approximate two hour drive to the Alpine town of Lake Bled, you’ll have different options to enjoy from a walk around the picturesque lake to visiting a medieval castle visit, all during your free time and at your own expense. After World War II, this was one of the most appealing state residences and drew many people who were attracted by the beauty of this town. Today new pilgrims have been discovering this tranquil and lovely place.

After a guided walk through Ljubljana, a medium sized European city, you’ll have time to explore your own pace. It offers all the friendliness of a small town and at the same time has everything that a capital should. This city of culture boasts one of the oldest philharmonic halls in the world. Every year it hosts more than 10,000 cultural events ranging from prestigious concerts, theater performances and fine art exhibitions.

Explore a wetland nature reserve on reclaimed land that now supports an abundance of indigenous flora and fauna. Salt pans covered much of this area for centuries, and it wasn’t until about 50 years ago that the brackish wetlands became an important habitat for flora and fauna. As you walk through this wonderfully unique ecosystem, a naturalist will describe the transformation of the reserve and how environmentalists prevented it from becoming an industrial zone. Nearly 250 types of birds—more than half the species in the entire country of Slovenia—have been spotted there, including Eurasian reed warblers, black-winged stilts and squacco herons. You can also expect to see a huge variety of colorful butterflies flitting about. Halophytes are among the more intriguing plants found in the wetlands, as they thrive in salty ground. From a distance, these succulents appear to have ice on their leaves, but it is actually dried salt that the plants exude from their glands.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Gain insight into how former salt pans were transformed into a thriving wetland.
• Walk through a now-protected nature reserve with a naturalist guide.
• Observe abundant wildlife that includes more than half the bird species in Slovenia.

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

Visit several of Old Town’s most iconic sites, which gained even greater fame after serving as locations for the fictional capital King’s Landing in “Game of Thrones.”

After departing from the pier, you will soon arrive in the oldest section of Dubrovnik, a revered UNESCO World Heritage Site. Fans of the TV series “Game of Thrones,” which is based on George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” fantasy novels, will recognize this part of Dubrovnik as King’s Landing, the fictional capital of the Seven Kingdoms.

Your first stop will be imposing Lovrijenac Fortress, located just outside the medieval walls that encircle Old Town. Known as Dubrovnik’s Gibraltar, the 11th-century fortress perches atop a craggy rock overlooking the sea, which represented Blackwater Bay in the books.

Continuing on, you will enter Old Town and make your way to the defensive walls to the south. After climbing the steps, you will walk along the stone battlements, which afford extraordinary views of the sea and the inner city. These walls appeared in numerous scenes in “Game of Thrones”; they were particularly prominent in the Battle of Blackwater Bay.

Later, you will enjoy free time within Old Town, where you may explore other sites that you may recognize from the series. For instance, the Jesuit Staircase was where Cersei Lannister began her Walk of Shame in Season Five, and many of the show’s market scenes were filmed along St. Dominic Street. Following free time, you will return to the pier.