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.

Follow the curator of the legendary Mariinsky Theatre on a private behind-the-scenes tour and then linger over a cup of tea with a ballerina as she shares stories of her life as a dancer. The neoclassical theatre can trace its history back to 1783. It is masterfully designed and surprisingly large, as it has been renovated repeatedly and added onto over the centuries. The curator will lead you into areas that are typically off limits to the general public. Depending on the day, your insider’s tour could reveal the inner workings of the stage, the grandeur of the royal box and the costume storage rooms. You may also hear intriguing details about the lives of the most famous dancers and singers that have performed there. Afterwards, you will meet a ballerina in a nearby restaurant. She will openly share her personal life story, and you are welcome to ask questions about her experiences on and off the stage.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Take an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Mariinsky Theatre with the curator.
• Learn the inner workings of the theatre and details about the lives of its famous dancers.
• Meet a ballerina for a cup of tea and to hear about her experiences on and off the stage.

Capture the moment by taking the perfect selfie photo in Split! 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 begins with an orientation drive thru Split with designated selfie stops at: • Bacvice Beach
• Split National Theatre
• Vidilica Viewpoint
• S. Dominous Cathedral
• And MORE!

To make this experience even more fun you will be provided with a selfie stick to help catch your best pose. Your picture-perfect day includes a local snack of smoked ham, cheese and a glass of wine. End the day with some free time to explore on your own before returning to the ship.

Learn to paint your own version of Matryoshka nesting dolls in a hands-on class and then enjoy a traditional Russian tea party with ice cream at a downtown café. The wooden dolls have been wildly popular since 1900, when they won the bronze medal in the World Exposition in Paris. A set of these iconic Russian souvenirs typically contains seven dolls of decreasing size, each one identically painted and nesting inside another. Each folk-art doll depicts a young peasant woman bundled up, her head covered with a babushka. Matryoshka means “little matron,” and the dolls are said to represent motherhood and family. An art expert will offer guidance as you paint your own set of dolls in the hands-on class. Feel free to paint your dolls to look traditional or take a more creative approach. When finished painting your Matryoshka nesting dolls, the set will be your souvenir to take home.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Paint a set of Matryoshka nesting dolls however your see fit and take them home.
• Discover how these iconic Russian dolls first became popular and what they represent.
• Toast your creativity by indulging in a traditional tea party with ice cream.

Capture the moment by taking the perfect selfie photo in Barcelona! 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 begins with a scenic drive to the Sagrada Familia Park. You will have designated selfie stops at:

• La Sagrada Familia
• Paseo de Gracia – Gaudi´s Houses
• Old Quarter Most Spectacular Corners
• Las Ramblas
• Christopher Columbus Statue

Behold the architecture in two isolated villages that UNESCO found so unusual that it deemed them World Heritage sites. The villages of Shirakawago and Gokayama are in the remote Shogawa River Valley surrounded by high rugged mountains, a location that made them difficult to access for centuries.

To cope with the abundance of snow that falls there, the residents constructed farmhouses with steeply pitched thatched roofs to reduce the amount of snow that accumulates on them. The roof design also allows for large attics, in which the residents rear silkworms, which they feed leaves from the surrounding mulberry trees. Only one other nearby village boasts this type of architecture, known as gassho-zukuri, a style that means “constructed like hands in prayer.”

Following free time in both villages, you will watch a demonstration of paper-making in Gokayama. The specialized washi paper is exceptionally colorful and patterned. The fiber for it comes from mulberry trees.

This unforgettable excursion will have you traveling along the coastlines on the Sir Francis Drakes Highway heading through small villages such as Capoons Bay, Apple Bay, Carrot Bay, and then you will ascend about 900 feet above sea level between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Photo stops will be made along the way.

Enjoy stunning views and the different shades of beautiful water. Your knowledgeable driver/guide will keep you constant company as the history and culture of the island is related via the public address system. At Long Bay beach, enjoy a relaxing swim in the crystal- clear water or just relax to the singing of the waves along the seashore.

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

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 combination excursion gives you the opportunity to ride a historical train that has been in service for more than 50 years and participate on a scenic ride through rural countryside and tropical fields. Afterwards, board your motorcoach en route to the Tarcoles River where you’ll go on a boat and explore the spectacular natural scenery this river has to offer.

The river and mangroves attract many types of bird wildlife such as toucans, spoonbills, herons, egrets, jacanas, pelicans, scarlet macaws, iguanas and crocodiles. Upon your return enjoy some live marimba melodies and enjoy a delicious buffet of seasonal fruits and tropical refreshments. Enough time will be provided to select crafts made by local artisans before returning to your ship.

Enjoy an enlightening tour of Naples by visiting Spaccanapoli, the street that divides the city, and by savoring folded pizza, a classic Neapolitan treat.

After departing from the pier, you will begin a panoramic drive around Naples, taking in the views from locales such as Posillipo Hill in one of the city’s most affluent areas. Along the way, you will pass the imposing Castle Nuovo.

While parts of it date to the 13th century, it is still known as the new castle to distinguish it from the famed Egg Castle, which began as a 1st-century Roman villa. Castle Nuovo’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 seeming to divide 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. Much of Santa Chiara had to be rebuilt after World War II.

For an even more authentic glimpse 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 to eat portafoglio or folded pizza, as the dish was invented in Naples. A cup of fresh espresso at a nearby café standing at the counter as Neapolitan does will top off the experience.

Stroll through the atmospheric streets of the Old Quarter on the way to a nightclub, where you will watch a mesmerizing flamenco performance that tells a passionate story.After walking from the pier, you will continue at a leisurely pace toward the narrow, cobbled streets of the Old Quarter, which the Phoenicians founded in the 12th century. Being the oldest continuously occupied city in Western Europe, Cadiz exudes history, as you will soon discover in the Plaza of San Juan de Dios, a square that originated in medieval times.

As you meander the labyrinthine streets of the Old Quarter, you will pass one architectural treasure after another. Highlights may include the Neoclassical-style Cadiz Cathedral, which boasts a tile dome that appears Moorish, and Calle Ancha, a wide boulevard that is considered the heart of the city. In time, you will arrive at Taberna Flamenco La Cava, a nightclub that showcases the art of flamenco. Before taking your seat, be sure to notice the photos on the wall of some of the most acclaimed flamenco performers in the past 50 years.UNESCO honored flamenco by recognizing it on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Andalusia, especially Cadiz, is the heartland of flamenco, an electrifying art form that fuses expressive songs, passionate dancing and emotional music. To enhance your immersion into the local culture, you will be served traditional tapas that may include Serrano ham and Manchego cheese.