Explore the Medieval beauty of the Bodrum Peninsula during this memorable visit to the Castle of St. Peter.

Few sights match those encountered along the Bodrum Peninsula. With rolling hills on both sides, and colorful yachts and sailing vessels docked right outside its walls, the seaside Castle of St. Peter is truly a sight to behold. The towers and battlements of the castle tower over the town, and serve as a reminder of its storied past.

Depart the pier for the walk to the Castle of St. Peter, and a guided tour of the Museum of Underwater Archaeology housed inside. The Castle was built in the 1400s by the Knights of St. John, a group of expatriates that began in the 11th century with a church and hospital in Jerusalem. Although the Knights observed the Catholic religion, they denied care to no one. When they decided to build the Castle of St. Peter, they instructed their builders to remove marble, stone and other usable material from the tomb of King Mausolos, or Halicarnassus Mausoleum, for use in the castle's construction.

Upon arrival at the castle, you will pass through its seven gates embellished with coats of arms and inscriptions. During your walking tour, you will visit the Museum of Underwater Archaeology. The museum attracts hundreds of thousands of annual visitors, has earned an award for Museum of the Year and appeared in National Geographic magazine. You will marvel at the exhibits of submarine archaeology, including amphora and large, copper ingots recovered from a shipwreck just offshore.

Following your castle and museum tour, you will walk back to the pier.

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.

Enjoy a glass of sherry while learning to make authentic tapas at the Bodega Casa del Marques, a 19th-century palace built for a wine merchant. The elegant residence is decorated with period furnishings that lend it an ambiance so authentic that it feels as if you were transported to another time. While there, you will learn to make tapas, some traditional and others topped with surprisingly inventive ingredients. These small-plate snacks reflect the local cuisine and are typically served with a glass of sherry, especially in Jerez, which has been producing the fortified wine for more than 175 years. The exact tapas that you will prepare will depend on which ingredients are freshest and most flavorful. They might include fried fish, meatballs or something a bit more unusual such as stewed ox tail. Be sure to add favorite ingredients, as you will dine on the tapas afterwards.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Participate in a hands-on culinary class at a 19th-century palace built for a wine merchant.
• Learn to prepare authentic, small-plate tapas with traditional and unusual ingredients.
• Dine on the finished tapas and enjoy a glass of sherry as an accompaniment.

Sail across Pillsbury Sound to the enchanting island of St. John on a catamaran and then snorkel in the turquoise waters just offshore. All that is required of you is to sit back and relax as the catamaran glides along the eastern end of St. Thomas and continues to St. John, the most pristine of the U.S. Virgin Islands. In time, you will arrive at Honeymoon Beach within the Virgin Islands National Park. You will be free to snorkel, stroll along the sugar-white beach and relax as you see fit. You might stretch out on a beach towel, linger in the shade of a coconut palm and swim in the sea with nothing on your mind other than enjoying yourself. On the return cruise to St. Thomas, the champagne will be flowing and an array of cheeses, freshly baked breads and fresh tropical fruits will be served.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Sail on a sleek catamaran to neighboring St. John, half of which is a national park.
• Snorkel the crystal-clear waters off Honeymoon Beach on the island’s western edge.
• Bask in the sun, relax on the beach and delight in the natural beauty.
• Celebrate the adventure with a tropical beverage from the open bar on the return cruise.

Experience the real Florence by mingling with the residents at a popular market, sampling Florentine delicacies and browsing the less commercialized Oltrarno district. The fun will begin at San Lorenzo Market, which occupies a beautifully restored cast-iron building constructed in the 1870s. Although you may recognize some of the delicacies, be sure to ask the guide if you can’t identify something or don’t know its name. Chances are, you will see lampredotto, a Florentine specialty of cow stomach slow-cooked with vegetables and served on a crunchy bun. It is considered comfort food. After sampling a selection of more well-known products such as cheese, salami and olives, you will walk toward the Piazza del Duomo in the heart of the city. The famed Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore overlooks the square, and its dome has become a symbol of the city. Then, after stopping for a cup of creamy gelato, you will enjoy free time to explore the Oltrarno district.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Mingle with the locals while browsing Florence’s popular San Lorenzo Market.
• Sample local delicacies such as salamis and cheeses and some more exotic ones.
• Explore Florence’s authentic, less commercialized Oltrarno district.

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.

Spend a full day meandering through a natural reserve, enjoying lunch at an organic farm and exploring an estate that creates essential oils from eucalyptus trees and medicinal plants. Your appreciation of all things natural will begin with a stroll along the marshland boardwalk at Massaciuccoli Nature Park, where you will likely see a huge variety of water birds. Lunch follows at Tenuta Mariani, a Tuscan farm with vast olive groves and vineyards. Besides running entirely on renewable energy and recycling most everything possible, the estate takes a biodynamic, chemical-free approach to farming that adds vitality to the soil and plants. It is a difference you will taste in every bite. The company Versil Green also respects the Tuscan environment when creating organic products for the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. While touring, you will observe the production process and perhaps participate in an essential oils workshop. Afterwards, you will sample a craft beer made with organic hops.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Look for water birds while strolling the boardwalk at Massaciuccoli Nature Park.
• Gain insight into biodynamic agriculture that benefits the environment at a Tuscan farm.
• Toast the day with an organic beer after touring a company that makes essential oils.

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

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

Follow a local guide on an enlightening walk through Lisbon’s most atmospheric districts, pausing at various venues to sample Portuguese delicacies. In the Baixa district, you will stop at Manteigaris Silva, a delicatessen that dates to the 19th century. Chances are, you will sample local ham and cheeses such as Serra da Estrela. You will then head to Mouraria, a Moorish-influenced district that is considered the birthplace of the music genre fado. There you will be served a sweet, cherry liqueur known as ginja. A tram ride with the locals will bring you to the historical Graça district, where you will become even more familiar with daily life in Lisbon. While pausing for photos at the more than 100-year-old Villa Bertha, you will enjoy superb views of the city and the Tagus River. One last stop will be made at a café, where you will sample Portuguese products such as cod fish pastry and cornbread with sausage, perhaps with another glass of ginja.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Walk through Lisbon’s historical districts and stop on occasion in the cafés.
• Snack on an array of Portuguese specialties, such as ham, cheeses and traditional beverages.
• Ride the tram through the capital city for an authentic slice of daily life.

Get an authentic glimpse of life in Kotka by browsing attractions that highlight the influence of the sea. The city is surrounded by water as it covers two islands in the Gulf of Finland at the mouth of the Kymijoki River. While strolling through Sappoka Water Garden, you will soon realize the calming effect of its central waterfall and many ponds and brooks. Kotka’s most iconic building is the Maritime Centre Vellama, a complex of museums within a modern façade that resembles a massive wave that reflects the colors of the sea. Its Museum of Kymenlaakso focuses on cultural aspects and presents a history of the Coast Guard. The complex’s Maritime Museum of Finland is even more comprehensive, as it holds everything from nautical charts to underwater archaeological artifacts to full-size ships. You will gain a different historical perspective at the 19th-century Kotka Church, which is known for its rose windows and for having the largest baroque organ in Finland.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Recognize how the sea has shaped Kotka while enjoying a panoramic drive around town. • Stroll through serene Sappoka Water Garden, the city’s most popular park. • Browse two marine-oriented museums within the Maritime Centre Vellama complex. • Behold the largest baroque organ in Finland at the Kotka Church.

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.

Cruise into waters teeming with humpback whales and other marine life, and then dine on traditional Alaskan dishes at a seafood feast. Point Adolphus has the highest concentration of humpback whales in the Alaskan panhandle, so be on the lookout for these majestic and intelligent creatures. They will be breaching the water’s surface, waving their flukes up and down as they dive, and feeding voraciously to fatten up for their winter migration south. You might also observe frolicking Dall’s porpoises, Stellar Sea Lions, curious Harbor Seals and Orca whales, which sometimes feed on infirm or wounded humpbacks. Be sure to look skyward for majestic bald eagles, too. Following the whale-watching adventure, you too will have the opportunity to feast. A sumptuous meal of classic Alaskan dishes awaits you back in Hoonah. The menu will include seasonal shrimp and crabs, Andouille sausage and all sorts of sides. Afterwards, you can roast marshmallows around the campfire.