Eastern Mediterranean Cruise - from Fusina / Venice - 129596

The Croatian port of Dubrovnik is known as an important spa resort. It was founded by the Slavs at around the beginning of the 7th century. Today, the city by the Adriatic Sea is known for its excellent shopping, many shops and cultural facilities. The main street of the old town is the "Stradun" (also called "Placa"). From here, all of the important sights in the city are just a short walk away. The entire old town has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980. Sights include: the city walls dating from the 13th century, a Franciscan monastery with its own apothecary, the 15th century Duke's palace, "Sponza Palace", the Museum of Popular Art, the Cathedral and St. Blasius' church.

Piraeus, today a modern port town, has been Athens' port since ancient times and used to be connected with the capital by means of city walls. Only remnants of these wall remain. Piraeus has made a name for itself primarily on account of its appealing nightlife and the romantic fish restaruants by the sea. Sights include: the ancient harbour Zea Marina, the remnants of the long walls (5th century B.C.), the Archaeological Museum with ancient shipwrecks, statues of Apollo and Athena, the Hellenic Marine Museum and the Veakio Theatre.

The capital of Crete, also known as "Iraklion" or "Heraklion" is a town with many attractions and a buzzing nightlife. Its many cafés, restaurants and bars are the perfect place to spend an exciting and enjoyable evening. Sights include: the Archaeological Museum, the Venetian fort, churches with icons dating from the 16th century, and the oldest town in Europe, Knossos, which is 5 km from the capital.

Rhodes, the island of the Sun God Helios, is the largest and most popular island in the south-eastern Aegean. Due to its favourable geographic position it was once an important link between the Orient and the Occident. The 220 km long coastline is a mix between coves with beautiful flat sandy beaches and steep cliffs. The landscape inland is dominated by mountains, valleys and plateaus. Rhodes' history goes back more than 3,000 years. There are many archaeological excavation sites of ancient buildings, bearing witness to Rhodes' eventful past. Sights include: ruins from the Mycaean era, the ancient theatre, the gothic buildings, the round fort dating from the time of the Knights of St. John, the Turkish mosque and the Turkish baths.

Since the opening of the Suez Canal, Port Said has been seen as the gateway to the East. The Mediterranean port is particularly popular among visitors due to the many duty-free shops and boutiques. Probably the prettiest city in Egypt, Port Said was founded in 1859 in connection with the construction of the Suez Canal and now has a population of 560,000. Although the city was destroyed several times, it has lost nothing of its charm, as many of the old houses with the large balconies on all levels remain to this day. Sights in and around Port Said include: Cairo, the Nile delta, the pyramids of Gízeh, the Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum and the Muhammad Ali mosque.

The port of Suez is at the end of the Suez Canal. The link between the Mediterranean and the Suez Gulf was planned by the French diplomat and engineer Ferdinand Marie Vicomte des Lesseps (1805 - 1894). The canal, which measures 160 km in length and is 6 m deep, has been deepened and widened many times since it was first created, to allow deep-sea vessels to pass. Sights include: the palace, the mosques and the Suez Canal itself.

Until not long ago, Sharm El Sheikh at the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula was a simple fishing village in a romantic bay. Today it is a luxurious, modern holiday resort. The area surrounding the town consists of numerous bays and unusual coral reefs. The main activities are watersports and diving, but the Sinai desert is also the perfect place for an exciting and fascinating excursion on a dirt bike or by jeep. A journey through the desert astride a camel or on horseback is another truly unforgettable experience .

Aqaba is the only city in Jordan located by the sea. It was once the most important port at the Red Sea and connected the region with the Middle and Far-East. For seafarers this ancient city has been the gateway to South Arabia, Egypt, India and China since time immemorial. Aqaba is famous for its pink-coloured gravestones and temples, hewn straight from the sandstone cliffs. Other sights include the 12th century fort and the region's unique underwater world.