A Journey of Cobalt Blues, Calderas and Aegean Ancient Wonders Cruise

Day 1 - Istanbul

Arrive: Fri 19 September 2025 / Depart: Fri 19 September 2025 at 23:00

Embark on a European and Asian adventure packed with a wealth of charm and cultural diversity. Roam the ‘blue’ mosque of Sultan Ahmet, the Grand Bazaar, opulent Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia or sink into a serene Turkish Bath experience. Embrace the city’s vine-shaded homely district where ladies shop for butter-soaked baklava and freshly picked olives. Explore further to haggle for gold jewellery, linen and oriental antiques. Dine in the atmospheric old city or take a ferry to Asia for street-served food. Feast over rich platters of meze, moist grilled bluefish and succulent kebabs. Heighten your senses even further in the spice bazaar with enticing aromas and vibrant, colourful displays. After such a sensorial feast, indulge in a restorative raki, whichever continent you’re in. By night parties don’t start until late, but expect to dance till dawn. Join the late crowd spilling into the streets overlooking the Bosphorus. Sway at European rooftop bars, shimmer by ferry over to the Asian suburbs or remain ensconced in old-fashioned folk venues. An eclectic fusion of east and west, this city is conservative at heart with a truly modern soul.

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - Santorini

Arrive: Sun 21 September 2025 at 09:00 / Depart: Sun 21 September 2025 at 20:00

Dreamily sail into Santorini when others leave. Romantic, exuberant and pure; roam one of the world’s most enchanting islands as you enjoy breathtaking scenery, rock-set whitewashed houses, paved paths, sugar white sand, black beaches and terracotta cliffs. Experience the many geological and architectural delights; blue-domed churches, an active volcano, excavate with experts and cover the caldera between cliff-hanging Oia and Fira. Glide through sapphire seas in a catamaran, taste local wine, eat freshly-caught seafood, break plates and shop elegant boutiques. Then settle in for a slow moonlit dinner high on a hilltop, just in time for the world-famous sunset.

Day 4 - Rhodes

Arrive: Mon 22 September 2025 at 09:00 / Depart: Mon 22 September 2025 at 21:00

Day 5 - Bodrum

Arrive: Tue 23 September 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 23 September 2025 at 22:00

Imagine an old-world fishing town with high society appeal. Explore breathtaking sights on the sunlit Peninsula of the turquoise coast. Soak up the town’s buzzing energy; shop, eat, relax and explore. Pay respect to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, savour fresh fish and meze and sip coffee of toe-tingling strength. Delve into captivating landscapes bursting with nature; the Bafa Lake, olive groves, bougainvillea and hundreds of different bird species. Feel the wind in your hair on a private gullet as you voyage to crystal clear coves of the Aegean. Lasting memories abound.

Day 6 - Samos

Arrive: Wed 24 September 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 24 September 2025 at 20:00

The Sanctuary of Samos Authentic and non-intrusive, life couldn’t get much more low-key on the haven that is Samos. Enjoy the quiet romance and rare beauty of this Greek isle, where you'll only need to decide which sweet local wine to sip, remote beach to visit or quiet spot of cool inland forest to frequent. With warm waters so clear and inviting, you’ll get why this was the goddess Hera’s private sanctuary. Listed by UNESCO, the ruins of Heraion and the astonishing Eupalinos Tunnel won’t fail to impress.

Day 7 - Paros

Arrive: Thu 25 September 2025 at 09:00 / Depart: Thu 25 September 2025 at 21:00

Unveil picturesque Paros' unadorned charms from ancient remains to traditional tavernas and sweet villages and blue-domed churches to a bounty of blonde-sand beaches. Head out to Parikia to find the awe-inspiring AD326 Byzantine monastery or take a ferry across to explore caves in the rugged natural beauty of Antiparos. Walk through the island's ancient archaeological history at the tiny museum and lose yourself in the labyrinth of lanes at the old Venetian port of Náoussa. Banish any tension on a sunlounger, then breeze through home-cooked mezze feasts in white-washed tavernas. Windsurf, kite-surf, dive, swim au naturel and enjoy a network of walking trails. Somehow Páros has managed to preserve more of the soft spirit than some of her Cyclade cousins.

Day 8 - Athens

Arrive: Fri 26 September 2025 at 07:00 / Depart: Fri 26 September 2025

Athenians don’t live in the past. Ahead of its time, Athens exudes glamour and a sense of possibility - housing galleries, gelaterias, bijoux boutiques alongside a plethora of museums. And you can’t help but marvel at the archaeological wonders of the Acropolis and the Parthenon. Stroll through vibrant streets and markets, dance at buzzing bouzoukia, sing along in tavernas. At night, head to the harbour, where dimly lit bars serve the local ice cold beer. And, as you inhale the salty air and watch Greek fishing boats peacefully depart for their catch, reflect on this ancient city's progressive attitude.