The Horn Of Africa To The Cape Of Good Hope Cruise

Day 1 - Alexandria, Egypt

Arrive: Thu 12 December 2024

Alexander the Great founded this city, but never lived to see it. When he took Egypt from the Persians in 332 BC, he decided to move the capital from Memphis to the Mediterranean. Leaving instructions with his architect, he traveled on to Asia where he died. Egypt passed under the control of his general, Ptolemy I, who made Alexandria a great intellectual center. The city was designed with grand proportions. Its lighthouse, the Pharos, was a beacon to all. The Mouseion, from which our word "museum" derives, incorporated laboratories, observatories and a vast library. With the fall of the Ptolemies, Alexandria slumbered in obscurity until revived as an international seaport. A cosmopolitan, decadent colonial era, captured such works as Lawrence Durrell's Alexandrian Quartet, ended in the 1950's, but the beaches, restaurants and architecture still draw visitors, along with such excavations as Cleopatra's Palace, where this Queen of Egypt shared her love with Mark Anthony.

Day 2 - Alexandria, Egypt

Depart: Fri 13 December 2024

Alexander the Great founded this city, but never lived to see it. When he took Egypt from the Persians in 332 BC, he decided to move the capital from Memphis to the Mediterranean. Leaving instructions with his architect, he traveled on to Asia where he died. Egypt passed under the control of his general, Ptolemy I, who made Alexandria a great intellectual center. The city was designed with grand proportions. Its lighthouse, the Pharos, was a beacon to all. The Mouseion, from which our word "museum" derives, incorporated laboratories, observatories and a vast library. With the fall of the Ptolemies, Alexandria slumbered in obscurity until revived as an international seaport. A cosmopolitan, decadent colonial era, captured such works as Lawrence Durrell's Alexandrian Quartet, ended in the 1950's, but the beaches, restaurants and architecture still draw visitors, along with such excavations as Cleopatra's Palace, where this Queen of Egypt shared her love with Mark Anthony.

Day 3 - Enter Suez Canal

Day 3 - Transit Suez Canal

Day 3 - Exit Suez Canal

Day 4 - At Sea

Day 5 - Sharm El Sheikh

Arrive: Mon 16 December 2024 at 07:00 / Depart: Mon 16 December 2024 at 18:00

Some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world is found at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. Here, on a slender promontory where the Gulf of Aqaba meets the Straits of Tiran, Sharm el Sheikh offers access to serene sand beaches, wind-carved cliffs and a wonderland of colorful fish and coral reefs. The area is revered as a place of prophets and miracles, including St. Catherine's Monastery, the most important religious site in Sinai, situated at the base of the mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

Day 6 - Safaga

Arrive: Tue 17 December 2024 at 07:00 / Depart: Tue 17 December 2024 at 23:00

Located on the Egyptian side of the Red Sea, the port of Safaga is the gateway to some of Egypt's most memorable destinations: Luxor, Karnak and Thebes. Luxor has often been called the world's greatest open-air museum, and the number and preservation of the monuments in the area are unparalleled anywhere else in the world. The ancient Egyptians called Luxor "The City" and Homer called it the "City of a Thousand Gates." The troops of Napoleon, coming upon its grandeur, broke into spontaneous applause. The pharaoh's tombs in the Valley of the Kings, and the colossal temples of Luxor and Karnak capture the imagination with splendors that have survived the centuries.

Day 7 - At Sea

Day 8 - At Sea

Day 9 - At Sea

Day 10 - At Sea

Day 11 - At Sea

Day 12 - Salalah

Arrive: Mon 23 December 2024 at 07:00 / Depart: Mon 23 December 2024 at 17:00

Salalah, Oman's ancient incense capital is an oasis with lush vegetation resulting from seasonal monsoons. The city's roads wind through groves of coconut, papaya and banana trees, and roadside stands sell fresh fruit and coconut water. The tropical atmosphere is a striking contrast to the otherwise arid landscapes of the Arabian Peninsula. Even the Queen of Sheba fell under the spell of the area's treasure far greater than gold, and sent gifts of frankincense to impress Solomon. Today, the beautiful sand beaches, cultural history, archaeology and natural diversity draw visitors to this ancient paradise.

Day 13 - At Sea

Day 14 - At Sea

Day 15 - Crossing the Equator

Day 16 - Port Victoria, Seychelles

Arrive: Fri 27 December 2024 at 12:00

Victoria, on Mahé Island, is the capital city of the Seychelles archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Seychelles National Botanical Gardens showcases endemic palms and orchids, as well as giant tortoises and fruit bats. The colorful Sir Selwyn Clarke Market sells spices, fruit, art and souvenirs. Near the Cathedral of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception is the imposing La Domus, built in 1934 to house Catholic missionaries.

Day 17 - Port Victoria, Seychelles

Depart: Sat 28 December 2024 at 23:00

Victoria, on Mahé Island, is the capital city of the Seychelles archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Seychelles National Botanical Gardens showcases endemic palms and orchids, as well as giant tortoises and fruit bats. The colorful Sir Selwyn Clarke Market sells spices, fruit, art and souvenirs. Near the Cathedral of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception is the imposing La Domus, built in 1934 to house Catholic missionaries.

Day 18 - Praslin Islands

Arrive: Sun 29 December 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Sun 29 December 2024 at 17:00

Known for its glorious tropical beaches and fantastic marine life, Praslin is unique because of its Vallee de Mai World Heritage Site, where the coco de mer grows wild. At seven miles long and nowhere more than 3 1/2 miles wide, it is still the second largest island in the Seychelles.

Day 19 - At Sea

Day 20 - At Sea

Day 21 - At Sea

Day 22 - Zanzibar

Arrive: Thu 02 January 2025 at 08:00

Lying in the warm waters off the coast of Tanzania is the exotic island of Zanzibar. The mere mention of this spot conjures up images of intrigue and mystery. Zanzibar's history is whispered on the tropical breezes that cool the island. They tell of the slave trade which flourished here, and of a building called the ``House of Wonders.' They tell of a time when Christian missionaries lived and worked under difficult conditions.

Day 23 - Zanzibar

Lying in the warm waters off the coast of Tanzania is the exotic island of Zanzibar. The mere mention of this spot conjures up images of intrigue and mystery. Zanzibar's history is whispered on the tropical breezes that cool the island. They tell of the slave trade which flourished here, and of a building called the ``House of Wonders.' They tell of a time when Christian missionaries lived and worked under difficult conditions.

Day 24 - Zanzibar

Depart: Sat 04 January 2025 at 18:00

Lying in the warm waters off the coast of Tanzania is the exotic island of Zanzibar. The mere mention of this spot conjures up images of intrigue and mystery. Zanzibar's history is whispered on the tropical breezes that cool the island. They tell of the slave trade which flourished here, and of a building called the ``House of Wonders.' They tell of a time when Christian missionaries lived and worked under difficult conditions.

Day 25 - Dar Es Salaam

Arrive: Sun 05 January 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Sun 05 January 2025 at 18:00

Dar es Salaam, a major city and commercial port on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast, grew from a fishing village. The open-air Village Museum has re-created the traditional homes of local and other Tanzanian tribes and hosts tribal dancing. It’s part of the National Museum, which offers Tanzanian history exhibits, including the fossils of human ancestors found by anthropologist Louis Leakey.

Day 26 - At Sea

Day 27 - Mamoudzou

Day 28 - Nosy Be, Madagascar

Arrive: Wed 08 January 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 08 January 2025 at 17:00

Madagascar is a world apart. And Nosy Be, which means “large island”, is apart from that. The islands have unique wildlife and cultural traditions long separated from the African mainland. Some 90 percent of the plants and animals in Madagascar are endemic. Nosy Be’s port, Andoany, was formerly called Hell-ville, but is not really that bad. The major attractions for many visitors are the clear waters and prolific coral reefs surrounding the island. There are shops in the town selling the many essential oils, of ylang-ylang, vanilla, black pepper and other plants, that originally attracted the attention of the wider world. Outside town, near the village of Mahatsinjo, there is an immense banyan tree planted by a Malagasy queen in 1836. It is still sacred, and the current queen makes a pilgrimage to sacrifice at the tree annually. The Lokobe Natural Reserve is the place to see the endemic forest and the endearing lemurs that are the iconic wildlife species of Madagascar, along with crater lakes, waterfalls and other types of wildlife. At Lemurlandia, lemurs are captive, and the park also offers up-close access to vanilla orchids, ylang-ylang, cacao trees and other specialty plants. The island also has a distillery that flavors local rum with essential oils of all flavors.

Day 29 - At Sea

Day 30 - Mozambique Island

Arrive: Fri 10 January 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 10 January 2025 at 17:00

Day 31 - At Sea

Day 32 - At Sea

Day 33 - Maputo

Arrive: Mon 13 January 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Mon 13 January 2025 at 18:00

The interests of the Portuguese in Africa were the earliest of any European power. And the independence of Africa’s Lusophone colonies was invariably the most bitterly disputed during the revolutions of the mid-20th century. As elsewhere, the departing colonials took much of the value and the skills with them when they fled. Maputo has been slowly rebuilding itself into a city worthy of its setting along the Indian Ocean coast, and you will be among only a few travelers to see the architectural treasures of its past and the spirit of its future.

Day 34 - At Sea

Day 35 - Durban

Arrive: Wed 15 January 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 15 January 2025 at 23:00

At its founding in 1835, the city was named in honor of the then Governor of the Cape, Sir Benjamin D'Urban. Sugar cane transformed Durban into a vital port city, and its attractive parks and meticulously groomed gardens continue to testify to the land's richness. Today, the city sprawls along the coast, its golden beaches hugging the ice-blue Indian Ocean.

Day 36 - At Sea

Day 37 - At Sea

Day 38 - Port Elizabeth (Now Gqeberha), South Africa)

Arrive: Sat 18 January 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 18 January 2025 at 17:00

Port Elizabeth is one of South Africa’s largest cities, (second in area and fifth in population), stretching 16 miles along the bay named “Algoa” by the Portuguese. The name indicated that it was from here their trading ships departed for the Goa coast of India on the favorable monsoon winds. Today it is renowned as a playground on the Indian Ocean coast, the breezes attracting surfers and yachtsmen to sport in the warm seas. The 2010 FIFA World Cup was held here, and spread even further its reputation as a world-class beach resort.

Day 39 - Mossel Bay

Arrive: Sun 19 January 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Sun 19 January 2025 at 18:00

South Africa’s Garden Route is among the world’s most attractive destinations, and Mossel Bay will welcome Seabourn guests to the heart of it. Those interested in wildlife will be thrilled with a visit to the Botlierskop Private Game Reserve for the chance to spot a rare white rhino and interact with huge, gentle African elephants at a feeding. The Diaz Museum Complex is named for Bartolomeu Diaz, the Portuguese explorer who was the first European to set foot in South Africa right here. It contains historical displays including the famous Post Office Tree that served as the message station for early sailors, a maritime museum and an aquarium. Another option is to travel along the coast to the famous seaside resort community at Knysna Heads and up into the arid, scenic Outeniqua Mountains.

Day 40 - At Sea

Day 41 - Cape Town

Arrive: Tue 21 January 2025 at 07:00 / Depart: Tue 21 January 2025

Nestled at the foot of Table Mountain and flanked by Devil's Peak and Lion's Head, Cape Town is known by South Africans simply as 'the Cape,' an acknowledgment of its uniqueness and its status as the Mother City. The first area to be settled by Europeans in the 17th century, it is today a major seaport and the legislative capital of South Africa. The feeling here is not African but cosmopolitan, and a sense of history remains.