• Indicates day of cruising

Day 1: Buon Giorno Rome
Tour begins at your Rome hotel at 6:30 p.m. Upon arrival, a transfer from Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport to Rome Cavalieri Hilton is included. Your hotel is set in a 15-acre private park near the Vatican. Meet fellow travelers at the welcome reception and dinner.
Meals: Dinner
Lodging: Rome Cavalieri Hilton, Rome, Italy

Day 2: The Eternal City of Rome
Discover timeless Rome on a sightseeing tour with a local guide. See Circus Maximus, the 4th-century BC stadium where chariot races were held; the Colosseum; and the Roman Forum with temples, monuments, and the Senate House. Explore further on your own later in the day.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Rome Cavalieri Hilton, Rome, Italy

Day 3: Michaelangelo’s David in Florence
Take the high-speed Eurostar train to Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance. Walking tour highlights include the richly decorated Duomo, one of the largest churches in Europe, and Galleria dell’Accademia, where Michelangelo’s marble statue of David resides.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: The Westin Excelsior, Florence, Italy

Day 4: Masterpieces of the Uffizi
Gaze at some of the world’s greatest art masterpieces on a guided tour of the extraordinary Uffizi Gallery, Italy’s largest art museum. Admire works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michaelangelo, Botticelli, and more. During your free afternoon, perhaps visit the Ponte Vecchio or Palazzo Pitti.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: The Westin Excelsior, Florence, Italy

• Day 5: Tuscan countryside
Traverse the Tuscan countryside to Umbria, and stop in Orvieto, perched on a plateau. At the port of Civitavecchia, board your five-star ship, ms Noordam, to launch your 10-night cruise of the Western Mediterranean.
Meals: Breakfast,  dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

• Day 6: Monte-Carlo magic
Dock in glittering Monte-Carlo, capital of the Principality of Monaco. Travel to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on the French Riviera to tour the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild estate and gardens. Tour Monaco’s Palace and Cathedral. See the lights of Monte-Carlo by night, and check out the world-famous casino built in 1878.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

• Day 7: The Leaning Tower of Pisa
Return to Tuscany to visit the well-preserved town of Lucca, boasting 99 churches and a Roman amphitheatre within its medieval walls. In Pisa, take a walking tour of the Square of Miracles, including the precarious campanile (Leaning Tower).
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

• Day 8: Cruise to Barcelona
While crossing the Western Mediterranean bound for the Spanish coast, enjoy the scenery from your spacious stateroom, or various lounges and decks. Perhaps dive into a pool, work out in the fitness center, catch a presentation by a historian, or head to the Espresso bar. For relaxation, you may want to pamper yourself at the Greenhouse Spa and Salon.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

• Day 9: Gaudi architecture
A local guide in Barcelona leads you through the Gothic quarter, Las Ramblas, and past many examples of Antoni Gaudi’s unfinished church, Sagrada Familia, his greatest achievement. Spend time on your own or check out Pablo Picasso’s early paintings at the Picasso Museum.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

• Day 10: Discover Majorca
Dock on the island of Majorca, and take a walking tour through Palma de Majorca. Visit the mountain town of Valldemossa, where Frederic Chopin composed some of his famous musical works.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

• Day 11: Sail to Tunisia
Revel in the luxuries of this new Vista-Class ship as it heads south on a full day’s sail to the North African coast. Savor the fare from one of the most extensive menus at sea, and learn a few gourmet tricks from the chefs in a cooking class in the Culinary Arts Center. Check out the on-board entertainment, attend an art auction, see a movie in the theater, or try your luck in the casino.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

• Day 12: Antiquities in Tunis & Carthage
Travel outside Tunis to see the world’s finest collection of Roman mosaics at the Bardo Museum in a restored 13th-century palace. Explore the ruins of the ancient city of Carthage, and the seaside art community of Sidi Bou Saïd.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

• Day 13: Sicilian sensibilities
Discover Sicily, starting in the port of Palermo. Visit the Porto Nuovo, Palazzo dei Normanni, Teatro Massimo, and 16th-century Fontana Pretoria. In your free time, explore medieval Palermo.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

• Day 14: Ancient Pompeii and Naples
Explore the ruins of Pompeii, a fashionable Roman city buried under volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Then choose a guided tour of Naples’ Museo Archeologico Nazionale, showcasing one of the world’s best collections of Greco-Roman artifacts, or explore Naples on your own.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

Day 15: Arrivederci Mediterranean
Disembark the ship at 9:00 a.m. in Civitavecchia for coach transfer to the airport in Rome, several hours away. Tour ends at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino. Fly home anytime after 12:00 p.m.
Meals: Breakfast

Michaelangelo and Picasso would agree –

this Mediterranean cruise is worth booking now!

Inclusive Prices

Cruise prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All accommodations, motor coach and cruise ship transportation, sightseeing, admissions, shore excursions and services of Tauck Directors, ship crew and drivers are included.

Hotel Accommodations – Tauck’s price includes all hotel accommodations with private baths. The Tauck standard is to provide the best available hotels without sacrificing value. Although the quality of accommodations may differ from place to place, this standard remains uncompromised. Two-bedded rooms are reserved in most hotels. Triples are two-bedded rooms plus a rollaway cot and are not recommended for comfort.

Meals – Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary. Meal codes are: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner.

Gratuities Included – All appropriate gratuities for bellmen, luggage handling, doormen, dining room servers, local guides and cruise ship staff are included

Tauck Director – Each cruise is conducted by a Tauck Director who remains with the group throughout the duration of the cruise. Your Tauck Director is a professional, fully-trained employee of Tauck.

No Options Sold – With the exception of select options detailed in the itinerary, Tauck’s price includes entertainment, special dinners, sightseeing and most activities. Tauck Directors may assist with information on other free-time activities, based on honest opinion, but will not sell you any “extras.” This means better value and a more relaxed, pleasant experience for you.

Not Included

Airfare to the cruise departure point and from the cruise ending point is not included. Airfare may be purchased from Tauck for travel originating in the United States.

Hotel Rooms Before & After Cruises – Due to time schedules and the possibility of flight delays, many guests prefer to make hotel arrangements for the night preceding their cruise. As a service, Tauck will make reservations before or after your cruise. Rooms are reserved on a space-available basis and must be booked through Tauck to qualify for Tauck’s special rates. These hotel room charges will be added to the cruise cost. Note: Airport transfers are not included for these bookings. If you wish to spend additional nights in Rome, please discuss this at the time of booking.

Tauck Director Gratuities – The customary gratuity to the Tauck Director is not included. Such gratuities should be extended on a voluntary, individual basis and not as a group.

Personal Expenses such as phone calls, room service, alcoholic and bar beverages, laundry, airline excess luggage charges, visa fees, vaccinations, airport and departure taxes and other optional incidental extras are not included and may be significant.

Luggage Responsibility – Although every effort is made to handle guests’ luggage carefully, we cannot be responsible, assume liability or accept claims for loss or damage to luggage and personal effects due to breakage, theft, or fair wear and tear through hotel, airline and group carrier handling. It is important for your own self-interest and protection that you make certain you have adequate insurance to cover these eventualities. Refer to Tauck’s Cruise Protection.

Additional Information

Itinerary Changes & Price Flexibility – Tauck pledges to make every effort to operate all tours as advertised. Tauck reserves the right to alter or curtail the itinerary, or substitute sightseeing, hotels, and/or conveyances as deemed necessary. Any savings realized by these changes will be refunded to passengers. Any resultant added expense will be covered by Tauck. Note: Although not expected, prices in this brochure may be modified due to unexpected significant external factors not forecasted at the time of printing.

Travel Document Requirements – U.S. citizens need a passport valid for at least 6 months beyond completion of the cruise. Non-U.S. citizens should contact their booking agent or appropriate consulate for information on all necessary documents required.

Luggage - While it is common that airlines allow passengers to check more than one piece of luggage per person, space constraints during your Tauck journey make it difficult to accommodate extra luggage. There is very limited room in the luggage bays beneath the motor coach, so we ask that you limit your checked luggage to one average size suitcase per person.

In addition, airlines have become strict in enforcing size and weight limits, and luggage exceeding maximum restrictions are subject to expensive overage fees, frustrating and hurried re-packing at the ticket counter, or even risk being left behind. Each airline has its own maximum weight restriction on luggage and it can periodically change. We urge you to consult with your airline before traveling to determine what weight and size restrictions apply.

Most airlines post luggage size and weight restrictions on their website, or you may call the airline to inquire. It is also important to note that restrictions to luggage size and weight may vary for the same airline based on the class of service you are traveling. First and Business Class ticket holders may have different restrictions than Coach Class. Tauck World Discovery can not be held liable for additional fees or inconveniences imposed by the airline due to luggage size, piece or weight policies.

Please be sure to attach your Tauck luggage tag to your suitcase before leaving home.

Travel with Children – Many countries have specific entry requirements for children under 21 who are traveling with or without both parents. Usually a notarized letter, signed by the parent or parents not traveling with the child and stating the name of the child, the adult guardian, the itinerary and dates of travel, and the flight number, is required. To ensure smooth travel, Tauck requires all travelers to comply with the regulations for the country you are visiting. This information is available from each country’s consulate. Tauck is not responsible for the disruption of travel caused by
improper documentation for any travelers, including children traveling without both parents. While there is no definitive format or standards for these letters, Tauck does offer for download guidance for writing this letter.

Membership & Health – Membership will be granted to all persons. These are active tours that require considerable walking, frequently in warm weather. In addition, many sites have limited motor coach access and often involve stairs and inclines. Please consult your physician for pre-departure health advice. Tauck reserves the right to terminate the tour of any persons who are abusive of others or whose behavior disrupts the operation of the tour.

Travelers Needing Special Assistance – We regret that we cannot provide individual assistance to guests for wheelchairs, walking, dining or other personal needs. Persons needing such assistance must be accompanied by an able companion who will assist them.

Airline Security Measures – Travelers must provide identification in the form of a passport at the time of airport check-in. Your passport name must match the name on your airline ticket and cruise reservation.

Air Services – Airfare may be purchased through Tauck for travel originating in the United States. You agree that Tauck, in purchasing, selling or otherwise arranging air transportation, is acting only as your agent and is not liable or responsible for any accident, death, personal injury, illness, property damage, delay or other loss or expense of any nature whatsoever arising directly or indirectly out of any act of God, or any actions or omissions (including any failure to provide services) or default of, any carrier. All carriers are independent contractors and are not owned, managed, controlled or operated by Tauck. Your airline ticket constitutes a contract between yourself and the airline (and not Tauck), even if purchased through Tauck. Tauck is not liable for, and does not assume responsibility or accept claims with regard to, seat assignments, schedule changes, flight changes, cancellations, claims for a refund or reimbursement of airline ticket fees, or any other loss incurred by you for any reason whatsoever (including, without limitation to, bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar relief from creditors). Tauck must handle ticketing for Tauck's special fares, which are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed until reserved. Special fares cannot be combined with any other promotional offer. Tauck's air services can only be purchased in conjunction with a Tauck tour. Tickets will be mailed with final documents. Should you cancel or change your air before or after departure, all airline cancellation and change fees will apply.

Cruise Regulations – Travelers must provide their passport number and date of birth to Tauck at time of booking. Tauck must provide this information to the cruise line before departure or you may be denied boarding.

Cruise Start & End Times are provided at time of booking and are subject to change due to airline schedule changes. All booking agents will be advised of such changes. When making flight arrangements, allow sufficient time to claim luggage and clear customs.

Holidays & Museum Schedules – Museum visits and personal shopping time may be disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances or religious, state and local holidays.

Photography on Tour – Occasionally, Tauck will use photographs taken by fellow guests or your Tauck Director on tour for promotional purposes. If you prefer that your photo not be used in any marketing activities, please notify your Tauck Director at the start of your tour.

If You Have to Cancel

Cancellations Fees – Regardless of reason, cancellations result in costly charges from our travel and hotel providers covering penalties and fees incurred by canceling confirmed bookings. Therefore, cancellation penalties and or fees will apply. Time of cancellation will be when notice is received in our Norwalk, CT office.

Guests choosing to purchase Tauck’s Cruise Protection or Cancellation Fee Waiver will have cancellation penalties waived. Click here for more details.

Guests choosing not to purchase Tauck’s Cruise Protection or Cancellation Fee Waiver will incur cancellation penalties per person as follows:

Did you know that you can link-up Tauck itineraries to create longer journeys? Many of these trips are in the same region, and depending upon availability you might connect with them before or after your trip. Alternatively, you might find one of these options better suited for your interests and preferences or for when you are available to travel.

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