• Indicates day of cruising

Day 1: Buon Giorno Rome
Tour begins at your Rome hotel at 6:30 p.m. Upon arrival, a transfer is included to your hotel, Rome Cavalieri Hilton, set in a 15-acre private park near the Vatican. Meet your travel companions 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 in the afternoon.
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. At the Galleria dell’Accademia, marvel at one of the world’s finest collections of art, featuring Michelangelo’s marble statue of David.
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, choose among a host of museums and sights.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: The Westin Excelsior Florence, Italy

• Day 5: The Tuscan countryside
Drive through Tuscany’s hilltowns and stop in Orvieto, perched on a plateau overlooking vineyards. At the port of Civitavecchia, board your five-star ship, ms Noordam, to launch your 10-night cruise of the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean, and Tyrrhenian seas.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner

• Day 6: Cruise to the Dalmatian Coast
Revel in the luxuries of this new Vista-Class ship as it heads around Italy on a full day’s sail to Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast. Enjoy the scenery from your spacious stateroom, or various lounges and decks. Perhaps dive into one of the pools, work out in the fitness center, catch a presentation by a historian, head to the Espresso bar, or enjoy pampering treatments at the blissful spa and salon.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

• Day 7: Discover Dubrovnik
Your first port-of-call is Dubrovnik, Croatia. The Old Town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its Gothic, Renaissance, and baroque churches, monasteries, palaces, and fountains. Spend time here on a guided tour and exploring on your own.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

• Day 8: Greek artifacts on Corfu
Arrive at the Greek Ionian island of Corfu. In Corfu Town, check out the collection of Greek artifacts at the Archaeological Museum. Explore the 19th-century Achilleion Palace with impressive gardens, terraces, and classical Greek statuary.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

• Day 9: Ancient Games in Olympia
Dock in Katakolon, Greece, and head to the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Olympia where the original Olympic Games were held. Explore the ruins of the ancient sports complex, including the stadium, temples, and priests’ dwellings. Then travel to a regional vineyard for a tour and wine tasting.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

• Day 10: Spectacular Santorini
Rise early to catch spectacular water views of Santorini as the ship pulls into port. Visit the archaeological site at Akrotiri, a Minoan town that is well preserved. Tour the town of Fira with white-washed, blue-domed buildings set on high, steep slopes above the sea. Meander around Fira on your own in the afternoon, or travel to the village of Oia, one of Greece’s most photographed villages.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

• Day 11: Antiquities of Ephesus
Dock in the port of Kusadasi, Turkey, and drive to Ephesus, once the chief port on the Aegean and now hosting an incredible array of antiquities. See the Celsus Library, and the Arcadian Way, as well as other temples, baths, and colonnaded streets. Kick around Kusadasi before setting sail.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

• Day 12: Mediterranean voyage
On this full-day sail west to Malta, 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 13: Magic of Malta
Sail into the dramatic Grand Harbor of Valletta on Malta, founded by the Knights of St. John in the 16th century. Tour the medieval walled city of Mdina, and Valletta’s art -filled Co-Cathedral of St. John, one of the world’s finest examples of baroque architecture.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

• Day 14: Taormina, Sicily
Visit Taormina, a terraced town clinging to high cliffs on the east coast of Sicily with Mt. Etna towering in the distance. Survey the Teatro Greco, and stroll the Corso Umberto, Old Town’s main pedestrian street lined with cafes and pasticceries.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard Holland America Line’s ms Noordam

Day 15: Journey home
Disembark the ship at Civitavecchia at 9:00 a.m., and transfer via coach to the airport. Tour ends at Rome Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino. Fly home anytime after 12:00 p.m.
Meals: Breakfast

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 Mediterranean cruise tour 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 Mediterranean cruise tour. As a service, Tauck will make reservations before or after your Mediterranean cruise tour. 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. U.S and Canadian residents: 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.

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. By using TauckAir, 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 social security or 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 your Mediterranean cruise 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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