Gain an understanding of how local craftsmen make traditional Greek musical instruments and take in the island’s natural beauty. Pyrgos is known for its 13th-century Venetian castle, the classic Cycladic design of its homes and the panoramic views from its hilltop location. It will be an ideal setting to pause for a cup of coffee and a Greek sweet. Megalochori is equally picturesque, as you will discover while meandering the village’s atmospheric cobbled streets lined with neoclassical houses. The intriguing Museum of Musical Instruments honors the history of the instruments that make Greek music so recognizable. You will learn how classic instruments such as the bouzouki and laouto are handmade and have the chance to play some of them. Afterwards, you will visit the family-owned Gavalas Winery, which has been producing traditional wines such as Katsano and Nykteri since the 19th century. There you will sample wines indicative of Santorini’s terroir and snacks that pair perfectly with them.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Pause for a snack and to revel in the village of Pyrgos’ classic Cycladic setting.
• Discover how some of the most recognizable Greek musical instruments are hand-crafted.
• Sample a selection of traditional wines and local delicacies at a family-owned winery.

Join this unforgettable excursion where you’ll travel through small villages and hear their story along the way. Ascend over 900 feet above sea level between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea where you can take some of the most amazing photos on your cruise. Enjoy stunning views and different shades of beautiful BVI blue waters. Listen up as your knowledgeable driver/guide share gems of BVI history and culture. Cross the bridge to Beef Island and swim at the local’s favorite, Long Bay beach. Here you can listen to music, chat with locals, chill at the bars, do light shopping or have a dip in BVI blue waters.

Sample a selection of distinctive wines and olive oils produced in Nadin, an ancient inland community revered for its environmentally friendly agricultural practices. Despite having a population of just a few hundred, Nadin boasts an extraordinary number of environmentally sustainable farms and vineyards. You will visit two of the most renowned ones, beginning with the organic winery Škaulj. The wines for your sampling will include some that are produced using sustainable methods and others that aren’t, allowing you to really taste the difference. You can expect the wines to be paired with local delicacies such as smoked ham and cheese. Nadin’s olive oil is also highly touted as you will discover at the Vrsaljko mill. The oil produced there bears a unique flavor that reflects the organic farming practices and the way the olives are pressed within 24 hours of being harvested. Your host will further explain the olives’ characteristics during the tasting that follows.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Visit what may be Croatia’s most environmentally friendly agricultural community.
• Tour a winery and an olive mill known for their outstanding organic products.
• Sample local wines and olive oils thoughtfully paired with Croatian delicacies.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Enjoy a highly informative, behind-the-scenes look at how the island of Mallorca recycles and manages its waste. The setting will be the Environmental Technology Park, a cutting-edge facility with the ambitious goal of helping Mallorca reduce its waste to zero in the future. Your immersion into waste management will begin in the boardroom, where you will watch an introductory video that explains the facility’s objectives and advanced processes. You will learn how waste is recovered and transformed into usable materials such as toys, which are displayed in an on-site museum. An electric train will transport you through other areas of the technology park, parts of which have been built with recycled products. Plastic is processed is one area, wastewater slug in another and organic material in yet another part of the facility. You can expect the experience to be educational, eye-opening, and inspirational.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Tour an Environmental Technology Park that recycles waste into usable materials.
• Understand how waste from throughout the island of Mallorca is separated and recycled.
• Watch videos that explain the processes and ride an electric train through the facility.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Travel by cable car to the summit of The Rock for a tour focused on the turbulent history of the fortress that is Gibraltar. It starts with a breathtaking ride up to the Top Station, site of a World War II anti-aircraft gun battery. You’ll take in the terrace views as your seasoned guide provides background on this British colony at the entrance to the Mediterranean. Returning to Middle Station, you’ll visit the Apes’ Den for an up-close encounter with tailless Barbary macaques, then board your excursion coach for a drive past Princess Caroline’s Battery and a walk through portions of the Great Siege Tunnels, hand-excavated in 1782-83 by the forerunners of the Royal Engineers and still considered one of the most impressive defensive systems ever devised. Driving on, you’ll visit ""A City Under Siege"" – an enlightening historical exhibition housed in the earliest British buildings on Gibraltar. Having learned much of The Rock’s story, you can now either explore further independently in Old Town or transfer back to the ship.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ride to the top of The Rock via a thrilling cable car suspended high above Gibraltar.
• Learn of the momentous events that have made this strategic outpost famous throughout the world.
• Observe a troop of notoriously playful Barbary macaques up close at the Apes’ Den.
• Take a guided walk through the Great Siege Tunnels.
• Tour "A City Under Siege" - an enlightening exhibition housed in Gibraltar’s oldest British buildings.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing.
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

Snorkel the azure waters adjacent to the of Belize's Barrier Reef, the world’s largest living barrier reef. This is a shallow water entry, well suited for beginners and intermediate snorkelers. Depart from the Harvest Caye Marina on one of our comfortable snorkel vessels for the short scenic ride to a beautiful site along the reef. This location is teeming with multitudes of colorful reef fish, co-habiting among the beautiful hard and soft coral formations, intermingled with sponges, sea fans, and delicate sea anemones.

Possible sightings of spotted eagle rays and schools of larger fish are quite common, large starfish, queen conchs, and sea cucumbers also call this patch of the reef home. After snorkeling, re-board your boat and enjoy the return trip while listening to Caribbean rhythmic vibes. After returning to the pier, as you step off the boat, you can pick up your complimentary rum punch.

Explore the west coast of Tenerife, a gorgeous landscape of remote villages and banana plantations. Have privilege views over the fertile Orotava valley from the Humbold viewpoint. Over time, sugarcane, grapes and bananas became the dominant crops, and they are still harvested using traditional techniques. Understand how the crops are cultivated visiting an old hacienda where you can learn firsthand how bananas are grown, a tour in an authentic banana plantation where you can see different varieties of bananas and learn the process before sampling the locally grown bananas and banana liqueur. On the way back to pier, visit an ancient garden hosting the largest orchid collection on the Island and stop at La Garañona Viewpoint, local´s favorite spot to take in the beauty of the sea and surrounding.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Gain an understanding of how crops are harvested using traditional methods.
• Learn firsthand how bananas are grown and see different varieties in an authentic plantation.
• Visit an ancient garden hosting the largest orchid collection on the Island .
• Sample several varieties of bananas and banana liqueur, which attest to the fruit’s diversity.

Take a scenic drive through the countryside to the magnificent city of Florence. Pause in the Piazza del Duomo to admire the exterior of the Cathedral (Duomo) of Santa Maria del Fiore, its elaborate Gothic façade is covered in a mix of pink and green marble.

View the statues in the Piazza della Signoria on your way to the Ponte Vecchio, the medieval stone bridge was the first bridge built across the River Arno, and has been well known for its goldsmiths and jewelers since the 16th century. Lunch is included at a local restaurant, and after the meal you’ll have free time to explore on your own or to shop, before your tour continues to the historic town of Pisa. Here, you’ll make a brief photo stop in Miracle Square for a look at the exterior of that famous Leaning Tower. Built in the 12th century, it began to lean soon afterwards, but has now been stabilized.

OVERVIEW

Cruise remarkably close to Hubbard Glacier for the ultimate look at this huge river of ice that has the distinction of being North America’s largest tidewater glacier. After boarding the boat directly from the cruise ship in the mouth of Disenchantment Bay, you will settle into the heated cabin with large windows that provide excellent viewing. The vessel also features a shallow draft, allowing it to easily cruise around the icebergs near the face of the glacier, which is hundreds of feet high above the waterline. Hubbard Glacier is nicknamed the Galloping Glacier because at times it advances several feet a day. Few natural sights are quite so spectacular as when large chunks of ice calve – or break off – from the glacier with a thundering roar. The naturalist guide will describe the glacier’s characteristics in fascinating detail, as well as the wildlife, which includes harbor seals, bald eagles, orcas and even humpback whales.

HIGHLIGHTS

• See Hubbard Glacier up close from the comfort of a heated, expedition-style boat.
• Behold the sheer face of the glacier, which soars hundreds of feet above the waterline.
• Hear compelling commentary about Hubbard Glacier from the naturalist guide.
• Look for harbor seals, orcas and humpback whales, which inhabit the surrounding waters.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.

Race through Boka Bay in a speedboat and enjoy a refreshing swim in the Blue Cave and in the sparkling waters that rim a nearby beach. Although officially known as the Bay of Kotor, Boka – as it is called locally – is considered the southernmost fjord in Europe because of its wild landscape and precipitous cliffs that plummet into the sea. Zipping along its rocky coast in a speedboat will be an exhilarating experience, especially on the approach to the Blue Cave. Expect to be awed by the brilliant blue water and the hue that it casts on the cave’s interior, both the result of the way the sunlight reflects off the sandy bottom of the sea. You will have the opportunity to swim in this enchanting setting before zipping off to Rose Beach on the tip of the Lustica Peninsula. Sheltered by the surrounding mountains and forests, the water there is typically calm.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Zip through the typically calm waters of Boka Bay on a speedboat.
• Swim in a seaside cave known for its brilliant blue water, which reflects on the interior.
• Pause for a swim at Rose Beach, yet another idyllic spot on the bay.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Enjoy an enlightening tour of Puerto Limon as a prelude to a cultural performance and hands-on cooking class. The walking portion of the tour will begin at leafy Parque Vargas, a popular gathering place that overlooks the sea. Be sure to notice Uvita Island just offshore, as it is renowned as the spot where Christopher Columbus landed in 1502 on his fourth and final voyage to the New World. He is credited with naming Costa Rica, which is Spanish for “Rich Coast.” You will also pause to take in the sights at Playa Bonita, a beautiful stretch of sand nearby. A dance performance to live calypso music follows at the House of Culture, after which you will learn to prepare a few signature local dishes. Chances are, they will include a Costa Rican version of rice and beans, a beef-stuffed turnover and a sweet plantain tart. Later, you will snack on your tasty concoctions.