An amazing cruise holiday, including a 16-night cruise on the opulent, boutique-size Azamara Quest, takes in some of the best-known sites in the Holy Lands and includes three nights in a five-star hotel in Dubai and two nights in a five-star hotel in Athens.
Ancient Sites & Holy Lands, arranged and sold exclusively by Worldwide Cruise Centres, is a 21-night fly-cruise-and-stay holiday, a luxury experience in every way.
Belly dancing to Arabian music in the sand dunes is followed by the space-age malls and shopping of Dubai, the ancient rose-coloured stone city of Petra, a Suez Canal transit and optional land tours to Jerusalem, Nazareth and the River Jordan.
Considering the quality of inclusions and ship, the included airfares and the three-week length of the holiday, Ancient Sites & Holy Lands is astonishing value. Worldwide Cruise Centres is selling it from just A$6099 per person twin share, valid at that rate until 11 March 2016.
The price includes flights from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth to Dubai and return from Athens.
Ancient Sites & Holy Lands gets underway on 28 April 2016 with a flight from Australia to Dubai, for three nights of five-star hotel luxury with breakfast each morning. Thrills include a roller coaster ride on the sand dunes, sunset over the shimmering desert, a Bedouin Campsite complete with camel rides, barbecue, belly dancing and the chance to smoke a traditional Arabian ‘hubbly bubbly’ water pipe.
Then board the sleek Azamara Quest for a 16-night cruise. The ship is superb and AzAmazing Evenings add a special touch. These signature highlight events are complimentary and held once a voyage, typically ashore during the evening.
Shipboard bottled water, soft drinks, specialty coffees and teas are all complimentary on Azamara Quest. Forget about needing to tip waiters, bar and housekeeping staff during the cruise – it’s all included. Self-service laundry is available aboard to – a free and easy option Australian guests find most convenient. Dining is excellent, with complimentary vintage red and white wines served with lunch/dinner throughout. An onboard concierge can arrange customised tours, private cars, dinners ashore, nights on the town, unique shopping trips or other personalised services.
First port of call is cosmopolitan Muscat, with its old souks, off-road desert tours, and tea at the elegant Al Bustan Palace Hotel. Then sail to Salalah in Oman, a lush green oasis with a frankincense tree park, dramatic coastline and colourful bazaars.
Four days to relax at sea now before two awe-inspiring experiences from Aqaba: the rose-coloured city of ancient Petra, carved into stone and astonishing when you see it, no matter how often you may have seen pictures of it. The breathtaking desert landscapes of Wadi Rum, which impressed Lawrence of Arabia, provide another highlight.
A Suez Canal transit brings you to the coastal city of Haifa in Israel for optional Holy Land tours to Jerusalem and Nazareth. Haifa is an excellent base for visiting biblical and archaeological sites. Within easy reach are Galilee, Nazareth, the River Jordan, as well as Safed, a holy mountaintop city steeped in the mysticism of Kaballah. Today it is also an arts centre, with many studios and galleries.
Athens is the perfect city to disembark. Your two nights here in a five-star hotel give plenty of time to sip coffee in the shadow of the Acropolis. Explore Plaka, with its cobblestone streets, mansions and little outdoor tavernas.
Perhaps toast Greece, the Holy Land and your holiday with a traditional ouzo before catching your flight and jetting back to Australia.
To find your local Worldwide Cruise Centres agent go to: www.worldwidecruisecentres.com.au
SOURCE: Worldwide Cruise Centres