Cruise the Mediterranean
 
With David Hurrion 

Departs Monday 12 May - Thursday 22 May 2008
  10 night fly/cruise 
  aboard Fred. Olsen Cruise Line’s new ship Balmoral
 

Cruise fares from only
£899pp

What’s Included

•   10 night cruise aboard Balmoral
• Return flights UK to Rome (Civitavecchia)
• All meals on board
• Hosted by David Hurrion
• 2 x complimentary tours
• Exclusive on board programme including cocktail party, lecture, question and answer session
• Complimentary car parking or coach transfer to airport
• Entertainment & use of Leisure facilities
• Complimentary tea and coffee during the day and early evening at selected venues.  
• Port taxes and Handling fees

Named after the Scottish home of the Royal Family, Balmoral and reflects her stately nature and is recognised internationally. 

Join Balmoral as she criss-crosses the Mediterranean just as both merchants and marauders did in centuries past.    Follow their routes between Africa and Europe and discover the rich legacy of their travels and trading, sieges and invading in the cultures, cuisines and architecture that remain today from the souks of Tunis to the cathedrals and palaces of Valletta.

Monday 12 May
AM fly London/Manchester to Rome (Civitavecchia)
PM arrive Rome.  
Gateway to Rome - Italy’s Eternal City.  From the Colosseum and Forum of Ancient Rome to the city’s great masterpieces of Renaissance and Baroque art and architecture.  There will be an opportunity for you to book a non-walking tour taking in the fascinating city of Rome.  This tour will commence from the airport and end at the ship in time for dinner.

Tuesday 13 May
Livorno, Italy 
0900 - 1800
Use this beautiful Italian seaport as your base to explore nearby Pisa with its famous leaning bell-tower.  Or take a trip through the Tuscan countryside to Florence for some of the finest shopping in Italy.

Wednesday 14 May
Villefranche, France 
0800 - 1700 
One of the most picturesque old fishing ports of the Cote d’Azur, Villefranche lies at peace between the more energetic pace of its famous close neighbours, Nice and Monte Carlo.  Its tall, brightly coloured and almost Italianate buildings rise beside narrow streets and stairways from the sheltered harbour, where fishing boats and yachts are moored and enticing restaurant terraces look out to sea.  From here shore visits will take you to Monaco, Nice, Cannes and other legendary highlights of the Riviera.   
 
Thursday 15 May 
Barcelona, Spain 
1400 -  
Join your host today for a gardeners’ get-together before Balmoral docks in Barcelona for an overnight stay, ensuring that you have enough time to explore this cosmopolitan and eclectic city.  Steeped in history and overflowing with sights including La Sagrada Familia and other Gaudi masterworks.

Friday 16 May
Barcelona, Spain 
Sail at 2000 
It will be from this port of call that you can enjoy an exclusive tour of the Botanical Gardens which forms part of the Park Montjuic Botanical Gardens with its beautiful flora.  It is considered to be one of the most important examples of its type in Spain and its aim is to conserve and document Catalonia’s natural heritage.

Saturday 17 May
Palma de Mallorca 
0800 - 2300 
Most popular of the Balearic Islands with its host of bars, restaurants and stylish shops, a palm-shaded seafront promenade, attractive Old Town, imposing Gothic Cathedral and 14th century Bellver Castle.  Today you can join our tour to the botanical garden at Botanicactus.  The cactus garden is a desert of approximately 40,000 square meters and home to nearly 10,000 different species.

Sunday 18 May 
Cruising at sea 
Join your host today and enjoy a gardeners’ get-together.  Plus a programme of daily activities will be on offer from the ship for you to choose including the entertaining and enlightening port lectures - an opportunity for you to prepare for the ports that lie ahead.

Monday 19 May
Tunis 
0800 - 1700 
The bustle of Tunisia’s lively capital reflects an intriguing fusion of two cultures.  It’s a city where 19th century French boulevards and cosmopolitan western-style shops and entertainments rub shoulders with Arab tradition.

Tuesday 20 May
Valletta, Malta 
0800 - 1300 
A tiny island with an epic and heroic history.  The 16th century walled capital of Valletta with its Grand Harbour is a treasure-chest bristling with baroque architecture, its narrow streets a tempting honeycomb of colourful shops and stalls.

Wednesday 21 May 
Naples, Italy 
1100 - 2000 
Italy’s third largest city and as exuberant as it is rich in history.  Naples is the gateway to exploring some of Italy’s richest sightseeing treasures like Pompeii and Heraculem or the fabled city of Sorrento.  Capri and the picturesque villages of the Amalfi Coast will all compete for your time.

Thursday 22 May 
Rome, Civitavecchia 
0800 
Balmoral docks in Rome
pm return flight to London/Manchester