Most Mediterranean cruises offer itineraries that last less than two weeks and only scratch the surface of the Med’s many treasures but Australian small ship cruising specialist, Cruise Traveller, has released a new fly, cruise and stay package that features a month-long voyage covering the length and breadth of the Mediterranean from Spain to Turkey and the Holy Land and from Greece to Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia.
Designed exclusively for Australians, this new 33-night fly, stay and cruise package – ‘Ancient Mediterranean Empires’ – is being offered in conjunction with boutique British cruise line, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, whose smaller and more intimate ships showcase traditional seafaring heritage and the calming pleasures of classic cruising.
The package, which includes onboard beverages, begins on 23 February 2024, with an included flight from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth to London for a one-night, pre-cruise stay, also included. Guests then board Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ stylish, 1338-guest flagship, Bolette, for a 32-night round-trip voyage from Southampton stretching the length of the Mediterranean and showcasing the Med’s ancient treasures and centuries-old history.
Able to access smaller and more remote ports bigger ships cannot reach, Bolette will take discerning guests on an enriching, culturally-immersive journey to 16 destinations across the Med, from Malaga on the Spanish Riviera to the storied casbahs and citadels of Algiers and the antiquities of La Goulette in Tunisia in northern Africa. The extensive itinerary also takes in baroque-styled Malta, the ancient icons of Egypt from Alexandria and the hallowed sands of the Holy Land in Israel, where guests can trace Bible stories in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
The traditional villages of Cyprus can also be explored along with the sunniest place in Europe – the Greek island of Rhodes, which averages 300 days of sunshine a year. Bolette will then chart a course for Kusadasi in Turkey – gateway to the famed ancient ruins of Ephesus, and also cosmopolitan Istanbul with its spectacular mosques and palaces. Ancient Athens and beautiful Sardinia appear next on the horizon as well as the medieval old town of Cartagena in Spain and lively and colourful Lisbon – one of the world’s oldest cities, dating back to 1200 BC. The voyage ends back in Southampton with guests flying back to Australia from London.
Snapshot of inclusions and features – ‘Ancient Mediterranean Empires’ package
* 33 nights from 23 February 2024
* Return flights to London from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth plus one night’s stay pre-cruise in London
* 32-night round-trip voyage from Southampton to the Mediterranean
* Included onboard drinks package
The 33-night ‘Ancient Mediterranean Empires’ fly, stay and cruise package is available from A$15,795 per person, twin-share, in an Inside Cabin – a saving of A$330 per person. An upgrade to an Ocean View cabin is available from just A$54 per person per day. Book by 30 June 2023.
Call Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ exclusive Australian distributor, Cruise Traveller, on 1800 507 777 or visit www.CruiseTraveller.com.au/fredmed24 or www.FredOlsenByCruiseTraveller.com.au.
SOURCE: Cruise Traveller
