Mediterranean Holy Land Cruise

God’s grace prevails! That’s our theme for the Mediterranean Holy Land Cruise, November 2012. Nearly all of our stops are biblically relevant and are rich with history. Faith walks hand-in-hand with history as God’s people immerse themselves in the places of His revelation.

Our price for the cruise INCLUDES excursions, port taxes, government fees and taxes, and accommodations and dinners in our departure and final destination cities, Athens and Rome. If you’re comparing prices between cruises, be sure to take this into account! This is an added-value. Because we do it this way, we are able to give the cruises the same personal touch we do our land tours, keeping costs low and quality high.

The excursions all revolve around our theme. In each port, we’ll meet our guide and driver and begin touring for the day. Learning the history and hearing the stories; seeing the sites; and absorbing the tastes, textures, and sounds of every place, we’ll grow in inspiration and faith in the grace of God.

On the night before the cruise we’ll have a “Welcome to Athens!” dinner to get acquainted and to talk about our coming adventure. The next day we’ll tour Athens. In the evening, we’ll meet our ship in the Port of Piraeus, just 30 minutes from the city.

We’ve chosen to travel with Princess Cruises. This is a fine cruise line known for its pristine vessels, top notch crews, great service, and excellent itineraries. We’ll be on the ship, Pacific Princess, one of the vessels in the cruise line’s small ship line.

The Pacific Princess has a capacity for just 680 passengers. But this ship is not without its amenities. There’s lots to do while on-board. Whether swimming, jogging or reading in the library, working out in the gym or shopping, taking in some evening entertainment or eating in one of the many restaurants, you’ll find plenty to do while at sea. There are even special venues for kids and teens! You may inspect the ship yourself at  http://www.princess.com/learn/ships/pa/index.html

Your price for this tour does not include airfare to and from the departure and final destination cities, gratuities for the ship’s staff, any food you buy while on excursions, airport transfers to your hotels, travel insurance, and personal items.

Here’s the itinerary for our cruise. I hope you find it an inspiration. I certainly do!

ITINERARY: Monday, November 19 – Monday, December 3, 2012 (15 days)

THEME: God’s Grace Prevails!

DAY 1 Athens, Greece: We’ll meet in our hotel at about 7 PM for a “Welcome to Athens!” get-together. We’ll enjoy a tasty Greek dinner near our hotel.

DAY 2 Athens, Greece: God’s grace prevailed when St. Paul proclaimed,

Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you…He is actually not far from each one of us, for ‘In Him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed His offspring’ (Acts 17:22-28).

Paul said these words at Mars Hill. We’ll begin our tour with a worship service at this very location.  Afterwards, we’ll tour the Acropolis Museum, the Acropolis and the Parthenon, and we’ll explore the Agora and the Temple of Zeus. In the afternoon, we’ll have time to shop in the Plaka. In the evening, we’ll make our way to the Port of Piraeus for departure at 7 PM.

DAY 3 Patmos Island, Greece: God’s grace prevailed here when the Lord gave St. John the vision which we know today as the Book of Revelation. We’ll meet our guide at the Port of Skala to be whisked away to the town of Chora where we’ll walk the white-washed, maze-like streets up to the Monastery of St. John the Divine. Established in the 11^th century, the monastery is a lesson in culture and a way of life harkening back to the tradition of the early church. Best of all, we’ll visit the Cave of the Apocalypse, the place where St. John lived and wrote down the vision he was given. This is always a special treat on this tour.

DAY 4 Santorini Island, Greece: God’s grace continues to prevail on this island amidst the work of the monks at the Holy Monastery of Prophet Elias for over 300 years! We’ll visit the monastery, with its spectacular view of the island and visit with the abbot and the brethren, per their availability. We’ll have plenty of time to visit other sites on the island, including the famous black sand beach and the village of Oia, a little town known for its picturesque architecture, cobblestone lanes, whitewashed buildings, and blue-domed churches.

DAY 5 Ephesus, Turkey (Port of Kusadasi): God’s grace prevails in our hearts when we read in St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians,

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe! (Ephesians 1:18-19)

We’ll celebrate these words as we tour Ephesus, one of the most important and best preserved cities of antiquity in the world. We’ll spend the entire day here taking in all of the sites, from the ancient library to the agora, from the theaters and fountains to St. Mary’s Church (the location of the 3rd Ecumenical Council, 431 AD). We’ll also visit the Basilica of St. John, the traditional site of St. John’s grave.

DAY 6 We’ll enjoy a full day at sea, experiencing all of the amenities on board and recharging for more touring tomorrow. God’s grace prevails, indeed!

DAY 7 Nazareth & Galilee, Israel (Port of Haifa): God’s grace prevails among us as we remember Christ’s words to His hometown synagogue in Nazareth:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19).

It’s Sunday so we’ll make it an extra special tour with a baptismal renewal service on the Jordan River. We’ll also visit Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee, where we’ll experience the Mount of Beatitudes and The Church of the Multiplication (of loaves and fishes).

DAY 8 Jerusalem, Israel (Port of Ashdod): God’s grace overflowed to you and me, and to all people, with Christ’s Passion! Today, we’ll walk the Via Dolorosa, our Lord’s path to the Cross, visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulcher along the way. We’ll also explore the southern approach to Old City Jerusalem, beginning at the Shiloach Pool aka Pool of Siloam and ending at David’s Tomb. We’ll see Hezekiah’s Tunnel, the City of David, Mt. Zion, and the Upper Room at Dormitian Abbey.

DAY 9 Giza, Egypt (Port Said): God’s grace prevailed when He called Moses forth from obscurity to set His people free from Pharaoh’s enslavement! Today we’ll visit the pyramids and the Great Sphinx in Giza, remembering how God is so much more powerful than the rulers who enslaved His people to build these monuments to themselves.

DAY 10 Alexandria, Egypt: God’s grace prevailed four centuries before Christ when the Greeks who ruled Egypt built a magnificent library and translated the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek, the common language of the people! Alexandria is a beautiful city. It’s known today as the “Pearl of the Mediterranean.” We’ll visit the classic landmarks, including the Roman amphitheater, catacombs and Qaitbay Fort, as well as the National Museum and The Library of Alexandria.

DAY 11 Thanksgiving at Sea: Today, we’ll give thanks for how God’s grace prevails with a Thanksgiving dinner on-board, remembering all that He’s done for us!

DAY 12 At Sea: God’s grace will continue to prevail among us as we pass through the Mediterranean and Tyrrhenian Seas on our way to Italy!

DAY 13 Pompeii, Italy (Port of Sorrento): Upon deboarding in Sorrento, we’ll travel to Pompeii, the city that was buried in 79 AD by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. We’ll give thanks for how God’s grace prevails despite natural and man-made disasters, that His life in us is our source of life unto eternity. We’ll continue to the mountain, which has many walking trails and a summit open to visitors. Time permitting, we’ll also visit Positano, a charming cliff-side village with pastel houses and a path down to the fishing boat-dotted beach.

DAY 14 Rome, Italy (Port of Civitavecchia): God’s grace prevails! We have arrived at our final destination, the Holy City, Rome! We’ll have a full day of touring, exploring the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, as well as the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain. Our last night together, we’ll enjoy a festive Italian dinner in Rome, taking time to share our experiences from the past two weeks, rejoicing for everything the Lord has given us. Afterwards, we’ll go to our hotel for a good night’s rest, preparing for our journey home tomorrow.

DAY 15 Blessed Travels! A transfer to Rome Fiumicino Airport is easy. We’ll make sure everyone finds their way there stress free! Additional days in Rome, as well as in Athens, may be arranged upon request.

WHAT YOU’RE GETTING!  Educon Travel wants to give you a unique opportunity for a Bible-based journey with a whole bunch of great features:

• A focused, theme-based itinerary
• Accommodations and dinners in our departure and final destination cities
• First-rate teaching by Christian pastors and instructors
• A small, flexible group with only 20-24 people on excursions
• Excellent hospitality from one of the best cruise lines in the industry
• Private excursions with our own guides
• A delicious variety of menus for breakfast, lunch & dinner while on-board
• Daily devotions and Bible studies over breakfast
• Great guides who care about you
• Upfront pricing—No surprises!

Open the PDF file below for the itinerary and Terms & Conditions for this tour.