EXCURSIONES EN TIERRA

Experience the ultimate family getaway at the all-new Great Tides Waterpark on Great Stirrup Cay. Your ticket includes full-day access to four exciting zones — Tidal Tower, Cliffside Cove, Wandering River, and Splash Cay — featuring 19 total waterslides throughout the park, including 11 main attractions and 8 kid-friendly slides in the splash zone. From towering slides and cliff jumps to a winding lazy river and splash-filled fun for every age, Great Tides Waterpark delivers nonstop excitement the whole family will love.

OVERVIEW

View the absolute icons of New York from a water perspective while cruising the Hudson River and up close while driving through the heart of Manhattan. The Big Apple’s skyline will look especially dramatic from the boat as you will see One World Trade Center – the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere – looming in the background. Once you pass Lower Manhattan, you will cruise past Ellis Island and on to the Statue of Liberty, where the boat will pause long enough for you to take close-up photos of this inspiring beacon of freedom and hope. The bus will follow a route that also presents one landmark after another, including Times Square, the Empire State Building and Central Park, the urban oasis that famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted co-designed in 1858. You will hear insightful commentary throughout the tour and all the way to the airport.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cruise the Hudson River for an unforgettable water perspective of Manhattan.
• Snap photos while the boat stops as close as possible to the Statue of Liberty.
• See countless landmarks while riding through Manhattan.
• Pass Times Square, the Empire State Building and Central Park.
• Head to either JFK or LaGuardia airport in plenty of time for your flight.

HELPFUL HINTS

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

You’ll journey to the ancient place of Mayan pilgrimage known today as Chacchoben, also known as "The Place of Red Corn". At the pier, you’ll be greeted by a bilingual guide who will direct you to an air-conditioned bus. Onboard the bus your guide will brief you on the interesting history and unique attributes of this sacred Mayan site. Upon arrival at Chacchoben you’ll be surrounded by jungle. Your guide will escort you through the ruins, giving you a complete explanation of the sacred temples and other structures seen there. See original red paint on the stucco walls of one of the pyramids and the temple where a mural was found showing the astronomical positions of the planet Venus. You’ll have time to climb the Gran Basamento taking you above tree level. Here archaeologists found ceremonial offerings dating to around 1000 B.C. Your guide will also explain about the wildlife and medicinal plants that are used by the modern-day descendants of the ancient Mayan people. During the tour, you will reach a structure known as the Gran Basamento, which is not a pyramid, but an elevated platform.

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 have free time 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.

The island of Mykonos is world famous for its stunning scenic beauty comprised of windmills, sparking bays, superb beaches, white houses and churches with their colorful blue and red domes. You'll pass by Ornos Beach, one of the most cosmopolitan beaches on the island with an abundance of luxurious hotels, tavernas and yachts mooring offshore.

You’ll make a short photo stop at the beach of Kalafatis to experience one of the island's beautiful beaches and to enjoy the breathtaking view. As you head to the center of the island, you'll visit the village of Ano Mera and the Monastery Panayia Tourliani. You’ll also have a chance to enjoy ouzo and Greek appetizers in the peaceful little square of the village.

OVERVIEW

Come visit the Albufera Natural Park and learn about its importance and how specialists work on the conservation and the biodiversity of species in the area. Although you may have visited La Albufera on previous occasions, this time, we are going to discover La Gola de El Pujol, a very particular area inside the park and the most popular gully. The historical route of the Gola del Pujol is a short walk of about 40 minutes over 700 metres and 8 stops, which runs parallel to the Gola del Pujol, a gorge that joins the Albufera lake with the sea. The path, fitted out with non-slip wood, leads from the gates in front of the famous jetty - one of the most photographed spots in Valencia - to the Estany del Pujol, an artificial pond that has existed since 1970 and has now been converted into a protected spot for the birds that visit the area - it is of vital importance for many species - and bathing in this area is prohibited. You’ll walk under the shade of pinewoods and discover many endemic species of plants and insects. On the shore of the lagoon there is a jetty and a very interesting viewpoint, which provides a panoramic view of the Albufera.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Follow a specialized guide through the national park in a discovery of biodiversity and conservation.
• Gain insight into how the land was transformed from rice fields into freshwater wetlands.
• Cruise through the reserve in a boat and observe the abundant water birds.

HELPFUL HINTS

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

Experience the ultimate family getaway at the all-new Great Tides Waterpark on Great Stirrup Cay. Your ticket includes full-day access to four exciting zones — Tidal Tower, Cliffside Cove, Wandering River, and Splash Cay — featuring 19 total waterslides throughout the park, including 11 main attractions and 8 kid-friendly slides in the splash zone. From towering slides and cliff jumps to a winding lazy river and splash-filled fun for every age, Great Tides Waterpark delivers nonstop excitement the whole family will love.

OVERVIEW

Behold the architecture in two isolated villages that UNESCO found so unusual that it deemed them World Heritage sites. The villages of Shirakawago and Gokayama are in the remote Shogawa River Valley surrounded by high rugged mountains, a location that made them difficult to access for centuries. To cope with the abundance of snow that falls there, the residents constructed farmhouses with steeply pitched thatched roofs to reduce the amount of snow that accumulates on them. The roof design also allows for large attics, in which the residents rear silkworms, which they feed leaves from the surrounding mulberry trees. Only one other nearby village boasts this type of architecture known as gassho-zukuri, a style that means “constructed like hands in prayer.” Following free time in both villages, you will watch a demonstration of paper-making in Gokayama. The specialized washi paper is exceptionally colorful and patterned. The fiber for it comes from mulberry trees.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit two villages that UNESCO declared World Heritage sites for their architecture.
• Gain an understanding of why the buildings have such steep roofs.
• Explore the areas of most interest to you during free time in both villages.
• See how durable washi paper used for arts, crafts and writing is made from mulberry bark.

HELPFUL HINTS

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

Enjoy extra time to unwind and savor the ship at your own pace – no rushing, no waiting at the airport, just more time to relax and soak in the experience.

• Relaxed, stress-free departure.
• Enjoy the ship at your own pace with leisurely lunch and extra time onboard.
• Complete with the added convenience of included shuttle transfer to airport.

Enjoy extra time to unwind and savor the ship at your own pace – no rushing, no waiting at the airport, just more time to relax and soak in the experience.

• Relaxed, stress-free departure.
• Enjoy the ship at your own pace with leisurely lunch and extra time onboard.
• Complete with the added convenience of included shuttle transfer to airport.

Admire some of the most hallowed sites in the ancient world, including a residence believed to be the Virgin Mary’s, the ruins of Ephesus and St. John’s Basilica.

After departing from the pier, you will drive through the countryside to the House of the Virgin. Believed to be the last residence of the Virgin Mary, the small stone building contains a bedroom, kitchen and an altar adorned with images of Mary. A sacred spring known as the Fountain of Our Lady runs under the house, and you will be welcome to drink from it.

Then, it’s on to revered Ephesus, a World Heritage site that may well be the best-preserved ancient city in the region. After passing the Magnesia Gate, you will behold one excavated building after another. There is the Great Theater where St. Paul preached the Gospel, the Fountain of Trajan with its regal statue of the emperor and the Library of Celsus, a monument constructed as a mausoleum with a separate library for scrolls and codexes.

Continuing on, you will stop at the ruins of St. John’s Basilica. Built in the 6th century, the church stood over the spot where St. John is supposedly buried. Although a Mongol army destroyed the building and pillaged much of it, part of the basilica has been restored to show its scope.

A buffet lunch at a hotel in Kusadasi follows, after which you may return to the pier or stay in town for an enlightening carpet lecture or shopping.

Snap selfies at the most photogenic spots in and around Santorini, many of them iconic attractions that define the city. To ensure the best possible results, a selfie tutor will offer tips so you can capture just the right angle, lighting and composition for every shot. Selfie sticks are available and complemented by a convenient photo frame, enabling you to capture, share, and post the best pictures in the future.

As you walk and ride through Santorini, you will pause at designated selfie stops that include:
• Aroma Avlis restaurant
• Oia’s Blue-Domed churches
• Metropolitan Church of Ypapanti Thira

HIGHLIGHTS

• Take inspiring selfies at the most photogenic attractions in Santorini.
• Follow tips from your selfie tutor to ensure the very best pictures.
• Learn the historical significance of the locales while enjoying their dramatic settings.
• Sample a local glass of wine at Aroma Avlis, a hilltop restaurant with panoramic views.
• Pose in front of the blue-domed churches in Oia and explore the coastal town.
• Stand above the Metropolitan Church of Ypapanti Thira and capture the ultimate shot of the city Fira.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
• Be sure your phone or camera is fully charged.