Really lucked out on being able to book this voyage, after years of trying.

Seven Seas Mariner Cruise Review to Europe - Eastern Mediterranean

Kennicott

Contributor Level: Captain

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 19

Helpful Votes: 632

Overall rating:

5 out of 5

Sail date: October 09, 2010

Ship: Seven Seas Mariner

Cabin type: Suite

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 9 years ago

Review summary

We had been to the eastern Mediterranean once before on a cruise ship, including Greece and Turkey; we had also been on a 73 day circumnavigation of Africa during which we toured Egypt and transited the Suez Canal for the first time, south to north. But I had always wanted to see the Holy Land(s). For years I had been watching the HAL and Princess itineraries but neither offered anything remotely comprehensive. Fortunately we had been on Regent's Seven Seas Navigator in May 2010 so we were receiving their colorful brochures regularly. Then one day this offering appeared for October 09, 2010, it was actually a back to back titled "Mediterranean Medley" beginning in Rome, then at Istanbul, "Passage of Antiquity" this 30 day cruise ended in Dubai, where we began our long flight journey back home to Anchorage. A cruise of a lifetime on a very high end exploration size vessel for which the price was right. Ports involved: Florence/Pisa, Sardinia, Sorrento/Capri, Sicily, Tunisia, Malta, Santorini, Ephesus, Mykonos, Istanbul, Cyprus, Jerusalem (Sea of Galilee--Nazareth---Bethlehem--etc.), Tel Aviv, Cairo, Suez Canal transit (north to south), Luxor, Petra (Ancient City of Petra), Salalah Oman, Muscat Oman and Dubai. There wasn't one blemish that sticks in my mind, close to a perfect voyage, it is most likely the finest cruise we will ever undertake.