Cruise - Wind, Voyage 2132/2235 ex Athens to Dubai

Journey

16 Night Cruise sailing from Athens to Dubai aboard Silver Wind.

Ship

Silver Wind   (More about the ship)

Departure Date

12-Nov-2012

• Itinerary

  Cruise Itinerary

  Day	Date	Port		Arrive	Depart
  Day 1	12 Nov 12		Athens (Piraeus) Greece		5.00pm
  Day 3	14 Nov 12		Alexandria, Egypt	7.00am	4.00pm
  Day 4	15 Nov 12		Suez Canal	Transit
  Day 5	16 Nov 12		Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt	7.00am	10.00pm
  Day 6	17 Nov 12		Aqaba, Jordan	8.00am	overnight
  Day 7	18 Nov 12		Aqaba, Jordan		5.00pm
  Day 8	19 Nov 12		Safaga (Luxor)	7.00am	overnight
  Day 9	20 Nov 12		Safaga (Luxor)		5.00pm
  Day 15	26 Nov 12		Muscat, Oman	9.00am	10.00pm
  Day 16	27 Nov 12		Fujairah, United Arab Emirates	9.00am	5.00pm
  Day 17	28 Nov 12		Dubai, United Arab Emirates	8.00am

  
  ** Itinerary may vary by sailing date

• Your cruise in detail

  16 Night Cruise sailing from Athens to Dubai aboard Silver Wind.
  
  Silver Wind, launched in 1995, was the second ship introduced by Silversea. Much like its sister ship, Silver Cloud, the Wind is a shining example of intimate Italian cruising. Fewer guests, combined with more space and Silversea's signature six-star personalised service make for the ultimate sailing experience. This elite vessel is as a grand hotel, as gracious as a long-time friends' home. Each all ocean-view suite provides a sumptuous retreat. Each public space is intimate yet inviting. It's a warm feeling of home upon the seas of the earth.
  
  Aboard Silver Wind you will find a most accommodating place to view our world. Whether it's delicious onboard diversions, world-class cuisine, memorable dining venues or staying connected from anywhere, Silversea's impeccable standards apply to every detail of your voyage.
  
  Athens
  If you come to Athens in search of gleaming white temples, you may be aghast to find that much of the city has melded into what appears to be a viscous concrete mass. Amid the sprawl and squalor, though, the ancient city gives up its treasures. Lift your eyes 200 feet above the city to the Parthenon, and you behold architectural perfection that has not been surpassed in 2,500 years. Today this shrine of classical form, this symbol of Western civilization and political thought, dominates a 21st-century boomtown. To experience Athens fully is to understand the essence of Greece: tradition juxtaposed with a modernity that the ancients would strain to recognize but would heartily endorse. Ancient Athens is certainly the lure for the millions of visitors to the city, but since the late 1990s, inspired by the 2004 Olympics, the people have gone far toward transforming Athens into a sparkling modern metropolis.
  
  Alexandria
  Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC and became capital of Egypt under the Ptolemaic pharaohs, who ruled the country from 323 BC until the arrival of the Romans in 30 BC. Egypt's gateway to the Mediterranean, its major trading port, and home to the country's most famous queen, Cleopatra, Alexandria also had the world's best library, containing thousands of texts collected from every known continent. Sadly, the library was destroyed in a fire. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Alexandria was one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the Middle East, a true gateway between East and West. Today, the city is a lively, vibrant place that has only recently begun to explore its ancient past. Advances in modern underwater archaeology now allow scientists to chart the vast bulk of ancient Alexandria that lies just a few feet under the waters of the sweeping bay, now home to a busy fishing fleet.
  
  Safaga
  Safaga, a small resort on the Red Sea, is best known for windsurfing. But it's also 200 km (124 mi) east of Luxor, one of Egypt's-and the world's-most popular destinations. During Egypt's first 1,000 years of history, Thebes was little more than a provincial capital; however, during the New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC), the city became the empire's capital. After Alexander the Great expelled the Persians from Egypt in 323 BC, he established the rule of the Ptolemies, who embellished the city with monuments. The city was destroyed in subsequent centuries and then buried by the sands. It wasn't until the early 18th century that a Jesuit priest, Father Claude Sicard, rediscovered Luxor, correctly identifying a mass of sand-covered ruins as the site of the ancient capital.
  
  Dubai
  The second-largest of the seven city-emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, Dubai stretches along the southern shore of the Arabian Gulf. Dubai city is a bustling metropolis that has grown in wealth and importance over the years although its extraordinarily rapid growth has slowed somewhat with the worldwide recession. With fast-dwindling oil reserves Dubai built its reputation on being a financial and commercial hub, becoming a modern melting pot of cultures and global influences, as much as it has remained an Islamic state with Bedouin roots. Though the official language is Arabic, English is commonly used; Hindi and Urdu are also widely spoken. Modern Dubai traces its origins to the 1830s, when it was a small fishing village at the mouth of Dubai Creek. The Maktoum family, who still rule the emirate today, led the tribe, and it's their vision and leadership that has transformed Dubai into a global player and glamorous tourist destination.