Swan Hellenic has announced details of its four 2024 cultural expedition cruises in the Mediterranean aboard SH Diana, following on from the 10-night “Mysteries of Carthage and the Moors” (August 10-20, 2024), which will see it sailing from Lisbon through the Straits of Gibraltar, then along Hannibal’s North African coast and on to Palermo.
Here are highlights of the four Mediterranean cultural expedition cruises:
The eight-night “Secrets of Sicily” (August 20-28, 2024) departs Palermo for a circumnavigation of the island, calling at Trapani—neighboring the ruins of 7th century BC Selinute, Mazara del Vallo, Porto Empedocle with the UNESCO Heritage Site of Agrigento, and Valetta. From there, SH Diana will sail to Siracusa, Giardini Naxos near Taormina and, finally, Lipari, the largest Aeolian Island, before returning to Palermo.
This cruise is one of Swan Hellenic’s “Maris Culinary Discovery at Sea Series” in partnership with JRE-Jeunes Restaurateurs. Chef-owner Nikita Sergeev of the Michelin-star Restaurant Arcade in Italy will be accompanying this cruise, serving a different signature dish every night of the voyage, leading up to a gala dinner.
“From Magna Graecia to Greece” (August 28-September 5, 2024) leaves Palermo for an eight-night exploration of the Mediterranean, sailing to the volcanic islands of Lipari and Stromboli, then on to Giardini Naxos and Crotone. Other ports of call include Otranto, Sarandë, Preveza and Itea, just a stone’s throw from Delphi, famed for its oracle. The voyage concludes in Piraeus, port of Athens.
This cruise is one of Swan Hellenic’s “Explore Space at Sea Series” in partnership with the SETI Institute and will be hosting astronomer Dr. Mark Showalter, who will be accompanying guests throughout the cruise. He will be giving three talks during the voyage: “The New Horizons Mission to Pluto and Beyond: An Insider’s View,” “The Chaotic Worlds of the Outer Solar System” and “The Antikythera Mechanism.” This cruise is also one of Swan Hellenic’s “Chopra Explore & Restore Series” in partnership with the integrative health company founded by Dr. Deepak Chopra. It offers the option for guests to transform their vacation into a well-being voyage to foster self-discovery and cultural immersion.
The 11-night “Colors of the Eastern Mediterranean” (September 5-16, 2024) sails from Piraeus, calling at Monemvasia; Adama on the volcanic island of Milos; Rethymnon on Crete; Mandraki on the island of Nisyros; Symi; and Rhodes. The island of Patmos comes next, followed by Kusadasi on the Turkish mainland, bordering the remains of the Roman city of Ephesus. Back to island-hopping, SH Diana will call at Chios, birthplace of the poet Homer, and Mytilene, capital of Lesbos, before reaching Canakkale, gateway to the Dardanelles and neighbor of the ancient city of Troy. The last full day will be spent cruising the Dardanelles before the voyage ends in Istanbul.
The eight-night “Cultures of the East Mediterranean” (September 16-24, 2024) sees SH Diana depart from Istanbul hugging the coasts of Greece and Türkiye on its way to Cyprus, pausing to explore the secrets of Kavála, Thessaloniki, Volos, Kusadasi, Heraklion, Rhodes and lastly Limassol—the second-largest city in Cyprus, located between the ancient sites of Amathous and Kourion.
All four of these itineraries and the preceding cruise, “Mysteries of Carthage and the Moors” (also a “Maris” cruise), can be daisy-chained as desired to create personalized, extended voyages.
For more information, visit www.swanhellenic.com.
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