Indonesian islands and Asian cities with Voyages to Antiquity

Voyages to Antiquity offer this cruise beginning with a 3-night hotel stay in Bali, guests will have plenty of time to explore the 'Island of the Gods'. They will also see the Barong dancers, the wood-carvers in Mas, as well as the bathing pools and holy springs of Guning Kawi. Visiting Java highlights the  Borobudur, the Mountain of Statues – said to be the equal of the Parthenon. From there it’s on to modern and historical Singapore for a city tour, then coastal Kuantan in Malaysia.

Sailing up the Saigon river on Aegean Odyssey to the heart of Ho Chi Minh City guests have an overnight stay and then tour the city and its surroundings before moving on to Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Guest finally, disembark in the centre of Bangkok for a 2-night hotel stay, enabling them to explore the city before your flying home. 

This 3-week holiday comes with no hidden extras - shore excursions, hotels, flights, gratuities on board. Solo travellers can just add £250! Cruise departs 1 February 2015.  21 days From £2,995pp

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Voyages to Antiquity's new itineraries in 2015

Voyages to Antiquity's new itineraries in 2015 bring together the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. These voyages combine hotel stays, overnights on board and shore excursions. A circumnavigation of the Aegean departing 28 April 2015 has 11 included tours, 2 nights hotel in Istanbul, from £2,345pp. The highlights of Morocco are combined with Madeira and the Canary Islands. on a cruise departing 6 November 201, with 11 included tours, 1 night hotel in Marrakesh, from £2,395pp

Book by 30 November to save up to £1,200 per cabin.

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The Grand Tour revisited by Voyages to Antiquity

This cruise from Voyages to Antiquity echoes the idea of the Grand Tour.  Then, as now, Rome and Venice were not to be missed, and Florence and the ruins of Pompeii were also popular.  As well as the "Grand Tour" favourites, this cruise also takes you to the  Roman Palace of Diocletian in Split, and the Greek theatre at Taormina  . 

After a two-night hotel stay in Venice, Aegean Odyssey will cruise along the Adriatic to Sicily. Visit the Greek theatre at Taormina and then onwards to Sorrento and Rome, visiting historic sites on mainland Italy, including the ruins of Pompeii (above) and Herculaneum. Sail along the French Riviera to Marseilles from where you will travel to the Papal Palace at Avignon and the Roman amphitheater at Nimes. Your final destination is Villefranche where you can pop along to Monte Carlo for the evening.

16 days  £2,695  Departs from Venice 20 May 2015.

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Voyages to Antiquity discovers ancient Burma

Voyages to Antiquity offers travellers the chance to discover ancient Burma, a remarkable country which continues to captivate visitors today as it did in Rudyard Kipling's time.

Explore historic Malaysia, relax amid beautiful scenery in Thailand and delve into Singapore on this 16-day Southeast Asian odyssey aboard Aegean Odyssey. Departs 27 February 2015  with prices  from £3,350pp

Sail up-river to berth in the heart of Yangon, Burma for two nights and discover the colonial heritage of Malacca and Penang in Malaysia as well as spending two nights at the Regent Hotel in Singapore.

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Explore the civilisations of the Mediterranean with Voyages to Antiquity

Discover the cradle of civilisation to the birthplace of democracy, embark on a cruise with Voyages to Antiquity to the places which shaped our modern-day society.

With three nights in a hotel in Cairo, two nights in Athens and 13 shore excursions included, the cruise departs on 7 November. 

During the cruise, passengers will visit the Norman Cathedral of Monreale, a short drive from Palermo in Sicily,  and explore the architectural heritage of Malta. Also on the itinerary are the ruins of Minoan Knossos, in Crete, and the ruins of Carthage, in Tunisia.

The 17-day trip starts with a 3-night hotel stay at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza hotel in Cairo. Fares from  £2,195 pp

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Taj Mahal is the finest of all the architectural wonders on Aegean Odyssey's 2015 cruises to India

Taj Mahal: the epitome of wonder and an extravagant declaration of love

• This is our final guest blog post by Zoe Bromley-Fox, Land Programmes Manager of cruise line Voyages to Antiquity. The line’s one ship, Aegean Odyssey, returns to south-east Asia this winter for the first time since the winter of 2012-13. Zoe looks forward to the forthcoming visit by recalling highlights of the journey two years ago.

When thinking about the key attractions of our upcoming Asia season, our classic introduction to India’s Golden Triangle cannot go unmentioned. In 2015 the tour will feature an extra day, making it a 5 day adventure to the sights of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur either before or after your cruise. You’ll have the chance to explore both Old and New Delhi, the highlight undoubtedly being the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Qutub Minar – a masterpiece of Islamic architecture at over 236 feet tall. The theme of fascinating, architectural wonders continues throughout the tour as you visit the 17th Century Amber Fort in Jaipur, then Fatehpur Sikri – an architectural blend of Hindu, Persian and Indo-Muslim heritage, and of course the epitome of wonder and extravagant declaration of love – the Taj Mahal.

I’ll be off shortly on my final inspection trip to make sure everything runs smoothly in the New Year when we visit the region again – and I must say I can’t wait to see these wonders again!

More details of Aegean Odyssey’s cruises visiting India in 2015 on Voyages to Antiquity's website. Which is also where you can read Zoe’s blog in full, together with her pick of the top excursions in south-east Asia.

Many thanks to Zoe for her contributions over the past five days. For any readers who wondered that's her on the right, in the picture below, with two colleagues.

Zoe Bromley-Fox (right) and colleagues in Indonesia

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Arts and crafts are the big draw on an excursion to Cambodia's National Museum with Voyages to Antiquity

Cambodia highlight: the National Museum in Phnom Penh

• Our latest guest blog by Zoe Bromley-Fox, Land Programmes Manager of cruise line Voyages to Antiquity. The line’s one ship, Aegean Odyssey, returns to south-east Asia this winter for the first time since the winter of 2012-13. Zoe looks forward to the forthcoming visit by recalling highlights of the journey two years ago.

Calling into the Cambodian port city of Sihanoukville, some passengers opted to head off on a full day excursion to explore the capital Phnom Penh, still boasting evidence of the French Colonial times. We visited the city’s main attractions – the National Museum and the Royal Palace with an inside visit to the Silver Pagoda.  The National Museum was the highlight for many passengers with one of the world’s largest collections of Khmer art, including sculptural, ceramics, bronzes, and ethnographic objects.

The exterior of the museum was as much of a draw as the artefacts inside – inspired by ‘traditional Khmer’ architecture, it is also described as a building enlarged from Cambodian temple prototypes seen on ancient bas-reliefs and reinterpreted through the eyes of George Groslier (1887-1945). A historian, curator and author, he was responsible for the revival of interest in traditional Cambodian arts and crafts and designed this quintessential building.

More details of Aegean Odyssey’s cruises visiting Cambodia in 2015 on Voyages to Antiquity's website. Which is also where you can read Zoe’s blog in full, together with her pick of the top excursions in south-east Asia.

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Conversation-piece war museum and countless motor scooters charm cruise visitors to Ho Chi Minh City

Conversation piece: the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City

• Third in a series of guest blogs by Zoe Bromley-Fox, Land Programmes Manager of cruise line Voyages to Antiquity. The line’s one ship, Aegean Odyssey, returns to south-east Asia this winter for the first time since the winter of 2012-13. Zoe looks forward to the forthcoming visit by recalling highlights of the journey two years ago.

Anyone who travels to South East Asia has Vietnam high on the list – and Voyages to Antiquity gives you a chance to visit one of Asia’s greatest cities – Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

The excursion in Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon) was probably one of the most moving experiences for some passengers who were on board for our Vietnam cruise. The tour visited various city highlights, but the focus was the War Remnants Museum. Some argue that it is a one-sided propaganda attraction with the sentiment still being overwhelmingly anti-American.  The visit was extremely thought-provoking and prompted heart-felt debates over dinner for days after. This tour will feature again this year as part of our ‘choice of’ excursions programme operated in Ho Chi Minh.

Don’t forget that Aegean Odyssey’s size means that she can sail right up the Saigon River, a truly memorable experience before we even go out on excursion! Anyone on board for this sailing should make sure they spend the morning out on deck. In some parts it is astonishing how close the jungle-like banks are from the side of the ship and as you get closer to the city itself you already start to sense the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City from the water.  But nothing will prepare you for the number of motor scooters in this city …

More details of Aegean Odyssey’s cruises visiting Vietnam in 2015 on Voyages to Antiquity's website. Which is also where you can read Zoe’s blog in full, together with her pick of the top excursions in south-east Asia.

Street life: Never a dull moment in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City

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A fascinating insight into the religions of Indonesia on a Voyages to Antiquity cruise in south-east Asia

Toraja Land, Indonesia, where the local people worship animals and plants

• The second in a series of guest blogs by Zoe Bromley-Fox, Land Programmes Manager of cruise line Voyages to Antiquity. The line’s one ship, Aegean Odyssey, returns to south-east Asia this winter for the first time since the winter of 2012-13. Zoe looks forward to the forthcoming visit by recalling highlights of the journey two years ago.

Indonesia is certainly a land full of mystery and intriguing ancient customs. One of the excursions that Voyages to Antiquity includes in the Southern Sulawesi area gives passengers a somewhat other-wordly experience. I will never forget one of the Indonesian bar waitresses staring at me fearfully wide-eyed as we headed off with the passengers to visit Toraja Land where the people practise a form of animism known as Aluk To Dolo.

The belief that animals, plants and inanimate objects possess a spiritual element is so fundamental to this region that many indigenous languages don’t even have a word for it. Operated from the slightly closer port of Palopo this season, but still with a scenic drive through the mountainous countryside, it also provides a fascinating insight into daily life as you pass through numerous rural villages.

From a more archaeological perspective, the UNESCO tongue-twister site of Borobudur on the island of Java is equally as captivating and compared in brilliance to the Parthenon by Arnold Toynbee. We visit the complex from the port of Semarang, and I also remember that the police escort service that cleared the Javanese roads to ensure the coaches arrived in good time was probably as impressive as the temple complex itself!

For details of Voyages to Antiquity’s cruises visiting Indonesia this winter, see here. Fares from £3,495 pp.

Click here to read Zoe's blog in full, with details of Aegean Odyssey's voyages and the excursions available.

The UNESCO-listed Borobodur on the Indonesian island of Java

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Sunset visit to Rangoon's Shwedagon Pagoda is the highlight of Voyages to Antiquity's Asian Odyssey

Glimmering gold grandeur - the Shwedagon Pagoda is a highlight of Rangoon

• Introducing a series of guest blogs by Zoe Bromley-Fox, Land Programmes Manager of cruise line Voyages to Antiquity. The line’s one ship, Aegean Odyssey, returns to south-east Asia this winter for the first time since the winter of 2012-13. Zoe looks forward to the forthcoming visit by recalling highlights of the journey two years ago.

When remembering our first Asia season, I must start with a personal highlight – the evening excursion in Yangon, Burma (Myanmar), which was included for every passenger

Visiting the Shwedagon pagoda as the sun went down was a fairy-tale experience that our passengers would never forget. Without the heat of the midday sun when most groups visit the pagoda, everyone could really appreciate the unique ambience of this sacred Buddhist site. Not to mention being able to stand on the ground quite comfortably with no shoes on! When on this excursion, admire the glimmering gold as the lights are turned on and ask your guide to show you the unique spot where you can watch the diamond change colour as you view it from different angles…

Aegean Odyssey returns to Burma in January, on a 21-day cruise departing from Colombo, Sri Lanka, and also visiting Chennai (Madras), Phuket in Thailand, and Penang and Malacca, Malaysia, before reaching Singapore.

Fares from £3,995 pp (two sharing) and a single supplement of 20 per cent. Guest speakers include Prof Ian Brown of the London School of Oriental and African Studies; Robert A. E. Gordon, president of the Britain-Burma Society, and Pamela Gordon of the Diplomatic Service Families Association.

The ship returns in March, during a 30-night grand voyage from Bangkok to Singapore with fares from £5,750 pp (single supplement 15 per cent).

Click here to read Zoe's blog in full, with details of Aegean Odyssey's voyages and the excursions available.

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Voyages to Antiquity Unveil Burma & Malaya

When it comes to the Far East, the countries of Burma and Malaysia remain some of the most unknown territory, with an exotic, almost mysterious side to them.

The best way to see as much of possible in a short time is by cruise, which is why Voyages to Antiquity are currently highlighting their voyage to "mysterious Burma & the Malay Peninsula" in January next year.

Cut off from the rest of the world for decades, Burma’s unique culture has been preserved; its incredible landscapes remain unspoilt, the golden temples and pagodas intact.

Much of this will be on display as the Aegean Odyssey will berth in the heart of Yangon for two full nights. With good quality hotels in short supply, the ship offers the perfect base for a full exploration. The voyage also takes in Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Malaysia before disembarking in the dynamic city of Singapore for a 2-night hotel stay.

Prices start from £3,995 per person for this remarkable 21-day cruise-tour, departing January 4, 2015.

More info: call 0845 437 9737 or visit www.voyagestoantiquity.com.

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Voyages to Antiquity's Big Med Savers

At World of Cruising we like to have a good geographical spread of voyages. And, after the recent run of Arctic/Antarctic/Norway features, we thought you might need warming up a bit, so here are a couple of nice cruises in the sunny Mediterranean for you, courtesy of Voyages to Antiquity.

Take your pick from either one - and benefit from a generous £600 per cabin saving if you book this month:

Monumental Sicily, Herculaneum & Pompeii, Classical Greece and more: This 17-day cruise tour takes passengers from Istanbul to Rome, and from historical era to historical era. Shore excursions are included in 10 of the 11 ports visited, plus there is a choice of included sightseeing in five of them - Izmir, Athens, Nauplia, Taormina and Sorrento. It sails May 8, with prices from £2,595

Jerusalem and the Treasures of the Aegean: This new itinerary provides ample time to explore the iconic city of Jerusalem before setting sail for the Crusader strongholds in the Southern Mediterranean and some of the finest Roman and Hellenistic remains in Europe. It lasts 17 days and covers 11 ports, including three nights in Jerusalem, sailing on April 2 and with prices from £2,345pp.

For both these cruises, book by December 31 for cabin savings up to £600 and a single supplement of just 15 per cent.

More info: 0845 4379737 or visit http://www.voyagestoantiquity.com.

Have you subscribed to World of Cruising magazine yet? We have a fabulous offer for all new subscribers this month ONLY - 50 per cent OFF the regular rate AND the chance to win a cruise in our free prize draw offer. See this link!

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An Asian Odyssey With Voyages To Antiquity

Boutique line Voyages to Antiquity have crafted a fabulous tour through the Indian Ocean to south-east Asia in their new brochure for winter 2014/15, with 12 cruises from November to March combining the most breathtaking natural and man-made sites in the world, from the remarkable beauty of Africa’s big game parks to architectural treasures such as Angkor Wat and the Taj Mahal. 

As with every Voyages To Antiquity cruise, shore excursions are included, pre and post-cruise land stays in major cities are in deluxe hotels and every sailing features outstanding guest speakers.

Key highlights are:

• Inaugural visits to East Africa, each featuring an included 3 day (2 night) safari to Amboseli and Tsavo National Parks
• Inaugural calls to the Indian Ocean Islands of Zanzibar, Seychelles, Mayotte and the Maldives.
• City centre mooring in Yangon (Burma), Bangkok (Thailand) and Ho-Chi Minh City (Vietnam) where the size of the ship enables cruising upriver to the heart of some of Asia’s most fascinating cities.
• A chance to explore Bali, Borneo and the islands of Indonesia – including visits to the stunning temple of Borobudur and the dragons on Komodo
• A return to the fascinating sights and sounds  of South-east Asia: Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam
• Cruising India’s historic Malabar Coast, before passengers disembark to enjoy the included 5-day Golden Triangle tour of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.

Brochure prices start from £3,150 per person for an 18-day cruise-tour, including scheduled flights and transfers on arrival. Prices also include free domestic flight connections via London from seven regional airports, shore excursions where available, Quietvox headsets to enhance the sightseeing experience, gratuities to cabin and restaurant staff on-board and wine with dinner on board.

Guests can save up to £5,000 per cabin when booking by December 31 and several itineraries feature special rates for single travellers. 

More info: visit www.voyagestoantiquity.com or call on 0845 437 9737.

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New Single Cabins With Voyages to Antiquity

With the start of its new Mediterranean Cruise season just two weeks away, Voyages to Antiquity has announced a re-modelling of cabins on its boutique cruise ship Aegean Odyssey to incorporate eight new cabins for single travellers.

 

Since is its launch in 2010, Voyages to Antiquity has become a firm favourite with single travellers, who like the intimate size of the ship and the all-inclusive tours programme as well as the informality on board, including anytime dining and small tour groups.

 

Commenting on the new initiatives managing director David Yellow said: “We have noticed the number of single passengers sailing with us, many of whom are repeat guests, has increased over the last 12months. To this end, we have decided to remodel our passenger accommodation to include eight new cabins so we can now offer 24 dedicated single cabins spread across seven categories on Aegean Odyssey.

 

“As well as these new cabins, we are also offering low single supplements of just £150 per passenger for selected double cabins on four spring/summer 2012 voyages. This means single travellers are effectively paying no single supplement for the cruise portion and just £150 for sole occupancy at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens, where we have included a 2-night hotel stay.

The low single supplement offer is available on the following cruises:

 

The Light of Greece – May 2: prices from £2,500, including single supplement.

God Created the Kornati Islands – May 14: prices from £2,225, including single supplement.

 

Those Who Seek Paradise on Earth Should See Dubrovnik – June 23: princes from £2,045, including single supplement.

Poetry, History, Drama & Mathematics – All These Begin with the Greeks – August 25: prices from £2,220, including single supplement and 2-night stays in Istanbul and Athens.

 

All prices include flights and transfers, as well as sightseeing tours, beer/wine or soft drinks with dinner on board and all gratuities for ship staff.

For booking details, be sure to check out this link with specialist cruise agents The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Now THAT'S How Cruise Awards Should Be Done

Having given the so-called British Travel Awards a major kicking recently for their laughable selection of Cruise Awards, it was refreshing to see the Cruise Critic UK Awards come out this week with a sane, sensible and highly credible approach to pretty much the same thing.

Using their own in-house editorial experts, led by extremely knowledgeable editor-in-chief Carolyn Spencer-Brown, they have 25 individual awards - from the obvious things of Best New Ship and Best For Kids to Best Itineraries and Best Buffet - and all have the ring of authenticity and genuine cruise know-how.

In full, the 2011 award winners are:

Best New Ship - Carnival Magic
Best New River Ship - SS Antoinette (Uniworld)
Best For Luxury - Seabourn Cruise Line
Best for First Timers - Ventura (P&O Cruises)
Best Line for Kids - Royal Caribbean
Best Itineraries - Cunard Line
Best for Adventure - Star Clippers
Best River Cruise Line - Viking River Cruises
Best Value for Money - Voyages of Discovery
Best for Fly-Cruises - Thomson Cruises
Best for Dining - Oceania Cruises
Best Buffet - Marina (Oceania Cruises)
Best Alternative Restaurant - The Verandah (Cunard's Queen Elizabeth)
Best for Entertainment - Cunard Line
Best for Healthy Cruising - Celebrity Cruises
Best Suites - Marina (Oceania Cruises)
Best Cabins - Holland America Line
Best Shore Excursions - Noble Caledonia
Best Guest Speakers - Voyages to Antiquity
Best for Honeymooners - Princess Cruises
Best for Wine Lovers - Celebrity's Solstice-Class
Best Cruise Ship Bar - The Glass House (P&O's Azura)
Best UK Port of Call - Newcastle
Best UK Departure Port - Southampton

All the category winners come fully explained with the 'why' of their choice and some useful info on the award-winner, and categories like Best Value and Best Suites are extremely relevant to today's cruisers (are you taking note, BTA?).

The categories like Best Bar and Best for Wine-Lovers are just plain fun, and the choice of Newcastle as best UK port of call is sure to start some earnest debate on the subject (as well as rewarding a go-ahead port authority - for my money, Lerwick in the Shetlands would be hard to beat as they simply work so hard to attract ships and provide a unique port experience, but that's a very minor quibble).

Do I agree with all the selections? No, but then you probably would struggle to get any two major cruise experts to agree anyway as there is so much that's subjective about these types of awards (as well as so much choice these days).

I probably wouldn't have given Cunard Best Itineraries as their ships are all so big there are many ports they CAN'T visit (unlike, say, Crystal, Silversea or even someone like Orion Expedition Cruises, whose itineraries are truly eye-catching), while I also think there are many other better contenders for Best Alternative Restaurant than QE's Verandah.

Ideally, I'd also like to see more categories to highlight the major differentiation these days between the large mega-ships and the smaller, more boutique types (for instance, how do you compare a new ship like Carnival Magic against the tiny-by-comparison Seabourn Quest?).

But that is really just nit-picking as against the big beefs I have with the comparable cruise section of the BTA. All in all, the Cruise Critic UK awards are a laudable and highly worthwhile exercise, and all the winners are to be congratulated.

For the full story, go to this page on Cruise Critic UK and click on the necessary link to see the Winners.

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Voyages to Antiquity Sail Into 2011

Voyages to Antiquity, the cruise line that combines cultural travel with a sense of fun and style, has launched its 2011 UK brochure today. The programme offers a host of new features, including pre-and/or post-cruise hotel packages, a variety of shorter cruise lengths, new destinations and great value pricing.

New for 2011:

* As well as two-week voyages, there will now be shorter cruises such as a seven-night sailing around the Greek Islands exploring Greek history from the emergence of the Minoans to the rise of Byzantium. These shorter duration cruises are designed to appeal to a wider audience of travellers.

* The majority of itineraries include pre-and/or post-cruise stays in top-class hotels in Rome, Athens (above), Istanbul, and Cairo with the fare. These provide guests with a chance to relax before their voyage or the opportunity to end their holiday exploring one of these remarkable cities. Guests have the flexibility to opt out of the hotel stays and receive a credit against their fare.

* New destinations include a circumnavigation of the Black Sea visiting ports in Georgia, Russia, Ukraine and Bulgaria in July 2011. New itineraries will also include destinations in Corsica and Sardinia as well as a return to Libya as part of two North Africa itineraries. Another exciting new itinerary from Rome to Limassol explores the legacy of the Crusades.

Voyages to Antiquity also continues its commitment to offering outstanding value, including:

· Scheduled economy class flights, usually on British Airways.
· Shore excursions as detailed in each itinerary
· Selected wine with dinner.
· On-board gratuities for cabin and restaurant staff.

Additionally there are bonus offers for those who book early:

For Southern Med, Red Sea & Middle East cruises
· Free cabin upgrade on board within categories N to G and D to C.
· Low rates for singles in selected categories on selected sailings*.

For our Med, Aegean, Adriatic & Black sea cruises
· Free flight upgrade to Club Europe when booking in Concierge Class (cat A to D)
· Free cabin upgrade on board when booking a cabin in categories N to G.
· Low rates for singles in selected categories on selected sailings.

Commenting on the launch of the 2011 brochure, Managing Director David Yellow said: “Our new brochure not only offers new itineraries, but we have now packaged the product to be more flexible and appealing to a wider range of cruisers who may not have as much holiday time or may be looking for a second holiday experience but are still looking for a trip which is culturally stimulating.”

Great value is a hallmark of Voyages to Antiquity, with fares starting from £1,495/person, including shore excursions, gratuities to shipboard staff, and wine, beer & soft drinks at dinner. Guest lecturers and celebrated speakers will continue to bring to life the art, history and culture of the Mediterranean.

More info: visit http://www.voyagestoantiquity.com/ or call 0845 4379737.

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The Med's Top 10

I thought this press release, ahead of the April launch of the new Voyages to Antiquity operation (using the former Aegean I, heavily rebuilt as Aegean Odyssey), was worth repeating for those who like to enjoy the classical side of the Mediterranean.

With the new operation - which is being pioneered by Gerry Herrod, the man who created Orient Lines and Discovery Cruises (now Voyages of Discovery) - now just 2 months away, the company asked its historical advisor and author John Julius Norwich (aka Lord Norwich) to select his Top 10 historical sites from around the Med.

Here's what he said:

“To list one’s 10 favourite places in the Mediterranean and its hinterland is a tall order indeed. No other area on earth possesses a tenth of the quantity of superb historical sites to be found between the Pillars of Hercules and the coast of the Levant; and if we extend our range – as Voyages to Antiquity does – to cover Upper Egypt and St Catherine’s Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai, Petra and Palmyra, the task becomes more difficult still.”

However, Lord Norwich has been able to complete the task, and his 10 ‘never-to-be-forgotten’ sites are listed below. More importantly, all the destinations are offered in Voyages to Antiquity's inaugural season (personally, I'd have Istanbul No 1, but I'm not going to quibble!):

1. Palermo, Sicily - Visit the Sicilian capital to experience the dazzling Palatine Chapel and the Cathedral of Monreale, with its almost unbelievable 12th-century mosaics and equally magical cloister.

2. Cefalu, Sicily - The mosaic of the Pantocrator in the apse of Cefalu Cathedral is among the greatest portraits of Jesus in all Christian art.

3. Istanbul, Turkey - Istanbul is home to the Church of St Sophia, one of the greatest buildings in the world. And don’t miss the Harrowing of Hell fresco in the 14th-century Church of St Saviour in Chora.

4. Venice, Italy - You could single out St Mark’s Square or any one of a number of churches, but the ultimate miracle is the city itself.

5. Petra, Jordan - To come upon the ‘Treasury’ – a spectacular example of rock-cut architecture probably dating from the first century BC – is one of the great coups de theatre that the world has to offer.

6. Palmyra, Syria (pictured above) - The ruined capital of Queen Zenobia, far out in the Syrian desert, is a site as mysterious as it is beautiful.

7. Krak des Chevaliers, Syria - The most complete Crusader castle to be found anywhere, and the most impressive. To step into this fortress atop a 650-metre-high hill is to return to the 11th century.

8. Aphrodisias, Turkey - Thanks to its remoteness in the hills surrounding the valley of the Meander River, this remarkable ancient city is relatively free of tourists and utterly unspoilt.

9. Luxor and Karnak, Egypt - Ancient Egypt exerts an extraordinary spell on all visitors. The temples open at 6am, so get up early and enjoy the cool of the morning. (You will also have them virtually to yourselves.)

10. Leptis Magna, Libya - Roman ruins don’t come more magnificent than these – and they remain utterly unspoilt by the modern world.

Cruise note: The 382-passenger Aegean Odyssey will be sailing around the Mediterranean from May to November 2010. Fares start from £1,995 for a 15-day cruise, including shore excursions, gratuities, wine with dinner and scheduled flights on British Airways.

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A Classic Frenzy!

It never rains but it pours. That 18th century saying is usually used to express bad things happening, at regular intervals. But it is also relevant to the sudden - and welcome - creation of new cruise lines pandering to the more cerebral and, perhaps, more mature passenger.

Hot on the heels of the new Cruise & Maritime Voyages announcement (see the next entry in Time Spent At Sea) comes news of another start-up cruise line offering a more distinctive, small-scale and even traditional experience.

Voyages to Antiquity will start in May 4, 2010, as a one-ship, classic cruise operation, featuring destination intensive voyages in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, taking in the Middle East, Aegean and Adriatic. They will offer a heavily lecture-based onboard programme, with a focus on the ancient civilisations of the area (hence the line's title) and definitely aimed at an English-speaking audience.

The vessel will be the extensively-revamped Aegean I, which has been laid up in port following an ownership dispute for several years, and which will be reborn (after a multi-million pound facelift) as the Aegean Odyssey.

She will carry just 380 passengers and offer single-occupancy cabins as well as some new balcony cabins, with voyages varying from 14 to 29 nights (May-Nov). They also intend to get off the beaten cruise track where possible, and visit some out-of-the-way ports like Kotor (Montenegro) and Syracuse (Sicily).

Under the helm of Gerry Herrod, who started the original Orient Lines in the early 90s, this promises to be a thoughtful and educational cruise offering. So expect lots of seriously high-brow guests lecturers and a really in-depth focus on the destinations, their history and culture.

They are still several weeks away from launching their website and sales line, but, for those who really enjoy the classic cruise experience, this is definitely one to keep an eye on.

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