Cruise 576a	Cruise 576b/576b(T)
576a Cruise Only 8-16 Nov 2024 9 days Fares from �1715	576b Cruise Only 14-22 Nov 2024 9 days Fares from �1685 or 576b(T) Cruise & Tour 14-24 Nov 2024 11 days Fares from �2230

576a Cruise Itinerary
Wed 8 Nov London - Antalya	Fly from London to Antalya to join Minerva.
Thu 9 Nov Antalya	We spend a full day in Antalya with visits to the splendid theatre at Aspendos and the ancient city of Perge.
Fri 10 Nov Tasucu	After a morning at sea we arrive in Tasucu. Here we travel through forests to the remote ancient temple city of Uzuncaburc.
Sat 11 Nov Iskenderun - Latakia	A morning in Iskenderun for a visit to Antakya, ancient Antioch. After lunch we sail to the Syrian port of Latakia.
Sun 12 Nov Latakia	A full day in Latakia where we visit the Roman city of Apamea. There will be a supplementary 2-day overland excursion to Palmyra rejoining in Tartous.
Mon 13 Nov Tartous	Visit the formidable Crusader castle of Krak des Chevaliers or take a supplementary tour to Damascus.
Tue 14 Nov Tripoli - Beirut	Our maiden call at the Lebanese port of Tripoli where we visit the city including the Great Mosque and St Giles Citadel. Afternoon at sea arriving early evening in Beirut to overnight.
Wed 15 Nov Beirut	A full day in this vibrant city. Visit Byblos, reputedly the oldest city in the world and the palace of Beit Eddine or take a supplementary excursion to Baalbek. Overnight at a hotel in Beirut.
Thu 16 Nov Beirut - London	Return flight from Beirut to London.
576b Cruise Itinerary
Tue 14 Nov London - Beirut	Fly from London to Beirut. On arrival transfer to our hotel to overnight.
Wed 15 Nov Beirut	A full day in the vibrant city of Beirut. Visit Byblos, reputedly the oldest city in the world and the palace of Beit Eddine or take a supplementary excursion to Baalbek. Minerva sails early evening.
Thu 16 Nov At Sea	A day at sea to settle in and enjoy the facilities of Minerva.
Fri 17 Nov Alexandria	We spend the morning exploring this sprawling city of Alexander the Great or visit the Military Cemetery at El Alamein.
Sat 18 Nov Port Said	Enjoy a full-day excursion to the capital of Egypt to view Cairo's greatest treasures including the Giza area and the Cairo Museum.
Sun 19 Nov Port Said - Suez Canal	We depart Port Said in the early hours to transit the Suez Canal, one of the world's most strategic stretches of water.
Mon 20 Nov Sharm El Sheik	Today you may wish to relax, or explore the marine and desert life that this area is famous for. Our supplementary excursion takes a drive into the Sinai Desert to visit the spectacular St Catherine's Monastery.
Tue 21 Nov Aqaba	Visit the awe-inspiring "rose-red" city of Petra or take the opportunity to explore the modern city of Aqaba and enjoy a swim at the beach. There will also be an alternative excursion to view the unique scenery of Wadi Rum.
Wed 22 Nov Aqaba	"Cruise Only" passengers disembark Minerva for our return flight to London.
Cruise & Tour Post-Cruise Tour Jordan
Wed 22 Nov Aqaba - Amman	"Cruise & Tour" passengers disembark Minerva. Visit Mount Nebo and Madaba, famous for its 6th century mosaic map of Palestine. We stay for two nights at the Intercontinental Hotel in Amman.
Thu 23 Nov Amman - Jerash - Amman	Sightseeing of historical Amman and the beautifully preserved Roman site of Jerash.
Fri 24 Nov Amman - London	Return flight to London.

Cruise 576 8-22 Nov 15 days. Fares from �2850 Passengers can combine Cruise 576a and 576b to form a 15 day cruise. The Post-Cruise Tour to Jordan is also available on the full Cruise - Cruise 576(T).

Eileen Graham Currently lecturing for NADFAS, formerly Senior Research Assistant at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Her talks will offer an introduction to Islam and its development throughout the Middle East with particular emphasis on the art and architecture of these regions.

George Hart As speaker in the British Museum Service with special reference to the early Greek, Hellenistic and Egyptian collections, he has outstanding knowledge of the arts and artefacts to be admired throughout our cruise.

John Keegan OBE John Keegan is the Defence Editor of The Daily Telegraph and a well-known military historian whose books include the award winning 'A History of Warfare', he was also the BBC Reith Lecturer for 1998.

Dr Catherine Oakes The formation of early Christian art will form the basis of the talks given by Catherine Oakes, a NADFAS lecturer who still teaches regularly at the Victoria and Albert Museum where she previously worked in the Education Department.

Dr Nigel Spivey Has written a number of books on Greek colonisation, early Christian art, architecture and sculpture. He is a member of the Classical Archaeology Department at Cambridge University.