Arabia & Holy Lands

from Windstar Cruises 2022-2024 Voyage Collection

Terms & Conditions

BEYOND

ADVENTURES HERE COME IN ALL SHAPES and sizes. The minimalist geometry of an Egyptian pyramid, the graceful curves of a minaret, the futuristic fancy of Middle Eastern skyscrapers. And it’s up to you to choose the Rosetta stone that brings your journey into focus. Explore places that gave birth to the world’s great religions through the prism of faith or history. Abandon history for hedonism at Dead Sea beaches and Red Sea resorts. Leave hedonism behind as you contemplate the Martian aesthetic of Cappadocia or the treasures of ancient Egypt, carefully preserved over the centuries by Saharan sands.

BELIEF

ARABIA & HOLY LANDS

NEW Petra, Pharaohs & the Red Sea Cruise Tour 132 NEW Holy Lands & Petra Cruise Tour 134 NEW Cappadocia & Aegean Rhapsody Cruise Tour via the Corinth Canal 136 NEW Arabian Nights & Egyptian Days NEW Icons of the Ancient World: Greece & Israel 137

138

NEW Red Sea Revelries via the Suez Canal 139

NEW Sparkling Sands & Cities of the Persian Gulf 140 NEW Wonders of Arabia 142 NEW Realm of the Queen of Sheba 143 NEW Arabia & Holy Lands Star Collector Voyages 143

• Ashdod, Israel • Istanbul, Turkey • Yanbu, Saudi Arabia • Doha, Qatar • Sir Bani Yas,

United Arab

Emirates

OLD AS

WHY WINDSTAR’S ARABIA & HOLY LANDS:

• Visit the religious icons • Overnight in iconic cities: you’ve heard so much about, Istanbul, Safaga (Luxor), like Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Haifa, Rhodes, Abu Dhabi,

Galilee, Masada, Sharm and Doha el-Sheikh, and Nazareth • Take a Cruise Tour to see the Rose City of Petra,

FEATURED PORTS:

Ashdod, Israel – Location, location, location. Ashdod has it in spades, and options are endless. Head to Haifa and the gorgeously manicured Bahá’í Gardens hanging above terraced steps on Mount Carmel. Walk in the footsteps of Jesus in Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee. Explore Masada and the Dead Sea. Go back to Roman days at the ancient city of Caesarea — built nearly 2,000 years ago by King Herod in honor of the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus. Or head to Tel Aviv with its Bauhaus buildings, Jaffa Old City and lively foodie scene. enjoy desert adventures at exotic Wadi Rum, explore

Jerusalem’s Old City, and more • Visit some of the most modern cities like Jeddah,

Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Doha • Transit the Suez Canal • Discover Ain Sukhna, Egypt;

Hurghada, Egypt; and Ras Al

Khama, United Emirates — gems where the locals vacation

Doha, Qatar – Doha features some of the most modern and architecturally innovative buildings in the world. Fresh off a $220 billion facelift from hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the city positively glows. Stroll the Corniche along Doha Bay. Browse the stunning Museum of Islamic Art with its 14 centuries of artifacts. Wander the Souq Waqif bazaar, filled with goods from precious spices to live hunting falcons. Grab a picnic lunch and watch the traditional dhows sail by.

you’ll find unimaginable wonders. Bucket list sights from world religions, Egyptian temples, Bedouin villages, and oil-rich cities that have risen from the desert in just a few decades. With so much to see these itineraries often include overnights and long days in port, along with Beyond Ordinary shore excursions and Cruise Tours – bringing dream destinations like Bethlehem, the pyramids, Petra, Masada and Ephesus within reach. But these voyages are not just about the past. There are also bustling souks, incredible Red Sea snorkeling, the historic Suez Canal, and the otherworldly landscapes of the Jordanian desert – plenty to spoil all your senses.

CIVILIZATION

Dubai

Luxor

Jewish Torah

FEATURED SHORE EXCURSIONS:

Safaga, Beyond Ordinary Collection: Pyramids of Luxor –

You may have seen the pyramids in movies and in pictures, and here’s your chance to see them in person on this overnight excursion to Luxor. See the Temple of Luxor and Temple of Kanak on the East Bank on the first day and then explore the Valley of the Kings the next day, including the famous tombs of King Tutankhamun and Ramses IV. Sail on a felucca, a traditional sailboat, down the Nile to cap off this bucket list experience. Haifa: Jerusalem, The Old City – Stroll through the Garden of Gethsemane past 900-year-old olive trees. Drive past “modern” landmarks like the Shrine of the Book, home to the Dead Sea Scrolls. Then head to Jaffa Gate for a walking tour of the Old City, following the path of the crucifixion to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the last five Stations of the Cross. Step into the 6th century AD along the old Roman Cardo (main street) in the Jewish Quarter before an unforgettable visit to the Western Wall.

NEW PETRA, PHARAOHS & THE RED SEA CRUISE TOUR

AMMAN TO JEDDAH, (or reverse ) | 13 DAYS Visions of white-robed sheiks, camel caravans, pharaohs, and desert sunsets come to life on this 13-day adventure as you explore Arabia by both land and sea. UNESCO sites, biblical sites, Hollywood sets, underwater screensavers … you’ll find them all here. Discover the incredible sandstone cities of Petra and Hegra, built by mysterious desert nomads 300 years before Christ — breathtakingly beautiful with their enormous pink facades. Spend two days in Luxor, home to Egypt’s Valley of the Kings with its hundreds of magnificent tombs and temples, King Tut’s among them. Trace the real Lawrence of Arabia from his Arab Revolt victory at Aqaba Castle to Wadi Rum, whose spectacular landscapes formed the backdrop for the movie. Ride a camel across the dunes. Float in the healing waters of the Dead Sea, so salty you can not sink. And dive into the crystal clear Red Sea where colorful coral reefs and more than a thousand species of fish dazzle you with their brilliance.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• 3 hotel nights – 2 nights at

Dead Sea 5-star hotel, 1 night in

Petra at 5-star hotel • All transfers to and from the airport, to and from sites and to the ship • English-speaking Guide • Local lunch in Madaba, Petra and

Wadi Rum, breakfast at the hotel, dinner at Dead Sea hotel • Entrance fees at St. George

Greek Orthodox Church, guided tour of Petra, 4X4 tour of Wadi Rum • 9-day cruise aboard Star Legend between Aqaba and Jeddah • Flight between Aqaba and Amman

YOUR CRUISE TOUR DAY-TO-DAY SNAPSHOTS

Colored descriptions indicate land tour portion.

DAY 1 • AMMAN, JORDAN

Arrive in Amman, the capital of Jordan and transfer to your beachfront resort on the Dead Sea. Get settled in your room and enjoy dinner at the resort. (Includes transfer from the airport, overnight at Dead Sea hotel and dinner.)

DAY 2 • DEAD SEA

Relax on the shores of this famed ancient salt lake marking Earth’s lowest surface point on dry land — 1,400 feet below sea level! Take off your shoes or sandals and go a little lower by wading or swimming in this unique hypersaline lake. Conclude your afternoon at our welcome reception and enjoy a delicious dinner inside the resort. (Includes overnight at Dead Sea hotel and dinner.)

DAY 3 • MOUNT NEBO, MADABA & PETRA

Savor a breakfast at the resort prior to embarking for Mount Nebo. Gaze across the summit to the Promised Land as Moses once did over a thousand years ago. On a clear day you can catch distant views of Jericho and even Jerusalem. Continue to Madaba and the St. George Greek Orthodox Church. More than a million pieces of colored stone create a Holy Land mosaic floor map, assembled in the 6th century and now recognized as one of the oldest maps in the world. Enjoy a Jordanian lunch before departing for the sandstone-carved ancient Nabataean city of Petra. Wander past the tombs, temples and palaces. Learn the 2,000-year-old achievements memorialized to the dead inside the Royal Tombs. Find your seat in an ancient amphitheater that once captivated audiences of 8,000. Evening dinner is at your leisure. (Includes overnight at Petra hotel, breakfast and lunch.)

SCUBA Diver, Red Sea Dead Sea Ain Sokhna

EGYPT Hurghada Safaga

(Luxor) JORDAN

Amman

Madaba

Petra

Wadi Rum Aqaba

Sharm El Sheik Yanbu

Red Sea SAUDI ARABIA

Jeddah

DAY 4 • DESERT ADVENTURES AT WADI RUM

Embark on a morning excursion in a 4x4 vehicle to Wadi Rum, an otherworldly landscape of lunar-like dunes and scoured sandstone. While you’re exploring Jordan’s largest Wadi, you’ll also have time to ride a camel. Travel to Aqaba and your waiting yacht. (Includes breakfast and transfer to yacht.)

DAY 5 • AQABA, JORDAN

Jordan’s only seaport is rich with history. Visit imposing Aqaba Castle, which played a pivotal role in the 1917 Arab Revolt made famous by Lawrence of Arabia. Admire the Sharif Al Hussein Bin Ali Mosque with its beautiful stark white arches and domes. Save time to wander the souk fragrant with spices like saffron, cardamom, ginger, and cumin.

DAY 6 • HURGHADA, EGYPT

This beautiful seaside oasis was one of the first diving and snorkeling hotspots in the Red Sea. If you don’t want to get your feet wet, see it all in comfort on a submarine adventure, or stroll through the underwater viewing tunnels at the Hurghada Marine Museum & Aquarium.

DAY 7 • AIN SOKHNA, EGYPT

Ain Sokhna’s lovely beaches, clear waters, and proximity to Cairo have made it a popular escape for local Egyptians looking to unwind. Get a bird’s eye view of it all from the cable car going from the port to the top of Mount Sukhna. You’ll also find Egypt’s oldest monasteries, St. Anthony and St. Paul, and the Suez Canal nearby.

DAYS 8/9 • SHARM EL SHEIK, EGYPT (OVERNIGHT)

This classic Red Sea resort glitters like you would expect a “sheik’s peninsula” to glitter, from the shiny brass lamps in the Old Town souk to the sleek private yachts in the harbor. Watersports are big here and the snorkeling is outstanding. For many, though, the main attraction is a humble bush at St. Catherine Monastery, located on the spot where Moses was said to have received the Ten Commandments.

DAYS 10/11 • SAFAGA (LUXOR), EGYPT (OVERNIGHT)

Located on the Egyptian side of the Red Sea, the city of Safaga is a charming beach resort and gateway to Luxor – known as the “world’s greatest open air museum.” Luxor is home to the Valley of the Kings, and features one of the most impressive collections of temples and tombs in the world.

DAY 12 • AT SEA

DAY 13 • YANBU, SAUDI ARABIA

Over 2,500 years ago, Yanbu was the staging point on the incense and spices trading route from Yemen to Egypt to the Mediterranean. It is also the gateway to Alulu with its red-sand desert landscapes, Nabatean monuments like UNESCO site Hegra, and is considered the SCUBA capital of Saudi Arabia with its beautiful Red Sea coastline.

DAY 14 • JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA

Jeddah is considered the commercial center of Saudi Arabia with a vibrant blend of modernity and history. Enjoy the modern landmarks of the city, stroll along the waterfront corniche, admire the world’s tallest fountain and walk the streets of Al Balad, Jeddah’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Hijazi-style old town.

NEW HOLY LANDS & PETRA CRUISE TOUR

AMMAN TO ATHENS, (or reverse ) | 11 DAYS Embark on a far-ranging voyage to Greek temples, Holy Land shrines and Petra’s pink sandstone facades during this exceptional 11-day cruise and tour to Jordan, Israel, and Greece. Stand atop Jordan’s Mount Nebo summit and take in Promised Land views from Moses’ perspective. Walk among tombs, treasuries and temples carved into Petra’s pink sandstone canyon walls. Venture into the cavernous silence of the Church of the Annunciation and the Church of St. Joseph in Nazareth, the childhood home of Jesus. Stroll the otherworldly landscape of Wadi Rum and through Jerusalem’s Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and Stations of the Cross. Stand in the ghostly ruins of ancient Kourion and atop the walls of a nearby crusader fortress above Cypriot citrus groves. Sip pilsner paired with seared calamari and honeyed mantinades dough in a Rhodes neighborhood café. Embrace sea breezes in the shade of Mykonos windmills and venture inland to sample tart and tasty local Greek wines.