Voyage of the Great Explorers
Marco Polo; Odysseus; Leif Eriksson; Christopher Columbus; James Cook; Ferdinand Magellan — history’s great sea explorers have inspired an epic global voyage destined to become the most memorable cruise of a lifetime.
These legendary adventurers whose travels shaped much of the known and the new world set the theme for Cruise West’s Voyages of the Great Explorers — a 335-day circumnavigation of the world. Departing Singapore on March 6, 2010, Cruise West’s flagship, the 120-guest, all-suite Spirit of Oceanus will sail westward, following the sun, to return to Singapore on February 3, 2011.
This global voyage is divided into chapters, based on the explorer that made the region famous.
Chapter 1: Marco Polo - Ancient Trade Routes of the Mystic East
March 6 – May 5, 2010. Four enticing voyages recall the ancient trade routes from Southeast Asia to the Mediterranean Sea. Departing Singapore, the itineraries include visits to Thailand and Burma before exploring the Indian sub-continent and Sri Lanka. Then it’s on to historic Iran, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Jordan and Egypt, before concluding in Alexandria.
Chapter 2: Odysseus and the Phoenicians - Mediterranean Odyssey
May 5 – July 20, 2010. In this realm of ancient mariners, six voyages explore sun-drenched islands where gods and goddesses once meddled in the affairs of mortals. The voyages begin in Alexandria and sail on to mythic destinations in Greece and Turkey while guests savor the cultural richness and sensory pleasures of Tunis, Algeria, Italy, Sicily, Malta, Spain and Portugal before arriving in Honfleur, France.
Chapter 3: Leif Eriksson - The Viking Sagas
July 20 – September 8, 2010. Inspired by the heroic exploits of the Vikings, three voyages combine towering glaciers, capital cities, and leisurely days at sea between two continents. Departing Honfleur, France, these itineraries explore Ireland, the Orkney Islands and Scandinavia as well as the enchanting cities of Tallinn, St. Petersburg, London and Edinburgh. Then it’s across the Atlantic with stops at Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands before ending in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.
Chapter 4: Christopher Columbus - The New World
September 8 – November 2, 2010. Five memorable voyages bring the New World into a new perspective. Depart St. John’s, Newfoundland and cruise along the Atlantic coastline, and transit the Panama Canal. With the ease offered on a small ship, explore the tropical rainforests of Panama and Costa Rica before disembarking in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Extensions are available to the Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu.
Chapter 5: James Cook - Idylls of the South Pacific
November 2, 2010 – January 19, 2011. Cruise the South Pacific from Easter Island to Darwin, in waters Captain Cook once charted. These five voyages feature remote islands with pristine beaches, fabulous snorkeling and fascinating local cultures in Easter Island, Polynesia, New Guinea, the Cook Islands, New Zealand and Australia, ending in Darwin.
Chapter 6: Ferdinand Magellan - In Search of the Spice Islands
January 19 – February 3, 2011. The final chapter of the Voyages of the Great Explorers departs from Darwin bound for the port where the journey began in Singapore. Along the way explore intriguing cultures throughout Indonesia that combine Hindu, Islamic, Western and indigenous influences and wildlife ranging from the extraordinarily beautiful to the wonderfully bizarre.
