Your journey begins as you depart the USA on your international overnight flight.

You will arrive in Rome, Italy, where you will be met by our representative and transfer to the Port of Civitavecchia to board the Celebrity Ascent. *Guests not purchasing air with the group must purchase transfers to be included in the group transfer.

Delve into a Cretan cultural experience that includes guided sightseeing at Lake Kournas, the Arkadi Monastery and the bustling town of Rethymnon. The first stop is at Lake Kournas, where you’ll savor a delicious treat of traditional cheese pie with honey among white sands and ancient olive trees. Next is a tour of the fortress-like monastery, whose history dates to Byzantine times. Finish with a stroll through distinctively ancient yet distinctly modern Rethymnon.

Ephesus is one of the Seven Churches of Revelation and was once a bustling port town graced with wide, colonnade-bordered streets and a population of 250,000. Although spectacular excavations have revealed much of the glory of ancient Ephesus, including the huge agora and library, much has been lost. The ancient world once declared the Temple of Artemis to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World but today, only a single column remains to mark its site. View the terrace houses, also known as “the houses of the rich,” which give a true impression of the ancient lifestyle. Explore the Museum of Ephesus for an up-close look at ancient artifacts. You will have time to explore independently and recreate some of Paul’s footsteps.

The bejeweled capital of Istanbul sits between two continents and is home to 450 mosques. Arrive in the late afternoon and overnight in Istanbul.

Today, you will visit the famous Blue Mosque with its six minarets and sparkling interior. Walk through St. Sophia (Hagia Sophia), which was the largest church in Christendom for 1,000 years and was built by Justinian (532-537 AD). The church has 107 columns, fossil-embedded, white marble floors, and beautiful glass mosaics. Today, it is the Museum of Byzantine Art. Enjoy the aroma of cinnamon, cloves, thyme, and other exotic spices as you explore the Spice Market. Shops sell everything from herbs to gold.

Arrive in Santorini today, one of the most beautiful of the Greek islands, where picturesque, whitewashed villages topped with brilliant blue domes stand in stark contrast to the sheer drop cliffs overlooking the Aegean Sea. The island itself perches on the edges of a volcano whose eruption 3,500 years ago is thought to have led to the collapse of the Minoan civilization. Explore the island on your own or join one of the optional excursions available for purchase onboard. Shore excursions today can be booked directly through Celebrity and are not included.

Nestled in the heart of Greece’s Cyclades archipelago, Mykonos pulses with irrepressible energy. With its powder white houses and sparkling blue waters, the Island of the Winds is as colorful as the people who call the island home. You can walk narrow marble pathways laced with purple bougainvillea blooms or cycle on two wheels past off-the-path Ano Mera village. Explore Greece’s maritime history at Armenistis Lighthouse and check out the Folklore Museum’s Mykonian ship models. At the end of the day, watch the sun burn out beyond an Aegean horizon from an open-air seaside taverna. Shore excursions today can be booked directly through Celebrity and are not included.

Journey inland to ancient Pompeii, dating almost to the time of Paul, where you can see the spectacular ruins that were covered by ash from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.

Disembark the Celebrity Ascent and transfer to the airport to return home with a new understanding of the Bible. * Guests not purchasing air with their cruise package will have to purchase transfers to be included in the group transfer.