Your pilgrimage 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 transferred to the port of Civitavecchia to board the Celebrity Ascent.

Enjoy your day at sea.

Located in northeastern Sicily on the slopes of the Peloritani Mountains, Messina is an ancient place with a fascinating history. Walk by the ruins of the Santa Maria Alemanna Church, built in 1220 A.D. You'll also want to see the Duomo, a Romanesque and Norman cathedral that includes a display of artifacts in its treasury. Shore excursions are not included today and can be purchased directly from Celebrity.

Enjoy your day at sea.

Arrive today at the world-famous Greek Island of Mykonos, where gleaming whitewashed buildings seem to climb atop each other to reach the azure sky. Admire its many hills dotted with iconic windmills. Explore the island on your own or join one of the optional excursions available for purchase on board. Shore excursions are not included today and can be purchased directly from Celebrity.

Ephesus was the leading one of the Seven Churches of Revelation and was once a bustling port town with wide, colonnade-bordered streets and had a population of 250,000. Spectacular excavations in the last 110 years have revealed much of the glory of ancient Ephesus, including the huge Agora and the Library, much has been lost. Explore the ancient site virtually at the Ephesus Experience Museum where you will see life in Paul’s time. We will view the terrace houses, also known as "the house of the rich," which gives a true impression of the ancient lifestyle. 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. After enjoying Ephesus, you will embark on another Turkish experience at the Carpet factory for a local lunch and a presentation.

Discover the rich architectural splendor of the ancient city of Athens as you explore the world-renowned Acropolis, the Propylaea, the Parthenon and the Erectheum. Stand on Mars Hill as the apostle Paul did when he proclaimed, "I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you". Travel to the city of Corinth, where the apostle Paul met fellow tentmakers Aquila and Priscilla and received a vision from the Lord saying, "I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city". As Paul spoke, Crispus (chief ruler of the synagogue) and many others believed and were baptized, establishing the church at Corinth to whom Paul later wrote his two epistles. Discover the Archaeological Museum, Market Place and Temples. As you walk among the ruins, stand on the Bema, where the apostle Paul stood before Gallio to face charges brought against him by the Jews.

Dock 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 on board. Shore excursions are not included today and can be purchased directly from Celebrity.

Like many ports in this part of the world, archeological ruins dating back to antiquity are found everywhere. There are also hundreds of gorges around the island and over 1,500 land and sea caves, including Elefantos, noted for its remarkable white and red stalactites. Over the millennia, this harbor city was conquered many times over by Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, and Turks. Chania remains crisscrossed with Ottoman architecture and historic Venetian mansions, many of which have been transformed into quaint shops, inviting cafes, and boutique hotels. Shore excursions are not included today and can be purchased directly from Celebrity.

Enjoy your day at sea.

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 A.D. 79.

Disembark the Celebrity Ascent this morning. History is woven through the streets and neighborhoods of Rome as in no other city. Today you’ll explore the many wonders of ancient Rome when you visit the magnificent Colosseum and the Pantheon. From the most sacred hill of ancient Rome, Campidoglio, you will view the Forum. You will also view the Circus Maximus, the Arch of Titus, the famous Baths of Caracalla and the Arch of Constantine. You will see the Victor Emanuel Monument and the Monti Region, Rome’s most ancient neighborhood which spreads over three of her seven hills. Also, near the Forum is the Mamertine Prison. It was the site where Romans kept their high-profile prisoners until they died or were executed. It is revered as the place Peter was held before his crucifixion. Visit the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, housing the Tomb of St. Paul the Apostle, affectionately known as the Apostle of the Gentiles.

Return to the USA