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 Odyssey of the Seas.

At Sea

Delve into the Cretan culture on your own with options for sightseeing at Lake Kournas, the Arkadi Monastery, and the bustling town of Rethymnon. Shore excursions today will be booked directly through Royal Caribbean.

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 onboard. Shore excursions today will be booked directly through Royal Caribbean.

Ephesus is another 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 ancient lifestyle. Explore the Museum of Ephesus for an up-close look at ancient artifacts. You will have time to explore on your own and recreate some of the footsteps of Paul.

AT SEA

Venture inland to the Sea of Galilee to stand on the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus preached (Matthew 5). At Tabgha, the traditional location of the feeding of 5,000, you’ll visit the Church of the Loaves and Fish (Luke 9). On the shores of the Sea of Galilee is the Chapel of the Primacy of St. Peter, where three times Peter professed his devotion to the risen Christ (John 21). From there, travel to Capernaum, where Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, John (Matt. 4) and later Matthew to be disciples.

Journey to Jerusalem to see Caiphas’ House, where Jesus was tried before the Sanhedrin. Stand upon the Mount of Olives and view the city as Jesus did. See the ancient olive trees of the Garden of Gethsemane. Wander the Old City to view the Pool of Bethesda and walk along the Via Dolorosa. Step inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built over the sites of the crucifixion and the resurrection.

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 today will be booked directly through Royal Caribbean.

Disembark the Odyssey of the Seas and 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.” Also, view the House of Parliament, the Presidential Palace, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This afternoon, tour 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, marketplace, 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.

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 Vesvius in A.D. 79. Shore excursions today will be booked directly through Royal Caribbean.

Disembark the Odyssey of the Seas and transfer to Rome to return home.