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• October 18, 2024 - Piraeus & Mykonos - Today we'll depart Athens and head to Piraeus to board our  Celestyal Cruise ship and sail the blue waters of the Aegean Sea.  In the evening we'll arrive at the world-famous Greek Island of Mykonos, where gleaming white-washed building seem to climb atop each other to reach the azure sky.  (Shore excursions will be booked directly with Celestyal Cruise Line and are not included)

• October 19, 2024 - Ephesus & Patmos - This morning, we'll arrive in Kusadasi, Turkiye, and journey to Ephesus, where the Apostle Paul spent three years of his ministry. He planted a church here and later wrote to them in his Epistle to the Ephesians. Many of the ruins of Ephesus (known as “the marble city”) have been restored to show the city as it was in the apostle Paul’s time. We'll visit the agora and imagine where Demetrius the silversmith, sold his silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. We'll stroll through the great theater where Paul witnessed faithfully for Christ. Not far away is the stadium where chariot races took place and gladiatorial combats were held. Tradition has it that the Apostle Paul himself fought here against wild beasts. Next we'll visit the ruins of St. John’s Basilica, where early Christian tradition tells us the “disciple whom Jesus loved” was buried. We'll view one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World”, the ruins of the Temple of Diana (Artemis) before setting sail for the Island of Patmos to visit the Monastery of St. John, high on the mountain overlooking the entire island. We'll walk down to the Grotto of the Apocalypse and the caves where it is believed that the exiled Apostle John lived and was inspired by God to write the Book of Revelation as well as other letters to the early church.

• October 20, 2024 - Crete & Santorini - We dock this morning in Crete’s port of Heraklion, just three miles away from the fantastic ruins of the Palace of Knossos. Discovered in 1899 and partially reconstructed, the elaborate Palace is believed to be the mythical Labyrinth of King Minos and the seat of ancient Minoan culture. Next we'll disembark at Santorini, 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. 
  (*Shore excursions today will be booked directly through Celestyal Cruise Line and are not included)

• October 21, 2024 - Athens - On our last full day, we'll enjoy the rich architectural splendor of the ancient city of Athens as our guide introduces you to the world-renowned Acropolis, the Propylaea, the Parthenon, and the Erectheum.  We'll 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" (Acts 17:23). As we stroll the agora (ancient marketplace and center of Athenian public life), we can recall that this was where the Apostle Paul preached “Jesus and the resurrection" (Acts 17:18) to the skeptical Athenians. Also, we'll have have a chance to see the House of Parliament, the Presidential Palace, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This afternoon is free to explore Athens on your own or enjoy an optional journey to Sounion to visit the famous Temple of Poseidon (an additional $75). Dinner and overnight are spent in Athens. 

• October 22, 2024 - Return to the USA with a new appreciation of the Apostle Paul's life and his ministry.