EXCURSIONES EN TIERRA

Departing your ship, drive along Avenida do Mar to reach the terminal. There you’ll board your cable car for a ride over the city and harbor on the way to the Village of Monte, located in the outskirts of Funchal. At Monte you'll have the opportunity to take a trip back to the past when you join the toboggan ride to Livramento. The ride downhill in a wicker sledge is an exciting one, providing you with a taste of the Madeira of past decades, when this was the established form of transport from Monte to Funchal. After a short drive along a winding road you’ll reach Eira do Serrado, offering spectacular views of the interior of the island.

Take a short walk up to the viewpoint on Pico do Serrado at an altitude of approximately 3,592 feet (1,095 meters), for an amazing view down onto the village of Curral das Freiras (Nuns Valley), a small village located in the heart of the island, nestled between almost perpendicular mountains. In 1566, the nuns from the Santa Clara convent fled from pirates attacking Funchal and found seclusion here where they also brought the convent’s treasure. Your last stop before returning to your ship will be at one of the famous wine lodges in Funchal, where you'll sample and may purchase the world famous Madeira wine.

OVERVIEW

Cruise into the beautiful Nuup Kangerlua fjord and immerse yourself in Greenland’s breathtaking scenery—where dramatic mountains meet icy waters and wildlife roams freely in one of the world’s last great wildernesses. As you approach uninhabited Sermitsiaq Island in the fjord, you will see a saddle-shaped mountain rising from the island’s heart. When the weather warms and the snow and glaciers melt, a waterfall usually thunders off the mountain and into the crystal-clear waters of the fjord below. It is quite the sight, as is the wildlife that typically frequents this area. On a lucky day, you may see soaring eagles, seals, or most exciting of all, humpback whales. If they are present, the whales will no doubt steal the show, especially if one leaps from the water and lands with a tremendous splash. Scientists think whales breach the water to clean pests from their skin. However, they may do it just for fun.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Embark on an adventure with the Fjord Boat Tour, immersing yourself in the breathtaking natural beauty of Greenland's waters.
• Look for wildlife such as eagles, reindeers, and whales while cruising through a nearby fjord.
• Continue to Sermitsiaq (weather permitting), a mountainous island where melting snow produces plunging waterfalls and cascades.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Conoce los monumentos más encantadores de Corfú, aldeas coloridas y vistas asombrosas de la isla en este tour excelente. Después de viajar aproximadamente 30 minutos, harás la primera parada en Paleokastritsa donde podrás disfrutar de las magníficas vistas que ofrecen las bahías del área. It's said that Odysseus met Nausica after he washed ashore at one of these bays and enjoy some free time. El tour continúa hasta Lakones desde donde podrás divisar Paleokastritsa y tomar fotos inolvidables. Mientras viajas hasta el monte Pantokrator tendrás la sensación de que toda la isla de Corfú se extiende bajo tus pies. Pasarás por varios pueblos de Corfú, recorrerás la bellísima aldea pesquera de Kassiopi y disfrutarás de un típico almuerzo griego. Después de almorzar, recorrrerás la costa noreste a través del pueblo de Nissaki y los resorts costeros de Barbati, Ipsos, Dassia, Gouvia y Kontokali. Al llegar a la ciudad vieja de Corfú, tendrás la oportunidad de admirar desde la comodidad de autobús la arquitectura de las hermosas mansiones, las iglesias bizantinas, el antiguo fuerte, los Palacios de San Miguel y San Jorge, y la animada Plaza Esplanade antes de regresar al muelle.

Delve into the history of Usuki, a former castle town famous for its many Buddha sculptures carved into the surrounding rock cliffs. Buddhas made of stone are rare in Japan, but there are about 60 of them in Usuki, all carved between the 8th and 12th centuries. The Buddhas are sheltered from the elements because the stone is of volcanic origin and somewhat soft and moist, which makes the sculptures susceptible to erosion. Although the castle overlooking Usuki is in ruins, you will get an intriguing glimpse into the past at the meticulously maintained Inaba residence. During the Edo Period, the feudal lord of Usuki was a member of the Inaba clan and lived there. You can’t help but impressed by the serenity, as the wooden residence is simply and elegantly designed and surrounded by gardens. The samurais lived nearby in a district that has also been beautifully restored.

Discover the magic of a dolphin connection. Learn how to communicate one-on-one with these awe-inspiring marine animals in a way that’s sure to open your mind and warm your heart. Your 40-minute swim will be an exciting belly ride! Snorkel with tropical fish in a natural aquarium, and venture into the ocean for water activities. Enjoy the Premier lounge area overlooking the dolphins and the turquoise water of the Caribbean Ocean, while being pampered by your personal host. Enjoy a delectable 4-course lunch with all-inclusive beverages.

Your exclusive program places you in direct contact with the dolphins, giving you the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear them communicate via sonar and feel their heartbeat at your fingertips.

Your experience begins with a refreshing natural drink as your Seaguard guide welcomes you. Each of our Seaguards is a highly trained expert on issues relating to dolphins and the oceans. After a brief orientation where you will receive your towel & locker key. Follow your Seaguard to embark on an ocean voyage and explore the depths of the sea alongside a dolphin friend. Seaguards will guide you to the dolphin habitat as your 40-minute swim begins in the deeper waters of our lagoons. The trainer will give you insight into how dolphins communicate and behave.

Next you will communicate with the dolphins in their own personalized way. Put on your dark-lens goggles and float face-up in the water. With your ears submerged, you’ll be able to hear first-hand how the dolphins talk underwater via sonar… an experience you won’t find above the surface! Afterwards, you can deepen your bond by placing your hand over the dolphin’s heart to feel its heartbeat, giving you an even more profound understanding of how humans and animals are so closely connected.

Then hold on tight for the famous belly ride! You and the dolphin will get to complete your connection near the end of the experience, when you’ll get face-to-face for an unforgettable dolphin kiss, as the dolphin says goodbye. Finally, the dolphin will dive down to a treasure chest at the bottom of the lagoon and bring you a special gift: a dolphin fin charm made out of recycled materials.

After lunch, where you’ll have the chance to see all of your candid photos on a tablet, spend the rest of your free time indulging in the rest of the amenities. Access to the Exclusive Lounge with a private infinity pool plus included four course lunch and drinks, a swim in the snorkeling aquarium with tropical fish and other surprising sea creatures, and activities like paddle boarding and kayaking on the Caribbean Sea.

The highlands of Scotland offer unparalleled scenic beauty, ancient landscapes and fascinating history – with superb castles, magnificent mountains and enchanting lochs. This tour offers you the opportunity to experience the best of the highlands in a day. Travel alongside the Cromarty Firth and reach the splendid Cawdor Castle, dating from the 14th century. Originally the fortress home of the Thanes of Cawdor, nowadays the castle feels like a living home, rather than a museum. You’ll learn of its rich history as you walk through rooms filled with exquisite furnishings and family keepsakes.

Drive through Inverness, the ‘Capital of the Highlands’, sitting astride the tranquil River Ness. Get acquainted with this bustling town on your way to lunch. Head towards Loch Ness, made famous by the fables of Nessie. You’ll travel through the village of Drumnadrochit and on to visit Urquhart Castle, built both as a fortress and as a residence on the shores of the famous loch. Today, a jagged keep rises from crumbling walls against a lovely backdrop of loch and hills beyond. Enjoy the lovely scenery of the Scottish glens, as you continue towards Beauly, noted for its salmon river. Highland Hills form the backdrop on the last part of your journey.

OVERVIEW

On this panoramic voyage, you’ll circle volcanic harbors and lakes, cross the Canterbury countryside, visit a working sheep farm, and see the sights of urban Christchurch. It all begins with a spin around Lyttelton Harbor – the massive caldera of an ancient volcano – then winds past idyllic Governors Bay on the Banks Peninsula before entering the lush patchwork landscape of Canterbury Plains, where white sheep dot the green hills. New Zealand is famed for its sheep farms and at Manderley Farm, you’ll get the chance to tour one up-close. After a warm greeting and morning tea, farm hands will lead you to a demonstration at the shearing shed and a lively performance by the operation’s most dedicated herders – its talented sheepdogs. Marvel at their talents and agility as they gather a flock from nearby hills, bringing the sheep down to their master and responding to whistled commands from great distances away. Your return journey traces the shore of vast Lake Ellesmere en route to Christchurch for an orientation drive through areas damaged by the 2011 earthquake as you see how the city is rebuilding and restoring some of its most iconic heritage buildings.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Spend a fascinating half-day experiencing the sights of both town and country by panoramic coach.
• See harbors, lakes and lagoons formed by prehistoric volcanos and cross idyllic green pasturelands.
• Visit a working sheep farm, meet the farm hands and watch champion New Zealand sheepdogs herding the flock by whistled command.
• Take a drive through central Christchurch and learn about its recovery from the 2011 earthquake.
• Return via a historic mountain tunnel that reigned as New Zealand’s longest for over 50 years.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing including a light jacket or sweater.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Embark on an adventurous exploration deep into the lava caves of Vatnshellir, formed thousands of years ago by a violent eruption. Western Iceland is the setting Jules Verne used for his epic 1864 page-turner, Journey to the Center of the Earth, wherein the professor and his intrepid crew get into all kinds of adventures after entering a passage into the earth on Snæfellsjökul Peninsula. Your expedition down into Vatnshellir will be much the same, but with better ventilation – and no dinosaurs. The lava tube entrance is a scenic hour’s drive from the pier, along a rugged coast and majestic volcanic landscape. Equipped with helmet and flashlight, you’ll follow your guide through an above-ground entry capsule and down into the cave’s upper section, lined with fascinating lava formations along its sides. A long, narrow passage and spiral staircase lead ever deeper until you reach the cave’s lower section, a completely soundless chamber with black igneous walls. Once there, all lights will briefly be turned off so that you can experience true total darkness. Expect your sense of smell to become heightened as your brain lets go of sight and sound. Then it’s back up to the surface, with new perspective.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Settle in for a drive across the one-of-a-kind Snæfellsjökul Peninsula landscape by panoramic coach.
• Don your helmet and check your flashlight, both supplied, as you prepare to enter Vatnshellir lava cave.
• Follow your guide inside and down through lava tubes and stairways leading to a soundless base chamber nearly 11 stories underground.
• Experience the rare sensation of total darkness and silence as we all briefly turn out our lights.
• Learn about what forces went into making this place happen, and what folklore has grown up around it.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate layered clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring a bottle of water, hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

Your coach will take you inland, passing through Sao Martinho to the Socorridos ravine. Eira do Serrado is reached after a short drive along a winding road, offering spectacular views of the interior of the island. Here, it's a short and easy walk up to the viewpoint on Pico de Serrado at an altitude of approximately 3,592 feet (1,094 meters), for an amazing view down onto the village of Curral das Freiras. Curral das Freiras (Nuns Valley) is a small village nestling between almost perpendicular mountains in the heart of the island. In 1566, the nuns from the Santa Clara convent fled from pirates attacking Funchal and found seclusion here where they also brought the convent’s treasure. Your next stop will be at Monte.

This small village, perched up in the hills overlooking Funchal, was formerly a health resort for Europe's high society, including Austrian Emperor Charles I. One of its long-lost features was a rack railway, which connected Monte with Funchal. From here you will board the cable car and see Madeira from the air, experiencing the wonderful views all the way down to Funchal. The cable car is made up of 40 small cabins with a capacity of up to eight people per cabin and it has an approximate duration of 15 minutes. Your last stop will be at an important wine lodge, where a sample of the famous Madeira wine will be offered.

OVERVIEW

Do something you don’t do every day: wade out onto a rock shelf to watch stingrays, fish and octopuses glide gracefully around the shallow reef. You’ll be driven out from town along the scenic Pacific Coast Highway, past the surfing meccas of Wainui and Okitu Beach and on to where Tatapouri reef sits just off the shore. After an enlightening orientation and the donning of provided wading gear, you’ll walk with your guide out to a rocky reef shelf where the waters usually teem with Down Under’s most iconic marine life. Your guide will bring food to entice a visit from squadrons of gentle, magnificent short-tail stingrays and larger eagle rays to the water around you. These creatures mostly feed on local yellowtail kingfish, which in turn feed on jack-like trevally – silvery, blue-green, and highly sought after by fishermen due to their strong fight when on the line. With luck, you’ll be able to witness this entire underwater menagerie from where you stand – along with other undersea residents that frequent the reef. Afterwards, enjoy some refreshments and hear stories about the Maori who were fishing these waters for trevally long before the first Europeans arrived.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel by coach along the Pacific Coast Highway past premier-grade surf beaches to Tatapouri.
• Wearing supplied waders, take a guided walk out to a shallow shelf surrounded by clear water and reef.
• Watch in wonder as your guide uses food and fish-whispering to attract graceful rays, octopuses and other marine life to where you’re standing.
• Observe these gentle creatures gliding in the shallows so close you could even touch them.
• Post-adventure, enjoy refreshments and hear stories about ancient Maori fishing tricks.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing that can get wet.
• Low-heeled shoes that can get wet and a second dry pair to change into are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Follow a short trail through the jungle to a breathtaking waterfall, where you will be free to swim in the pool at the base of the cascade. The drive there will be immensely relaxing and picturesque, putting you in just the right mood to enjoy the rainforest setting. The tree canopy will provide plenty of shade as you walk toward Nakawaqa Waterfall, which you will hear long before seeing it. The cascade tumbles down a narrow canyon in a spectacular display of natural beauty that can be awe-inspiring. Dense jungle surrounds the waterfall, making the setting all the more magical. Take a refreshing swim in the cool water beneath the waterfall or, if you prefer not to get wet, you can easily find a peaceful spot to stretch out on shore. The guide will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the rainforest flora and fauna..

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a relaxing and wonderfully picturesque drive to the Nakawaqa Rainforest.
• Walk through the rainforest to the thundering Nakawaqa Waterfall.
• Swim in the crystal-clear pool beneath the waterfall and enjoy the serene setting.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Climb a granite wall to the summit of Mount Aksla using metal hand-holds in the rock face that make the ascent surprisingly easy. As a warm-up, you will walk to the foot of the mountain, which rises somewhat steeply from the town park. After a briefing to ensure that you maximize the experience, you will start climbing by means of the hand-holds that are anchored into the mountain’s rocky southern wall. For added safety, you will be harnessed to a steel cable that runs the length of the via ferrata – meaning “iron route” in Italian. The advantage of ascending via ferrata is that it allows even non-rock-climbers to confidently scale a slope that would otherwise be impossible. There is a bench half-way up where you can pause and take in the spectacular scenery before continuing to the mountaintop. The descent will be much easier. Just walk down the stone staircase.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Get a real sense of accomplishment by climbing the rocky southern face of Mount Aksla.
• Use the metal hand-holds and harness that make the ascent easier and more carefree.
• Take a break on the bench halfway up the slope and gaze out over Alesund and beyond.
• Walk down Mount Aksla via the stone steps that are cut into the side of the mountain.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.