Arrival in Athens. Meet our guide and escort and transfer to hotel. Time permitting, group will celebrate Holy Mass before check-in to hotel. Dinner and overnight in Athens.

In the morning after breakfast we will be visiting and exploring the city of Athens (Acts 17: 16-34). The Acropolis with the Parthenon is the greatest monument of antiquity dedicated to the goddess Athena. From here one can see Areopagus (Areios Pagos = Hill of Ares) visited by Pope John Paul ll, the same hill where St. Paul gave his famous sermon of "Unknown God". In the afternoon there will be free time in the Plaka with time for shopping, walking or enjoying coffee in one of the many restaurants and cafés in the Old Town of Athens. Dinner is in one of the typical Greek restaurants with live bouzouki music before return to hotel.

Today we’ll leave Athens early in the morning for Piraeus and at 11:00 a.m. sail into the Aegean Sea. Our first island is one belonging to the Cyclades group of islands. This mountainous island of Mykonos has about 400 churches. An island of picturesque white villages and trademark charming windmills, Mykonos has a unique architecture with Byzantine and Western characteristics. Visits to the Church of the Virgin Paraportiani, the main square Cathedral, an old Catholic Church and many boutiques and taverns along tiny paved streets. Return to ship. (B,L,D)

This morning you will arrive at the Turkish port city of Kusadasi. From here you will travel to Ephesus, where the Blessed Virgin Mary lived with St. John in a small house on the hill behind the city. Here you will have Mass before traveling down to the ancient city where you can walk the marble roads rutted by wheels of countless chariots and pass the ruins of architectural masterpieces. It is here that St. Paul preached to the Ephesians, and where he was arrested and cast out of the city. In the afternoon you will visit the island of Patmos, where St. John wrote the apocalyptic Book of Revelations. On our excursion we will visit the cave where he lived, now the site of a monastery housing priceless icons and manuscripts.

Today on the last day of the cruise, our group will enjoy free time to explore Heraklion on the island of Crete and visit Fira, the capital of the island of Santorini – optional excursion on Crete to Knossos Palace is offered for those interested in more activities on the last day of the cruise.

After an early morning breakfast, our group will disembark the cruise ship at 7:45 am. We’ll meet our guide, and bus to Corinth, first crossing the Corinthian Canal started by Nero, and then to one of the oldest towns of Greece where St. Paul came after he left Athens. After a stop at the ancient Corinth (18: 1-18; Cor), we will be visiting the marketplace where Paul preached to the Corinthians, the Temple of Apollo and the Corinth Museum. Returning back we will make a short stop at what used to be the ancient port of Cenchreae. It was from here that St. Paul sailed to Ephesus, which is present day Turkey. Back to Athens for dinner.

Transfer to Kalambaka, a town near the Meteora Monastery. Afternoon visit to Grand Meteoron Monastery (Transfiguration of Christ) a beautiful Byzantine monastery. The word Meteora means literally 'hovering in the air' as all the monasteries were built on top of high rocks. Monks first lived here in the caves during the 11th century. The Church of the Transfiguration is the best known of the Monasteries and is built upon the highest rock, founded by Athanasios the Meteorite, well-known figure in Orthodox monasticism. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight in Kalambaka.

Leave Kalambaka and journey to Berea (Veria) where St. Paul and St. Silas were accused by Jewish community. Continue on to Thessaloniki. In the afternoon we’ll visit the Rotonda and St. George Church, one of the oldest constructions in the city, which was made a church at the end of 4th century by the emperor. We will read today from Acts 17:1-9 and "Letter to the Thessalonians" which will become more alive to us. Visit will include the Galerius Arch, built a little before 305 AD in commemoration of Galerius's victory over the Persians in 297. Next is the beautiful basilica in the city St. Demetrius where the saint was imprisoned, tortured and buried. Return to hotel for last dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki.

End our Thessaloniki visit and continue with excursion to Kavala, which occupies the site of ancient Neapolis and Philippi (Acts 16:12-40, Phil) Today it is a major archaeological site near Krinides where St. Paul and St. Silas were imprisoned after St. Paul's first sermon in what we today call Europe. Here we remember the woman named Lydia form Thyatira (Rev.2: 18-29 and Acts.16: 14 -15) who became the first convert. After visiting the ruins of the great Acropolis, the Market Place, the Theatre and Forum in the afternoon, we will leave for Turkey and overnight in the area – Alexandroupolis city.

In the morning, we will head to the Turkish border. Change buses and drive to Istanbul, check-in to hotel for a two night stay. In late afternoon the group will have a panoramic tour of Istanbul to get acquainted with this city on two continents. Then on to dinner in a typical Turkish Restaurant. Return to our hotel for first night in Istanbul.

Today we explore this unique city which settled on two continents. It is an old city which includes the folllowing highlights: Residence of the Ottoman sultans for 400 years (Dolmabahce Palace); the Basilica Cistern with its fascinating underground chambers of 336 columns built by Justinian in AD 532; the Sultan Ahmet Mosque built by Sultan Ahmet I in 1616, more commonly known as the “Blue Mosque” because of its interior blue tile decorations; Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora, containing some of the finest Byzantine mosaics; and Topkapi Palace with Istanbul's oldest surviving church, Aya Irene. Hagia Sophia is probably the most important site, which used to be the biggest church in the world, and today is a museum. Farewell dinner at a local restaurant, return to hotel for last night in Istanbul.

After breakfast, morning transfer to Istanbul International airport for flight back home.