HOLY LAND EXPLORER Holland America’s Elegant Explorer

• ms Prinsendam •

Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Turkey, Malta, Italy

October 19 - November 3, 2016 • 16 Days • All Meals

Escorted

The Elegant Explorer - visiting many exciting ports of call!

Photo: Holland America

The Elegant Explorer, ms Prinsendam, is an exceptional cruise ship, offering a combination of wonderful public rooms, comfortable cabins, excellent service and dining plus, and this is the real plus, it offers a world of innovative cruises that take you beyond the usual excellence you have come to expect from Holland America Line. Cruises on the ms Prinsendam are virtually always longer and offer more unique and exciting ports of call.

The Prinsendam is large enough to provide full cruise amenities, including multiple fine dining venues, pools, theatres, bars and lounges and a diverse range of entertainment programs. She is also small enough to ensure very personalized service and the ability to reach smaller more exotic ports that larger ships just can’t reach. If you want the benefits of a luxury cruise ship without the accompanying higher costs and larger crowds, then have a look at the very special itineraries this ship has to offer.

For 2016 we have selected this exciting Holy Land voyage to feature. Read on and give us a call to reserve your cabin on your cruise of choice.

OUR CRUISE SHIP - ms Prinsendam

Within Holland America’s impressive fleet, the ms

Prinsendam is in a class all its own. Designed to explore

the remote corners of the world in elegance and style, the

ms Prinsendam is Holland America’s most intimate ship.

Originally built as the legendary Royal Viking Sun, the

ms Prinsendam has been lovingly restored and enhanced.

All staterooms have been refurbished while many of the

public areas have been fully upgraded or completely

rebuilt.

At 38,000 tons, the ms Prinsendam carries a maximum

of 835 passengers in spacious comfort. Five distinctly

different dining venues are available: the classic La

Fontaine Dining Room, the casual Lido, the open-air

Terraces, and the upscale Canaletto Restaurant and the

Pinnacle Grill (supplemental fee). Eight different lounges

are also available, providing delightful spaces to relax, to

have a quiet drink, or to be entertained by music or a lively

show. The Explorations Café, offers an extensive library,

internet café and coffee bar, as well as the beautiful new

Culinary Arts Centre, which provides cooking classes and

presentations. Other venues include a full-size theatre

offering first-run movies, a casino, a card room, and the

superb Greenhouse Spa and fitness centre.

Luxurious accommodations await us - staterooms

feature two lower beds (most of which can convert to a

king-size bed), plush pillow-top mattresses, fine

Egyptian cottons, terry-cloth robes, a private bathroom,

individually-controlled air conditioning, a telephone, and

ample closet space. Each stateroom also has a flat screen

television, a DVD player, and multi-channel music. Most

outside staterooms feature picture-window viewing and a

bathtub with shower. The Deluxe staterooms and suites

feature a private balcony, a personal mini-bar, a separate

sitting area with floor to ceiling windows, and much more.

INCLUSIVE FEATURES

14-night cruise on Holland America’s ms Prinsendam, based on sharing a twin-bedded stateroom in the category selected

Baggage handling shipside

All meals and entertainment while onboard

All port taxes and fees

Gratuities for all included services

Services of our cruise escort and/or cruise director

Air Inclusive rates also include

Round-trip economy airfare from Canadian cities listed

Transfers between the airports, hotels and the ship

Current taxes and fees

Airport transfers in Canada or equivalent value

Gardens in Haifa, Israel

Street Bazaar, Naples, Italy Pompeii, Italy

PORTS OF CALL

Piraeus (Athens), Greece: The port of Piraeus is your gateway to the wonders of Athens, including the Acropolis, Constitution Square, Hadrian's Arch, the Olympic Stadium and more.

Lamaca, Cyrprus: Larnaca, Cyprus, boasts an uninterrupted history as a settlement dating back over 4,000 years. Famous for its beautiful sea front, Larnaka sports clean sandy beaches with clear blue waters. The 'Phinikoudes,' a strip of cafés, bars, clubs and restaurants on the beach front, is a prime tourist destination.

Ashdod (Jerusalem), Israel: The largest port in Israel, Ashdod is a gateway to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the 5,000 year old walled city that is considered sacred to more than a third of the people on Earth. Numerous sites exist nearby, including the Jewish sacred Western Wall, the Sacred Way, the old city bazaars and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, believed by many to be the site of Calvary.

Haifa (Nazareth), Israel: From this port under the slopes of Mt. Carmel, we can travel inland to Nazareth, home of the young Jesus, and visit the land of his miracles – the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, the Mount of the Beatitudes and Tabgha.

Marmaris, Turkey: Sometimes referred to as the Turkish Riviera, Marmaris lies where the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas meet. Surrounded by lovely hills, it has one of the largest natural harbours in the world. Pamper yourself at a Turkish mud bath, or wander the tangled streets in the Kaleici district or visit the small castle museum overlooking the city.

Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey: Ephesus, another wonderfully preserved city of the ancient world is located a short drive inland from Kusadasi. In the first century B.C., it was one of the largest cities in the world. It's Great Theater sat 24,000 people. Its Temple of Artemis was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The Library of Celsus was perhaps the finest in creation. Ephesus has one of the largest collections of ruins in the eastern Mediterranean. Walk down marble streets past magnificent ruins gleaming white in the Hellenic sun.

Heraklion (Crete), Greece: If something seems familiar about this island, it is because Crete's ancient capital is nearly 10,000 years old and seems to have always been

CRUISE ITINERARY

Oct 19, Wed Depart Canada

Oct 20, Thu Arrive Piraeus (Athens), Greece

Embark / Sail 7:00pm

Oct 21, Fri At sea

Oct 22, Sat Larnaca, Cyprus

Arrive 8:00am / Sail 4:00pm

Oct 23, Sun Ashdod, (Jerusalem), Israel

Arrive 7:00am / Sail 9:00pm

Oct 24, Mon Haifa (Tel Aviv), Israel

Arrive 8:00am / Sail 8:00pm

Oct 25, Tue At sea

Oct 26, Wed Mar maris, Turkey

Arrive 8:00am / Sail 4:00pm

Oct 27, Thu Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey

Arrive 7:00am / Sail 6:00pm

Oct 28, Fri Heraklion (Crete), Greece

Arrive 10:00am / Sail 6:00pm

Oct 29, Sat At sea

Oct 30, Sun Valetta, Malta

Arrive 8:00am / Overnight in port

Oct 31, Mon Valetta, Malta

In port / Sail 8:00am

Mgarr (Victoria), Gozo, Malta *

Arrive 10:00am / Sail 6:00pm

Nov 1, Tue Messina, Italy

Arrive 8:00am / Sail 5:00pm

Nov 2, Wed Naples (Pompeii), Italy

Arrive 8:00am / Sail 6:00pm

Nov 3, Thu Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

Arrive 7:00am / Disembark / Fly Home

*Tenders to Shore

Valleta, Malta

with us. If the names associated with this island are even more familiar - Knossos, minotaur, labyrinth, Theseus, Ariadne, Daedalus – it is because they draw from the earliest associations of man and history. Empires come and go, but these ancient walls, alleys and inscriptions date from a bygone era.

Valetta, Malta: St. John's Co-Cathedral, with its elaborate inlaid marble tombstones and Caravaggios, is here, as is the magnificent Grand Master's Palace.

Mgarr (Cictoria), Gozo, Malta: Malta's tiny size belies its strategic importance over the centuries. Claimants to the Maltese archipelago included nearly everyone who was anyone in Mediterranean history: Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, French, British, and more. Even Odysseus stopped here – detained seven years by the nymph Calypso. The town of Victoria crowns the center of Malta's island of Gozo. It is known locally as "Rabat," ("suburb outside the fortress walls"). The fortress in this case was founded during around 1500 BC and its walls present a 360-degree view of the island. Cruise visitors can explore the exquisite 17th century baroque cathedral, stroll the gardens of Villa Rundle, and shop for fine weaving, lace and silver filigree.

Messina, Italy: Gateway to Taormina and its views of snowcapped Mt. Etna. The small museum here shows works by Caravaggio.

Naples, Italy: There is the docile bay; the peaceful cypress-tufted islands of Ischia, Procida and Capri; and the muscular city of Naples itself. Over it all there looms Mount Vesuvius: the volcano and national park. View the only active volcano on the European mainland, which blew in 79A.D. and buried the city of Pompeii. Naples itself is mere enduring greatness. Designated a World Heritage Site, highlights in Naples include Castel dell'Ovo, Castelnuovo and national museums dedicated to art and archaeology.

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy: One of the world’s greatest cities - highlights include St Peter’s Basilica, The Vatican Museums, The Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum plus other sites too numerous to mention.

CT RATING 1.5 - Easy: This cruise is suitable for all passengers who meet the basic criteria for group travel. Optional excursions are not covered by this rating and may involve considerable walking, sometimes over rough surfaces.

EFF11NOV15

Cruise Cost in Canadian Dollars (per person)

Category / Description / Deck Sharing Twin

K Inside Twin (Lower Promenade & Promenade) $4,215 I Inside Twin (Upper Promenade)............................. $ 4,275 E Outside Twin (Main & Lower Promenade) ........... $ 4,565 D Outside Twin (Dolphin) ........................................ $ 4,615 C Outside Twin (Main) ............................................. $ 4,675 A Vista Suite (Upper Promenade) ........................... $ 6,515

Rates are per person based on sharing the category chosen and include all of the applicable Inclusive Features. See Deck Plan for full details on various categories available.

Sample air add-ons from cities across Canada: Toronto .................................................................... $ 1,345 Montreal / Ottawa ..................................................... $ 1,445 Halifax ...................................................................... $ 1,595 Winnipeg .................................................................. $ 1,595 Regina / Saskatoon / St. John’s / Victoria ................ $ 1,745 Calgary / Edmonton / Vancouver ............................ $ 1,695

Airfares from other gateways are available on request. Airfares and air carriers are subject to change and will be confirmed prior to final payment. Refer to inclusive features for details.

Cruise price is based on sharing a twin-bedded stateroom with private bathroom. Prices are based on rates, taxes and fees effective October, 2015. Prices are subject to change due to factors beyond our control. This cruise will operate with a minimum of two members as listed - an escort will accompany the group with a minimum of 20 travelling.

The prices above DO NOT include the cost of comprehensive insurance which is available on an optional basis and is highly recommended. Insurance premiums vary with the cost and length of the trip as well as the age of the passenger. For passengers up to and including 74 years on departure date, premiums will range from $283 to $458pp. Cost supplements will apply for members aged 75 - 85 from $200 to $422pp. Clients 86 years and older and/or residing outside Ontario - please contact our staff for procedures. This insurance is effective from the date of confirmation and carries limitations on pre-existing medical conditions. Please discuss your insurance coverage prior to booking. Check our website for most current information. Refer to enrollment form for general information and conditions. Final payment will be due July 18, 2016

Deposit will be $800 per person To reserve your spot on this tour, simply complete the enclosed enrollment form, indicating the tour you wish to join and your home city, and forward it with your deposit to:

CRAIG CANADIAN GROUP TRAVEL LTD

1092 Mount Pleasant Road Toronto ON M4P 2M6

Tel: 416-484-0926 or 1-800-387-8890 / Fax: 416-484-8143

Email: cruises@craigtravel.com / www.craigtravel.com

Shore Excursions are not included in your cruise cost, allowing you the freedom to choose from several optional tours that will be offered in each port. Excursions will be available for purchase through the Holland America Line website or after embarkation.

Naples with Mount Vesuvius in the distance

A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARES

Airfares shown are based on estimates made November 2015 and are to be used as a guideline. Domestic fares, taxes, and fuel surcharges are subject to change until ticketing. Should you have specific flight preferences please advise Craig Travel at time of initial booking.