Depart From: Flights depart from North America

Lodging: Crystal Serenity

Arrive To: Arrive in Venice, Italy and transfer to the Port of Venice. The Terminal Venezia Passeggeri, or Venice Cruise Terminal, is located near the 4-km causeway that links the historic city with the mainland. It consists of two main areas: the Marittima basin, which can handle the largest ships that call in Venice, and the San Basilio pier, which is just around the corner in the Giudecca Canal.

Dinner: Welcome dinner on board the ship

Evening: Program Welcome and Orientation: Review program details with your group leader.

Lodging: Crystal Serenity

Meals Included: Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at leisure on board in the Crystal Dining Room (open seating) or the more casual Lido Café. Room Service is also available 24 hours a day.

Morning: INDEPENDENT EXPLORATION: Explore Venice independently by choosing from a variety of shore excursions offered by Crystal Cruises. Excursions will vary in length from a couple of hours to a full day (depending on the length of time in port) with different activity levels. Venice rests three miles off the coast of mainland Italy and is considered one of the world's most enchanting cities. Known as the "Queen of the Adriatic," it actually comprises more than 100 separate islands. Laced together by a string of 400 intricate bridges, Venice is legendary for its labyrinthine network of canals. A whimsical stroll through the city can lead one to a hidden world of ornately decorated piazzas and shops. As you explore colorful marketplaces and busy town squares, marvel at a priceless legacy of Baroque architecture. Admire the richness of St. Mark's Basilica and the lavishness of the Palazzo Ducale. Getting lost in Venice can be a truly delightful experience. The place of dreams, this romantic city will live long in your memory.

Lunch: Lunch at leisure on board the ship in the Crystal Dining Room, the Lido Café, or the Trident Grill

Afternoon: This afternoon, as the ship sails from Venice, join your study leader for an exclusive lecture focusing on art and culture in the Mediterranean.

Dinner: Join your study leader for a group dinner in the Crystal Dining Room.

Lodging: Crystal Serenity

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at leisure on board in the Crystal Dining Room (open seating) or the more casual Lido Café. Room Service is also available 24 hours a day.

Morning: INDPENDENT EXPLORATION: Explore Dubrovnik independently by choosing from a variety of shore excursions offered by Crystal Cruises. Excursions will vary in length from a couple of hours to a full day with different activity levels. Though it has only recently re-emerged as an independent nation, Croatia is by no means a new country. There were settlements along the Dalmatian Coast before recorded time. When Slavic people migrated here in the 6th century, they converted to Catholicism and adopted the local Latin alphabet. The region eventually became part of the powerful Kingdom of Croatia. Medieval Dubrovnik, formerly the Republic of Ragusa, was one of several walled cities established in the 7th century to guard the coastal approaches. Its fortification was completed in the 13th century and has remained relatively unchanged. The city walls are in excellent condition and today prevent invasion by automobiles. Within the walls, the lovely sleek lines of Venetian-style buildings complement a wealth of ancient stone architecture. Nearby islands feature beautiful beaches as well as intriguing ancient ruins.

Lunch: Lunch at leisure on board the ship in the Crystal Dining Room, the Lido Café, or the Trident Grill, or you may choose to eat independently ashore. Some Crystal shore excursions will include lunch (depending on the length).

Afternoon: Continue independent exploration of Dubrovnik

Dinner: Join your study leader for a group dinner in the Crystal Dining Room.

Lodging: Crystal Serenity

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at leisure on board in the Crystal Dining Room (open seating) or the more casual Lido Café. Room Service is also available 24 hours a day.

Morning: INDEPENDENT EXPLORATION: Explore Corfu independently by choosing from a variety of shore excursions offered by Crystal Cruises. Excursions will vary in length from a couple of hours to a full day with different activity levels. Shaped like a scythe, the island of Corfu is considered one of the Mediterranean's best-kept secrets. Its lush interior is covered in cypress and olive trees while the main downtown area has elegant Venetian architecture and a serene atmosphere. Strategically important due to its location, this island has managed to maintain its uniqueness despite numerous invasions by outside forces. Today, the culture of Corfu reflects its turbulent past as well as its origins.

Lunch: Lunch at leisure on board the ship in the Crystal Dining Room, the Lido Café, or the Trident Grill, or you may choose to eat independently ashore. Some Crystal shore excursions will include lunch (depending on the length).

Afternoon: Continue independent exploration of Corfu. In the late afternoon, as the ship departs, join your study leader for an exclusive presentation focusing on art and culture in the Mediterranean.

Dinner: Join your study leader for a group dinner in the Crystal Dining Room.

Lodging: Crystal Serenity

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Today's field trip to Valetta is included in your program price. Do not book independent shore excursions today.

Breakfast: Breakfast at leisure on board in the Crystal Dining Room (open seating) or the more casual Lido Café. Room Service is also available 24 hours a day.

Morning: EXCLUSIVE ROAD SCHOLAR FIELD TRIP: “The Silent City: The Medieval Walled City of Mdina". Noted for it's unique hushed quality of quiet dignity, Mdina is a living museum with families descended from 16th century nobility still occupying its ancestral mansions, lining narrow curved streets. Walking presentation in Malta's ancient capital will include the bastians, city gates and the Cathedral.

Lunch: Lunch will be served at a local restaurant in Valetta.

Afternoon: Field Trip continues: The prehistoric temples of Malta and the sister island of Gozo are acknowledged to be the oldest buildings still standing on the earth. Architecture in its purest and most original form is demonstrated in the 5,000 years-old Hagar Qim structure in which participants will walk. A new visitor center explains in more detail the mysterious ancient culture that created these monuments more than a thousand years ahead of the pyramids.

Dinner: Join your study leader for a group dinner in the Crystal Dining Room.

Lodging: Crystal Serenity

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at leisure on board in the Crystal Dining Room (open seating) or the more casual Lido Café. Room Service is also available 24 hours a day.

Morning: INDEPENDENT EXPLORATION: Explore Catania, Sicily independently by choosing from a variety of shore excursions offered by Crystal Cruises. Excursions will vary in length from a couple of hours to a full day with different activity levels. On a fertile plain surrounded by mountain slopes and the sea, Catania, the economic center of Sicily's richest area is nestled snugly in a hollow. Once an important Greek and Roman colony, it is now a thriving commercial and industrial center. Though the city sometimes appears chaotic, it retains a certain beauty in the graceful elegance of its old buildings. Above the city rises Europe's largest volcano, mighty Mt. Etna. North, along the coast, picturesque Taormina beckons one and all.

Lunch: Lunch at leisure on board the ship in the Crystal Dining Room, the Lido Café, or the Trident Grill, or you may choose to eat independently ashore. Some Crystal shore excursions will include lunch (depending on the length).

Afternoon: Continue independent exploration of Catania. In the afternoon, join your study leader on board for a presentation on art and culture in the Mediterranean.

Dinner: Join your study leader for a group dinner in the Crystal Dining Room.

Lodging: Crystal Serenity

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at leisure on board in the Crystal Dining Room (open seating) or the more casual Lido Café. Room Service is also available 24 hours a day.

Morning: INDEPENDENT EXPLORATION: Explore Naples independently by choosing from a variety of shore excursions offered by Crystal Cruises. Excursions will vary in length from a couple of hours to a full day with different activity levels. Naples, the center of southern Italian commerce, is located on the scenic Bay of Naples. View a moment frozen in time at the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum, ancient cities buried by an eruption of nearby Mt. Vesuvius.

Lunch: Lunch at leisure on board the ship in the Crystal Dining Room, the Lido Café, or the Trident Grill, or you may choose to eat independently ashore. Some Crystal shore excursions will include lunch (depending on the length).

Afternoon: Continue independent exploration of Naples. In the afternoon, join your study leader for a final lecture on art and culture in the Mediterranean.

Dinner: Join your study leader for a group dinner in the Crystal Dining Room.

Lodging: Crystal Serenity

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at leisure on board in the Crystal Dining Room (open seating) or the more casual Lido Café. Room Service is also available 24 hours a day.

Morning: This morning the ship will dock in the Port of Civitavecchia, the main port that services Rome. The ship is scheduled to dock in Rome at 8:00 am. Disembarkation should begin at 9:00 am. The transfer to Rome Fiumicino Airport is approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. Please do not book flights that depart Rome before 1:00 pm.

Lodging: Crystal Serenity

Meals Included: Breakfast