Travel Virtually to Turkey & The Holy Land on Oceania Cruises Marina!

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year, Cruise Holidays of Alexandria marks its anniversary with an escorted cruise.  Over the years, these escorted cruises have led Cruise Holidays' clients to some extraordinary places: Alaska, the Greek Isles, Russia and the Baltics, and the Burgundy & Provence Region of France.  Each trip is marked by customized, in-depth tours, providing true destination immersion, along with exclusive on-board enhancements such as private cocktail receptions and food-and-wine pairing meals.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111025/PH93007 )

This Friday, Cruise Holidays of Alexandria embarks on its Fifth Anniversary cruise to Turkey and the Holy Land. We invite you to travel with us virtually. Simply friend us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/@CruisePallette.

Led by luxury travel counselors Jim Work, Bob Miller, and Kay McKinney, Cruise Holidays clients will fly on Friday, October 28th, to Istanbul, Turkey. After a night's rest, the group boards an hour flight to Cappadocia.  Cappadocia is a spectacular hidden gem few Americans have ever heard of, let alone visit. Cruise Holiday's clients will enjoy a two night stay in Cappadocia in the luxurious Yusuf Yigitoglu Konagi, a unique "cave" hotel literally built into rock. During their two night stay, the group will enjoy a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the scenic landscape dotted with rock formations resembling chimneys. Later, the group will tour the famous underground cities that have existed in Cappadocia for more than 4,000 years and visit quaint villages to mingle with locals and shop for unique gifts and spectacular red clay pottery famous in this part of the world.  It will be capped off with a wine tasting, as wine production is surprisingly a big part of the industry in Cappadocia.

The group will then return for two additional nights in Istanbul.  Istanbul is known as the city where East meets West because it straddles the continents of Europe and Asia.  Here, Cruise Holidays clients will enjoy an included authentic Turkish dinner and a whirlwind tour of all the must see sights in Istanbul - the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sofia, the Hippodrome, and Topkapi.  The group then transfers to the luxurious Oceania Cruises Marina, the newest ship in Oceania Cruises' fleet, for a 12-night Holy Land cruise.  (Read a review of the Oceania Marina here).

On the Holy Land cruise, Cruise Holidays clients will spend three full days in Israel.  Private Cruise Holidays' tours here will include Jerusalem, Nazareth, Galilee, Tel Aviv, and Jaffa.  The cruise also will take clients to Ephesus, Turkey, where they will enjoy a tour to the amazing ruins of this ancient, Biblically-significant city, including the recently excavated Terrace Houses.  Other full-day visits include Rhodes, Crete, Volos, and Patmos, Greece; and Limassol, Cyprus.  On board Oceania Marina, Cruise Holidays clients will attend a private welcome-aboard cocktail reception and receive complimentary gratuities.  They also can take advantage of all the Oceania Marina has to offer -- spectacular cuisine with menus designed under the watchful eye of famous Master Chef Jacques Pepin, a culinary lesson in the Marina's Bon Appetit Culinary Arts Center, an art lesson in the Marina's Artist Loft, or simply a leisurely afternoon poolside.  You can follow along the journey simply by following the group on Twitter and Facebook.

Onboard the Marina, Cruise Holidays will be announcing the details of its 2012 anniversary trip.  Next year's journey will be at least as spectacular as 2011's.  A strictly land-based tour, the 10-night fully escorted trip will be to South Africa August 31-September 10, 2012.  It will include Cape Town, the Cape wine region, and an incredible Safari at Thornybush Game Lodge.  The rate for the escorted tour is just $5,350 per person, based on double occupancy.  This rate includes roundtrip airfare aboard South African Airways from New York, all hotels, safari, wine tastings, tours, and select meals, including a spectacular food and wine pairing meal at La Colombe, rated 12th in San Pellegrino's 50 best restaurants in the world awards for 2010.  Full details on the South Africa tour are available at Cruise Holiday's blog: LuxuryCruiseLines.blogspot.com.

For more information, contact Cruise Holidays of Alexandria at (703) 706-0011, via e-mail at [email protected], or visit online at http://www.YourCruiseSource.com.

Cruise Holidays of Alexandria, Luxury Cruise Counselors, was established in 2006 with a singular dedication to the highest levels of client service and satisfaction.  Our efforts to consistently deliver personalized, expert advice to our clients have resulted in steady growth, today placing our location in the top 20 of the more than 300 Cruise Holidays locations throughout the United States and Canada.  We are a preferred account for most major cruise lines, and a top producing travel agency partner for many cruise lines.  We are a member of Oceania Cruises' prestigious Cruise Connoisseurs' Club, reserved for Oceania Cruises top 50 accounts in North America.  We work with discerning clients worldwide.

SOURCE Cruise Holidays of Alexandria