Cruise Description

Inspired by the past and reimagined for the future, Seven Seas Grandeur™ will personify our heritage of perfection.

Amalfi/Positano, Italy
Discover chic Positano with its relaxed, sophisticated air and white Moorish-style houses clinging to steep slopes around a sparkling bay filled with colorful fishing boats. Then visit enchanting Amalfi and admire the 12th-century Capuchin monastery and see the beautiful 11th-century Cathedral and cloister before exploring on your own. Browse Positano’s boutiques for the town’s locally made casual cotton clothes or search for unique souvenirs in Amalfi. Enjoy delicious fresh seafood and pasta or tempting pastries and espresso in a spectacular seaside, mountainous setting.

Taormina (Sicily), Italy
Naxos is gateway to the island of Sicily’s strategically significant northeastern region. From this port city, it is a short transfer to Taormina, resting 820 feet above the sea and overlooking imposing Mount Etna. In the early 20th century, Taormina became a colony for expatriate artists and writers, including D H Lawrence. Highlights of any tour of this city would include the remarkably preserved Roman-style Greek Theater, whose acoustics are still appreciated in performances today; the splendid 15th century Palazzo Corvaia; and the Odeon, a small Imperial Age theater set amidst colorful public gardens.

Crotone (Calabria), Italy
Crotone has had a long and eventful history, with a Greek school founded by Pythagoras and being the native land of the Olympic athlete Milo. Among the most-renowned sites, the Castle of Charles V is situated in the ancient part of the city, and so is the Cathedral, which hosts important and precious artisan works. Along the fortified walls of the castle are the historic city center and the National Archaeological Museum, which exhibits unique items, including Hera’s treasures. Just a few miles from the city, visit the archaeological area of Capo Colonna, where the ancient temple of Hera Lacinia once stood.

Corfu, Greece
Legendary Corfu is a lush and romantic island, written about by Homer in his famous Odyssey. The island’s history is full of battles, indicative of Corfu’s turbulent position that lasted until modern times with unification with modern Greece in 1864. Corfu offers a combination of cosmopolitan and time-honored Greece. As well as a flower-strewn countryside and Adriatic-style villages, Corfu has splendid coastal scenery and some excellent secluded beaches.

Dubrovnik, Croatia
Known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” Dubrovnik was founded in the 7th century by a group of refugees from Epidaurum (today’s Cavtat). It is known worldwide for its unique marble-paved squares, tall houses, steep-cobbled streets and fountains. The city walls, once used to as protection against its enemies, now keep motorists at bay in this picturesque town. UNESCO named the Old City a World Heritage Site, and Dubrovnik’s beautiful historic sites have been restored to their former glory.

Venice (Trieste), Italy
Located in northeastern Italy, Trieste’s geographic location and storied past contributed to its modern standing as one of the country’s richest regions. A shopper’s paradise, Trieste is full of designer boutiques catering to both men and women in search of the latest clothing fashion. There are also several outdoor markets where you can purchase anything from fruit to antiques. Enjoy a sumptuous plate of pasta in an old-style osteria, cozy little establishments with half a dozen tables filled with cheerful locals.

Split, Croatia
Split is the largest Croatian city on the Adriatic coast. Split achieved fame when the Roman emperor Diocletian, noted for his persecution of early Christians, had his retirement palace built here. The spectacular stone edifice and its grounds and cellars are a major highlight of any city tour. Other points of interest include the Cathedral of St. Duje, built on the remains of an ancient shrine purported to be the oldest in the world; and the Mestrovic Gallery, where the impressive works of Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic are available for viewing in this home and atelier.

Kotor, Montenegro
Kotor is a coastal town in Montenegro, located in a most secluded part of the Gulf of Kotor. The old port, surrounded by an impressive city wall built by the House of Nemanjicc, is very well preserved and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Numerous other attractions include the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon in the old town (built in 1166), and ancient walls which stretch directly above the city. Nightlife also attracts tourists to Kotor with pubs, taverns, cafes, and nightclubs.

Katakolon, Greece
Step back in time at Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games – now deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Relive the roaring cheers of the spectators as the athletes took their marks on the marble starting blocks, and picture the temples, the treasuries, the porticoes and statues as they were.

Santorini, Greece
With dramatic views of classic whitewashed houses clinging perilously to the side of the caldera and stunning beaches of white and red sand or black pebbles, it’s no wonder this may be the most photographed scenery in the world. Visit Ancient Akrotiri, the archeological site of a town frozen in time by ash from an eruption 3,600 years ago. Also worth a day trip is the Volcano of Santorini Palea (old) Kameni and Nea (new) Kameni , two small islands of black lava positioned in the centre of the basin of Santorini.

Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey
Europe’s classical metropolis, Ephesus, was one of the largest cities in all of the Roman Empire, boasting one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis. Explore the ruins of its massive Theater, the Temple of Hadrian and the magnificent Celsus Library.

Athens (Piraeus), Greece
Piraeus is the gateway to the ancient city of Athens, known as the “Cradle of Western Civilization” because of its immense impact on cultural and political achievements throughout the world. Due mainly to tourism and the 2004 Olympics, Greece has redeveloped many sites in Athens. A historian’s delight, Athens is home to such magnificent wonders as: the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the atmospheric winding streets of the Plaka, Temple of Olympian Zeus and Temple of Athena Nike, and the Archaeological Museum with the world’s finest collection of ancient artifacts.