Cruise Offer

Optional Private Excursions

Avoid the crowds and hustle and bustle associated with a group activity. For a memorable trip ashore, we invite you to consider a private shore excursion. Enjoy the undivided attention of your own driver/guide and the flexibility of experiencing the aspects of the local culture that most interest you. Below are just some samples of the private shore excursions we can arrange for you. Let us personalize your experience!

Lisbon: Artistic Half Day City Tour

Visit the Jeronimo’s Monastery of Manueline architecture, the Monument of Discoveries, the Belen Tower, Baixa quarter, the National tile museum and the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao Velha,
 
4 hours tour
Morning or afternoon tour
No wheelchair
Light physical activity
Pick up and drop off at the Port

Included: Transportation by Deluxe Vehicle; Guided Tour; Entrance Fees

Not Included: Any meals or other services not specified

The Jerónimos Monastery, masterpiece of the Manueline style and a tribute to the king that welcomed and protected the Jews that fled from Spain and then expelled them in 1496. The Monument to the Discoveries where you will have the opportunity to see the faces of Jewish men that participated actively in the Portuguese Golden Age of the Discoveries.
 
The Monument to the Discoveries celebrates the Portuguese who took part in the Age of Discovery. It is located on the estuary of the Tagus river. The monument consists of a 52 metre-high slab of concrete, carved into the shape of the prow of a caravel with its sails unfurled.
 
Belém Tower is a fortified tower located in the Belém district of Lisbon. It was built in the early 16th century in the Portuguese late gothic style, the manueline, and is one of the symbols of the city.
 
The Commerce Square with the beautiful façade of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao Velha. The Church’s greatest highlight is its Manueline Portal representing Our Lady of Mercy, which was part of the ancient Misericórdia Church, featuring a tympanum with the images of the king D. Manuel the 1st, the Queen D. Leonor (sister of King Manuel and founder of the Order of Mercy) and Pope Leo X, the Rossio square and the gothic revival elevator de Santa Justa. The heart of the city is the Baixa or city centre; this area is being considered for UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
The Museu Nacional do Azulejo or National tile museum is renowned for not only for its Azulejo (tile) collection but also for its location. Azulejo is a cherished Portuguese tradition that has enjoyed uninterrupted production for five centuries. Azulejo is glazed, ceramic tilework that is usually blue. It is a major component of Portuguese architecture and is found throughout the country on ceilings, floors, walls of churches, palaces, and homes. This museum occupies the ancient Convent of Madre de Deus (Mother of God), built in 1509 by Queen D. Leonor, and adjoining buildings including Saint Antony’s Chapel and a church noted for its Baroque style.

Lisbon: Historical Half Day City Tour

Visit the Saint George’s Castle with a magnificent view over the city, the medieval and old Jewish quarter of Alfama, the Church of Sao Domingos, the Cathedral and the Shaaré Tikvá synagogue if available.

4 hours tour
Morning or afternoon tour
No wheelchair
Light physical activity
Pick up and drop off at the Port
 

Included: Transportation by Deluxe Vehicle; Guided Tour; Entrance Fees

Not Included: Any meals or other services not specified

 
The castle of Sao George is located on one of the seven hills of Lisbon, to the east of the Baixa. In the context of the Christian Reconquista the castle and the city of Lisbon were retaken from the Moors by King Alfonso Henriques with the help of Northern European crusaders taking part on the Second Crusade. The castle was dedicated to Saint George in the late 14^th century by King John I.
 
Lisbon's ancient cathedral was built by Portugal's first king on the site of an old mosque in 1150 for the city's first bishop, the English crusader Gilbert of Hastings. From outside (with two bell towers and a splendid rose window) it resembles a medieval fortress, while inside it appears predominantly Romanesque, with a Gothic choir and ambulatory.
 
Jewish people were the advisors of Kings and Queens, doctors and even some of the explorers, geographers and mathematicians. The tour will start with a general introduction to the Jewish presence of the city, followed by a nice walk in the city centre passing by the site of the 1506 Jewish Massacre near the Church of Sao Domingos and the most well preserved Alfama Jewish and medieval Quarter. Alfama is a village within a city still made up of narrow streets, tiny squares, churches, and whitewashed houses with tile panels and wrought-iron balconies adorned with pots of flowers, drying laundry, and caged birds. 
 
With the abolition of the Inquisition in 1821, families of Sephardic Jews decided to return to Portugal. Most of these Jews were merchants from Morocco and Gibraltar. These were people with a cultural level greatly above average. They could read, speak and write in liturgical Hebrew, Arabic, English and Hakitia, the Moroccan judeo-hispanic dialect.
 
We will continue our tour with a visit to the only Synagogue of Lisbon (Shaaré Tikvá), passing by the Commerce Square, the place where thousands of Jews were forced to be baptized in the 15th century.

Lisbon: Half Day Excursion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Visit the pretty and charming village of Sintra, former residence of the Portuguese Kings and aristocracy
with the National Palace and continue to the fishing village of Cascais and the famous cosmopolitan town of Estoril.

5 hours tour
Morning tour
No wheelchair
Light physical activity
Pick up and drop off at the Port

Included: Transportation by Deluxe Vehicle; Guided Tour; Entrance Fees

Not Included: Any meals or other services not specified

 

Sintra is one of the most
delightful places to be found in Portugal. With its extensive range of green
bills with its crags - the Serra de Sintra - so picturesquely situated and offering
stupendous views of the coastline with its impressive beauty, Sintra is indeed
"a garden of the earthly paradise". The artistic heritage of the Old Town, described
by Byron as "the most pleasing in Europe", also include valuable archaeological
remains, particularly from the Roman period, ancient manor houses, churches
of personalised artistic value and characteristic villages.

 

The National Palace is consisting
of various bodies built during the course of successive epochs on the so-called
"Chão da Oliva", the Paço da Vila de Sintra is one of the most important examples
of regal architecture in Portugal and for that reason is classified as a National
Monument. This gradual multiplication of buildings, with different styles, is
largely responsible for the enigmatic enchantment of this ancient palace, dominated
by great twin chimneys atop the kitchen that constitute as authentic ex-libris
of Sintra.

 

Cascais was a small fishing
port throughout early history as it lies protected from nature's elements at
the mouth of the Rio Tejo. When in 1870 the King, Luís I, chose to convert the
17th Century building of the Citadela into his summer residence Cascais soon
became a very fashionable town and aristocratic palaces and mansions followed.
The Citadel or Fort of Cascais is a 16th century fortress built to protect the
Bay of Cascais. Today, Cascais now boasts smart new Marina with lovely yachts.

 

Just outside the town is
the famous Boca do Inferno in which the sea on rougher days hammers into the
rock and creates a booming noise and a spectacular spray thus creating its name
which in English means "mouth of hell".

 

Estoril town was really
created from the curious needs of the two World Wars. It became a prime location
for European royal exiles forced to leave their own countries. It has been the
residence of King Umberto II of Italy, Juan de Bourbon of Spain, Karl Hapsburg
of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and King Carol of Rumania. The many modest yet
architecturally interesting mansions still remain to indicate their royal owners.
At its height its visitors referred to Estoril as the "Portuguese Riviera".
A Casino with wide surrounding avenues and spacious gardens, a golf course,
all of which soon appeared and then flanked by large hotels and impressive private
homes.

Lisbon: Full Day to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril

Visit the pretty and charming village of Sintra, former residence of the Portuguese Kings and aristocracy with the beautiful Pena Palace, drive to Boca do Inferno, and continue to the fishing village of Cascais and the famous cosmopolitan town of Estoril.

8 hour tour
Morning tour
No wheelchair
Moderate physical activity
Pick up and drop off at the Port 

Included: Transportation by Deluxe Vehicle; Guided Tour; Entrance Fees

Not Included: Any meals or other services not specified

Sintra is one of the most delightful places to be found in Portugal. With its extensive range of green bills with its crags - the Serra de Sintra - so picturesquely situated and offering stupendous views of the coastline with its impressive beauty, Sintra is indeed "a garden of the earthly paradise". The artistic heritage of the Old Town, described by Byron as "the most pleasing in Europe", also include valuable archaeological remains, particularly from the Roman period, ancient manor houses, churches of personalized artistic value and characteristic villages.

It will be time to visit to one of the highlights of the day: the Pena Palace. Driving around the mountain passing by amazing chalets and aristocratic residences you will reach the 19th century Pena Palace in the most incredible combination of architectural styles, colors and shapes that you will find in Portugal.

Cascais was a small fishing port throughout early history as it lies protected from nature’s elements at the mouth of the Rio Tejo. When in 1870 the King, Luís I, chose to convert the 17th Century building of the Citadela into his summer residence Cascais soon became a very fashionable town and aristocratic palaces and mansions followed. The Citadel or Fort of Cascais is a 16th century fortress built to protect the Bay of Cascais. Today, Cascais now boasts smart new Marina with lovely yachts.
Just outside the town is the famous Boca do Inferno in which the sea on rougher days hammers into the rock and creates a booming noise and a spectacular spray, thus creating its name which in English means "mouth of hell".

Estoril town was really created from the curious needs of the two World Wars. It became a prime location for European royal exiles forced to leave their own countries. It has been the residence of King Umberto II of Italy, Juan de Bourbon of Spain, Karl Hapsburg of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and King Carol of Rumania. The many modest yet architecturally interesting mansions still remain to indicate their royal owners. At its height its visitors referred to Estoril as the “Portuguese Riviera”. A Casino with wide surrounding avenues and spacious gardens, a golf course, all of which soon appeared and then flanked by large hotels and impressive private homes.

Lisbon: An Exploration of Lisbon - 8 Hours

Lying north of the River Tagus estuary and stretching over seven hills, Portugal's capital city has much to offer.  Receive a warm welcome at the port by your private guide and driver and from here commence your engaging tour of Lisbon.

Explore the Belem district with its magnificent Jerónimos Monastery, an extraordinary example of Portugal's 'Manueline' style of architecture. Once populated by monks, the UNESCO-listed monastery was commissioned by King Manuel I to celebrate Vasco da Gama's discovery of a sea route to India in 1498. Time permitting, visit Torre de Belém (Belém Tower), one of Lisbon's most iconic buildings and symbolic of Portugal's great Age of Expansion.

Next, it's time for a refreshment stop, where you may wish to sample the famous and scrumptious Pastéis de Belém (custard tarts). From here you return to you cruise ship.

Highlights:

• Discover the beautiful Belem district with its magnificent Jeronimos Monastery
• Behold the priceless treasures on display at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and try the exquisite pasteis de nata local pastries

Tour Duration: 8 Hours

Tour Can Operate: Morning / Afternoon

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Light

Inclusions:

• Private transport by luxury car or minivan
• An expert local guide for 8 hours
• Entrance fees to all sights and museums
  All taxes

Exclusions:

• All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
• Gratuities

Lisbon: Queluz, Sintra and Estoril – 8 hours

Venture outside of Lisbon to explore Queluz, Sintra and Estoril during your private shore excursion. Take the short driver to the sumptuous 18th-century Queluz Palace, where you can admire the magnificent formal gardens and azulejo-lined canals.

Afterwards visit Sintra, the summer retreat of Portuguese monarchs and Moorish emirs before them. Today, this town, nestling on the north side of the Sintra Mountain, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stroll through the town where charming streets are filled with fine handicraft shops. You then descend to Guincho beach for a fabulous view of Cape Rock, the westernmost point of the European continent and continuing to the resort town of Estoril on the scenic coastal road with fantastic views, en route back to your cruise ship.


Highlights:

• Explore Queluz Palace, the summer residence of the Portugese Royal Family
• Take a short drive to Sintra, the summer retreat of Portuguese monarchs and a UNESCO Word Heritage Site

Tour Duration: 8 Hours

Tour Can Operate: Morning / Afternoon

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Light

Inclusions:

• Private transport by luxury car or minivan
• An expert local guide for 8 hours
• Entrance fees to all sights and museums
• All taxes
   

Exclusions:

• All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
• Gratuities

Optional Private Excursions

Avoid the crowds and hustle and bustle associated with a group activity. For a memorable trip ashore, we invite you to consider a private shore excursion. Enjoy the undivided attention of your own driver/guide and the flexibility of experiencing the aspects of the local culture that most interest you. Below are just some samples of the private shore excursions we can arrange for you. Let us personalize your experience!

Portimao (Algarve): Half Day Excursion to Lagos and Sagres

Drive to the neaby town of Lagos with the Marina, the harbour, the Town Hall and the church of Santo Antonio. Continue to Vila do Bispo, Cape Saint Vincent, the lighhouse and Sagres with the walls and the church of our Lady of Graça.

6 hours tour
Morning or afternoon tour
No wheelchair
Light physical activity
Pick up and drop off at the Port

Included: Transportation by Deluxe Vehicle; Guided Tour; Entrance Fees

Not Included: Any meals or other services not specified

 

The Romans gave the name of "Lacobriga" to the town of Lagos but its natural river port would indicate very much earlier occupation. The Moors then gave the town the name of "Zawaia" It was captured from the Moors in 1189 but it was not until 1249 that it was finally conquered by Dom Afonso III and integrated into the kingdom of Portugal with the name of "Lagus". This historic town has played an important part in the story of discovery of many parts of the world. It was from the harbour that Vasco da Gama sailed in 1499 on his historic and epic voyage of discovery. Lagos was the capital of the Algarve from 1578 until 1756 and there remain several ancient buildings to testify to its historic glory.

 

Lagos is now an important tourist town with many architectural signs of its ancient past, even a building dating originally back to around 1445 which is recorded as being Europe's first building used as a slave market. The walls of the town in the most part remain after sections were restored. Attached to the famous 17th Century "gold" church of Santo António there is a small museum of regional items, some of which are quite odd! The town's more recently constructed Marina presents a lovely picture and this harbour is practically the first sight a visitor has of Lagos. There are several interesting statues erected to the famous figures of the past that are associated with the history of this town.

 

We drive to Vila do Bispo a very small administrative town for the Sagres area, the later being the most south-west corner of Europe! This area is a must for every visitor to the Algarve as it presents a very impressive and dramatic sight of towering sheer cliffs being beaten by the weight of the vast Atlantic Ocean. It is from here that Prince Henry sat and planned the several epic voyages of discovery that enlarged the known world of that time.

 

Sagres is close to the most south western point of Europe known as Cape St. Vincent. The legend of the martyr Saint Vincent is that his relics were mysteriously transported by ravens from the Holy Land to the Cape and subsequently guarded by them. The small chapel of Nossa Senhora da Graça and reputably the giant pebble wind compass, Rosa dos Ventos. The present walls surrounding the area are the remains of a 17th Century fort. At the nearby Cape St Vincent is an impressive lighthouse that can normally be visited.

Portimao (Algarve): Full Day Excursion to Lagos, Sagres and Silves

Drive to the neaby town of Lagos with the Marina, the harbour, the Town Hall and the church of Santo
Antonio. Continue to Sagres with the walls and the church of our Lady of Graça.
Finally to Silves with remains of the castle, Roman bridge and the cathedral.

8 hours tour
Morning or tour
No wheelchair
Light physical activity
Pick up and drop off at the Port

Included: Transportation by Deluxe Vehicle; Guided Tour; Entrance Fees

Not Included: Any meals or other services not specified

The Romans gave the name
of "Lacobriga" to the town of Lagos but its natural river port would indicate
very much earlier occupation. The Moors then gave the town the name of "Zawaia"
It was captured from the Moors in 1189 but it was not until 1249 that it was
finally conquered by Dom Afonso III and integrated into the kingdom of Portugal
with the name of "Lagus". This historic town has played an important part in
the story of discovery of many parts of the world. It was from the harbour that
Vasco da Gama sailed in 1499 on his historic and epic voyage of discovery. Lagos
was the capital of the Algarve from 1578 until 1756 and there remain several
ancient buildings to testify to its historic glory.

 

Lagos is now an important
tourist town with many architectural signs of its ancient past, even a building
dating originally back to around 1445 which is recorded as being Europe's first
building used as a slave market. The walls of the town in the most part remain
after sections were restored. Attached to the famous 17th Century "gold" church
of Santo António there is a small museum of regional items, some of which are
quite odd! The town's more recently constructed Marina presents a lovely picture
and this harbour is practically the first sight a visitor has of Lagos. There
are several interesting statues erected to the famous figures of the past that
are associated with the history of this town.

 

Sagres is close to the
most south western point of Europe known as Cape St. Vincent. The legend of
the martyr Saint Vincent is that his relics were mysteriously transported by
ravens from the Holy Land to the Cape and subsequently guarded by them. The
small chapel of Nossa Senhora da Graça and reputably the giant pebble wind compass,
Rosa dos Ventos. The present walls surrounding the area are the remains of a
17th Century fort. At the nearby Cape St Vincent is an impressive lighthouse
that can normally be visited.

 

Silves was once the capital
of the whole district and was still referred to in the beginning of the 19th
Century as the "Kingdom of the Algarve". Evidence shows that it was already
a place of note in Roman times but it really became an important place during
its occupation in the early 11th Century by the Moors. Giving it the name of
Xelb, they constructed lavish palaces and created a cultural centre of learning
for the whole Iberian Peninsular. Although it was important as a town it still
fell under the mantle and control of Cordoba in Spain. It is recorded that in
1189 there were over 15.000 inhabitants when the Knights of Santiago sacked
the city with the assistance of the Anglo-Norman Crusaders. Two years later
it was retaken by the Caliph Ben Yussef. In 1242 that it was again under the
control of the Portuguese Kings.

 

The impressive remains of
the castle dates back to Moors and there is a impressive underground water reservoirs
that are still used by the city today. As a reminder of the Romans occupation
is the Ponte Romana, a fine strong bridge over the Rio Arade below the city
walls and having been rebuilt from the original in the 15th Century. The city's
earlier 13th Century Cathedral was built on the site of a Mosque and has suffered
considerable alteration over the centuries.

Portimao (Algarve): Full Day Excursion to Faro, Olhao and Tavira

Drive through the east coast of the Algarve to the village of Tavira a labyrinth of pretty streets. Then we continue to Olhao to visit the fishermen quarter and to Faro city with the Roman walls, the cathedral and the church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo. 

Tour Details:
8 hours tour
Morning tour
No wheelchair
Moderate physical activity
Pick up and drop off at the Port

Included: Transportation by Deluxe Vehicle; Guided Tour; Entrance Fees

Not Included: Any meals or other services not specified

Faro is the administrative centre for the whole of the Algarve region. The city has both Arab and Roman ruins but most of the present attractive older buildings were constructed after the disastrous earthquake of both 1755 and 1532. The Moors who occupied the town in the 8th Century originally gave the city it the name of Ossónoba and developed it into a trading port until 1249. They were then defeated by the forces of Dom Afonso III. During the 500 years of Moorish occupation there were some Jewish inhabitants in Faro who were kept busy printing copies of the Old Testament.
 
Particularly attractive is the old part of the city surrounded still by the Roman walls which date back to the 9th. Inside a spacious open square that was once the site of the Roman Forum is a 13th Century Cathedral that faces the 18th Century Episcopal palace. An interesting building is the neighbouring 16th Century Convent that is now turned into the home of the city’s archaeological museum. The "golden" church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo is claimed to be the best example of gold-leaf woodwork in southern Portugal.
 
Next to the small boat basin bordering the Praça de Dom Francisco Gomes is a small Naval Museum composed of scale model boats and galleons showing the maritime history of the coast. Faro is also the home of the Ria Formosa lagoon, a nature reserve of over 17.000 hectares and a stopping place for hundreds of different birds during the spring and autumn migratory periods.
 
The Olhao fishermen’s district is a nice place to visit, where you can see the whitewashed houses, some of them with tiles and flat roofs. Here, narrow streets cover the district and its possible to see the Moorish influence. If the visitor climbs to the bell tower of Nossa Senhora do Rosario church, they can contemplate all the city.
The fishermen's quarter is located between the quay on the Ria Formosa and the earth of the city defined by the main church. The streets that border the Avenida da República, itself a symbol of the urban development that took place at the turn of the century, reflect a city of industrials and ship-owners who grew rich from the fish processing business and trade, displaying their wealth by decorating their homes with verandas, tiles, carved stonework and wrought iron.
 
Tavira has a really nice old city centre made up by a labyrinth of streets with beautiful pavements. The centre hides gardens and wooded squares, churches, and worth-to-visit mansions. Visit the Misericordia church built between 1541 and 1551 and considered the most important Renaissance building in Algarve. The city also has a small fishing port.