Israel & Mediterranean, Holy Land Gay Group Cruise 2017

12 nights cruise from/to Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

September 29 – October 11, 2017
Celebrity's Silhouette

Join Pied Piper Travel on our most exotic itinerary when our gay group on the new ship, Celebrity Silhouette, cruises to Italy, Greece and Israel! You'll sail round trip from Rome (Civitavecchia) Italy to experience firsthand the mysteries of the ancient world. Your cruise will sail the beautifully cerulean blue Mediterranean Sea en route to experience the ancient civilizations of Rome, Turkey, Greece, and Israel. On your Pied Piper cruise, you'll visit the holy city of Jerusalem and the beautiful port of Naples, Italy! Experience this history and natural beauty onboard Celebrity's new ship, the incomparable Silhouette!

All this is yours while you are pampered with gracious service, gourmet dining, and numerous venues for entertainment on the stylish and most up-to-date luxury cruise ship.

Celebrity Silhouette

Exploring Mediterranean in complete luxury is brought to life thanks to Celebrity Silhouette. This impressive ship features all the best elements of the Solstice Class – with some of her own for good measure.

Whatever you enjoy doing on holiday, there is plenty to keep you occupied on board Celebrity Silhouette. Find some peace amid the real grass of the Lawn Club in the cabana-style Alcoves. Sit back and relax with up to three companions in each intimate area, where stunning views of the land and sea surround you, while staff are on hand to bring you fresh fruit, ice-cold water and a picnic basket from one of our speciality restaurants. For some quiet time, head to our newly appointed Canyon Ranch SpaClub – one of the world's leading spa brands. From innovative treatments to a full range of beauty and wellness services, you will find space to truly relax and enjoy some time to yourself. Continue your precious alone time at treehouse-inspired The Hideaway, the perfect escape for reading and relaxing. By night, visit the cool and creative Molecular Bar for incredible, unique cocktails crafted by our expert mixologists.

Luxurious Accommodation
Staterooms on board Celebrity Silhouette are stylishly fitted with forward-thinking design in every aspect. The experience is indulgent from the moment you step on board – and there are accommodation options to suit the tastes of every guest. A stateroom is more than just a room. It is a place where guests can lie back, relax and take in the unmistakable luxury of a Celebrity Cruises® holiday. Most of our staterooms include a private balcony for a personal open space, while others offer a superb sea view. Select an Inside Stateroom for a cosy stay, or a luxurious Penthouse Suite for incredible views and European-style butler service. All staterooms include en-suite facilities and luxurious bed linen.

Dining
Undoubtedly one of the top restaurants to visit during your Celebrity cruise is Murano. The world-class cuisine is a contemporary take on classic French Continental dining, and the result is unforgettable. Extraordinary dishes are comprised of a multitude of flavours, each of which has been carefully chosen by expert chefs. For dining country-club style, head to the Lawn Club Grill to become your table's very own Grill Master. With an expert chef at your side, you can roast meat and fish to perfection, served alongside delicious flatbreads. Nearby is The Porch, a favourite of many Celebrity Silhouette reviews. Here you will find fresh and simple food including paninis, salads and soups.

Entertainment
West-End style shows, stylish bars and cafés, comedians, classical and contemporary musicians and entertainers, dancing, nightclubs, movies, access to the casino, and more are just a selection of the activities available to entertain you onboard Celebrity Silhouette. A myriad of venues await - be seduced by the lights and movement on the spacious dance floor of Quasar, a refreshingly vibrant nightclub where retro styling fuses with contemporary rhythms. Ascend to the Sky Observation Lounge, where the bright canopy of the heavens appears to lie just within your grasp.We believe a glass of great wine can be a truly enjoyable experience, and the friendly ambience of Cellar Masters is the perfect place to savour and old vintage or discover something completely new.

AquaSpa & Fitness Centre
Unlimited access to the outdoor pools, whirlpools, fitness centre and AquaSpa Café. AquaSpa and acupuncture treatments can be purchased separately or as a package.Discover a truly transforming environment where restorative treatments from around the world have been brought together to help cleanse your body and purify your spirit.From a relaxing facial to a heated Aroma Stone Therapy, feel free to choose one treatment at a time or allow us to combine them in the ultimate in pampering. Spa lovers can take advantage of the brand new Aquaclass balcony stateroom, a serene retreat convenently located adjacent to the spa facilities.

Onboard activities
Celebrity's Enrichment Series incorporating talks by guest lecturers, cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, and any number of classes to hone your skills. Further options include art auctions, a hot glass blowing show, library, conservatory, trivia & brainteasers, talent shows and more. Sports facilities comprise of basketball, paddle tennis, volleyball and a number of deck games.

Rest assured that your time at sea will be as richly rewarding as the destinations themselves, and that you'll have countless opportunities to fill your days and broaden your horizons. Celebrity Silhouette offers an elegant marble-paved galleria of boutiques, with no less than 18 shops spanning three decks - including high-end Boutique C and The Lawn Club Shop.

And don't miss the art onboard as throughout Celebrity Silhouette you'll see museum-quality artwork on display by masters like Picasso or contemporary painters like Peter Max or David Hockney. Even better, Celebrity's on-board art auctions give you the chance to buy original works from many well-known artists.

The Lawn Club
announcing another cruise industry first.A freshly manicured lawn on the top deck! Offering a wide range of activities - take a picnic or enjoy casual outdoor activities like croquet, boules, or improve your putting with the amazing feel of real grass between your toes.

Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

For centuries the ancient port of Civitavecchia has served as the gateway to magnificent Rome. Its a city so immersed in history, you'll find yourself drifiting back to a distant time. Home of Michelangelos Sistine Chapel, Rome flourishes today as she did in her Golden Age. Experience Rome, a city of colossal ruins, majestic cathedrals and a golden past, worthy of many return visits.

Experience the history of Rome as you wander around the Colosseum and Roman Forum. Explore the amazing history and culture of Rome. Stop at the Ara Pacis, or Altar of Peace, a Roman sacrificial altar enclosed in a screen of Parian marble.

Visit the Vatican Museum, where you can walk through the many rooms that house the largest art collection in the world. Travel through magnificent St. Peter's Basilica, the largest church in the world. View the Sistine Chapel, a masterpiece of Renaissance art, the ceiling of which was painted by Michelangelo. Toss a coin in the famous Trevi Fountain - a way to ensure that you'll always return to Rome.

Naples, Italy

Framed by Mount Vesuvius along a dramatic skyline, the 2,800 year-old port city of Naples is chock full of historical sites, churches, and museums that make it an incredible place for you to explore. And in the region where pizza was first invented, you know the food is going to be incredible. Just 35 miles down the coast, Salerno offers you a rich history but also boasts a marvelous collection of parks, natural wonders, and unique vantage points to take in the beauty of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Two cities. One incredible stretch of Italian coastline.

While you're in the area, you'll want to visit Pompeii, one of the most famous excavation sites in the world. A thriving city 1,900 years ago, it was devastated by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. when 30 feet of volcanic ash and pumice stone covered it. Enter Pompeii by the sea gate and take a short walk to the hub of the city: the Forum. View the lavish temples and porticoes that lay beneath the ash for centuries.

Take a short boat trip to the entrancing Isle of Capri, and explore Capri Town. Wander its quaint streets and explore its shops and cafés. Discover the Gardens of Augustus, overlooking the famous Faraglioni of Capri and Marina Piccola. Take a ride up the Amalfi Coast. With its ocean views and beautiful vistas, it's one of the most breathtaking stretches of road in the world.

Ashdod (Jerusalem), Israel

The best place to begin your visit to the vibrant port city of Ashdod is at Givat Yonah, the towering hill the traditional site of the tomb of the sea-faring Jonah the prophet, who was swallowed by a whale. A wonderful overview of Ashdod awaits you here: You'll see Israel's busiest cargo port, where over 100,000 tourists also enter and leave the country. Givat Yonah is also an archaeological mound, which makes it the best place to appreciate how this city, which started out in the Bible as a Philistine town, has expanded.

Sacred to three of the world's major religions, Jerusalem is one of the world's oldest cities, with a history dating back to 4000 BC. Gaze at the Western Wall, which is all that's left of the fabled Second Temple, or watch the sunlight bounce off the golden-roofed Dome of the Rock or the shimmering silver al-Aqsa Mosque.

Haifa, Israel

This spectacular city rises dramatically from the Mediterranean on terraced hillsides, which culminate with Mount Carmel. From that viewpoint all the world seems to lie at your feet. On a clear day you can see north all the way to the Lebanese border, as well as the snowcapped Mount Hermon to the east.

Israel's third largest city and one of its prettiest, Haifa has a lot to offer visitors. It has the country's largest port, a particularly active beach and is the home of the World Center of the Bahai Faith. Surrounded by abundant nature sites, the city contains an interesting mix of modern neighborhoods and older districts; churches and mosques; mountain and sea.

Mykonos, Greece

With an area of just 33 square miles, Mykonos is one of the smallest islands to belong to the Cyclades group. Its population of 5,000 residents is out-numbered by an annual pilgrimage of 900,000 visitors that swarm the streets, nightclubs, and beaches. Mykonos' beaches are unsurpassed and Mykonos Town is a charming village of winding streets with a traditional atmosphere, interesting shops, great restaurants, and the most exciting and sophisticated nightlife in Greece. These factors and its close proximity to Delos have made it the most popular island in its chain. Governing the scene is the unlikely town mascot, Petros II, the pelican. There was a Petros I, but he died ten years ago when struck by a car. So if you see a large pelican while eating at a taverna, or visiting with residents, take a picture. He is a local celebrity.

The main town is known as Mykonos Town or Chora, which simply means "capital," and it is the administrative center of the island. Its whitewashed houses, maze of shops, and typical windmills stand out against the brown earth and blue skies, forming a perfect postcard setting. The most outstanding feature of the town is its dazzling brightness; blazing sunlight reflects off the freshly whitewashed churches and houses. Keep in mind you will get lost in the maze of streets constructed to confuse attacking pirates. This design helped foil would- be attackers by confounding them and enabling villagers to maneuver them into ambush. Such layouts are repeated throughout the Mediterranean region for this very reason. Those that live in the town can get around easily since they are used to the puzzle of twisting streets and alleys. But don't worry. If you can find the sea, you will easily find the pier and taxi stand.

Athens (Piraeus), Greece

Piraeus is the main port of Athens, the biggest in Greece, and one of the most important in the Mediterranean Sea. Piraeus is walking distance from Kastella, a hill strewn with beautiful houses that offers a majestic view of the Saronic Gulf. Other points of interest include an archaeological museum, Mikrolimano, where you can enjoy an ouzo accompanied by seafood mezedes.

Athens brought the world drama, history, poetry, and philosophy. Once home to the world's most powerful and civilized empires, Athens is now the world's foremost archaeological playground. The towering columns of the Parthenon still stand in homage to the virgin goddess Athena.

The birthplace of democracy and western civilisation, with the crowning glory, the Acropolis, perched atop its plateau under a burnished blue sky. Your best memories may come from losing yourself in the twisting streets of the ancient Plaka district.

Chania (Souda), Crete, Greece

Chania is a city of unique beauty, filled with an abundance of fragrant flowers, and boasting a rich cultural heritage. In a tradition of hospitality. Ancient and modern monuments, the Venician Harbour and the Old Town, colourful neighbourhoods, a traditional lifestyle and the friendly inhabitants warmly invite you on a step by step journey to become acquainted with the city, promising you unforgettable moments.

Like many ports in this part of the world, archeological ruins dating back to antiquity are found everywhere. There are also hundreds of gorges around the island and over 1,500 land and sea caves, including Elefantos, noted for its remarkable white and red stalactites.

A Pied Piper gay group cruise to Israel & Mediterranean makes for the ultimate cruise experience!