Our voyage of discovery
Aidan Mccartney found that his Voyages of Antiquity’s cruise gave him a wonderful insight into the history and culture of the places he visited, as well as a relaxing holiday
It’s fair to say that a cruise with Voyages to Antiquity isn’t your usual cruising experience. We were promised a destination rich journey of cathedrals and vineyards taking in the beautiful Iberian coast, and fascinating French and spanish ports as we travelled from seville to Bordeaux over a seven-day period. the niche speciality travel company prides itself in the destination on offer, and fantastic service on board and sets out to offers its passengers a chance to explore the ancient wonders of the world. their cruise program includes shore excursions, hotel stays in memorable cities and a celebrated guest lecture series. Historians from the world’s best universities travel on board to familiarise passengers with history, art, and culture of the destinations on the itinerary, before heading ashore to experience them firsthand. I travelled with my partner to seville the previous night, staying at the delightful Melia seville, a four-star hotel next to the historic centre. We ventured out to the Plaza de Espana in the evening to enjoy some tapas in the charming neighborhood, full of spirit and life. the next morning was spent on a scenic tour of the capital of the Andalusia region of spain. Lonely Planet named seville the no.1 city to visit in 2018 and it’s easy to see why. A city with a rich history, stunning architecture and authentic culture, I will certainly be returning.
We set out to the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site, the Real Alcazar with its spectacular gardens before heading to find the MV Aegean Odyssey for the start of the cruise. the compact sailing vessel (198 staterooms, average 350 passengers), was sitting on the banks of 408-mile long Guadalquivir river ready for a swift embarkation. A red rose was handed to us as we boarded, a sign of things to come in terms of the personal service to expect. Our deluxe cabin was clean, had plenty of space and the double bed was comfortable. It was soon time to head out to try the food on board. the Aegean Odyssey has two dining venues, the more relaxed terrace cafe and grill which offers casual buffet dining, while a more formal experience can be found at Marco Polo with table service. Both menus were similar so it was really a choice between deciding to opt for the buffet or taking a seat to be served downstairs. All meals on board are included as well as wine and beers during dinner. the food throughout the trip was varied, tasty and didn’t disappoint while the waiting staff were always attentive. We opted for the terrace Cafe and some of the local spanish food on offer as the sun beamed down. the journey along the Guadalquivir river was a pleasant experience as we enjoyed the on board entertainment and cocktails. the next day was a sea day and it was time to experience the first of the wellattended and informative lectures. the subjects covered ranged from Islamic architecture, science, and art, plants evolving in a Mediterranean climate to a brief history of rebuilding Lisbon after the great earthquake in 1755. As a history graduate, the lectures really seemed to capture the audience before we headed for the captain’s welcome party in the evening. the next morning we awoke in Lisbon. A buffet breakfast followed in the terrace Cafe before heading out on a city highlights tour of Lisbon. this took in the historical Belem Quarter and UNESCO listed monastery. An early highlight was a quick visit to Lisbon’s famous pastry shop, Pasteis de Belém. the queues look big but move quickly and the Portuguese egg tarts are worth the wait. We were able to venture out in the afternoon on our own to enjoy Portugal’s capital city before an evening departure. Oporto was next on the itinerary as we set out on the city highlights tour which included the Romanesque-style Cathedral and stock Exchange Palace, before Port tasting in the afternoon. After a morning of sightseeing, we decided to
soak up some atmosphere, grab a bite to eat in one of the many cafes and enjoy some free time on another baking day. The boat set sail overnight, and upon waking we were in the city of Vigo, ready to explore yet another destination. An eight-hour trip to the Santiago de Compostela was on the agenda but we opted instead to enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the Galician city with the leisurely Vigo tour. Our morning tour guide recommended tasting some of the Galician seafood so we made our way down the narrow winding stone streets to discover one of the local restaurants. Fresh from the estuary, there really is no other place in Spain where you can enjoy seafood like Vigo. Another sea day followed with a lecture programme that included Christian and Islamic art and architecture in the Iberian Peninsula and Monet: Painter and Gardener keeping us entertained along with some of the facilities on board including a gym, spa and swimming pool. We arrived in Bordeaux for the final destination on our cruise. It was good timing with the beautiful port city hosting its wine festival and tall ships regatta during the period. A chance to explore the ships and discover the region’s finest wines was one not to miss before we visited the notable art museum Musée des Beaux-arts de Bordeaux in the afternoon. I was sad to leave the Aegean Odyssey behind as the boat continued on its journey to the UK. We’d experienced what it was like to cruise on a smaller ship and left with smiles on our faces, just like everyone on board the ship. Promising an enriching journey of culture and history, Voyages to Antiquity certainly delivered and much more.