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Find out where we are as we take our travelers around the world. Listed below are the expeditions in progress and the planned stop on the itinerary.
If there are no destinations in the field at this time, then visit Reports From The Field to read about daily events on past expeditions or visit our Travel Calendar to see what expeditions are coming up next.
Expeditions in progress:
Pearls of the Pacific: Line Islands, Hawaii to Tahiti Friday, September 5 (Day 10 of 17)
Starbuck Island. This low coral island has only a very narrow pass that is sometimes inaccessible due to the sea conditions. The island was discovered by English whaling captain Valentine Starbuck in 1823; because of the large concentration of seabirds, it became a prosperous phosphate mining community. It was later abandoned in 1893. We become true explorers as we attempt a landing where very few have gone before us. Watch for sooty terns and the remains of the former community. Read the full itinerary | | |
Circumnavigation of the Black Sea Friday, September 5 (Day 3 of 14)
Istanbul / Board Le Levant / Bosporus Cruising. After breakfast we explore opulent Topkapi Palace, which served as the chief residence of Ottoman sultans for nearly four hundred years. After lunch we visit the heart of Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet District. The historic areas of Istanbul are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We visit the 17th-century Blue Mosque, which dazzles with its interior of azure ceramic tiles in intricate Islamic designs. Then continue to the hauntingly beautiful Aya Sofya; this famed 6th-century symbol of the Byzantine Empire with its massive dome was for thousands of years the largest interior space in the world. Alternatively, visit the Byzantine Church of the Holy Savior of Chora, the beautiful Rustem Pasha Mosque, and the colorful Spice Bazaar.
In the late afternoon we board Le Levant and cruise up the scenic Bosporus, the boundary between the European and Asian continents. Watch for historic palaces and fascinating maritime traffic as we enter the Black Sea. Read the full itinerary | | |
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