Cruise from the cradle of Western Civilization and transit the Suez Canal to the warm and inviting waters of the Red Sea during a 10-day voyage that visits the coastlines of Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Meander the maze-like corridors in search of a mythical Minotaur in an excavated Minoan palace. Spend the day transiting the Suez Canal, an elusive dream of pharaohs and emperors before its 1869 completion. Journey to the Great Pyramids and the iconic Sphinx of Giza. Cruise the Nile River and wander the world’s largest outdoor museum prior to dining on lamb kebabs and rice-stuffed peppers during an overnight stay in Luxor. Caress the rose-tinged sandstone walls of Petra or hang on tight to Jordanian camels on the warm desert expanses outside Aqaba. Authentic hospitality awaits you in Bedouin camps outside Yanbu.  Welcome to a land of Arabian coffee, countless palaces and mosques, Bedouins and veiled women.

Jeddah is considered the commercial center of Saudi Arabia with a vibrant blend of modernity and history. Enjoy the modern landmarks of the city, stroll along the waterfront corniche, admire the world’s tallest fountain and walk the streets of Al Balad, Jeddah’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Hijazi-style old town.
 

Over 2,500 years ago, Yanbu was the staging point on the incense and spices trading route from Yemen to Egypt to the Mediterranean. It is also the gateway to Alulu with its red-sand desert landscapes, Nabatean monuments like UNESCO site Hegra, and is considered the SCUBA capital of Saudi Arabia with its beautiful Red Sea coastline.

Located on the Egyptian side of the Red Sea, the city of Safaga is a charming beach resort and gateway to Luxor – known as the “world’s greatest open air museum”. Luxor is home to the Valley of the Kings, and features one of the most impressive collections of temples and tombs in the world. Windstar offers a two-day excursion to the land of the pharaohs.

Located on the Egyptian side of the Red Sea, the city of Safaga is a charming beach resort and gateway to Luxor – known as the “world’s greatest open air museum”. Luxor is home to the Valley of the Kings, and features one of the most impressive collections of temples and tombs in the world. Windstar offers a two-day excursion to the land of the pharaohs.

This classic Red Sea resort glitters like you would expect a “sheik’s peninsula” to glitter, from the shiny brass lamps in the Old Town souk to the sleek private yachts that try (but fail) to eclipse our all-suite Star Plus yacht. Watersports are big here and the snorkeling is outstanding. For many, though, the main attraction is a humble bush at St. Catherine Monastery, located on the spot where Moses was said to have received the Ten Commandments.

Jordan’s only port and considered the playground for the rich and famous of the Middle East with its vast beautiful beaches, opulent resorts, and lively nightlife. Aqaba is also the gateway to Petra, that legendary UNESCO city carved into the cliffs of the desert where ornate buildings form a city which once was a trading center of the world. There is nothing like emerging from a narrow gorge to see the towering pink façade of the famous Treasury.

Your choices here are a symphony of contrasts. Take a thrilling 4x4 ride across undulating desert dunes. Go snorkeling or diving in some of the finest underwater gardens in the world. Or . . . how about a submarine adventure under the Red Sea. This beautiful oasis by the sea has it all.

Known as a place where people come to unwind, Ain Sokhna’s name means “Hot Springs” and refers to the nearby springs considered to have healing powers. Nearby are Egypt’s oldest monasteries, St. Anthony and St. Paul, and the Suez Canal. The soft sandy shores and transparent beauty of the Red Sea here make Ain Sokhna a diver’s paradise and other water sports are also popular here.

The Suez Canal is a bit like Moses’ parting of the Red Sea in reverse, as your yacht passes between Asia and Africa along a thin ribbon of blue. The Egypt side is green, nourished by the Nile River more than 100 miles away. The Sinai side is mostly desert bursting with history. This historic crossing is too expensive to lure many cruise ships. Star Legend gives you a rare and intimate opportunity to experience what few are able to do.

Heraklion is the birthplace of El Greco, Nobel Prize winning poet Odysseas Elytis, and Nikos Kazantzakis. The major site of Crete’s biggest city is Knossos Palace, the Minoan-era castle unearthed by British archaeologist Arthur Evans. But the first site you will see is the Koules Venetian Fortress built in the early 1500s on the harbor walls, it houses restored interior and exterior reliefs of the Lion of St. Mark. A typical feature of Heraklion’s city center is the number of Venetian and Turkish fountains, the most notable being the Morosini Fountain, built to supply Heraklion with 1,000 barrels of water a day.

With 3,000 years of history, you can’t turn around in Athens without encountering the past. The Acropolis, a UNESCO site, the Plaka, and the Acropolis Museum are must-sees. But leave time if you can to climb Pnyx Hill for photos of the Parthenon at sunset, to buy your own set of Greek komboloi (worry beads), and to explore the metro stations that serve as mini-museums for the relics that are constantly being unearthed.