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The most famous Mayan site is at Chichen Itza a twoandahalf hour drive inland from the coast The walled city of Tulum is beautiful located on a cliff overlooking the turquoise Caribbean waters Founded in 445 AD this massive city was inhabited until 1204 AD when it was abandoned Towering over the site is the Kukulcan pyramid which rises 70 feet into the airA Mediterranean cruise offers access to the most spectacular wonders of all the Egyptian pyramids From the port of Alexandria Egypt its easy to head inland to Cairo and see the most famous wonders of the ancient world the colossal Giza pyramids and Sphinx overlooking the vast Sahara desertCruises that call on the Turkish ports of Kusadasi and Izmir have access to visit Ephesus which was the capital of Asia Minor during the time of the Roman Empire and now it is one of the worlds most impressive and bestrestored archaeological sites Walk the marblepaved streets and see the spectacular ruins of the Temple of Hadrian the Library of Celsus the house where the Virgin Mary spent her last days and the amphitheater where St Paul once preachedAthens is the place where many of Western societys most profound intellectual and artistic ideas were born and it is universally heralded as the birthplace of democracy The most dominant physical feature is the Acropolis which can be seen from any corner of Athens Its main building is the Parthenon a 2500 year old temple to the goddess AthenaCruises that transit the Suez Canal can stop in Aqaba Jordan for a visit to Petra This amazing city was created by the Nabataeans an Arab people who carved elaborate palaces temples tombs and storerooms out of solid rock The Al Khazneh treasury building is the most iconic feature in the rose colored city since it appeared in Indiana Jones and the Last CrusadeSouth America has become a popular cruise destination and cruises that call on Lima Peru have access to Machu Picchu the amazing Lost City of the Incas This is a multiday excursion from the port that requires a flight into Cuzco and then a train ride up the Andes plateau The Incan city which dates to the 15th century is impressively well preserved and visually stunningTravel by cruise ship is one of the easiest ways to explore the ancient wonders around the globe With accommodations meals and entertainment included in the cruise fare and a variety of places mapped out by the cruise line it doesnt get any more convenient

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The news story a while back about the cruise ship full of luxury passengers almost being hijacked by decidedly more downscale Somali pirates reminded me of my own experience with the cruising lifestyle. It’s all too easy for everyone to make their own jokes about the prospect of buffet-stuffed tourists brandishing pool cues and miniature golf putters to ward off the boarding party, but I’m sure the confrontation was still very frightening to all those on board.

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Travel to Temple of Hadrian at Ephesus by Janet and Brian Mason, from the West Midlands, took a 16-night Mediterranean cruise on the P&O ship Aurora. Our holiday began in Southampton, with the customary musical send-off from the band on the quayside, and to the strains of We Are Sailing we made our way to Palma, Majorca. Here we visited the magnificent Gothic Cathedral, the Almudaina Palace — originally Moorish — and the Arab Baths, set The acropolis, the stadium and the ruins of the temples of Athena and Apollo tower impressively on a hill running along the south-western shores. The town of Rhodes itself is full of narrow, medieval streets, old battlements, towers and mosques.

From Rhodes we sailed to Kusadasi in Turkey, one of the highlights of the trip. Kusadasi provides the gateway to one of the most spectacular ancient sites in the world — the mighty city of Ephesus, once of the ruins at Ephesus — it’s easy to visualise the importance of the city, especially when we discovered that Cleopatra had actually lived there. Then we headed to Piraeus, for Athens, — a paradise of ancient monuments, including the Parthenon, and the Acropolis. Leaving the glories of Athens behind, we sailed to Zakinthos, a lush island planted with olive trees and vines, and then on to Messina, Sicily.