42 nightsFrom Heraklion23 ports of call
Turkey & the Islands of the Canaries & Greece
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines · Balmoral
Overview
A 42-night voyage aboard Balmoral, departing Heraklion on 29 Oct 2026 and arriving in Southampton, calling at 23 destinations along the way.
HeraklionErmoupoliMount AthosThessalonikiMytileneKosRhodesLimassolAlexandria, EgyptMarmarisIstanbulAthens (Piraeus), GreeceKalamataTrapani (Sicily)Tangier, MoroccoAgadirSanta Cruz de TenerifeLas Palmas,Gran CanariaArrecife, Lanzarote, Canary IslandsFunchalLisbonOporto(Porto), PortugalSouthampton
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Itinerary
42 nights · 43 ports of call- 1
Day 1 ·Heraklion, CreteEmbark
29 Oct 2026Capital of the ruggedly beautiful Crete, largest of the Greek Islands, whose ancient legends and history dates back 5,000 years to the Minoans, Europe's first civilisation. Here was born Zeus, king of the gods, and here at the site of Knossos was the fabled labyrinth where Theseus slew the Minotaur. Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Turks have all left their mark, and more recent monuments to the battles of World War II abound. - 2
Day 2 ·Heraklion, Crete
30 Oct 2026Capital of the ruggedly beautiful Crete, largest of the Greek Islands, whose ancient legends and history dates back 5,000 years to the Minoans, Europe's first civilisation. Here was born Zeus, king of the gods, and here at the site of Knossos was the fabled labyrinth where Theseus slew the Minotaur. Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Turks have all left their mark, and more recent monuments to the battles of World War II abound. - 3
Day 3 ·Ermoupoli, Greece
31 Oct 2026Ermoupoli, also known by the formal older name Ermoupolis or Hermoupolis, is a town and former municipality on the island of Syros, in the Cyclades, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Syros-Ermoupoli, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. - 4
Day 4 ·Mount Athos
1 Nov 2026 - 5
Day 5 ·Thessaloniki, Greece
2 Nov 2026Thessaloniki is a Greek port city on the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea. Evidence of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history remains, especially around Ano Poli, the upper town. The ruins of Roman Emperor Galerius’ 4th-century palace include the Rotunda that has been both a church and a mosque. - 6
Day 6 ·Thessaloniki, Greece
3 Nov 2026Thessaloniki is a Greek port city on the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea. Evidence of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history remains, especially around Ano Poli, the upper town. The ruins of Roman Emperor Galerius’ 4th-century palace include the Rotunda that has been both a church and a mosque. - 7
Day 7 ·Mytilene, Lesbos, Greece
4 Nov 2026 - 8
Day 8 ·Kos
5 Nov 2026 - 9
Day 9 ·Rhodes, Greece
6 Nov 2026Largest island of the Dodecanese, Rhodes was the headquarters of the crusader Knights of St John before defeat by the Ottoman Turks. Within the capital's massive citadel walls the medieval Old Town presents a hive of narrow cobbled streets, dominated by the Avenue of the Knights and imposing Palace of the Grand Masters. More modern distractions await in the New Town while nearby is picturesque Lindos, clustered below a hilltop acropolis and Crusader Castle. - 10
Day 10 ·Rhodes, Greece
7 Nov 2026Largest island of the Dodecanese, Rhodes was the headquarters of the crusader Knights of St John before defeat by the Ottoman Turks. Within the capital's massive citadel walls the medieval Old Town presents a hive of narrow cobbled streets, dominated by the Avenue of the Knights and imposing Palace of the Grand Masters. More modern distractions await in the New Town while nearby is picturesque Lindos, clustered below a hilltop acropolis and Crusader Castle. - 11
Day 11 ·Limassol, Cyprus
8 Nov 2026Limassol is the chief port of the Republic of Cyprus. The city lies on Akrotiri Bay, on the southern coast, southwest of Nicosia; it is the island's second largest city and is also its chief tourist centre.
Close by Limassol are the ruins of Kolossi Castle, where King Richard I of Englad is reputed to have honeymooned with Berengaria in 1191. Also worth visiting are the ruins of the 11th-century BC Mycenaean colony of Curium; and the ruins of Amathus, founded by the Phoenicians in 1100 BC. The ancient city of Paphos - the fourth century BC capital to the Kings of Egypt - offers an enchanting excursion. - 12
Day 12 ·Limassol, Cyprus
9 Nov 2026Limassol is the chief port of the Republic of Cyprus. The city lies on Akrotiri Bay, on the southern coast, southwest of Nicosia; it is the island's second largest city and is also its chief tourist centre.
Close by Limassol are the ruins of Kolossi Castle, where King Richard I of Englad is reputed to have honeymooned with Berengaria in 1191. Also worth visiting are the ruins of the 11th-century BC Mycenaean colony of Curium; and the ruins of Amathus, founded by the Phoenicians in 1100 BC. The ancient city of Paphos - the fourth century BC capital to the Kings of Egypt - offers an enchanting excursion. - 13
Day 13 ·Limassol, Cyprus
10 Nov 2026Limassol is the chief port of the Republic of Cyprus. The city lies on Akrotiri Bay, on the southern coast, southwest of Nicosia; it is the island's second largest city and is also its chief tourist centre.
Close by Limassol are the ruins of Kolossi Castle, where King Richard I of Englad is reputed to have honeymooned with Berengaria in 1191. Also worth visiting are the ruins of the 11th-century BC Mycenaean colony of Curium; and the ruins of Amathus, founded by the Phoenicians in 1100 BC. The ancient city of Paphos - the fourth century BC capital to the Kings of Egypt - offers an enchanting excursion. - 14
Day 14 ·At Sea
11 Nov 2026 - 15
Day 15 ·Alexandria, Egypt
12 Nov 2026A Roman amphitheatre, ancient catacombs and the site of the great Pharos lighthouse recall distant glories, while the 19th century Montazah Palace - a former royal residence - and seafront boulevards reflect a more recent era. Alexandria exists in the land that gave birth to the first great civilisation. - 16
Day 16 ·At Sea
13 Nov 2026 - 17
Day 17 ·Marmaris, Turkey
14 Nov 2026'No part of the world can be more beautiful', wrote Freya Stark, 'than the western and southern coasts of Turkey'. In their midst lies the lively resort of Marmaris, whose harbour, old shopping bazaar and 16th century Venetian fortress are framed by an almost land-locked bay of inviting blue.
North-westwards Turkey's legend-filled Aegean Coast, where Antolia's pine-clad mountains drop down to a rocky shoreline punctuated by picture-postcard coves and dazzling beaches. - 18
Day 18 ·At Sea
15 Nov 2026 - 19
Day 19 ·Istanbul, Turkey
16 Nov 2026Built on the shores of two continents and seat of successive Byzantine and Ottoman Empires for 1,500 years, Istanbul (the Constantinople of old) is a chaotic, cosmoplitan collision of East and West, past and present. Among its great wealth of monuments and landmarks are the ethereal Blue Mosque, glittering Topkapi Palace (once home of the sultans), vast Kapali Carsi (the world's largest covered bazaar) and the aromatic Egyptian Spice Market. - 20
Day 20 ·Istanbul, Turkey
17 Nov 2026Built on the shores of two continents and seat of successive Byzantine and Ottoman Empires for 1,500 years, Istanbul (the Constantinople of old) is a chaotic, cosmoplitan collision of East and West, past and present. Among its great wealth of monuments and landmarks are the ethereal Blue Mosque, glittering Topkapi Palace (once home of the sultans), vast Kapali Carsi (the world's largest covered bazaar) and the aromatic Egyptian Spice Market. - 21
Day 21 ·At Sea
18 Nov 2026 - 22
Day 22 ·Piraeus (Athens), Greece
19 Nov 2026The port of Piraeus brings you to Athens, one of the great names of antiquity, the city of Plato and Socrates, a cradle of Western civilisation and birthplace of democracy. You can step in to that history on the heights of the Acropolis with its glorious 2,500-years-old Parthenon dating from the Golden Age of Classical Greece. Below, in the heart of the city lies the ancient Plaka District's honeycomb of streets, little shops - and tavernas that come alive at night with the pulse of bouzouki. - 23
Day 23 ·Piraeus (Athens), Greece
20 Nov 2026The port of Piraeus brings you to Athens, one of the great names of antiquity, the city of Plato and Socrates, a cradle of Western civilisation and birthplace of democracy. You can step in to that history on the heights of the Acropolis with its glorious 2,500-years-old Parthenon dating from the Golden Age of Classical Greece. Below, in the heart of the city lies the ancient Plaka District's honeycomb of streets, little shops - and tavernas that come alive at night with the pulse of bouzouki. - 24
Day 24 ·Kalamata, Greece
21 Nov 2026Built on the site of ancient Pharai, Kalamata, the second largest city in Peloponnes is fantastic destination for museum lovers. It has a small, but attractive, old town, which was rebuilt having been completely destroyed by the Turks in the war of independence. - 25
Day 25 ·At Sea
22 Nov 2026 - 26
Day 26 ·Trapani
23 Nov 2026 - 27
Day 27 ·At Sea
24 Nov 2026 - 28
Day 28 ·At Sea
25 Nov 2026 - 29
Day 29 ·Tangier, Morocco
26 Nov 2026Overlooking a vast sweeping bay, Tangier is the traditional gateway to Morocco. Though no more than 15 miles across the Straits of Gibraltar from Europe, this is a cosmopolitan city that stands on the threshold of Africa. Its world of soaring minarets and domes, ancient casbah (once the sultan's walled palace and gardens) and animated souks express the rich part-Arab, part-African heritage of a city that has seen occupation by 12 nations since the 5th century. - 30
Day 30 ·At Sea
27 Nov 2026 - 31
Day 31 ·Agadir, Morocco
28 Nov 2026Poised between the Atlantic and the snow crowned Atlas Mountains, Agadir is a lively resort set beside a vast beach. The town presents the modern face of Morocco, but one where a pervasive sense of ancient and deep-rooted tradition still lingers – while inland, where the warm Sahara winds blow, the citadel-oasis or Taroudant, reflects Berber culture at its most exotic. - 32
Day 32 ·At Sea
29 Nov 2026 - 33
Day 33 ·Santa Cruz, Tenerife
30 Nov 2026Sophisticated Santa Cruz - Tenerife's capital - is built around boulevards and wide avenues that link elegant squares and parks.
Well-preserved buildings feature in the old town, including the colonial Church of the Immaculate Conception and the 18th century Palacio de Carta, which has impressive Baroque and neoclassical features. Recently redesigned by the architects Herzog & de Meuron, the city’s largest square, Plaza de España, is a pleasant spot to lose a few hours. Lively beaches such as Playa de Las Americas are within easy reach of Santa Cruz too.
Away from the capital, many of Tenerife's highlights await on tours, including the exotic Botanical Gardens or the mystical lava stone Pyramids of Guimar. Exploring the volcanic El Teide National Park to marvel at majestic Mount Teide, or even climb Spain's highest peak, is an unmissable experience. - 34
Day 34 ·Las Palmas, Gran Canaria
1 Dec 2026The thriving capital of Gran Canaria, third largest island of the Canaries, Las Palmas is within easy reach of the famous Playa del Ingles beach and the magnificent palm-fringed and Sahara-like dunes of Maspalomas. In quieter corners of the island attractive old towns like Teror and Arucas (the latter the island's ‘banana capital') invite exploration, while inland Gran Canaria's fretted volcanic landscapes of gorges, craters and mountains rising to 6,500ft offer memorable sightseeing. - 35
Day 35 ·Arrecife, Lanzarote
2 Dec 2026Arrecife is the gateway to the island of Lanzarote, whose desolate yet dramatic lunar-like landscapes and coal-black sand beaches were shaped by 18th century volcanic eruptions. Ride by camel to the still hissing rocks of the great ‘Fire Mountains' in Timanfaya National Park – then cool down with a glass or two of wine and delicious paella in a local seafront restaurant! - 36
Day 36 ·Funchal
3 Dec 2026The picturesque whitewashed capital of this mountainous Portuguese island, 350 miles off the coast of Africa, has a timeless charm, delightfully enhanced by a benign climate that fills this ‘floating garden' with the year round colours and perfumes of subtropical flowers and fruit. Much painted by Sir Winston Churchill, Madeira has been offering the British visitor a warm welcome for three centuries, its famous wine the perfect aid to total relaxation! - 37
Day 37 ·Funchal
4 Dec 2026The picturesque whitewashed capital of this mountainous Portuguese island, 350 miles off the coast of Africa, has a timeless charm, delightfully enhanced by a benign climate that fills this ‘floating garden' with the year round colours and perfumes of subtropical flowers and fruit. Much painted by Sir Winston Churchill, Madeira has been offering the British visitor a warm welcome for three centuries, its famous wine the perfect aid to total relaxation! - 38
Day 38 ·At Sea
5 Dec 2026 - 39
Day 39 ·Lisbon, Portugal
6 Dec 2026It was from historic Lisbon, built on seven low hills beside the wide Tagus estuary, that some of Europe's greatest explorers set sail in pursuit of the riches that built Portugal's former global empire in the New World, Africa and the Indies. Memories of that glorious past linger amid the grand avenues and elegant squares of the attractive capital's 18th century lower town - a vivid contrast with the colourful honeycomb of cobbled streets in the old Moorish Alfama quarter and the bohemian mood of the hilly Bairro Alto. - 40
Day 40 ·Oporto, Portugal
7 Dec 2026You'll find that Portugal's second city, set picturesquely on the banks of the River Douro, has some unexpected and long-established links with Britain, not least because of it's role as the home of Portugal's port wine trade. A fascinating Old Town, whose 12th century cathedral overlooks a maze of narrow streets, medieval houses and little baroque churches, is testimony to Oporto's rich history. - 41
Day 41 ·At Sea
8 Dec 2026 - 42
Day 42 ·At Sea
9 Dec 2026 - 43
Day 43 ·Southampton, UKDisembark
10 Dec 2026Southampton offers fast and efficient check-in areas, spacious departure lounges with seating areas, café-bars and smart washrooms. If you wish to travel by car and park for the duration of your cruise, you can pay for and reserve parking in advance directly with the relevant company. Alternatively, if being dropped off or collected by taxi or private car, they can drive right up alongside the terminal building.
Your ship: Balmoral
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