MIAMI – Groups can follow in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul on a new seven-day cruise by Louis Cruises. The company’s new faith-based cruise and land travel program called “Pilgrimage Voyages” takes guests to sites in Greece and Turkey with strong ties to history and Christianity.
“It has been nearly 2,000 years since Apostle Paul set out from the Holy Land on a journey that was to play an immeasurable role in the dissemination of Christian ideas and the establishment of Christian communities,” said Nicholas Filippidis, director of product development in North American for Louis Cruises. “This cruise itinerary offers a rare opportunity for all those interested in the history of the Christian faith to relive parts of Apostle Paul’s journey and literally follow in his footsteps.”
The Mediterranean cruise sets off from Athens before reaching Thessaloniki, Greece, to see the city’s ancient walls, the House of Jason and the Agora. Next, travelers will arrive in Kavala, Greece, which was the biblical Neapolis. Here, participants will enjoy a worship service on the river where Paul’s first European convert was baptized at the Baptistery of Lydia.
In Istanbul, Turkey, groups will discover Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque. Other stops in Turkey include exploring Dikili’s ancient city of Pergamon and Kusadasi’s House of the Virgin Mary and Ancient Ephesus.
The ship then returns to Greece for Patmos’ two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: The Monastery of St. John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse where St. John the Divine dictated the Book of Revelation.
For more information on the cruise, visit Louis Cruises’ website.