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WESTERN EUROPE • OCTOBER 12th – 24th, 2013

 

 

 

OPTIONAL PRE-CRUISE TOURS

HAMPTON COURT AND WINDSOR CASTLE
Pre-Cruise: October 9 (£ 199*)

Join us visiting two timeless treasures in a day designed to bring British history to life. Enhance your knowledge of Britain’s history with an idyllic day trip to Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace. They are related yet differing demonstrations of British monarchy, nationhood, and domesticity.

It’s good to be Queen, and the evidence is all about you at 1,000 year old Windsor Castle. Rubens, Rembrandt, and a remarkable collection of fine art envelope you in history — rich chambers and corridors. Go behind the scenes at the legendary seat of the House of Windsor.
 

Hampton Court

Hampton Court (also known as King Henry VIII’s summer palace) is a place of royal passions and competing interests. Pomp and consequence, subterfuge and service inform the history of the palace. Our visit will put the juxtaposed Tudor and Baroque architecture, larger than life personalities, exquisite Chapel Royal, and magnificent gardens in historical context for you.

STONEHENGE AND BATH
Pre-Cruise: October 10 (£ 199*)

Pass a day in southern England on the Salisbury Plains and Somerset Hills, absorbing the history of two spots with ancient cultural roots.

Mute, mysterious, and megalithic, Stonehenge calls to us across the millennia. We’ll respond, and walk the site in its details. Learn the significant geography, the archaeological and astronomical background, and the key stone names. But those are just the facts — the memories and true meaning of Stonehenge will be up to you.
 

Summer Palace, China

Bath beckons the seasoned traveler. It has scenic beauty, true. People are drawn to Bath to see its honey-colored Bath limestone buildings, and to explore its 2,000 year history as a place of relaxation and restoration. Plumb the details and nuances of Bath’s fusion of architecture, culture, and history in a city with many echos of, and homages to, the ancient world, while embodying the Georgian worldview.

THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY AND THE CHURCHILL WAR ROOM/MUSEUM
Pre-Cruise: October 11 (£ 199*)

Take the road less traveled in London, visiting two less well known gems of the City, both uniquely fascinating and inspiring.

Courage, duty, shared sacrifice, and conviction are the foundation of the Churchill Cabinet War Rooms. Hidden in plain sight in the heart of London, a scant 600 miles from Berlin. Step back in time and discover how Churchill and Britain’s government functioned in secrecy in these quarters, from the Blitz to VE Day. The furnishings, maps, and ephemera are as they were on VE day, May 8, 1945. Hear the stories and imagine life under bombardment in the simple and inspiring environment of the Cabinet War Rooms.
 

Bright Observatory

Are you the precise type? Are you a fan of Google maps or GPS? Or Cutty Sark? Join us on a tour of maritime Greenwich, where our prime objective is visiting the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, home of the Prime Meridian of the World and Greenwich Mean Time. Stroll a deeply historic corner of London significant in local, national, and international culture. See the Royal Observatory, the National Maritime Museum, the tea clipper Cutty Sark, and the Royal Naval College. Master the lingo of time — UT0, UT1, UTC, and GMT. Stand astride two hemisperes on the Prime Meridian, a moment sure to be recorded on your timeline.

*NOTE: Price quoted in British Pounds. All transportation, entrance fees, lunch, and licensed guides are included.
 


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Click a Tab for Shore/Port Information

Port descriptions provided by Insight Cruises**

LONDON Saturday, October 12

Noisy, vibrant and truly multicultural, London is a megalopolis of people, ideas and frenetic energy. The capital and largest city of both the United Kingdom and of England, it is also the largest city in Western Europe and the European Union. Situated on the River Thames in South-East England, Greater London has an official population of a little over eight (8) million — although the figure of 14 million for the city’s metropolitan area more accurately reflects its size and importance. Considered one of two of the world’s leading “global cities”, London remains an international capital of culture, music, education, fashion, politics, finance and trade. (Wikitravel.com)

»» Celebrity Cruises Excursions for London »»

PARIS — Sunday & Monday, October 13 & 14

Paris, the cosmopolitan capital of France, is — with 2.2 million people living in the dense (105 km²) central city and almost 12 million people living in the whole metropolitan area — one of the largest agglomerations in Europe. Located in the north of the country on the river Seine, Paris has the reputation of being the most beautiful and romantic of all cities, brimming with historic associations and remaining vastly influential in the realms of culture, art, fashion, food and design. Dubbed the City of Light (la Ville Lumière) and Capital of Fashion, it is home to the world’s finest and most luxurious fashion designers and cosmetics, such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent, Guerlain, Lancôme, L’Oréal, Clarins, etc. A large part of the city, including the River Seine, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has the second highest number of Michelin-restaurants in the world (after Tokyo) and contains numerous iconic landmarks, such as the world’s most visited tourist site the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, Moulin Rouge, Lido etc., making it the most popular tourist destination in the world with 45 million tourists annually. (Wikitravel.com)

»» Celebrity Cruises Excursions for Paris »»

BORDEAUX, FRANCE — Wednesday & Thursday, October 16 & 17

Elegant Bordeaux, capital of Aquitaine and the fifth-largest city in France, is the hub for the legendary wine châteaux of St-Emilion and Médoc. They welcome you to their vineyards all year round. Away from the trestles, Bordeaux gives generously, too. Its wide Quays curve graciously around the Garonne River to the reconverted Bassins à Flot docks, past Gothic churches, 19th-century factories, tree-shaded thoroughfares and (especially around Place de la Bourse) 18th-century merchants mansions so beautiful, the city has been hailed the great urban aesthetic triumph of western France. (Frommers.com)

»» Celebrity Cruises Excursions for Bordeaux »»

BILBAO, SPAIN — Friday & Saturday, October 18 & 19

Bilbao is the capital of Vizcaya in the Basque Country, Spain. The city is situated on the banks of the Nervión, a tidal river. The climate in Bilbao is milder than in most other parts of the peninsula, rarely falling below freezing in winter, or rising above 35°C in summer. There is also more rain, which is a mixed blessing. The green hills of Bilbao are a welcome relief after an extended stay in the dry plains in the south, but planning a day at the beach is more risky. The population of Bilbao proper is just over 372,000, but within the metropolitan area there are over 1,000,000 inhabitants. (Wikitravel.com)

»» Celebrity Cruises Excursions for Bilbao »»

VIGO, SPAIN — Sunday, October 20

Vigo, the Gateway to Atlantic, is all set to welcome you in wonderful surroundings, which are totally influenced by its water reforms, landscapes and friendly atmosphere. Travelling in Vigo is just like exploring heaven with your own eyes. With its ideal location expanding around the Ria de Vigo (Bay of Vigo), you can sit back and pamper yourself. It is truly an amazing city, which is a great combination of ancient history, beautiful beaches and a modern cosmopolitan outlook. It is one of the largest cities of Spain, inhabited by thousands of people extending the metropolitan population of the city. (Vigo.com)

»» Celebrity Cruises Excursions for Vigo »»

PORTO, PORTUGAL — Monday, October 21

For years, Porto’s motto was, in essence, “You’ve tried the wine; now try the city!” But these days Portugal’s second-largest metropolis — an attractively faded hillside city of venerable town houses and Baroque churches — no longer needs to coast on the reputation of its famous digestif. A jam-packed new night-life district is taking shape, and a blossoming creative scene features everything from an upstart design center to the avant-garde Rem Koolhaas-designed Casa de Música, a stunning concert space. And there’s great news for oenophiles as well. With the Douro region’s emergence as a hotbed of prize-winning red wines — not just port — Porto (also known as Oporto) can now intoxicate you with myriad vintages, new ambitious restaurants and even wine-themed hotels. (NYTimes.com)

»» Celebrity Cruises Excursions for Porto »»

PRICING & GENERAL INFO.

Cruise prices vary from $999 for an Interior Stateroom to to $8,499 for a Royal Suite, per person. (Cruise pricing is subject to change.) For those attending our PROGRAM, there is a $1,575 fee. For detailed information and pictures of our ship and the cabins, please visit CABIN & SHIP INFO page. Taxes and fees are $399 per person. Gratuities are $150 per person. All prices and fees are detailed on the BOOK NOW page.

For a detailed listing of the cruise itinerary please review our ITINERARY page.

Use our PRICING CALCULATOR for a quick price quote! For questions, please don’t hestitate in calling InsightCruises.com (650-787-5665) or emailing us.
 


BROCHURES & VIDEOS

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Download the 2-page deckplan

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Download a 2-page flyer about the Suites

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Download a 4-page flyer about all the Staterooms

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View the online overview of the Penthouse

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View the online deckplan

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Celebrity Infinity details

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Onboard experience with Celebrity

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Slide show of the guest rooms onboard 

WEATHER

Here was the weather for the corresponding days of our cruise, during the year indicated. Historical averages are from the late ’90s to current day.

London — Sat., October 12
   2010   2011   2012
      Historical Averages

Paris — Sun. & Mon., October 13 & 14
   2010   2011   2012
      Historical Averages

Bordeaux, France — Wed. & Thur., October 16 & 17
   2010   2011   2012
      Historical Averages

Bilbao, Spain — Fri. & Sat., October 18 & 19
   2010   2011   2012
      Historical Averages

Vigo, Spain — Sun., October 20
   2010   2011   2012
      Historical Averages

Porto, Portugal — Mon., October 21
   2010   2011   2012
      Historical Averages
 

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