Sail the Mediterranean on the Navigator of the Seas, and Climb Aboard AAA's Member Appreciate Cruise

When you cruise to the "Cradle of Civilization," there’s a natural tendency to be more, well, civilized. The world’s largest inland sea encircles three millennia of art, culture and history, its tastes and smells are the tastes and smells of the earth - from the aroma of sun dried tomatoes to the salty tang of bouillabaisse. Mediterranean people know the secret of living life to the fullest and best of all, they’re willing to share.

You can see it all for yourself this October 9-20 on AAA Travel’s Member Appreciation Cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas. Sailing round trip from Barcelona, Spain, the ship that revolutionized cruising, will call in at Messina, Italy; Thessaloniki, Greece, Istanbul, Turkey; and Valletta, Malta’s scenic capital.

Royal Caribbean’s monumental Voyager-class ships - affectionately known as the "Big Sisters" - introduced never-seen-before cruise features like rock-climbing walls and onboard ice rinks. Guests can roller blade on a track that swerves around the 13th deck or tee off at the nine-hole Adventure Dunes miniature golf course.

Unlike other ships, Navigator’s four-deck-high atrium runs fore and aft through the middle of the ship. This allowed Royal Caribbean to turn "inside" cabins into "outside" cabins by facing them toward the promenade. These Atrium View cabins have excellent views and the promenade has an ambience worthy of London’s Burlington Arcade.

The 3,114-passenger vessel also offers an unparalleled number of on-boat dining and entertainment options including the Vintages Wine Bar and Royal Caribbean’s Chops Grille steak house.

Barcelona is best known for its vast patrimony of cultural treasures. Spain’s hippest city is dominated by the architecture of Antonio Gaudi, whose often bizarre works include the Sagrada Familia cathedral and Park Giuell, a beautiful public garden filled with serpentine ceramic benches, giant decorative lizards and twisted stone pavilions. Guests will also want to visit the Picasso Museum, which houses many of the master’s most significant works.

Messina, Sicily, is home of the Orologio Astronomico, the world’s largest astronomical clock. Located in the Piazza del Duomo, the 197-foot bell tower comes to life when the clock strikes noon with flapping birds, roaring mechanical lions, and two bronze beauties, who take turns ringing the bell.

Messina is also the gateway to unforgettable Taormina, whose nocturnal fires inspired D.H. Lawrence to write Lady Chatterly’s Lover. The breathtaking Greek Amphitheater is perched high on the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean and at sunset, the rugged outline of Mt. Etna is silhouetted against the sky.

Founded in 315 B.C., Thessaloniki is one of Europe’s oldest cities. Named after the sister of Alexander the Great, much of its appeal comes from its picturesque location on the sultry Aegean Sea, amid the backdrop of Mount Olympus. Magnificent Byzantine churches frame tree-lined boulevards that are dominated by The White Tower, a massive circular fortress, which dates back to the 15th century.

The cruise includes a two-day call in Istanbul. The city once known as Constantinople embraces two continents, mingling the waters of the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn. Guests can visit the fabled Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace Museum.

One thing about the Ottomans, they liked a bit of bling - and the museum is filled with treasures like the Topkapi Dagger, set with three enormous emeralds. The arched lanes of the Kapali Carsi or Grand Bazaar are teeming with thousands of shops, selling everything from spices and jewelry, to leather and finely woven carpets. Prices are flexible, so be ready to bargain.

The tiny island of Malta is south of Sicily near the coast of Africa. Valletta, the capital, is strategically located on the mile-long Sciberras Peninsula, between Malta’s most important harbors. Founded around 1565 by the knights of St. John, their influence is evident in the massive limestone fortifications and Baroque palaces and churches. Fort St. Elmo - a classical star-shaped citadel - was constructed in 1552 and was used as a location for the filming of The Midnight Express.

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