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Arrive | Depart | ||||||
17th17 | OctOct | 202525 | Dubrovnik, Croatia, embark on the Balmoral | Late Night | |||
Nothing can prepare you for your first sight of Dubrovnik. Lying 216 km (135 miles) southeast of Split and commanding a jaw-dropping coastal location, it is one of the world's most beautiful fortified cities. Its massive stone ramparts and fortress towers curve around a tiny harbor, enclosing graduated ridges of sun-bleached orange-tiled roofs, copper domes, and elegant bell towers. Your imagination will run wild picturing what it looked like seven centuries ago when the walls were built, without any suburbs or highways around it, just this magnificent stone city rising out of the sea.In the 7th century AD, residents of the Roman city Epidaurum (now Cavtat) fled the Avars and Slavs of the north and founded a new settlement on a small rocky island, which they named Laus, and later Ragusa. On the mainland hillside opposite the island, the Slav settlement called Dubrovnik grew up. In the 12th century the narrow channel separating the two settlements was filled in (now the main street through the Old Town, called Stradun), and Ragusa and Dubrovnik became one. The city was surrounded by defensive walls during the 13th century, and these were reinforced with towers and bastions in the late 15th century.From 1358 to 1808 the city thrived as a powerful and remarkably sophisticated independent republic, reaching its golden age during the 16th century. In 1667 many of its splendid Gothic and Renaissance buildings were destroyed by an earthquake. The defensive walls survived the disaster, and the city was rebuilt in baroque style.Dubrovnik lost its independence to Napoléon in 1808, and in 1815 passed to Austria-Hungary. During the 20th century, as part of Yugoslavia, the city became a popular tourist destination, and in 1979 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the war for independence, it came under heavy siege. Thanks to careful restoration, few traces of damage remain; however, there are maps inside the Pile and Ploče Gates illustrating the points around the city where damage was done. It’s only when you experience Dubrovnik yourself that you can understand what a treasure the world nearly lost | |||||||
18th18 | OctOct | 202525 | At Sea | ||||
19th19 | OctOct | 202525 | Argostoli, Greece | Early AM | Late PM | ||
Ground literally to ashes in World War II and wracked by a massive earthquake a decade later, the capital of Kefalonia once more shows pride in its native spirit and natural beauty. The vast harbor on Argostoli’s east side makes an especially attractive port for cruise ships full of visitors who never seem to tire of strolling the cobbled seaside promenade, sipping ouzos in cafés, and stocking up on the succulent Mediterranean fruits in the outdoor markets. | |||||||
20th20 | OctOct | 202525 | Kalamáta, Greece | Early AM | Late PM | ||
21st21 | OctOct | 202525 | Piraeus, Greece | Early AM | Late Night | ||
It's no wonder that all roads lead to the fascinating and maddening metropolis of Athens. Lift your eyes 200 feet above the city to the Parthenon, its honey-color marble columns rising from a massive limestone base, and you behold architectural perfection that has not been surpassed in 2,500 years. But, today, this shrine of classical form dominates a 21st-century boomtown. To experience Athens—Athína in Greek—fully is to understand the essence of Greece: ancient monuments surviving in a sea of cement, startling beauty amid the squalor, tradition juxtaposed with modernity. Locals depend on humor and flexibility to deal with the chaos; you should do the same. The rewards are immense. Although Athens covers a huge area, the major landmarks of the ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine periods are close to the modern city center. You can easily walk from the Acropolis to many other key sites, taking time to browse in shops and relax in cafés and tavernas along the way. From many quarters of the city you can glimpse "the glory that was Greece" in the form of the Acropolis looming above the horizon, but only by actually climbing that rocky precipice can you feel the impact of the ancient settlement. The Acropolis and Filopappou, two craggy hills sitting side by side; the ancient Agora (marketplace); and Kerameikos, the first cemetery, form the core of ancient and Roman Athens. Along the Unification of Archaeological Sites promenade, you can follow stone-paved, tree-lined walkways from site to site, undisturbed by traffic. Cars have also been banned or reduced in other streets in the historical center. In the National Archaeological Museum, vast numbers of artifacts illustrate the many millennia of Greek civilization; smaller museums such as the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art Museum and the Byzantine and Christian Museum illuminate the history of particular regions or periods. Athens may seem like one huge city, but it is really a conglomeration of neighborhoods with distinctive characters. The Eastern influences that prevailed during the 400-year rule of the Ottoman Empire are still evident in Monastiraki, the bazaar area near the foot of the Acropolis. On the northern slope of the Acropolis, stroll through Plaka (if possible by moonlight), an area of tranquil streets lined with renovated mansions, to get the flavor of the 19th-century's gracious lifestyle. The narrow lanes of Anafiotika, a section of Plaka, thread past tiny churches and small, color-washed houses with wooden upper stories, recalling a Cycladic island village. In this maze of winding streets, vestiges of the older city are everywhere: crumbling stairways lined with festive tavernas; dank cellars filled with wine vats; occasionally a court or diminutive garden, enclosed within high walls and filled with magnolia trees and the flaming trumpet-shaped flowers of hibiscus bushes. Formerly run-down old quarters, such as Thission, Gazi and Psirri, popular nightlife areas filled with bars and mezedopoleia (similar to tapas bars), are now in the process of gentrification, although they still retain much of their original charm, as does the colorful produce and meat market on Athinas. The area around Syntagma Square, the tourist hub, and Omonia Square, the commercial heart of the city about 1 km (½ mi) northwest, is distinctly European, having been designed by the court architects of King Otho, a Bavarian, in the 19th century. The chic shops and bistros of ritzy Kolonaki nestle at the foot of Mt. Lycabettus, Athens's highest hill (909 feet). Each of Athens's outlying suburbs has a distinctive character: in the north is wealthy, tree-lined Kifissia, once a summer resort for aristocratic Athenians, and in the south and southeast lie Glyfada, Voula, and Vouliagmeni, with their sandy beaches, seaside bars, and lively summer nightlife. Just beyond the city's southern fringes is Piraeus, a bustling port city of waterside fish tavernas and Saronic Gulf views. | |||||||
22nd22 | OctOct | 202525 | Santorini, Greece | Early AM | Late Night | ||
Undoubtedly the most extraordinary island in the Aegean, crescent-shape Santorini remains a mandatory stop on the Cycladic tourist route—even if it's necessary to enjoy the sensational sunsets from Ia, the fascinating excavations, and the dazzling white towns with a million other travelers. Called Kállisti (the "Loveliest") when first settled, the island has now reverted to its subsequent name of Thira, after the 9th-century-BC Dorian colonizer Thiras. The place is better known, however, these days as Santorini, a name derived from its patroness, St. Irene of Thessaloniki, the Byzantine empress who restored icons to Orthodoxy and died in 802. You can fly conveniently to Santorini, but to enjoy a true Santorini rite of passage, opt instead for the boat trip here, which provides a spectacular introduction. After the boat sails between Sikinos and Ios, your deck-side perch approaches two close islands with a passage between them. The bigger one on the left is Santorini, and the smaller on the right is Thirassia. Passing between them, you see the village of Ia adorning Santorini's northernmost cliff like a white geometric beehive. You are in the caldera (volcanic crater), one of the world's truly breathtaking sights: a demilune of cliffs rising 1,100 feet, with the white clusters of the towns of Fira and Ia perched along the top. The bay, once the high center of the island, is 1,300 feet in some places, so deep that when boats dock in Santorini's shabby little port of Athinios, they do not drop anchor. The encircling cliffs are the ancient rim of a still-active volcano, and you are sailing east across its flooded caldera. On your right are the Burnt isles, the White isle, and other volcanic remnants, all lined up as if some outsize display in a geology museum. Hephaestus's subterranean fires smolder still—the volcano erupted in 198 BC, about 735, and there was an earthquake in 1956. Indeed, Santorini and its four neighboring islets are the fragmentary remains of a larger landmass that exploded about 1600 BC: the volcano's core blew sky high, and the sea rushed into the abyss to create the great bay, which measures 10 km by 7 km (6 mi by 4½ mi) and is 1,292 feet deep. The other pieces of the rim, which broke off in later eruptions, are Thirassia, where a few hundred people live, and deserted little Aspronissi ("White isle"). In the center of the bay, black and uninhabited, two cones, the Burnt Isles of Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni, appeared between 1573 and 1925. There has been too much speculation about the identification of Santorini with the mythical Atlantis, mentioned in Egyptian papyri and by Plato (who says it's in the Atlantic), but myths are hard to pin down. This is not true of old arguments about whether tidal waves from Santorini's cataclysmic explosion destroyed Minoan civilization on Crete, 113 km (70 mi) away. The latest carbon-dating evidence, which points to a few years before 1600 BC for the eruption, clearly indicates that the Minoans outlasted the eruption by a couple of hundred years, but most probably in a weakened state. In fact, the island still endures hardships: since antiquity, Santorini has depended on rain collected in cisterns for drinking and irrigating—the well water is often brackish—and the serious shortage is alleviated by the importation of water. However, the volcanic soil also yields riches: small, intense tomatoes with tough skins used for tomato paste (good restaurants here serve them); the famous Santorini fava beans, which have a light, fresh taste; barley; wheat; and white-skin eggplants. | |||||||
23rd23 | OctOct | 202525 | Agios Nikólaos, Kríti, Greece | Early AM | Late Night | ||
24th24 | OctOct | 202525 | Rhodes, Greece | Late PM | Late PM | ||
Early travelers described Rhodes as a town of two parts: a castle or high town (Collachium) and a lower city. Today Rhodes town—sometimes referred to as Ródos town—is still a city of two parts: the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site that incorporates the high town and lower city, and the modern metropolis, or New Town, spreading away from the walls that encircle the Old Town. The narrow streets of the Old Town are for the most part closed to cars and are lined with Orthodox and Catholic churches, Turkish houses (some of which follow the ancient orthogonal plan), and medieval public buildings with exterior staircases and facades elegantly constructed of well-cut limestone from Lindos. Careful reconstruction in recent years has enhanced the harmonious effect. | |||||||
25th25 | OctOct | 202525 | Rhodes, Greece, disembark the Balmoral | Late PM | |||
Early travelers described Rhodes as a town of two parts: a castle or high town (Collachium) and a lower city. Today Rhodes town—sometimes referred to as Ródos town—is still a city of two parts: the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site that incorporates the high town and lower city, and the modern metropolis, or New Town, spreading away from the walls that encircle the Old Town. The narrow streets of the Old Town are for the most part closed to cars and are lined with Orthodox and Catholic churches, Turkish houses (some of which follow the ancient orthogonal plan), and medieval public buildings with exterior staircases and facades elegantly constructed of well-cut limestone from Lindos. Careful reconstruction in recent years has enhanced the harmonious effect. |
The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.
Grade Code | From | To | |
BJ | Balcony Junior Suite | £3,099 | £3,099 |
A welcoming, comfortable space in which to enjoy a relaxing, restful stay, Balmoral's Balcony Junior Suites have all the amenities that guests need during their time on board, plus a private balcony for soaking up sunshine and scenery outside.
Please note, cabins 8057 and 8059 on Lido deck are equipped for use by disabled passengers.
SUITE DREAMS PACKAGE
With our compliments on selected Suite grades.
✔ A welcome bottle of sparkling wine
✔ Fruit basket (topped up on request throughout your cruise)
✔ Flowers or plant in your Suite
✔ Bathrobe and slippers
✔ Luxury towels
✔ Free pressing service for formal wear
✔ Binoculars in your Suite
✔ World atlas and country guide for your reference
✔ Afternoon canapé service
✔ Daily newsletter, featuring national and international news
✔ Pair of compact umbrellas for use ashore
✔ Laundry service discount vouchers
✔ Carafe of water, replenished daily
*Facilities (including cabin layout) vary by Suite type; please check when making your booking. Suite Dreams benefits are available on all cruises of three nights and above duration. Suite Dreams benefits apply to guests staying in all Suite grades.
Grade Code | From | To | |
MS | Marquee Suite | £3,899 | £3,899 |
At approximately 472 square feet in size, Balmoral's Marquee Suites provide guests with ample space in which to relax, and feature all of the amenities – as well as a few extra benefits – that are needed for a comfortable and enjoyable cruise experience.
SUITE DREAMS PACKAGE
With our compliments on selected Suite grades.
✔ A welcome bottle of sparkling wine
✔ Fruit basket (topped up on request throughout your cruise)
✔ Flowers or plant in your Suite
✔ Bathrobe and slippers
✔ Luxury towels
✔ Free pressing service for formal wear
✔ Binoculars in your Suite
✔ World atlas and country guide for your reference
✔ Afternoon canapé service
✔ Daily newsletter, featuring national and international news
✔ Pair of compact umbrellas for use ashore
✔ Laundry service discount vouchers
✔ Carafe of water, replenished daily
*Facilities (including cabin layout) vary by Suite type; please check when making your booking. Suite Dreams benefits are available on all cruises of three nights and above duration. Suite Dreams benefits apply to guests staying in all Suite grades.
Grade Code | From | To | |
PS | Premier Suite | £4,299 | £4,299 |
The spacious, elegantly-styled Premier Suites on Balmoral are approximately 601 square feet in size and situated high on the ship on Highland Deck 10. These suites feature all the amenities guests need, plus a few extra touches for an even more comfortable, restful and memorable stay.
SUITE DREAMS PACKAGE
With our compliments on selected Suite grades.
✔ A welcome bottle of sparkling wine
✔ Fruit basket (topped up on request throughout your cruise)
✔ Flowers or plant in your Suite
✔ Bathrobe and slippers
✔ Luxury towels
✔ Free pressing service for formal wear
✔ Binoculars in your Suite
✔ World atlas and country guide for your reference
✔ Afternoon canapé service
✔ Daily newsletter, featuring national and international news
✔ Pair of compact umbrellas for use ashore
✔ Laundry service discount vouchers
✔ Carafe of water, replenished daily
*Facilities (including cabin layout) vary by Suite type; please check when making your booking. Suite Dreams benefits are available on all cruises of three nights and above duration. Suite Dreams benefits apply to guests staying in all Suite grades.
Grade Code | From | To | |
SS | Superior Suite | £3,299 | £3,299 |
Balmoral's Superior Suites, at approximately 341 square feet in size, provide guests with plenty of space in which to relax and enjoy their time on board. Each suite features all the amenities needed for a comfortable stay, as well as a few additional benefits.
SUITE DREAMS PACKAGE
With our compliments on selected Suite grades.
✔ A welcome bottle of sparkling wine
✔ Fruit basket (topped up on request throughout your cruise)
✔ Flowers or plant in your Suite
✔ Bathrobe and slippers
✔ Luxury towels
✔ Free pressing service for formal wear
✔ Binoculars in your Suite
✔ World atlas and country guide for your reference
✔ Afternoon canapé service
✔ Daily newsletter, featuring national and international news
✔ Pair of compact umbrellas for use ashore
✔ Laundry service discount vouchers
✔ Carafe of water, replenished daily
*Facilities (including cabin layout) vary by Suite type; please check when making your booking. Suite Dreams benefits are available on all cruises of three nights and above duration. Suite Dreams benefits apply to guests staying in all Suite grades.
The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.
The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.
Featuring plenty of card tables and comfortable chairs, the Card Room on board Balmoral provides guests with a quiet, relaxing space to enjoy a competitive hand or two, or simply a bit of fun. Bridge is always a popular pursuit on board, so you're sure to find players up for a challenge. On some cruises, Bridge tuition is on offer to help you develop your skills.
Located in the Bookmark Café on Lounge Deck, Balmoral's well-appointed library provides a wide variety of books and publications, including some large print books, to delve into, accompanied by speciality coffees, teas and tempting chocolates served at this quiet, comfortable space.
Decorated to resemble a British pub or inn, the Morning Light Pub has a welcoming atmosphere and charming traditional style. Open throughout the day and the evening, it’s the ideal place to relax and socialise with friends both old and new.
You could enjoy a quick pint or a glass of wine at lunch before spending the afternoon ashore; stop by for a pre-dinner drink; or settle into a comfortable seat and relax long into the night while enjoying performances from live bands and comedians.
With it's large windows, spectacular glass roof and beautiful décor and furnishings, the resplendent Marquee Bar provides guests with the perfect place to take a break from sunbathing on Marquee Deck.
Grab a quick bite to eat, or perhaps a refreshing glass of your favourite drink. Along with a great selection of beers, wines and expertly-created exotic cocktails, the Marquee Bar also offers you a chance to enjoy tempting tipples from our premium gin menu.
When the lights go down on board Balmoral, we’ll treat you to a selection of live shows ranging from music and cabaret to quick-fire stand-up comedy. Just relax, sit back and enjoy the fabulous performances with your favourite tipple or cocktail in our grand Neptune Bar & Lounge. After the main show, there's usually a chance to catch a set from our Ship's Orchestra and show-off your dance moves. With our talented Dance Hosts on hand, no-one goes too long without a dance partner.
The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.
The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.
Return flights including luggage allowance | |||
Overseas Transfers | |||
8 nights aboard the Balmoral | |||
Evening entertainment | |||
Tea & coffee facilities in cabin | |||
Welcome and farewell cocktail parties | |||
Drinks packages available | |||
Complimentary tea & coffee during the day and early evening. | |||
Daily on-board activities | |||
Port Taxes and Fees | |||
![]() | ABTA and ATOL Protection* |
Fly/cruise package |
Date 17th Oct 2025 |
Nts 8 |
Interior £1,199pp |
Oceanview £1,599pp |
Balcony £2,899pp |
Suite £3,099pp |
Interior £1,599pp |
Oceanview £1,999pp |
Balcony £3,299pp |
Suite £3,499pp |
Date 17th Oct 2025 |
Nts 8 |
Interior £1,199pp |
Oceanview £1,599pp |
Balcony £2,899pp |
Suite £3,099pp |
Interior £1,599pp |
Oceanview £1,999pp |
Balcony £3,299pp |
Suite £3,499pp |
Interior staterooms from | £1,199pp | ||
M | Single Interior Room | ![]() | |
N | Single Interior Room | £2,399pp | |
I | Interior Room | £1,199pp | |
H | Interior Room | £1,299pp | |
G | Superior Interior | £1,399pp | |
Oceanview staterooms from | £1,599pp | ||
CO | Sup Ocean Fully Obst | £1,949pp | |
J | Single Balcony Cabin | ![]() | |
K | Single Ocean View | ![]() | |
L | Single Ocean View | ![]() | |
F | Ocean View Room | £1,599pp | |
E | Ocean View Room | ![]() | |
D | Ocean View Room | £1,899pp | |
C | Superior Ocean View | ![]() | |
B | Superior Ocean View | £2,049pp | |
BD | Superior Ocean View | ![]() | |
A | Superior Ocean View | £2,199pp | |
Balcony staterooms from | £2,899pp | ||
JB | Single Balcony Suite | ![]() | |
BA | Balcony Cabin | £2,899pp | |
Suite staterooms from | £3,099pp | ||
BJ | Balcony Junior Suite | £3,099pp | |
BJD | Balcony Junior Suite | ![]() | |
SS | Superior Suite | ![]() | |
MS | Marquee Suite | ![]() | |
PS | Premier Suite | ![]() | |
OW | Owner's Suite | ![]() | |
Interior staterooms from | £1,599pp | ||
M | Single Interior Room | ![]() | |
N | Single Interior Room | £2,799pp | |
I | Interior Room | £1,599pp | |
H | Interior Room | £1,699pp | |
G | Superior Interior | £1,799pp | |
Oceanview staterooms from | £1,999pp | ||
CO | Sup Ocean Fully Obst | £2,349pp | |
J | Single Balcony Cabin | ![]() | |
K | Single Ocean View | ![]() | |
L | Single Ocean View | ![]() | |
F | Ocean View Room | £1,999pp | |
E | Ocean View Room | ![]() | |
D | Ocean View Room | £2,299pp | |
C | Superior Ocean View | ![]() | |
B | Superior Ocean View | £2,449pp | |
BD | Superior Ocean View | ![]() | |
A | Superior Ocean View | £2,599pp | |
Balcony staterooms from | £3,299pp | ||
JB | Single Balcony Suite | ![]() | |
BA | Balcony Cabin | £3,299pp | |
Suite staterooms from | £3,499pp | ||
BJ | Balcony Junior Suite | £3,499pp | |
BJD | Balcony Junior Suite | ![]() | |
SS | Superior Suite | ![]() | |
MS | Marquee Suite | ![]() | |
PS | Premier Suite | ![]() | |
OW | Owner's Suite | ![]() | |
Fusion Cruises when selling travel arrangements is a trading name of The Midcounties Co-operative Ltd. Fusion Cruises is an Accredited Body Member of Midcounties Co-operative Travel Consortium. (ABTA:P6652, ATOL:6053).
Book with Confidence. We are a Member of ABTA which means you have the benefit of ABTA’s assistance and Code of Conduct.
Some of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme but ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services offered on this website. This website will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each holiday and travel service offered before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.caa.co.uk