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The Herald Scotland
17 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Experience Greek isles and Roman nights on a stunning ten-night cruise
Then, board the luxurious Sun Princess for a seven-night full-board cruise across sparkling seas, soaking in coastal views, cultural treasures, and relaxing elegance onboard. From there, you'll head to Italy's third-largest city, Naples, a bustling metropolis that's rich in centuries-old culture and customs. Naples is also your gateway to the Isle of Capri, the fabled Amalfi Coast and the ruins of Pompeii, buried in ash by the cataclysmic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. With an arrival at 7am and a departure at 7pm, you'll have plenty of time to explore this wonderful city and all that it has to offer. The next day is spent at sea, where you can relax and enjoy the many facilities on board. Highlights include live poolside music, an array of food and drink options and a kids club to keep little ones busy. You'll then arrive at Chania, on the iconic Greek island of Crete. It's a centuries-old mix of Minoan myths, well-preserved Venetian mansions, a mesmerizing Old Town complete with labyrinthine passageways, and atmospheric Kastelli Hill, once the site of a Roman acropolis. But Chania may be best known as the gateway to the breathtaking 4,000-year-old Minoan ruins at Knossos, home of the legendary King Minos and the part man and part bull known creature as the Minotaur. And around every corner of this idyllic area, you'll find picturesque villages, breathtaking views and architectural wonders that will remain with you for a lifetime. After another day at sea, the next port of call is Kusadasi on Turkey's Anatolian Coast. In Kusadasi, picturesque whitewashed stone houses rise in tiers behind the market district and the palm-lined esplanade is the centre of town life, with thousands of merchants offering wares to rival the famous Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. This stunning city was once a Roman provincial capital and is also home to several of Christendom's holiest sites, including the tomb of St. John the Apostle. You'll then get a full day (7am until 9pm) to enjoy the unique charm of the island of Mykonos. Needing absolutely no introduction, the white buildings of Mykonos must be one of the most-recognisable symbols of Greece. Your unforgettable journey with Orbis Travels – who have a 4.7 rating on Trustpilot – then concludes with a full day and night spent in Athens, where culture and history combine and the ancient Acropolis sits above the commotion of the modern city. Packed with busy shops and lively tavernas, Athens is the perfect place to round off your trip in style before flying back to the UK the following day. Departing on select dates from August, September 2025 and April to October 2026, this 10-night escape blends history, beauty, and leisure across two of Europe's most iconic cities. Call now on 0113 517 5272 Travel notes Price From £1,219 pp Return flights to Rome and out of Athens from Scottish Airports Departing on select dates from August, September 2025 and April to October 2026 Two nights in Rome at The Republic Hotel One night in Athens at Luwian Boutique Hotel THE SUN PRINCESS LUXURY and comfort are everything on board the luxurious Sun Princess, where Orbis passengers will enjoy a seven-night full-board cruise across sparkling seas, soaking in coastal views, cultural treasures, and relaxing elegance onboard. The Sun Princess includes an epic sphere atrium, first ever geodesic dome, innovative entertainment venues and premium suites. It is the newest and largest ship in the Princess Cruises fleet, representing a bold leap into the future of cruising. This innovative vessel blends modern design, cutting-edge technology and unparalleled luxury. With spacious, light-filled interiors inspired by the sun, Sun Princess introduces exciting new venues like The Dome, a multi-level entertainment and relaxation space with a glass-enclosed pool by day and dazzling shows by night. Guests can indulge in world-class dining, from the casual delights of Alfredo's Pizzeria to special experiences like Love by Britto. Interior cabins are Sun Princess' most affordable option. Featuring twin beds or a queen-size bed, a desk with a chair, a flat-screen television, a spacious closet, a bathroom with a shower, a hair dryer and other bathroom amenities, a refrigerator and digital security safe, they're perfect for guests who just want a comfortable spot to recharge. Ocean View cabins offer a room with an expansive view. They feature all the same amenities as interior cabins but with the added benefit of a window that brings an airy openness to the room. During the day, you can enjoy a variety of activities. Princess Cruises has partnered with many exciting brands to provide the best onboard experience possible. Destination-themed activities like live performances, music and dance lessons and the chance to try local dishes will give you a deeper connection to the places you visit. Sun Princess' art gallery boasts an extensive collection of impressive artwork from world-class artists. And if you prefer shopping for clothes, accessories and beauty products, the shops of Princess, which can be found on Decks 7 and 8, offer a wide variety of options.
The Guardian
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Welcome to Miami, where F1's sunshine party draws a crowd every sport craves
With a sell out once more expected, this weekend's Miami Grand Prix is building on an appeal to a younger, diverse audience that is a key part of Formula One's burgeoning success in the US. Making its mark on the calendar with a grand, spectacular party in the Florida sunshine since the inaugural race in 2022, Miami is considered something of a showcase. The opening blast of the three meetings now held in the US is a shop window for the sport with three teams, Racing Bulls, Sauber and Ferrari boasting special liveries for the event this weekend. The flamingo pink of the RB is very much making a splash but the clunky corporate blue addition to the Scuderia's scarlet has fallen very flat with fans. Naysayers may have disliked Miami's emphasis on being a show, of presenting a weekend of entertainment where the food and beverages (or F&B as it is bafflingly, for the uninitiated, referred to here) were as fundamental as the racing. Where the atmosphere went hand in hand with the competition. It was perhaps the first of the 'event' races F1 wanted to promote and like it or not, it has succeeded with numbers around this race telling their own story. The atmosphere here in the general admission – campus – area of the increasingly popular and affordable tickets away from the high-end hospitality which dominates all the media, is one of unadulterated enjoyment, shot through with the glorious absence of world-weary cynicism. There is an air of, whisper it, hedonism; not all racing must be accompanied by sombre beard-scratching from a grassy bank in the rain. This atmosphere is not least informed by the make up of the audience. From information from sales, admittedly with the caveat that the data refers only to the purchaser rather than all the ticket holders, Miami is reaching demographics every sport eyes with lustful ambition. 'We've got the high end luxury buyer that we've really cultivated a relationship with and built their trust,' says Tyler Epp, the Miami GP president. 'But at the same time, we've got some of our entry level motorsport fan data that's telling us we're also a motorsport event for the people who are intrigued and interested and just want to come and see the cars for the first time.' It is these new fans that have led a push for the new single-day tickets and the three-day campus tickets. It is also, most significantly, a young audience. 'The base is growing most aggressively from what we've seen in the 20- and 30-year-old buyer,' Epp adds. 'Our data does not tell us that this is an audience of 30 to 60-year-old white men, that's not what we're seeing now. Certainly they're here but it's a much more eclectic diverse group than that and part of that's partially because we're in Miami, which is such a wonderfully diverse market.' Their data is corroborated trackside in both age and ethnic diversity, while the gender differential is also notable, with the race easing toward what might be a 50-50 split in forthcoming years. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion 'We're tracking about 40% female to 60% male right now,' he says. 'That's on the buyer data and I can also say that the female audience is certainly younger than the male audience. It skews younger.' These are the demographics the sport needs to build on the success it has enjoyed in the US with Drive to Survive and for all that the sound and fury of Las Vegas might have appeared to have outshone Miami of late it is undeniable that the race at the Hard Rock Stadium is pulling in the numbers. Last year when McLaren's Lando Norris won his first F1 race here it drew record viewing figures for the US of 3.1m and Miami now holds the top three live US TV audiences in F1 history. While the season as a whole was pulling in an average of 1.11m per race. Which, while still small in comparison to NFL and NBA, are considered strong numbers as the sport builds its presence. Epp is in good position to judge how the sport fares in comparative terms. He has worked both trackside and team side in Nascar, IndyCar and sports cars before moving into baseball for four and a half years and then putting in almost nine years with the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL; he is convinced the future remains bright. 'We can be very bullish about Formula One in the United States,' he said. 'I view it as solidified, here to stay and looking at continuous growth, not necessarily ebbs and flows. I think the United States sports ecosystem in general ebbs and flows a bit with competitiveness and competition in particular markets but as a whole we feel really, really good about the state of Formula One.'
