Designed in collaboration with National Geographic, Holland America introduced a new, exclusive selection of National Geographic Day Tours for passengers to enjoy during port calls in the Mediterranean. The new tours are accessible to guests on seven- to 14-day itineraries departing from Trieste (Venice), Italy; Piraeus (Athens), Greece; and Barcelona, Spain; with port calls in Rhodes, Kusadasi (Ephesus), Santorini and Naples.

“We are continually looking for enriching and transformative experiences for our guests and the new National Geographic Day Tours are not only immersive, but provide exclusive access and hands-on experiences,” said Carole Biencourt, vice president overseeing shore tour experience, Holland America Line. “We are pleased to offer them to guests across our Mediterranean itineraries that visit these ports and will look to expand the program in the near future.”

Passengers aboard Oosterdam and Nieuw Statendam have the option of several National Geographic Day Tour excursions, including A Day in the Life of a Marine Biologist in Naples, Italy. This tour takes in Europe’s oldest aquarium and Darwin Dohrn Museum, a marine biodiversity research laboratory that’s the first of its kind. More than 20 Nobel Laureates have studied and worked at this prestigious facility. Other excursion choices include Meet the Locals in Santorini, Greece; Influential Women in Turkey: From Past to Present in Kusadasi, Turkey; and The Fascinating World of Bees in Rhodes, Greece.