Specialist tour operator Andante Travels (part of the Specialist Journeys group) and multi award-winning cruise company Voyages to Antiquity have announced a new partnership, which has seen them launch a collaborative 'Cruise & Stay' product that will take guests around the Mediterranean in 2019.

Travelling aboard Voyages to Antiquity's Aegean Odyssey, a small ship with a capacity of just 350 passengers, guests can choose between three specially-designed tours: Classical Greece & Southern Italy, Mediterranean Odyssey or Italian & Adriatic Highlights. As well as enjoying all the benefits of a Voyages to Antiquity cruise, such as its on-board enrichment programme and fascinating shore excursions, guests can also look forward to unique “Only with Andante” extras.

“Only with Andante” extras

Andante Travels has secured a number of exclusive experiences for guests both pre- and post-cruise, which will make these tours even more memorable.

• In Venice, enjoy private visits to the iconic Doge's Palace, which includes tours of the prisons and haunting torture chamber, and the stunning St. Mark's Basilica.
• In Athens, Andante will take guests to the ancient religious shrine of Eleusis, once on a par with Delphi but now hardly known and little-visited.
• In Rome, Andante offers an enhanced visit to the Colosseum with special access to the subterranean areas and Belvedere – the highest gallery, which presents a spectacular overview of the structure.

Starting from just £2,895pp, these tours include international flights and transfers, full-board cruise accommodation, on-board gratuities, quality hotels both pre- and post-cruise, guided Andante Travels excursions led by the company's experts, shore excursions in every major port of call, and an on-board enrichment programme that features lectures by internationally-renowned experts. 

Richard Tarrant, Marketing Director of Specialist Journeys, explained: “As market leaders in the small-ship cultural cruise sector, Voyages to Antiquity are a natural fit for Andante's wonderful destinations and world-class experts. I'm looking forward to seeing the collaboration taking both companies in yet more interesting and diverse directions in the future.”

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Notes to editors

About Andante Travels: Founded in 1985, Andante Travels has grown to become one of the UK's leading specialist tour operators. The company has previously won the 'Best Small Holiday Company for Customer Service' title at the prestigious British Travel Awards, and thanks to the wonderful support of its travellers, it is nominated in the Best Special Interest Holiday, Best Escorted Tours Holiday Company and Best Holiday Company to the Italian Peninsula & Malta categories at the 2018 British Travel Awards, and was  recently shortlisted for the Best Cultural Tour Operator at this year's Silver Travel Awards.

Andante's tours have also been named 'Trips of a Lifetime' by the National Geographic Traveler on five occasions and, earlier this year, it appointed Jackie Willis as its new CEO, who brings with her over 35 years of touring and travel experience. Over the years, the company has introduced thousands of people to the wonders of the ancient world. Its tours are all designed and led by renowned experts, who bring a unique, special insight to each site visited in every corner of the globe, and every one of its itineraries boasts exclusive access to either a museum or venue, a specific archaeological site or to a workshop. Andante's tours are peppered with hands-on, immersive experiences that offer an authentic taste of each destination and leave the guest with memories that will last long after they return home. 

For more information, call Andante Travels on 01722 569640 or visit https://www.andantetravels.co.uk

For further media information, contact: Martha Whatley, Content Marketing and PR Executive, martha@specialistjourneys.com

About Specialist Journeys: A collective of some of the world's finest niche tour operators, Specialist Journeys offers a range of unique experiences for the curious traveller. Each company that belongs to this family shares an ethos, or an aspiration – to provide truly memorable and magical tours for its customers. The 'special' in Specialist Journeys is felt when guests lie on the floor of an empty Sistine Chapel, staring up at Michelangelo's masterpiece during a private visit. It is also present when the company opens the gates to Prince Charles' gardens at Highgrove, or in the moment when fundraisers cycling through Kenya catch their first glimpse of a wild elephant. Whether guests want a wine tour in France's Champagne region, an archaeological adventure in Egypt or the chance to follow in the footsteps of some of history's most iconic figures, Specialist Journeys can bring their travel dreams to life.

About Voyages to Antiquity: Award winning Voyages to Antiquity cruises reveal the cultural treasures and natural wonders of Europe, Africa and Asia in the company of renowned guest speakers. An expertly planned programme of shore excursions brings to life ancient civilisations, iconic masterpieces of art and the colourful culture of the region visited. Superb value-for-money cruise fares include flights and transfers, pre/post-cruise hotels as described in the itinerary, most shore excursions, all meals and wine with dinner on board, gratuities on board and guest lectures. MV Aegean Odyssey is a first-class vessel carrying an average of 350 passengers – small enough to cruise rivers and inlets inaccessible to larger ships, yet large enough to offer an array of facilities including a choice of dining venues, outdoor pool, spa centre and well-stocked library.