Costa Cruise Shore Excursions

Cruise Itinerary 1

Shanghai/China-Seoul/Korea - Chejudao/Korea-Shanghai

SEOUL PALACES

• Tour Code: #6892
• Activity Time: 6hrs - May. 10, 2011
• Price: $69/adult $52/child

After leaving the port you will drive to Seoul downtown and start your city tour. You will see monuments like Gyeongbokgung Palace Cheong Wa Dae and Insa-dong.

Built in 1395, Gyeongbokgung Palace is also commonly referred to as the “Northern Palace” because it is the furthest north when compared to the neighboring palaces of Changdeokgung (Eastern Palace) and Gyeongheegung (Western Palace). Cheong Wa Dae, the Presidential Residence, has its signature markings in its blue tiles, that are the first things that catch one's attention upon entering the premises, and in the smooth roof blend beautifully with Mt. Bugaksan in the backdrop. Insa-dong Palace is an important place located in the middle of the city where old but precious and traditional goods are on display. The shops in Insa-dong main road are very popular among all age groups, because each one is unique. The galleries are the heartbeat of Insa-dong and show every example of traditional Korean fine art from paintings to sculptures.

You will then move to Dongwha Duty Free Shop in which you can have some free time for shopping before coming back to the ship.

Jeju City Highlights

• Tour Code: EXC_6171
• Activity Time: 4hrs - June. 27, 2011
• Price: $49/adult $37/child

After leaving the port you will drive first to the Folklore and Natural History Museum. This Museum is unmissable for those who want a deeper understanding of the lives of the people of Jeju. You can catch a glimpse of both the history and nature of Jeju brought together under one roof, visiting the Natural History Exhibition Halls including the Geological and Rock Hall, Marine Life Hall, Plant Hall and Insect Hall. The Folk Exhibition Hall houses a main Life Section, vividly showcasing the traditional lives of the people of Jeju Island. Following this visit your tour will head to the Yongduam Rock. Formed by hardening lava, it resembles the head of a Dragon and sits about 10 meters above sea level, surrounded by sea about 30 meters deep. Its unique form has given rise to many different mystical legends. Finally, you will enjoy some free time for shopping (in the Sinjeju area/ No Hueong Street).

Cruise Itinerary 2

Shanghai/China-Seoul(Inchon)/Korea - Seoul(Inchon)/Korea - Chejudao/Korea - Shanghai

Incheon Tour

• Tour Code: EXC_6890
• Activity Time: 4hrs - June 5, 2011
• Price: $44/adult $33/child

Leaving the port you will proceed to Freedom park, nestled in Mt. Eungbongsan in Incheon Metropolitan City. Freedom park was first called Manguk Park and then Seo Park as the Japanese power became stronger. Freedom park has held its name ever since October 3, 1957 when a statue of General McArthur, who led the Incheon Amphibious Landing Operation during the Korean War, was erected at the summit of Mt. Eungbongsan. The park will offer you spectacular views of downtown Incheon and its surrounding mountains, the port, and the sea. Your next stop will be Incheon's Chinatown. This area came into being with the opening of the Incheon Port in 1883 and Incheon's designation as an extraterritoriality of the Ching Dynasty. In the past, the area held many stores trading goods imported from China, but most Chinese businesses are now restaurants. Today, the Chinese residents of Chinatown are mostly 2nd or 3rd generations of early Chinese settlers. While not all traditional culture of the first generation have been preserved, the area still harbors many of the flavors of China.

Before coming back to the ship you will move to Souvenir and Korea Ginseng Shop in which you will have some free time for shopping.

Traditional Seoul and Shopping

• Tour Code: EXC_6893
• Activity Time: 6hrs - June. 6, 2011
• Price: $74/adult $56/child

Your tour will start moving to Seoul Downtown in which you can visit the traditional Namsangol Hanok Village a traditional Korean village with five restore traditional Korean and pavilon standing between the tall buildings. You can also admire the Insa-dong Palace located in the middle of the city where old but precious and traditional goods are on display. The shops in Insa-dong main road are very popular among all age groups, because each one is unique. The galleries are the heartbeat of Insa-dong and show every example of traditional Korean fine art from paintings to sculptures. You will then move to Dongwha Duty Free Shop in which you can have some free time for shopping before having lunch and then come back to the ship.

Jeju City Highlights

• Tour Code: EXC_6171
• Activity Time: 4hrs - June. 7, 2011
• Price: $49/adult $37/child

After leaving the port you will drive first to the Folklore and Natural History Museum. This Museum is unmissable for those who want a deeper understanding of the lives of the people of Jeju. You can catch a glimpse of both the history and nature of Jeju brought together under one roof, visiting the Natural History Exhibition Halls including the Geological and Rock Hall, Marine Life Hall, Plant Hall and Insect Hall. The Folk Exhibition Hall houses a main Life Section, vividly showcasing the traditional lives of the people of Jeju Island. Following this visit your tour will head to the Yongduam Rock. Formed by hardening lava, it resembles the head of a Dragon and sits about 10 meters above sea level, surrounded by sea about 30 meters deep. Its unique form has given rise to many different mystical legends. Finally, you will enjoy some free time for shopping (in the Sinjeju area/ No Hueong Street).

Cruise Itinerary 3

Shanghai/Japan －Fukuoka/Japan －Kumamto/Japan －Chejudao/Korea －Shanghai/China

Dazaifu Tenmangu, Kyushu National Museum and Shopping

• Tour Code: EXC_6481
• Activity Time: 5.5hrs - June. 25, 2011
• Price: $65/adult $49/child

Preserving its rich history and traditions, Fukuoka continues to develop as the capital city of KYUSHU. Leaving the port you will drive to the Kyushu National Museum. It is a new museum focusing on the unique cultural heritage of Japan, and cultural exchange with the rest of Asia. A striking wood and glass building in the hills, it hosts important collections of Japanese artifacts, particularly ceramics, related to the history of Kyushu. It is the most recent of the national museums of Japan following Tokyo, Kyoto and Nara. The Cultural Exchange Exhibition room usually displays approximately 800 pieces of cultural assets.The collections cover the history of Kyushu from prehistory to the Meiji era with particular emphasis on the rich history of cultural exchange between Kyushu and neighboring China and Korea. Following a short walk, you will discover then the Dazaifu Tenmangu. In the vast precincts of Dazaifu Tenmangu, spreading over 3,000 acres, 6,000 plum trees surround a tranquil garden, a suitable setting for a shrine. Dazaifu Tenmangu is a shrine built over the grave of Michizane Sugawara venerated by the Japanese throughout the country as the Tenman-Tenjin, or the God of literature or calligraphy. Michizane is celebrated as a man, pure in heart and deed, and after his death he was deified and worshipped as a God. Finally you will drive to the department store in Tenjin where you'll enjoy a couple of hour free time for shopping before returning to the ship.

Mt. Aso and Hot Springs

• Tour Code: EXC_6753
• Activity Time: 8hrs - June.26, 2011
• Price: $129/adult $97/child

Mt ASO is the largest active volcano in Japan and is among the largest in the world. It also has one of the largest caldera in the world with 128 km circumference. Although the caldera is now inhabitated by roughly 100,000 people spread over dozens of towns and villages, there are still active volcanoes toward the center of the caldera. There are five prominent mounts known as the Aso-gogaku, and one of them Mt Naka-dake (1216m) is still an active volcano and continuously emits smoke with occasional erruptions. The Mt. Aso Ropeway will take you to the gigantic crator of Naka-dake where you can see the awesome view of the great nature.Then you will visit Aso Farm Land which is a vast facility consists of an expansive stretch of land, a natural hot springs resort, a shopping zone, restaurants, domed lodgings, and the like. You will enjoy the hot spring "Aso Healthy Volcanic Spa" which benefits from underground magma of Mt. Aso.

Hllim Park

• Tour Code: EXC_6180
• Activity Time: 4hrs - June. 27, 2011
• Price: $49/adult $37/child

This excursion will take you first to Hallim, once a barren sandy field of over 33 hectares where people started to sow and cultivate palm tree seeds. It has now developed into a world-class botanical garden against a vivid green backdrop, with an avenue of palm trees reaching up to the sky. The Park features a subtropical botanical garden, a kingdom of rare plants, the underground world of Hyeopjae and Ssangyong Caves, an exhibition of world stones and bonsai art works, as well as an exhibition of Jeju stone and bonsai gardens, and the Folk Village where you can explore the traditional life of the people of Jeju. Then you will drive back along Mystery Road .This is the 'magical' road where if you pull your car over pointing down hill, the car appears to move back up the hill rather than going down! It's one of the exciting mysteries of Jeju.Finally, before returning to the port, you will have some free time for shopping.

 

Cruise Itinerary 4

Shanghai/China －Busan/Korea－Chejudao/Korea －Shanghai

Busan City Hihglights

• Tour Code: EXC_6640
• Activity Time: 4hrs - Oct 19, 2011
• Price: $54/adult $41/child

Leaving the ship you will drive to this small hilltop park is located at the head of a steep slope and looks over the city and harbor in a breathtaking view. The park contains several war memorials, Busan Tower, and the big clock made with flowers. The Busan people love taking a walk while enjoying the beauty of the park. Following you will be driven to the fish market, a Complex area of frozen and refrigeration warehouse, seafood market, seawater sauna, marine shopping center, cooperatives office, small theater, cultural center, coffee shop and restaurant, etc. Finally you will enjoy some free time at Gukje Market. The market is a well-known "international market" since it carries various domestic and international goods. The market contains 1400 stores, which sell quality products at reasonable prices. Very last stop will be Lotte Duty Free shop before returning to the ship.

Hallim Park

• Tour Code: EXC_6180
• Activity Time: 4hrs - Oct. 20, 2011
• Price: $49/adult $37/child

This excursion will take you first to Hallim, once a barren sandy field of over 33 hectares where people started to sow and cultivate palm tree seeds. It has now developed into a world-class botanical garden against a vivid green backdrop, with an avenue of palm trees reaching up to the sky. The Park features a subtropical botanical garden, a kingdom of rare plants, the underground world of Hyeopjae and Ssangyong Caves, an exhibition of world stones and bonsai art works, as well as an exhibition of Jeju stone and bonsai gardens, and the Folk Village where you can explore the traditional life of the people of Jeju. Then you will drive back along Mystery Road .This is the 'magical' road where if you pull your car over pointing down hill, the car appears to move back up the hill rather than going down! It's one of the exciting mysteries of Jeju.Finally, before returning to the port, you will have some free time for shopping.

Cruise Itinerary 5

Shanghai - Japan - Vietnam - Singapore

The Best of Okinawa

• Tour Code: EXC_6520
• Activity Time: 6hrs - Oct 27, 2011
• Price: € 69/adult € 52/child

You will leave the port of Naha (Okinawa New port) to visit the Okinawa Peace Memorial Museum and Park. This park is in Mabuni, the area where the last confrontations of the Battle of Okinawa took place. The Peace Memorial Museum opened on April 1, 2000. The museum was established to display the whole range of individual war experiences and it's incredible value of human life and personal freedom. Your next visit will be the Okinawa Prefecture Museum, which opened in November 2007. The museum exhibits the history and culture of island Okinawa. After leaving the museum you will have a free time in Kokusai Street. Construction in this area started in 1953 during the turbulent post-war years and it was one of the first busy streets to grow up in Naha. It was known as "Miracle Mile".

Taipei City Highlights

• Tour Code: EXC_6530
• Activity Time: 5hrs - Oct. 28, 2011
• Price: € 64/adult € 48/child

Leaving the port you will drive to Taipei 101 Building where a photo stop will be performed before arriving to National Palace Museum. Famous for it's rich antique collection amounts to nearly 700,000 pieces whose age range covers almost the entire five-thousand-old of Chinese history including pottery, porcelain, bronze & jade, sculptures, embroidery and calligraphy, as well as paintings with each piece a true curio. Next visit will be the Martyr's Shrine, which was built in 1969. Its grand and magnificent architectural style is similar to one of the hall of the Imperial Palace in Beijing on Mainland China, which symbolizes the martyrs' brave spirit. Before the establishment of the Republic of China, 330,000 men sacrificed their lives to the revolution, which fell during the Sino-Japanese war and the Chinese Civil war and they are worshipped here. Last visit will be the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall. This is the former Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. The great building has become a landmark of Taipei City. There are places for international art performances such as the National Theatre and National Concert Hall. World famous musicians (such as the great cello performer Yo Yo Ma and the great violinist Shao Lian Lin) and renowned playgroups have conducted performance here. The place is enriched with the beauty of traditional Chinese gardens.

Orientation Hongkong City Sightseeing

• Tour Code: EXC_6141
• Activity Time: 5hrs - Oct. 30, 2011
• Price: € 52/adult € 39/child

You'll leave the port and drive to Victoria Peak. The Chinese name for Victoria Peak is Tai Ping Shan which means the mountain of Great Peace. Today the Peak is visited by millions of tourists and locals every year, mainly for the unforgettable views of the city (weather permitting) and the harbor but also because of the numerous interesting walks that start here. The tour then proceeds to Stanley Market for a visit and free time for shopping, where you'll bargain hunt on a charming seaside escapade before continuing with a visit to Hong Kong's largest jewelry factory, whose artists create some of the best prize-winning designs using the famous semiprecious stones .You will then drop by the Aberdeen Fishing Village. The fishing village provides visitors an experience to the life of our "floating" population. You will take the sampan - a wooden small boat, to zigzag along the small alleys of the village to have a close-look of the boat community.

Fascinating Cruise in Halong Bay

• Tour Code: EXC_6311
• Activity Time: 5hrs - Nov. 1, 2011
• Price: € 59/adult € 45/child

You will leave from the ship for a cruise of Halong bay. This bay is one of the world's natural wonders and Vietnam's most beautiful tourist attraction. The 120-km coastline of Halong Bay is home to over a thousand amazing karst formations and islands of all shapes and sizes. You will cruise passing by Bai Chay town, the Cock-Fighting islet, the Stone Dog islet, the Heavenly Gate, the Heavenly Palace cave which you will enter. Your next exploration will be a panoramic tour of Bai Chay town where you can have a photo stop overlooking Ha Long bay. You will return to the ship by local boat tender after free shopping time at a local market.

Hoi an Ancient Town

• Tour Code: EXC_6131
• Activity Time: 5hrs - Nov. 2, 2011
• Price: € 62/adult € 47/child

You will leave the port aboard a coach for the one-hour drive along Provincial Route 603 to Ho An. On your way you will be able to admire the typical countryside of central Vietnam. Following the arrival in Hoi An, you will visit the Thanh Ha pottery village, three kilometers west of the town. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries this village was renowned for its earthenware, and its products, such as bricks, roof and floor tiles, are featured in the old buildings of Hoi An. You will then take a boat cruise down the Thu Bon River to visit the small Hoi An Museum of History and Culture. The museum was built on the former site of a Quan Cong temple and houses many exhibits documenting the foundation, development and decline of the ancient town of Hoi An. Your next stop will be the Assembly Hall of the Fujian Chinese Congregation, founded in 1697 by the Fujian Chinese merchants of Hoi An as a venue for community meetings. This temple is architecturally unique and boasts artistic decorations and beautiful statues. Your tour will continue with a visit to the Japanese Covered Bridge, built in 1593 by the Japanese Community of Hoi An to link their neighborhood to the Chinese quarter across the river. The bridge was roofed so that it would shelter pedestrians from both rain and sun. Over the centuries the ornamentation of the bridge has remained faithful to the original Japanese design. Your next stop will be one of the old houses in Hoi An, Nguyen Tran Ancient House or Ky House. This particular house was built almost two centuries ago as the home of a Vietnamese merchant and its design illustrates how the local architecture was influenced by Chinese and Japanese styles. You will then head to a Hoi An craft workshop, where you will have the opportunity to see various traditional local handicrafts, such as carpentry, ceramics, mat weaving, embroidery, paper lanterns, conical palm hats, etc. Finally, your coach will follow the same route back to Da Nang City.

Cu Chi Tunnels and Panoramic Ho Chi Minh

• Tour Code: EXC_6111
• Activity Time: 7hrs - Nov. 4, 2011
• Price: € 64/adult € 48/child

You will leave the port aboard a coach for the two-hour drive to the Cu Chi district through bustling Ho Chi Minh City, with its elegant colonial architecture and shady-tree lined avenues, and along busy streets thronged with people and vehicles of all kinds. On your way you will have an opportunity to view the beautiful country landscapes with vast, peaceful rice paddies tilled by industrious peasants and their water buffaloes. Following arrival at Cu Chi Park you will see the charts and maps detailing the tunnel system. Your guide will then escort you to the section of the tunnel that once housed the headquarters of the area commander. You will be amazed to discover the size and depth of the tunnels, with their kitchens, living quarters, bunkers, field hospitals, etc., which were specially designed and constructed to protect the Viet Cong guerrillas. You will also be invited to experience a tunnel passage that has been enlarged to accommodate the larger frames of Western tourists. After leaving Cu Chi Tunnels, you will proceed to Ho Chi Minh City. Your exploration will continue with a panoramic city tour affording outside views of the Reunification Palace, the neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral, the colonial-style Central Post Office and City Square before returning to the ship.

Heritage Tour of Singapore

• Tour Code: EXC_6104
• Activity Time: 7hrs - Nov. 6, 2011
• Price: € 99/adult € 75/child

You will start your tour with a visit to Singapore's Thian Hock Keng Temple, built in 1821 by Chinese seamen grateful for their safe passage. As you observe the unique wooden structure and woodcarvings, you will notice that the temple has been entirely constructed without the use of nails. Your next stop will be Chinatown, where you will be surprised to find a mosque sitting almost next to a Hindu Temple! Here you will have the chance to observe Singapore's different religions and practices, and admire the newly restored shop houses of the Chinatown Heritage Centre, which are home to a wealth of memories and untold stories of the past. You will then have time for shopping and for tasting some of the local delights in Chinatown, before enjoying a sumptuous lunch at a local Chinese Restaurant. After lunch you will proceed to Little India to let yourself be dazzled by the colorful streets and bustling life that permeates every nook and cranny of the district. Little India is the focal point of the Indian community and you will find yourself being beckoned by spice-scented streets as you stroll around the enclave, where your senses will be assailed by a cacophony of colors, sounds and scents. You will walk along the five-foot way of the shop houses and discover an array of Indian silk, brassware and carvings. Arab Street and Kampong Glam await you next, with the majestic Sultan Mosque.