Press Release: Diane Rehm and Scott Simon Host Cross-Culture Journeys' Mediterranean Cruise

DATELINE: March 22, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS:
Ati Jain, Cross-Culture Journeys, 413-256-6303 or ajain@ccjourneys.com 
Mark G. Auerbach Public Relations, 413-733-7095 or MGAuerbach@gmail.com

CROSS-CULTURE JOURNEYS OFFERS MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE TO GREEK, ITALIAN AND SICILIAN PORTS WITH PUBLIC RADIO HOSTS DIANE REHM AND SCOTT SIMON ON JULY 26 TO AUGUST 10

Amherst, MA---Public radio “voices” Diane Rehm and Scott Simon will accompany Cross-Culture Journeys' "Mediterranean Voyage to Antiquity"
cruise of select ports in Greece, Sicily, and Italy aboard the Aegean Odyssey. Diane Rehm, producer and host of her nationally-syndicated talk show, and Scott Simon, host of NPR’s “Weekend Edition Saturday” join this one-time 16-day/14-night fully-escorted offering, departing the US on July 26, 2010 and returning on August 10, 2010.

The cruise aboard the newly-refurbished Aegean Odyssey begins in Piraeus, the Greek port serving the capital of Athens. After a guided tour of the Acropolis and the Parthenon, and other classic sites in the Greek capital, the tour sets sail for Greece, Sicily, and Italy. Among the highlights: Myceanae, capital of Agamemnon; Taormina and Siracusa, cities known for their Greco-Roman theatres; Agrigento with its Valley of the Temples; Marsala (with a wine-tasting); Palermo, Sicily’s capital; the Aeolian Islands and Salerno; the Amalfi coast, Pompeii and Capri. The tour ends in Rome.

Optional pre-cruise extensions to Athens (July 24-27, 2010 ) and post-cruise extensions to Rome (August 10-12, 2010 ) or Florence (August 10-14) are also available at additional cost.

Diane Rehm is host and executive producer of "The Diane Rehm Show" which airs nationally. Each week, more than 1.7 million listeners across the country tune in to the program, which has grown in 29 years from a local morning call-in show to a public broadcasting powerhouse distributed by NPR, NPR Worldwide and SIRIUS satellite radio. Rehm is the author of two autobiographical books. In 1999, Washingtonian Magazine named her “Washingtonian of the Year.” She and her husband, John, have traveled with Cross-Culture Journeys and public radio listeners from other stations on travel programs to the Adriatic Sea, The Danube and The Nile.

Scott Simon brings the perspective of a world correspondent to his role as host of NPR’s “Weekend Edition Saturday”. Over the last thirty years he has covered eight wars and has reported from 50 states and five continents. Closer to home, he is famously devoted to the Chicago Cubs, Bears and Bulls. Simon has been honored with many awards, including a George Foster Peabody Award, for his comprehensive and insightful reporting, essays and interviews. He has also hosted many public television programs. He is author of two books on sports, “Home and Away: Memoir of a Fan”, “Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball”, and two novels,” Pretty Birds”, set in Sarajevo during the siege, and “Windy City”, a political comedy. Simon and his wife Caroline Richard are the parents of two young daughters.

The Aegean Odyssey, newly modernized and refurbished is large enough to provide the amenities available on major cruise ships, yet small enough to dock at small-city ports. The ship can accommodate up to 350 passengers in a variety of stateroom options. The ship provides contemporary Mediterranean cuisine with carefully-selected wines; a gym, outdoor swimming pool, shop, and internet center.

Cross-Culture’s tour includes air-conditioned motorcoach tours of shore excursions, most meals, talks by guest speakers about the history of the Normands in Sicily, the scientist Archimedes, Italian wines and Greek cultural legacy in Italy. Ms. Rehm and Mr. Simon will offer discussions about their experiences with their respective public radio shows. 

Prices begin at $3,995 per person, double-occupancy, plus applicable taxes and surcharges. Free airfare is available from New York (JFK and/or Newark airports) when the trip is booked and paid-in-full before April 30, 2010. Discounted airfares and reduced or free single supplement charges are available through Cross-Culture Journeys. 
 
Cross-Culture Journeys has been offering individual and customized group tours for over 20 years. Cross Culture Journeys features all-inclusive, small-group, in-depth cultural travel programs to over 40 unique destinations from Antarctica to Zagreb by air, land and small-ship. Over the last decade, Cross-Culture has developed travel programs for alumni associations and numerous public radio stations, including NPR member stations in Western New England, Washington, DC; Virginia, Ohio, Utah, and Texas. 

For further information and a detailed itinerary, visit Cross-Culture Journeys' website at www.ccjourneys.com, call 800-491-1148 or 413-256-6303, or email: travel@ccjourneys.com.

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For additional information on Diane Rehm: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2101067

For additional information on Scott Simon: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3874941

For additional information on Cross-Culture Journeys: http://www.ccjourneys.com/