Holland America special cruise offer serves up Black Sea, Egypt, Turkey, and Israel

Holland America is offering a 12-day cruise roundtrip from Athens to the Black Sea via Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, and Turkey next May 2 or May 14 with inside cabins starting at $1,899 and ocean view cabins starting at $1,999.

To sweeten the offer, you can bring a third or fourth guest in your stateroom for rates starting at just $299 extra.

This 2008 ms Rotterdam itinerary is extremely enticing, touching down in eight different countries. Besides those mentioned earlier, the cruise also stops at ports in Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Romania. It includes an overnight in Istanbul, 12 hours in Israel, 17 hours in Egypt, and at least nine hours in all the other ports.

The fine print: Fares are valid through October 15, 2007, but are subject to availability. Taxes are additional.

For bookings or more information on the itinerary, click here, or call 877/724-5425 or a travel agent. When you request a booking, ask for Promo RD. If you're interested in adding the third or fourth person in your cabin, ask for Promo Z3.

Istanbul photo from Dennis Cox/WorldViews.