Escorted Golf & Luxury Cruise Tour
Western Mediterranean
Explora I – Rome to Barcelona
9 to 23 July 2026 (14 Nights)
Balcony Suites from AUD 6,190 pp twin share (Singles from AUD 7,735)
Estimated golf supplement on cruise - EUR 200 to EUR 300 per game for up to 5 games
4 Night Pre Cruise Stay in 5 star Rome Hotel + 2 golf games at Marco Simone
3 Night Post Cruise Stay in 5 star hotels in and near Barcelona + 2 golf games at Camiral Resort
Leading luxury golf cruise and tour specialist, Trendsetter Travel Golf Tours, invites you to join this golf journey from Rome to Barcelona sailing for 8 days/7 nights on Explora I with 4 nights pre-cruise and 3 nights post-cruise in Rome and Barcelona respectively. This well-crafted cruise itinerary follows the northern Mediterranean coast line, with a deviation to the Balearic Islands, visiting and golfing at several famous ports including Monaco, St Tropez and Valencia.
Explora I is a recently built, all-balcony luxury vessel, accommodating a maximum of 900 guests on a twin share basis but frequently travelling with fewer due to its popularity among singles. It offers a staff to guest ratio of 1:1.25, among the highest in industry. All guests enjoy a spacious suite with a minimum 28 SQM room size and 7 SQM balcony. Of course, each suite offers a spacious bathroom with freestanding shower, a walk-in wardrobe, in-room mini-bar stocked with your choice of complimentary beverages.
There is world class dining in 5 restaurants with a wide selection of alcoholic beverages included (some premium brands excluded), included gratuities and unlimited wifi. Recent independent reviews of Explora I report that it is a game changer in the luxury small ship cruise market with no expense spared in its construction.
See the full cruise itinerary at https://explorajourneys.com/au/en/destinations-globe/mediterranean/journeys/rome–civitavecchia–barcelona-a-journey-of-antique-treasures-to-sumptuous-catalan?id-journey=EX20260713CVVBCN
Choose as much or as little golf as you prefer to play, that is you can play as few as 1 or as many as 5 games on the cruise component with up to another 2 x golf games in Rome and a further 2 x golf games in Barcelona. We are offering an exceptional selection of golf games, including 3 golf games at top courses in Italy with 2 games at Marco Simone (Ryder Cup 2023 venue) and 1 game at Argentario Golf Club (2025 Italian Open venue). In Spain, we have arranged to play at 2 of the top 4 ranked Spanish courses.
This golf cruise tour allows you to have it all – or select the components which most appeal to create you own holiday:
- Option 1 – Explora cruise and golf – 7 nights (13/20 July 2026)
- Option 2 – pre-cruise Rome with golf + Explora cruise and golf – 11 nights (9/20 July 2026)
- Option 3 – Explora cruise and golf + post-cruise Barcelona with golf – 10 nights (13/23 July 2026)
- Option 4 – pre-cruise Rome with golf + Explora cruise and golf + post-cruise Barcelona with golf – 14 nights (9/23 July 2026)
As with all Trendsetter tours, non-golfers are welcome, and a price adjustment is offered.
Please see pricing details at the end of this document.
TWO SPECIAL BENEFITS FOR YOU:
Courtesy of Trendsetter’s Virtuoso affiliation and Explora, each cruise guest will be gifted EUR250 per person onboard credit to spend as you wish. (Excludes Monobrand onboard stores of Rolex, Cartier, etc and cannot be used at the Casino)
In addition, as a special promotion, each suite on the ship will receive an AUD 600 credit which can only be used for Explora shore excursions and only then when booked at least 7 days in advance of the cruise departure. We suggest you may wish to choose a shore excursion on one of our 5 golf days and use the credit to select a preferred shore excursion (it is assumed that one substantial shore excursion (for 2 x guests) will use most, if not all, of your AUD 600 credit).
David Cooper and Adrienne Witteman are your tour hosts. We have golfed extensively throughout the world and have organised and hosted many successful golf cruises. Unlike many other golf tour operators, we deal directly with the relevant service providers. This enables us to provide competitively priced golf at the best available courses and with no reduction in quality. Non-golfers are offered an extensive range of Explora land tours at all the ports visited making this an excellent cruise for golfer/non golfer couples.
In addition to our golf cruises, Trendsetter Travel & Cruise Centre operates a retail travel agency on Sydney’s lower North Shore. We can book all your travel requirements, and as members of the Virtuoso network can offer an excellent choice of hotels – with attractive free benefits – to perfectly complement your luxury golf cruise. We invite you to join yet another exciting luxury golf cruise.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Thursday 9 July 2026 – Rome – Welcome Drinks
Arrive independently in Rome and check into the Westin Excelsior Hotel. We have booked the Deluxe room category, which at 35 sqm is very large by Rome standards. We are promised the Deluxe rooms for our group will have walk in showers (not showers over bath). The hotel is well-located for many Roman highlights, for example the Spanish Steps (15mins walk) and the Forum and Colosseum (30mins walk).
Day 2 – Friday 10 July 2026 – Rome – Golf - Game 1 – Marco Simone Golf Club
Golf Game 1: Today we play Marco Simone Golf Club, a Tom Fazio design constructed in the early 1990s. We are booked for golf at 10 am and the course is a 30 to 45 minute drive from our hotel, depending upon traffic. The course is famous as the venue for the 2023 Ryder Cup, an event won by the European team – with all 3 days watched by a Trendsetter Travel golf tour group.
Arguably now the # 1 golf course in Italy, it has also been a 4-time host of the Italian Open, most recently in 2022. This will be the 1st round of a 36-hole event to decide Men’s and Women’s winners of our own mini-Italian Open. After golf, enjoy drinks in the luxurious club rooms, reputably the largest in all Europe.
Day 3 – Saturday 11 July 2026 – Rome – Free Day
We have set aside today as a free day for you to relax and independently explore Rome. Rome is a great city to walk around, many sites easily accessed from our well-located hotel. Obvious highlights are the Colosseum, Forum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and the Vatican to name but a few. There are some great restaurants to visit for lunch – many located on the roof tops of prominent hotels.
Day 4 – Sunday 12 July 2026 – Rome – Golf – Game 2 - Marco Simone Golf Club
Golf – Game 2 – We return to Marco Simone to play our 2nd game on this famous golf course – again with tee off scheduled from 10 am. The below image is of the clubrooms facing on to the 18th green where so many key matches were decided in the 2023 Ryder Cup.
Day 5 – Monday 13 July 2026 – Board Explora I – Day 1 of Cruise – Departs 8 pm
Enjoy a relaxing breakfast and free morning in Rome. We will have a coach transfer to our cruise ship, Explora I at 1 pm which should see us all on board by 2 pm.
This evening, enjoy a convivial introductory cocktail function on board with independent dining.
Day 6 – Tuesday 14 July 2026 – Santo Stefano – Golf – Game 3 - Argentario Golf Course – In port 8 am to 8 pm
Today Explora I will anchor and access is by tender to the shore.
Golf – Game 3: After a short coach transfer, arrive at Argentario Golf Club (2006) for our 1st golf game on the cruise. The course (ranked # 24 in Italy) will host the upcoming 2025 Italian Open (26/29 June 2025), now in its 84th year.
Day 7 – Wednesday 15 July 2025 – Monaco – Golf Game 4 – Golf de Cannes Mougins – in port 9 am to 11.30 pm
Monaco is one of the great ports of the Western Mediterranean and it is a short walk from the heart of down-town Monte Carlo and the streets which become a Grand Prix circuit in May each year. It is home to many of the rich and famous, particularly sports stars, attracted by the absence of income tax and the wonderful location.
Golf – Game 4 – we are scheduled to play Golf de Cannes Mougins (1923), one of the leading private golf clubs in the South of France. Over the years, the course has been the venue for many events on the European Tour and past winners include Greg Norman in 1983. The course was extensively renovated in 2015 and now ranks in the top 40 golf courses in France (to place in context, there are over 800 golf courses in France, significantly exceeding the number in Scotland by 25%). Independent reviews speak positively to its fantastic setting in the foothills around Cannes with slick greens and well maintained fairways.
With our long day in port, there will be time to both golf and enjoy an evening walk, or a flutter at the famous Casino if that is your preference (dress standards apply).
Day 8 – Thursday 16 July 2025 – St Tropez – Golf Game 5 – Golf de Roquebrune – in port – 8 am to 11.30 pm
Today Explora 1 anchors in the sheltered bay of St Tropez and it is but a short tender to shore.
Golf – Game 5 – for the golfers, it is a wonderful coastal drive west of St Tropez to Golf de Roquebrune, one of the many excellent golf courses located in the vicinity of St Tropez. The golf course is part of the Resonance Group of Golf Courses, and while David and Adrienne have not personally played this course, we have never been disappointed with any of their other 40 member golf courses. Golf de Roquebrune, located in the foothills overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, ranks in the top 100 France golf courses.
Upon return to St Tropez, there will should be a spare hour or two, depending on traffic conditions, to explore the pretty town of St Tropez.
Day 9 – Friday 17 July 2025 – Sea Day
Consistent with all Explora’s 7 night Mediterranean cruises, there is always a sea day for onboard relaxation or to participate in any of the many activities offered during the course of the day. Today is that day.
Day 10 – Saturday 18 July 2025 – Valencia – Golf Game 6 – Campo de Golf El Saler – in port – 8 am to 6 pm
Today Explora I berths for 10 hours in Valencia, one of the most attractive port cities in Spain.
Golf – Game 4 – today we coach less than 30 minutes to Campo de Golf El Saler (1968), ranked # 3 in all Spain and # 1 ranked golf course in southeast Spain. Our golf cruises have included this links course multiple times previously and our golfers have never been disappointed. The course is played through pine forests and features many challenging holes, several of which are traditional links style holes near the coast. As visitors, we are always made to feel especially welcome at this course.
Day 11 – Sunday 19 July 2025 – Menorca – Golf Game 7 – Golf Son Parc Menorca – in port 9 am to 8 pm
Today Explora I berths in Menorca, one of the small islands comprising Spain’s Balearic Islands. This island is more low-key than its more famous island neighbours, Mallorca and Ibiza.
Golf – Game 7: Today the golfers have a short coach transfer to Golf Son Parc Menorca, the island’s only 18-hole golf course. Booking early has allowed us to secure mid-morning tee off times on this day, a Sunday, when the course can be at its busiest.
Day 12 – Monday 20 July 2026 – Barcelona/Camiral Golf Resort – 2 Nights - Golf Game 8
This morning, we disembark Explora I in Barcelona and have a transfer of just over 60 minutes to the world class 5 star Camiral Golf Resort north of Barcelona. The resort, previously known as PGA Catalunya, has 2 golf courses, namely Spain’s # 4 ranked Stadium Course (the # 1 ranked course in northeast Spain and the 13th ranked course in Europe) and the Tour Course, which rates # 4 in northeast Spain and # 24 in all of Spain.
The Stadium Course has been home to many events on the European Tour over the past 2 decades. It was designed and constructed by the European Tour to rival the PGA Tour’s Stadium Course at Sawgrass and has been a close rival to both Paris and Rome for most recent Ryder Cup events in mainland Europe. We have played the course on previous golf cruises and it has been a firm favourite of our tour parties.
Our accommodation will be in Superior Deluxe Rooms at the 5 star Camiral Hotel. This room category has a private balcony of 6 sqm plus a bedroom suite of 32 sqm. Each room has a king size bed with a separate bath and rain shower. From the balcony, you should have views over the Tour Course with the Pyrenees in the background.
Golf Game 8: After arriving at Camiral Resort and checking in at reception, we have late morning tee times from 11.30 am reserved to play the Tour Course. After drinks/prize giving, you are free to explore the Camiral Resort and dine independently this evening.
Day 13 – Tuesday 21 July 2026 – Camiral Golf Resort – Golf Game 9
Apart from your golf game and drinks/prize giving, your day is free to further explore the Camiral Resort, including independent dining this evening.
Golf Game 9: After a relaxing breakfast, we play the Stadium Course with reserved tee times from 9.30 am.
Day 14 – Wednesday 22 July 2026 – Camiral Golf Resort/Barcelona
Mid-morning we coach back to Barcelona, a journey of just over 60 minutes depending upon traffic, where we will overnight in a well-located down town 5 star hotel for our final night on tour. This afternoon you will be free to enjoy lunch and explore Barcelona independently before meeting up for pre-dinner drinks and a farewell dinner.
Day 15 – Thursday 23 July 2026 – Barcelona – Tour Ends
Our tour officially concludes after breakfast however the option exists to stay longer, at additional cost should you wish.
The Finer Details...
Inclusions, pricing and various conditions of this hosted golf cruise (including golf programme and pre and post cruise hotel/golf extensions in Rome and Barcelona) are as follows:
You have 3 options to add to the very competitively priced 7 night luxury cruise – each can be chosen as an independent addition and at an incremental cost. Your 7 night luxury highly inclusive cruise (with large balcony room) costs from AUD 6,200 pp (single travellers from AUD 7,300) and represents great value in the luxury cruise market. 5 golf games are offered on the cruise at an average estimated cost of circa EUR 250 pp per game.
Pre cruise you can stay in a package for 4 nights in a 5 star Rome Hotel and play 2 x games at Marco Simone Golf Club, the venue of the 2023 Ryder Cup with welcome dinner/drinks and port transfer to board Explora 1. Cost for a couple is EUR 2,400 pp (and EUR 3,500 for a single).
Post cruise we offer a package of 3 nights including a stay of 2 nights at the 5 star Camiral Golf Resort with 2 games of golf and a final night at a 5 star hotel in Barcelona including farewell drinks and dinner in Barcelona. Cost for a couple is EUR 2,100 pp (and EUR 2,900 for a single).
Trendsetter Travel has a group allocation of Ocean Terrace 1 (OT1) – the lead in balcony suite. There are other Ocean Terraces 2 to 4 (OT2, OT3 and OT4) which have the same physical specification of OT1 but different locations on ship and elevated pricing. We also have an allocation of Premier Penthouses (PP). However, we can sell you any category of stateroom on the ship subject to availability – all with the same discounts available.
OT1 Suites are located on the middle of Deck 6 and the AFT and Forward of Deck 7. These staterooms are one of the most generous lead in rooms of any of the luxury cruise ships. In terms of area, the OT Suites are equivalent in size/specification to the balcony rooms on Silversea (Classic Balcony), Seabourn (V2) and Crystal (Aquamarine). There are no smaller rooms on Explora I and no staterooms are without balconies. The mid ship OT1 Suites on Deck 6 are located in one of the most stable locations on Explora I and we recommend the OTI suite category from the perspective of both value and location.
Under our group allocation, we are limited to selling 4 x Suites to Single Travellers and providing the 5% group discount. OT1 Suites are priced at a modest 25% single supplement and represent very good value for the single traveller at around AUD 1,100 per room night.
The above pricing exhibits 3 aggregate discounts (depending upon room category, these discounts add up to between 25% and 30%):
- Early Booking Benefit
- Grand & Extended Journeys Discount
- Group Discount (5%)
While these discounts will end on 31 March 2025, under our group contract we can continue to offer this pricing until as late as 22 May 2025 (assuming our group allocation has not been sold out by this date).
You can access the deck plan for Explora I on the following link: https://tinyurl.com/bdhbscvh
You can review all the details of an Ocean Terrace Suite (including floor plan and bathroom specification) using the following link:
https://explorajourneys.com/au/en/suites/Ocean-Suites/ocean-terrace-suite
A deposit of 25% of the cruise fare is payable at the time of booking with final payment due at 90 days from cruise departure (around 9 April 2026). For Ocean Suites and Penthouses, cancellation penalties commence inside 150 days from departure. Outside 150 days from departure, cancellations incur an A250/room administration charge. The administration charge is non-refundable but it can be applied as a credit on a future Explora booking made within 12 months of the date of cancellation.
AUD deposits are required for the other tour elections as follows:
- Pre Cruise Rome Hotel & Golf Option – Deposit of AUD 750 pp for twin share and AUD 1,000 for singles
- Post Cruise Barcelona Hotel & Golf Option – Deposit of AUD 750 pp for twin share and AUD 1,000 for singles
- Golf Programme on Cruise – Deposit of AUD 500 pp
Once made, the deposits on the above 3 x cruise extensions are non-refundable.
Final payments for the above 3 x extension programmes will be due at the time of final payment on the Explora cruise fares. Final payments will be calculated in AUD using an AUD/EUR exchange rate better than quoted by any of the four major Australian trading banks and after deduction of deposits paid.
Both deposit and final payments to Trendsetter Travel should be made by bank transfer to the following bank account:
Trendsetter Travel & Cruise Centre Pty Ltd
ANZ Bank – Client Account
BSB – 012 003
Account – 8334 12763
Or by credit card using the following link (fees of approximately 1% apply for Visa/Mastercard and 2% for Amex)
http://pay.travelpay.com.au/trendset
Trendsetter has identified and booked all the courses as specified but cannot be held responsible for any late amendments or cancellations caused by events outside of its control e.g. late arrival at or cancellation of a port due to weather conditions, storms or heavy rain necessitating cancellation of play after a round has started. If such an event occurs Trendsetter will do its best to organise an alternative course or obtain a partial or full refund as practicable. Please note that a full refund is NOT GUARANTEED as it may not be possible to cancel/amend contracted services, such as coach transport, within the requisite time frame. Trendsetter also reserves the right to amend its hotel selections in Rome and/or Barcelona if it deems it in the best interests of the tour due to a better hotel having been identified which was not originally available.
Once the tour has commenced, should a tour participant choose not to play a particular golf course which has been prepaid, Trendsetter will refund an amount equivalent to the saving Trendsetter achieves for the non-attendance at golf that day.
Trendsetter may also change the nominated golf course if it believes it is in the best interests of the tour (e.g. if course conditioning is found not be of an acceptable standard due to course maintenance works, a better golf course becomes available or the course will not permit our group to play on the nominated date even though previously booked). You will be advised of this should such a change occur.
Payment of your golf programme constitutes acceptance of the above terms. For more information please contact David Cooper:
Tel. 0413 010 638
Email david@trendsettertravel.com.au
Website www.trendsettertravel.com.au/Tours
Itinerary Web Link www.trendsettertravel.com.au/GC65
