It had always been a dream of mine to show my children Europe. I wanted to ignite the same spark for travel that I had, and to show them other cultures, history, and landscapes. As a travel writer, I’m lucky enough to see the world. They’ve been lucky enough to explore some locales with me, but this would be their first trip overseas.
I wanted to show them as much as possible, but we had limited time. The solution? A cruise. While you may think of cruises as floating cities (and they can be!) complete with mini waterparks, shows, and restaurant venues, they’re also a great way to be able to see multiple locales in a limited timeframe—in our case, six destinations in four countries in seven days (we added on days at each end so we would have extra time in Rome, Italy). You go to sleep in the same room in one country and wake up in another. Perfect.
So, this past July, off we went.
With several large suitcases between us, my husband, son, daughter, and I headed to the airport to fly to Europe.
After 23 hours of traveling we arrived, a little disheveled but excited, in Rome.
For a wonderful two days, we explored.
First up—after a very long night’s sleep at Salt River Palace Hotel—was a tour of the Vatican, Vatican Museums, and St. Peter’s Basilica. We marveled at the paintings and sculptures, and waited on line to see the stunning Sistine Chapel. We wandered around the city, stopping by Trevi Fountain, where we tossed in coins and made wishes, and the Pantheon, and then settled in for some pasta at a cute outdoor restaurant in Piazza Navona, where live music swirled through the plaza.
The next day we headed to Civitavecchia, where we boarded the Norwegian Cruise Line’s Bliss cruise ship. We were ready to explore some of Europe’s highlights, with the same room to come back to each night. Not having to change hotels every time we visited a new city made our trip that much easier—as did the ready-when-we-were buffet each morning.
Our first stop was Naples, Italy, where we set up a tour through Viator that took us to Pompeii, about 30 minutes away. Pompeii is an ancient town that was preserved after the explosion of Mount Vesuvius covered it in ash in 79 AD. We were able to explore everything from homes to artwork, and yes, the plaster casts of some of those who perished in the explosion. Even my teenagers were fascinated.
The next day the cruise ship stopped in Livorno, so we took a bus to Florence, which was about 1.5 hours away (there is also a train that goes between the port and the city). Florence Cathedral, Ponte Vecchio (the famous bridge), seeing Michelangelo’s “David” (housed at the Galleria delli’Accademia), and shopping at some outdoor markets were all on our list. Also on our list? Several stops for gelato. Yet, I still think we were able to eat a dessert when we were back on the ship that night!
The next day found us in Cannes. There is so much to see nearby there so we booked an excursion through the ship that began in Cannes, then took us to the outdoor market in Nice (have you seen the pebble beach?), then to Monaco, where we watched the changing of the guards at the Palace (the prince was in residence!), before heading to Monte Carlo, where we drove on some of the streets used for the Grand Prix and saw the famous casino. It was one of our longest days, but the tour guide kept us entertained with anecdotes about the areas (they take care of you on the tours!) as we drove and directed us on what we should see during the exploration time.
Our next stop was Palma Majorca, Spain. A beautiful locale though most things were closed, so we were able to head back to the ship and relax by the pool for a while.
It was good we were able to have an easy day since our next stop was quite busy—Barcelona, Spain. Again we booked a tour through Viator, and our tour guide was wonderful. We were in a small group and covered a lot of ground. From Gaudi’s Park Güell with its gingerbread-inspired houses to the Olympic stadium, we saw it all. We ended the day exploring Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia, with its stunning stained-glass windows.
Back on the ship for dinner and an evening show, and when we awoke the next morning, we were back in France, in beautiful Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica and the birthplace of French Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte. We toured the area, did a little shopping, and then spent some time in the Mediterranean Sea.
It was a bittersweet night that night as we packed up. It would be our last night on the ship, and when we woke up the next morning we would be back in Italy, at the Civitavecchia port.
We were sad to disembark our floating home the next morning, but we had another stay at the River Palace Hotel booked again. We spent two more days exploring—from the Coliseum where we took an underground tour to the Roman Forum and the Spanish Steps—before it was finally time to head back home to the United States.
It was a busy trip, but one that left an impression on all of us. History and culture, indeed.