There is so much to see and do in the Mediterranean, from buzzing port cities and hilltop enclaves, to relaxing beaches and historic sites. A cruise is a great way to get a taste of Mediterranean life in many countries on one trip. We found the ideal itinerary on the Norwegian Viva, so booked it immediately.
We have been dreaming of visiting the Med for about 20 years, so finding the right itinerary was key to squeezing every last drop out of this trip.
Once you find an itinerary that makes your heart sing, book it – Pack your bags and Get Up and GO!
A Mediterranean Cruise on theNorwegian Viva
We selected this cruise because the itinerary was amazing and only had one sea day. The idea of waking up to a new city each morning was appealing, as was the thought of being on one of Norwegian’s newest ships. We chose a family balcony room and it had plenty of space for the four of us.
Pros and Cons of the Norwegian Viva
Pros
There were plenty of dining options on the ship and it never felt crowded, even though its capacity is over 4,000 people. There are also many options for recreation like pickleball, go karts, and mini golf. The ship was beautiful and clean.
We also really enjoyed the international food cafe on the ship that offered a wide variety of quick food options for lunch and dinner.
Cons
I have to be honest, I do have some feedback for Norwegian.
NCL has a Free at Sea program where you can show up any time at any restaurant and that is great in so many ways. Despite the convenience of this, we did miss the genuine connection gained by seeing the same staff over and over at timed sittings. But it’s a small compromise.
Family entertainment was a big miss on this ship. There was a broadway show, Beetlejeice, onboard and we were told that it was not appropriate for children, so we couldn’t see that. The comedian was not age appropriate either. So, we played cards each night or watched a movie in our cabin most nights.
This is something to take into account if you are traveling with children – there are other more kid-friendly ships, but these may not have the same amazing itinerary!
Port stops on our Mediterranean cruise
Athens
Athens, Greece is a city of ancient wonders. A city where history and modern culture converge, Athens offers you the best of Greek history, lively neighborhoods, and a rich culinary scene.
It is beyond my comprehension that I was looking at buildings that have been there for thousands of years. While I was surprised by how much graffiti is all over the city, I was pleased to see that much of that was outside of the gated UNESCO sites.
Please remember that the Acropolis is huge, you should get tickets in advance as they are timed and the line to enter is long.
Mykonos
Mykonos, Greece is known for being the party island of Greece, but we found it to be gorgeous and quiet on our early morning visit. We took the ferry for 2 euros each to the city center, but honestly, we could have walked there as it was just across the bay (maybe a 15 minute walk).
Once in town, we took our time, walking the narrow alleys and stopping for photos every few seconds because the white buildings and lovely bright fuschia flowers just popped on camera. We saw the windmills up on the hill and even found a place to exchange currency on a Sunday!
We ended our day with a Gyro (invented here in Greece, you can’t get any better) and headed back to the ship.
Tip: Avoid having to do currency exchanges in tourist destinations – either get currency in advance or use a multi-currency card for use while traveling.
Istanbul
Istanbul, Türkiye was never on my radar for bucket list cities to visit, but boy am I glad that we had the chance to see it. We chose a guided tour from the cruise and had the pleasure of learning about Turkiye’s history.
We went straight to the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, followed by a visit to the Underground Cisterns of the Roman Empire. It was fascinating to hear the call to prayer while eating a freshly baked sesame roll purchased from a street vendor. Then we visited the Blue Mosque and entered while wearing a borrowed scarf to honor the customs of this holy place.
TIP: Remember to wear appropriate clothing in religious sites – most will loan scarves or skirts to cover up if needed.
We then went through the city, past an Egyptian Obelisk – that was easily 3500 years old – on to a presentation on how Turkish rugs are made, which is absolutely fascinating.
I was most looking forward to a visit to the Grand Bizarre, but sadly this fell short for me. It was insanely crowded, and filled with cigarette smoke, and every vendor hassled us to come into their shops. It was a bit of a culture-shock, so be prepared if you visit.
We bought a few Turkish delights (raspberry and pistachio were our favorites), drank some delicious teas, and found a beautiful teapot to display on our travel shelves at home.
Ephesus (Kusadasi Port Stop)
Kusadasi, Turkiye (Ephesus) was our next stop. Ephesus, one of the best-preserved ancient cities in the world, offers a fascinating journey through history with its grand Roman ruins.
We found the best tour guide in Memo, who greeted us as soon as we were off the ship. While we were talking, he discovered that we were very interested in learning about the Apostle Paul, so made an effort to enlighten us during our visit.
Memo was so skillful and guided us through the village, past the ancient library that looks much like the library of Petra, and into the Grand Theater. We learned of Artemis, and even saw the remnants of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
After an exciting sampling of Turkish coffee (it’s a whole experience in itself), we visited a rug weaving school and learned even more about the art of Turkish rug weaving.
Another fun and unexpected thing to note was that we were actually on the continent of Asia while visiting Ephesus – Türkiye spans two continents!
Book the Kusadasi Private Skip the Line Ephesus Tour 2025
and ask for Memo!
Santorini
Santorini, Greece has long been enchanting visitors with its whitewashed villages perched on dramatic cliffs, stunning caldera views, and legendary sunsets over crystal-clear waters. But this beauty means crowds!
There are only two ways up from the port: cable car (which can have a long queue) or walking up a trail that is shared with many donkeys as they carry passengers up and down the path. Luckily, we were able to be the second group off the cruise ship for an early arrival at the cable car. After our quick ascent, we watched the sunrise from the Zafora Cafe.
We opted to take a tour to Oia and honestly wasted 100 euros on this venture. There was no guide to tell us anything of what we were seeing. It was a glorified taxi service. So, take the local bus service for 2 euros per person and spend the money on all of the gorgeous hand-made pottery and paintings by local artists in Oia instead.
We stayed in Oia all afternoon, before taking a bus back to Fira, where we grabbed our final street Gyro. The queue for the cable car back to the port was over 2 hours in length, so we chose to walk down the path. We had a few near collisions with the donkeys of Santorini, but we made it safely down after 45 minutes.
Sea Day
Our day at Sea was a complete day of rest. We laid out in the sunshine, read books, journaled our explorations to date, and played cards. We may have even taken a thriller dance class on the ship!
Sicily
Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean, is a captivating blend of ancient history, vibrant culture, and stunning landscapes. It has been made famous recently with the White Lotus TV series.
We joined a tour with Discover Messina and visited the towns of Castelmola and Taormina. The winding roads did nothing but inspire awe in our driver, as the roads were tight curves going up into the mountains and our driver was so talented in getting us there safely.
In Castelmola, we had the pleasure of finding a bakery that had just pulled fresh cannolis out of the oven and we had our choice in the filling. We chose pistachio creme and it did not disappoint.
We then went onto the Medieval town of Taormina, where we had a delicious lunch of margherita pizza and a caprese salad. The smell of fresh seafood along with spices filled the air and we were captivated by this beautiful town loaded with small alleys calling us to explore. Time was so short here, so disappointingly,we couldn’t visit the ancient amphitheater – the queue was just too long.
So we ate our feelings in Gelato and once again chose the signature flavor of pistachio.
TIP: Timing is definitely something to consider if you are taking a multiple site tour – if you have a specific site you want to explore, take a dedicated tour.
Naples
We chose to visit Sorrento and Pompeii from the Naples port stop, and because time was tight, we opted to do a ship excursion.
First, we stopped at a Cameo workshop and were blown away with the beauty of this jewelry (I wanted to buy so many things!) I loved seeing the artists at work.
Sorrento was the next stop, and it was such a beautiful town – full of lemons, lemon candies, and limoncello.
We should have had lunch in Sorrento, but were hurried along to Pompeii, where we ate pizza from a cart vendor (Naples is the birthplace of pizza, if you didn’t know already).
We toured Pompeii, and while fascinated with the history, we so desperately wished that we had a solid guide. This was a learning experience for us!
Even if we weren’t given a great guide on a excursion, there was an excellent book in the giftshop so we were able to pick one up and review it together.
Cinque Terre (Florence Port Stop)
While Florence is a magical city to visit, I really wanted to see the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre while in Italy on this trip. Luckily, I was able to secure a private tour through Bella Italia Tours for a visit to the Cinque Terre. The Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a picturesque collection of five colorful coastal villages nestled within a rugged national park, offering breathtaking Ligurian views and hiking trails.
Luigi, our guide, and Uri, our driver, met us at port. We were able to visit 4 of the 5 villages in Cinque Terre and enjoyed each one so very much. It was fabulous to travel between each village by ferry boat with our guide and enjoy unique gelato flavors along the way (basil was our favorite).
We had a delicious lunch of trofie pesto pasta, margherita pizza, and more gelato! Our guide then surprised us with a quick stop at the Leaning Tower of Pisa and of course showed us where to find the best photo spot.
Book the Cinque Terre Private Shore Excursion from Cruise Port of Livorno here.
Ask for Luigi and Uri!
Nice
Nice is the glamorous heart of the French Riviera, captivating visitors with its stunning Mediterranean coastline, vibrant old town, and plenty of fantastic beach clubs. I’ll admit, Nice was never on my radar, but I thought an easy day of sunshine and souvenir shopping by the ocean would be a great way to end the cruise.
We enjoyed a quick dip in the ocean and then elected to take the train to Monaco to see how the fancy people live! We saw the casino and then ventured back to Nice via train to have lunch by the sea before going back to the ship.
Our last night on the ship was spent having a lovely dinner and watching the sunset on this seaside town.
Post Cruise Vacation Time
Rome
Although the cruise was over, we extended our stay in Italy with a customized itinerary that I created.
We left the cruise ship here in Rome and took the train into the city center. It was a decent walk to the train station, so I would suggest taking a taxi, especially if you are carrying luggage! The train was crowded and space was limited for luggage, so be aware of this if you are disembarking with lots of bags.
Thankfully, we found our Airbnb very quickly as it was just 5 minutes from the train station. We stayed in a gorgeous apartment hosted by Nicola that was right across the street from the Colosseum! It was well appointed, had wonderful neighborhood restaurants and a nice local grocer next door.
During our time in Rome, we visited the Vatican in a guided tour, the Colosseum on our own (buy tickets in advance for Colosseum, lines are very long and guided tours sell out very quickly for the day), and a walking tour of Rome.
Venice
From Rome, we took an express train to Venice in about 4 hours. Train travel in Europe is our favorite mode of transportation. We booked in advance and had a private room on the train that came with a breakfast pastry, a bottle of water, and a soft drink or coffee.
On the train, we watched the countryside pass by, played more cards, and read. Time quickly passed and we arrived in Venice.
Our Venice Airbnb was just a 5 minute walk from the train station, so we could start exploring straight away. As soon as we spotted the Grand Canal, full of Gondoliers, passenger boats and small private vessels busily passing by, we hurried to explore more. Our room was over 1600 years old and had gorgeous artwork everywhere you looked.
We had a lunch of squid ink pasta and you guessed it….more margherita pizza before we took off exploring the city of Venice. It was gorgeous – better than I could imagine.
There were the songs of the Gondoliers in the air, local artists selling their drawings, and loads of restaurants and shops. We ventured into many leather shops and found a handsome messenger bag for my son. While visiting the Rialto Bridge, we saw a cameo jewelry shop and had time to actually shop for the one that I really wanted. Her name is Diana and she is beautiful.
After a long day of exploring, we chose to visit the gelato store Sosa, as it was highly recommended. It was the best gelato ever and worth queuing for. I chose pistachio and it was by far the best gelato that I have ever had.
The next day, we visited Murano to see the glassblowing artisans and enjoyed our day there very much. We found a glass gondolier for my daughter and enjoyed the best street musician I have ever heard – he played music from different shaped wine glasses!
We had a quiet last night in Venice and ended our dream trip to the Mediterranean.
A Mediterranean Cruise with NCL on the Norwegian Viva
Despite the fact we had a few issues with the boat, it was a great way to see a huge itinerary of countries and sights on the Mediterranean Sea. If you are traveling with your family and want a hassle-free way to see a lot of places, then a cruise is definitely my recommendation.
Contact me today to discuss your cruise dreams, budget and requirements!