Background: We are a well-traveled couple in our 50's/60's formerly from the East Coast of the US and now living in the desert of Arizona. We have enjoyed our previous cruises on RCCL and HA and were attracted by this itinerary which included Italy, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt ! We planned a major vacation with a week based in Florence, Italy before the cruise and a week split between Athens and Madrid afterward.

Hotel: We booked our own hotels (Hotel Alessandra in Florence, Art Hotel in Athens and Room Mate Alicia in Madrid). All were excellent values with excellent service. I will be reviewing them on Tripadvisor but anyone with questions is welcome to e-mail me at rubinstein2r@hotmail.com.

Travel to Embark: Already experienced with the Italian trains (to Cremona and Lucca from Florence), we decided to go by train from Rome to Civitavecchia. Buying tickets in Italy was easy, the ride was short and comfortable. The walk from the station was under a kilometer along a beach lined with hotels and restaurants. The only "negative" was a flight of steps or two at the train station. For us, it was worth it to deal with that rather than pay for a taxi or car service. Read more