We chose this cruise because of its length (13 days) and because we had not been to any of the countries and ports. The cruise was very good and the ports were well chosen from ones in Italy, Turkey, Greece and Croatia. We were awed by the beauty of Santorini and surprised by the interesting cities in Croatia (Dubrovnik and Split). Holland America staff was excellent and the food and service was also top quality. The entertainment was good but not as good as others we have experienced on earlier cruises. Our only complaint was the cost of the beverage package and the limited choice. We are not beer, wine and liquor drinkers except occasionally and the package was in the $40 a day range. Other cruise lines offered beverage packages that did not include those drinks but did include non-alcoholic beverages for about that price per week! This did not spoil the trip but would have been nice. Our ship (Oosterdam) was small by comparison to many today (1800) but that made it easy to get around and we were often able to meet up with people we had met earlier and spend time with them. We enjoy the smaller ship experience (our ages are 69 and 68).

I would recommend this cruise that began in Rome and ended in Venice. Also the time of year was good because it was not too hot and not to cool. Great for walking around without having to carry extra clothing.

Please be careful in Naples, the pick pocket capital of the world. I lost my entire wallet on a train which caused us to miss the tour we had planned in Naples. Don't assume you are same because you know about this problem. We did and it still happened. They are GOOD and what they do. VERY GOOD. Read more