My wife and I were looking for a wonderful honeymoon experience and we definitely found that on the MS Noordam Roman Empire Cruise. This was the first time cruising for both of us and after only being home a few days we are looking to book our next cruise already.

Our trip began with a little hiccup. Our flight into Rome was cancelled due to mechanical failures. This caused us to miss the embarkation of the ship from Civitavecchia. (In case this should happen to anyone reading this, be aware that there is a number posted on Holland America's website but not on the ticket that is available 24/7 for anyone who realizes that they will miss the boat.) After speaking with the people at Holland America they told us to ask the airline to route us to the first stop in Dubrovnik and they would make sure to get us on the boat.

Dubrovnik: We arrived in Dubrovnik a day before for the boat and spent the day sightseeing. The main draw in Dubrovnik is the old town. This area is a charming little city build of stone and surrounded by hills on one side and water on the other. We wandered through the town and found our way to a beautiful little cafe overlooking the water where we stopped for drinks. If you see the sign that says "Cold Drinks with the Most Beautiful View", you know you've found the right place, and they are just as advertised. We then took a walk along the wall of the city. There is an entry price of 70 kuna pp, which is about $12 each. The views from the wall were spectacular but be advised that there are a lot of stairs and on a hot day it can be a little taxing. Once you reach the top its a one way route and the next set of stairs back down are a 20-30 minute walk. There are a few stops along the way to get a drink if you need it. After touring the wall, we decided it was time for dinner. There are many restaurants in the alleys off of the main road through town and we stopped at one of them to eat. After dinner we went back to our hotel in eager anticipation of getting on the ship the next day. Read more