We have been on many cruises in the Caribbean and Western Mexico, but this was our first European cruise. I had been to three of the destination cities more than 40 years earlier, as a teenager, and my husband had never been to Europe.

It needs to be said that you are at best "sampling" the cities, as virtually every port deserved more time than the 8-12 hours we had in port. If your primary interest is Italy, don't do it by cruise ship. Both Florence and Rome are 1 1/2 hour train rides, each way, from the port.

Within those limitations, this was an incredible cruise. The ship was excellent. They had had a novo virus outbreak the trip before ours, so they did an extra thorough cleaning of the ship, and the hand sanitizer brigade was waiting for us every time we re-boarded or walked into a dining room. Food was excellent, and attempted to mirror some of the local cuisine. The ability to do "anytime" dining was a great plus (only available if you pre-pay gratuities). Read more