Rome (Civitavecchia) is easy accesible. Last time we had a shuttle from Rome to Civitavecchia (€140 private limo). Train costs about € 4 per person and takes up to 1 hour. But be aware of strikes. This time we drove our own car, which we parked at Giammauto Cruise Car park. Costs for 2 weeks € 108, guarded car park, free shuttle to ship and free pick up after disembarkation. There are some good hotels in the port area with sea view. One night, breakfast included is about € 120.

We are do it ourself ers whenever the port allows. Mostly because of flexibility. We like to decide on the spot what suits us best, depending on weather, times in port and our health. So we only booked one excursion through Celebrity during this cruise. In Napels it is a 15 minutes into town. The castle near the port is worth a visit. It was a rather hot day we docked in Napels and all we did there was drop down on a terrace for an espresso and some free wifi. The locals were giving their analyses of the soccer game that were played the night before (Napoli won!), so we had great free entertainment right there.

The third day in Israel we woke up to a beautiful view of Haifa. From the port it is a long ascending walk to the Bahai Gardens. It takes about 45 minutes to walk up. You can take the stairs or you can take a taxi up. Ignore the taxi drivers at the port entrance. Just walk into town and hail a cab further into town, they will charge a 3rd of what the taxi drivers in the port will ask. We shared a cab with another couple so it only cost us 5 euro per couple to get a cab drive uphill to Bahai gardens. It is beautiful! And so worth your trip. You can easily walk down again to the ship.

My husband didn’t feel well this day, so we tendered to port, anchored ourselves at some café and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the harbor and we caught an early tender back to the ship to relish in the emptiness of the ship. Free wifi is readily available in port. As are the souvenirs. The cable up is €5 per ride. Or you can walk down if you like.

The great bazar is at 5 minutes walking distance of the port and if you’re into that sort of thing, there are some great buys. Be prepared to hassle though! The first Starbucks we encountered this voyage, - and the last - we found just at 2 minutes from the port entrance, with a wonderful terrace looking out over the harbor. And more free wifi!

As suggested by fellow cruise critic members, we easily found the X80 bus to the Acropolis, right outside the port terminal. Because of the morning traffic, the bus took 1 hour to get us to Acropolis, (ride back took 20 minutes, there was hardly any traffic). So when doing this on your own: always take into account that you can get caught up in traffic .Bus ticket is € 4,50 per person and is valid 24 hours. Acropolis entry is € 20 (or €30 if you want to visit all of the valleys). We couldn’t take our passports, because the ship wouldn’t hand those out until after we left Greece. Therefor we had a hard time convincing the lady selling tickets my husband actually was 71. I guess he should take that as a compliment :-) She eventually gave the advertised discount: € 10 entry (or € 15) for everyone over 65. Just bring your driver license or senior pass to prove you’re over 65 if applicable.

Our last port. We chose this itinerary for Israel, but we found Valetta remarkably charming. It is a 500meter walk to the elevator up into Valetta. The views on top are stunning. An operator will assist with the buying of the ticket: € 1 per person. Keep the ticket for the return. Valetta offers lovely shopping, beautiful squares to sit back and watch the crowd. And that library! The national library behind the Queen Victoria statue is a treasure trove of rare books and prints. You’ll have to hand your passport for registration to get in. And your bags have to be stored in a locker, but if you’re into books and literature, the visit is free and worth it.