First let me say that we are fairly seasoned cruisers with this being our 17th. This cruise was a 9 day cruise to the Greek Isles. It would be our first ever trip to Europe so we knew our expectations might be somewhat high. Our flight overseas was an overnight flight and we arrived in Rome well rested at 9:00 AM. We decided to book two extra days in Rome at the beginning of our trip and it turned out to be one awesome idea. Rome is fantastic. We loved everything about it. The people and food were amazing. Getting onto the ship, (As always with Royal) was a breeze. Everything was ready for us and our luggage arrive around 2:00 PM. We had been on the Jewel just 9 months prior in the Caribbean so we knew her well. The crew and food were awesome and we had a great time at the bars in the evening. We set up all our excursions through Royal and we didn't have one that wasn't more than we expected. Royal truly made this first trip to Europe magical for us. My advice is to be sure and book a balcony room. Trust me on this one. Coming into Santorini, Naples and Athens early in the morning is truly a sight to see.