I enjoyed this cruise very much, which I took as a combination continuing education conference and vacation. For a ten-day cruise, it offered fantastic port opportunities, starting in Venice (we stayed in the Best Western Mestre on the mainland, across the street from the Mestre train station, for an easy commute into Venice). Embarkation and disembarkation were easy and uneventful: the transfers to the airport were overpriced compared to what we would have paid for a cab (which was readily available, it turns out). We stayed in balcony cabin 9036, which was comfortable but had a curtain in the shower (and a clothes line--very handy for in-room laundry!). We are travelers who prefer the variety and flexibility of the buffet, which met our needs perfectly (plenty of salmon lox, omelettes to order at the stern eggs station, and a nice grill station for lunch and supper too, etc.). Be alert to the small signs if you are gluten-sensitive or need to avoid sugar, as the larger signs do not apply to all items in the area, I learned. We enjoyed the overnight stay in Dubrovnik, and would recommend taking a cab to the Old Town for an 8 AM start to the city walls walk (fee applies) before the heat and the crowds. At the port of Zadar, we took Celebrity's Krka River National Park excursion, which was a wonderful experience (shorter travel time than Plitvice Lakes). We also enjoyed the "Beautiful Taormina" excursion from Catania, Sicily, and would recommend a ship's tour due to the limited port time (9 AM to 4 PM). We would likely recommend a tour from Naples, which we found to be interesting but a bit gritty (it is absolutely true about the chaotic drivers running red lights despite pedestrians crossing!) as we tried to explore it on our own and in a guided Napolitours walking tour (suggest buy a good map, or have data and GPS on your smartphone). The authentic Neapolitan pizza was worth it, though!