My husband and I took a western Mediterranean cruise on Marina that started in Rome and ended in Barcelona. We absolutely loved it! First of all, the food was outstanding! We ate once at each of the specialty restaurants and enjoyed them all. I love that they're all included with our cruise. I think our 2 favorites were Red Ginger and Jacques, but Polo Grill and Toscana were also delicious. The main dining room was also a favorite, as were Waves Grill for a late lunch and Baristas for a light breakfast and cappuccino. We chose to do Oceania excursions in each of the 7 ports, and we were not disappointed. All were very enjoyable and some of our guides were exceptional. After returning from each day's excursion, we relaxed with a late lunch and cocktail by the pool, followed by shuffleboard, putt-putt, paddle ball or trivia. Earning O-points while enjoying the activities was a bonus, as we cashed them in for some great merchandise on the last night. Drinks before dinner in Martini's came before our fabulous dinners. We both loved the talent of the entertainment team in the ship's production shows! Lots of energy and wonderful singing and dancing each evening! I would highly recommend a cooking class while onboard. "In the Kitchen with Jacques" was the one we did, and it was so much fun! The service was exceptional too! We will definitely cruise with Oceania again.
Our veranda stateroom was very nice and roomy. Nicely furnished too. We loved having enough space for a desk, chair, table and loveseat. We thought the balcony was wonderful for reading a book in the afternoon or for viewing each port as we pulled in.
We visited Tuscany from the port of Livorno and absolutely loved our visit to a vineyard in the Tuscan countryside with lunch, tour and wine tasting.
From the port of Genoa we rode a bus to Santa Margherita Ligure and then a ferry to Portofino. Both were lovely towns and among our favorite stops on the trip.
Our tour guide for Highlights of Ajaccio was wonderful and very interesting. It was a beautiful port and definitely a hidden gem.
We had a tapas lunch with sangria along with an outstanding flamenco show in Palma. After that we toured the town and saw the gorgeous cathedral.
Our guide in Valencia was our favorite and she did an amazing job! First we toured the city, and then we visited the aquarium...it was probably the best aquarium I've ever been to.
From Port Vendres we visited the lovely town of Ceret where we toured an art museum followed by time to explore on our own.
Our guide for Gaudi's Barcelona also did a fantastic job of showing us the city.