Uncover the Magic of Princess Cruises Mediterranean Journey
Princess Cruises Mediterranean
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My next adventure is quickly approaching. We are heading out on the Sun Princess from Rome for Our Princess Cruises Mediterranean adventure. This trip has been on my dream trip list since I was in high school. I remember looking at calendars of Santorini and other Greek Isles, thinking wow! I never in a million years thought I would become a world traveler, let alone actually embark on this journey. Thanks to points and miles, this dream is becoming a reality. Learn how I booked my dream trip here.
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Rome
We are flying into Rome the day before our cruise. We arrive at 7:30 that morning. I have been to Rome a couple of times. My husband and I visited for his 40th birthday ( a few years ago), and then we took our boys back in 2017. 2025 is the year of Jubilee in Rome, so I booked our hotel room almost a year in advance. Rome is a fun city to explore on foot. If it is nice weather, we plan on walking, grabbing a nice Italian lunch, and exploring the Borghese Gardens. If I had not been to Rome before, I would be heading straight to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. There is nothing like it! Everyone in our family loved it. I would recommend getting your tickets in advance.
I booked a shuttle to transport us from our hotel Sina Bernini Bristol Hotel in Rome, to the cruise port through Viator. I had looked at taking the train, but saw this on the Princess website:
Public Transportation
A train is available from Rome to Civitavecchia on a regular schedule; however, the walk from the station to the port entrance is about a mile. This can be very difficult for guests with luggage. I don’t carry a lot of luggage, but the ease of a private shuttle sounded too good to pass up. Especially since there are just two of us on this trip.
Cruise
We are sailing on the Sun Princess, embarking in Civitavecchia. This is my first time on a Sphere class ship. We had originally booked an ocean view for this trip, but thanks to bidding on an upgrade, we were able to get a deluxe balcony. This is my husband’s first time sailing on Princess Cruises. We both enjoy good food and nice wines. To enhance our trip, I splurged and bought the Premium Package. I had been wanting to try the Premium Package, and I felt the Sun was the perfect ship to try it on. The Royal Class ships do not have as many specialty restaurants as the Sphere class ships. I was able to book us specialty dining for each night of our trip. Check out this post about Dining Reservations on Princess. I will mention Princess just did an update on the Premium & Plus Packages. Check that out here.
We are trying the following restaurants:
Makato Ocean
Butcher’s Block
Love by Britto
The Catch by Rudi
Crown Grill
Umai Hot Pot
Uami Teppanayki
Ports
Our cruise has 4 stops and ends in Athens, Greece. Our ports are the following:
Naples -
We have visited Naples from Rome a couple of times to see Pompeii. If you have not been, it is incredible! My husband used the Rick Steves Rome book to help us navigate Pompei. Since we have been to Pompei twice, I wanted to do something different this time. I would love to travel up the Amalfi coast, but most of the tours I found looked like a lot of time on a bus (at least the ones I could afford). However, I did end up booking a tour with Princess Cruises to do a wine tasting on Mount Vesuvius. I mean, things I never imagined I would be doing ever! We will be back in Naples next year for another cruise, and I might try my dream of the Amalfi Coast then!
Crete
I have never been to Crete. I planned a fun day with my husband thanks to Shore Excursion Group. I booked us the
Cretan Wines Jeep Safari with a Full Lunch
Experience the world-renowned Manousakis vineyards on our Cretan Wines Jeep Safari and taste exquisite wines.
Embark on an exciting off-road trip to Vatolakos Hill, boasting stunning views from 700 meters, where the vineyards offer a breathtaking spectacle.
Enjoy a comprehensive, professionally guided tour of the Manousakis Winery, learning about the wine-making process, and sample their finest wines.
Relish a full Greek-style lunch, featuring traditional dishes like Dakos, Dolmadakia, Beef Yiouvetsi, and dessert, all accompanied by delectable wines.
Istanbul
Another excursion I booked with Princess Cruises. I let my husband pick out what we did in Istanbul, and he literally picked everything.
Here are the notes from Princess:
A scenic 25-minute drive in your motorcoach takes you across the Galata Bridge into the heart of Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire.
Your first destination is the Blue Mosque, also known as The Sultan Ahmed Mosque. This 17th-century marvel was built to rival and surpass the grandeur and beauty of nearby Hagia Sophia, and is a true study in color. It displays a multitude of domes and semi-domes and graceful minarets on the exterior, and over 20,000 shimmering blue Iznik tiles in more than 50 different tulip designs, and 216 stained glass windows, on the interior.
After a short walk, you'll enter the awe-inspiring Topkapi Palace Museum, a huge walled complex that hugs the Bosphorus. This former palace of Ottoman sultans is now a museum displaying an extraordinary collection of art, artifacts, and jewels, including the famed Topkapi Diamond. The windows promise breathtaking views of the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara.
Just inside the palace, the harem offers a revealing look into how the sultans of the Ottoman Empire lived. These private apartments were carefully situated so as not to be seen from the state apartments or courtyards where public affairs were conducted.
A delightful lunch, featuring Turkish specialities and beverages, will be served in a wonderful location surrounded by original Byzantine walls in the old city.
Your tour continues to the Grand Bazaar. This impressive covered market - the largest in the world with over 4.000 shops. Time permitting, you'll view a carpet demonstration and explore the shops filled with jewelry, carpets, leather ware, and copper goods. Bargaining is expected and half the fun.
Within minutes, you'll arrive at Hagia Sophia, also known as St. Sophia, the Church of Holy Wisdom. It was originally built by Constantine the Great, and later rebuilt by Emperor Justinian to be a "queen church" of the new empire. Considered one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture, it's rich with mosaics and marble pillars and coverings.
Mykonos
I went back to Shore Excursion Group for this tour. We are doing the Exclusive Mykonos Old and New tour. Shore Excursion Group had the following info:
Experience the breathtaking sight of Mykonos, from a northern beach of the island to the traditional village Ano Mera
Visit a traditional tavern and soak up local culture
See the iconic whitewashed architecture of Little Venice and the Mykonos windmills
Visit the historic Panagia Tourliani Monastery
Tour Mykonos Town, the Old Harbor, and the Fish Market
Athens
Our cruise disembarks in Athens, Greece. I have never been to Athens before, so we decided to stay 2 nights at the Grand Hyatt Athens before we return to the States. It looks like we can take a taxi for around 20 euros to our hotel. I did not book a transfer for this part of the trip. We will drop off our luggage, then start exploring. On our first day in Athens, I booked the Greek Walking Food Tour. For our 2nd day in Athens, I booked us tickets to the Acropolis from Get Your Guide.
