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From Rome to Venice Aboard the Brand-New Legend of the Seas: Our Mediterranean Adventure

There are vacations, and then there are trips that leave you wanting to turn around and do the whole thing again.

Our recent trip through Italy and the Mediterranean was definitely the latter.

We started with two full days in Rome, sailed the Mediterranean aboard Royal Caribbean’s brand-new Legend of the Seas, experienced some incredible ports along the way, and then finished our adventure by taking the train from Rome to Venice.

Great friends, incredible food and wine, history everywhere you looked, and experiences that ranged from private tours along the Amalfi Coast to swimming in the Mediterranean off Mallorca.

This was Europe done right.


Two Full Days in Rome Before the Cruise

One of the best decisions we made was arriving in Rome with two full days before boarding the ship.

Rome is not a city you want to rush.

We visited the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Roman ruins, Colosseum and Vatican, packing an incredible amount of history into our time there.

But Rome was not just about checking famous landmarks off a list.

Some of the best parts were simply enjoying the city with great friends—the food, shopping, wine and atmosphere that make Italy so special.

You can spend the morning surrounded by thousands of years of history, stop for an incredible Italian lunch, do a little shopping in the afternoon and finish the evening over dinner and wine.

That’s Rome.

And after experiencing it again firsthand, I would absolutely recommend spending at least a couple of days there before a Mediterranean cruise rather than flying in and immediately heading for the ship.



Boarding the Brand-New Legend of the Seas

After two great days in Rome, it was time for the next part of the adventure.

We boarded Royal Caribbean’s brand-new Legend of the Seas.

There is something special about stepping aboard a brand-new ship, especially one of Royal Caribbean’s newest Icon Class ships.

The ship itself is a destination.

There is an incredible amount happening onboard, and one of the things that stood out to me is just how many different types of vacations can happen on the same ship.

Families can have one experience.

Couples can have another.

People looking for entertainment, nightlife and activities can stay busy all day, while others can slow things down and simply enjoy the Mediterranean.

But on this particular cruise, as impressive as the ship was, the ports were a huge part of the experience.



Naples: Ravello, Amalfi and Positano

Our first stop was Naples, where I had arranged a private tour for our group.

That turned out to be one of the highlights of the entire trip.

We traveled along the Amalfi Coast and visited Ravello, Amalfi and Positano.

The scenery in this part of Italy is hard to describe until you are actually standing there.

The villages seem to cling to the hillsides, with dramatic cliffs, winding roads and the Mediterranean stretching out below.

But one of my favorite moments was not a famous landmark.

It was lunch.

We stopped at a home that had been converted into a restaurant high in the hillside above the city, with incredible views and a fantastic meal.

That is the kind of experience that makes a trip memorable.

You can see the Amalfi Coast with a Big Bus Tour .

Or you can really experience it the way we did.

There is a difference.



Marseille, France

Our next stop brought us to Marseille, France.

Again, we chose a private tour.

We explored the city, visiting its famous churches, monuments and historic sights before having time to shop and wander on our own.

Then came one of those classic European moments that I love: sitting outside at a French café for lunch and watching the city go by.

Not every great travel memory needs an admission ticket.

Sometimes it is simply a sidewalk café, good food, a glass of wine and nowhere you need to be for the next hour.



Palma de Mallorca: A Day on the Mediterranean

Our stop in Palma de Mallorca gave us a completely different kind of day.

After several days of sightseeing, history and walking, it was time to get out on the water.

We boarded a Mediterranean catamaran for a great day that included two swimming stops, a bar, lunch and a live DJ.

This was just a fun day.

Swimming in the Mediterranean, music playing, drinks onboard and beautiful scenery all around us made it the perfect change of pace.

It also reinforced something I always tell clients:

Do not make every port day the same.

If you spend several days touring churches, monuments and historic cities, give yourself one day to get on the water, relax and enjoy the destination in a completely different way.



Barcelona: Touring, Walking and Paella

Next came Barcelona.

We used the Hop-On Hop-Off bus to get a broad look at the city, which worked well because it gave us a chance to cover a lot of ground in a limited amount of time.

One of the major highlights was getting off to walk around La Sagrada Família.

After that, we made our way back toward the ship by walking down La Rambla.

That walk gave us a much better feel for the city than simply staying on a sightseeing bus all day.

We stopped at the market, which was filled with fresh seafood, meats, cheeses and all kinds of local foods.

And of course, we had to stop for lunch and enjoy some paella.

Barcelona gave us that perfect combination of major sights and simply wandering through the city.



Back to Rome, Then on to Venice

Eventually Legend of the Seas brought us back to Rome.

The cruise was over.

The vacation was not.

Instead of heading to the airport, we boarded a train and continued north to Venice.

And I am very glad we did.

Venice: Like Walking Into a Storybook

Venice is one of those places that is hard to describe until you are actually there.

You can look at pictures of the canals, bridges, gondolas and historic buildings, but the city feels completely different in person.

Around almost every corner is another scene that looks like it belongs on a postcard.

We spent our time walking the city, enjoying the local food and wine and simply taking it all in.

That is one of my favorite things about Italy.

You do not always need a detailed itinerary.

Sometimes you just start walking.

Cross a bridge.

Turn down a narrow street.

Find a small restaurant.

Order something you have never tried.

Have another glass of wine.

And somehow several hours disappear.

Venice left me with one major problem:

I am already craving going back.



What This Trip Reinforced for Me as a Travel Advisor

I came home from this trip with more than pictures.

I came home with firsthand experience.

I have now personally experienced the logistics of combining Rome, a Mediterranean cruise and Venice.

I have experienced the ports.

I have ridden the trains.

I have walked the cities.

I have seen where private tours make a huge difference and where exploring independently works perfectly.

I have seen why you want time in Rome before your cruise and why adding Venice afterward can turn a great cruise into a much bigger European experience.

And I have personally sailed aboard Legend of the Seas.

That matters to me because when a client asks:

“Bruce, what would you do?”

I want to answer from experience, not just from something I read online.

Would I Do This Trip Again?

In a heartbeat.

But next time I would probably stay longer.

That is the danger of Italy.

You arrive with a list of places you want to see and leave with an even longer list of places you want to return to.

Rome gave us history, food and incredible sights.

The Amalfi Coast gave us some of the most beautiful scenery of the trip.

Marseille gave us a taste of France.

Mallorca gave us a day swimming and having fun on the Mediterranean.

Barcelona gave us architecture, markets and paella.

Legend of the Seas tied the Mediterranean experience together.

And Venice?

Venice left me ready to book another ticket to Italy.

My Biggest Advice

If you are thinking about Italy or a Mediterranean cruise, my advice is simple:

Do not just book a cruise. Build a trip around it.


Spend a few days in Rome.

Arrange the right experiences in your ports.

Stay after the cruise.

Take the train to Venice.

Have lunch somewhere you never would have found on your own.

Jump off a catamaran into the Mediterranean.

Eat the paella.

Drink the wine.


And give yourself enough time to actually experience Europe instead of simply passing through it.


That is the difference between taking a vacation and creating a trip you will still be talking about years later.


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Because Ordinary Isn’t an Option.

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