Visiting Europe’s Best Cities on a Mediterranean Cruise Itinerary

Posted on 10/12/2018

In September I boarded the iconic Crown Princess in Barcelona with seven other bloggers for the trip of a lifetime. We headed off on an incredible week-long adventure around the Mediterranean, stopping at five cities, in four countries in only one week. I have written another article about 12 Reasons to do a Cruise in your 20’s so make sure you read that too….

During our Mediterranean cruise we stopped in some incredible places, some I had wanted to visit for years, and some lesser known destinations like Gibraltar. During our cruise we explored Barcelona, Gibraltar, Marseille (Provence), Genoa (Cinque Terre) and Pisa. However if Europe isn’t your bag they also offer cruises to other amazing destinations around the world including the Caribbean, Alaska, the Norwegian Fjords and many more.

Here is my guide to visiting Europe’s best cities on a Mediterranean Cruise.

AN OVERVIEW OF MY MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE ITINERARY

(Here are the latest cruise offers and discounts)

Day 1 – Embark in Barcelona, Spain

Day 2 – At sea

Day 3 – Gibraltar, Spain

Day 4 – At sea

Day 5 – Marseille, France

Day 6 – Genoa, Italy

Day 7 – Pisa, Italy

MY MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE ITINERARY

DAY 1 – EMBARK IN BARCELONA

On our first day of the trip I made the journey from London Luton to Barcelona Airport, where I met Jess from Gap Year Guru. We jumped in a taxi and headed to the Port of Barcelona, before checking in. The check-in process was super simple, and in minutes me and Jess (not everyone had arrived with us) were having our bags taken from us to be delivered to our room and had been given our keys to our staterooms.

Once we had all checked in to our rooms, we headed off the boat for a few hours with the rest of the girls and guys to explore Barcelona. Firstly we headed to the Columbus Monument at the northern tip of the city, and then we slowly wandered down La Rambla, taking in all the sights and smells surrounding us. La Rambla was as busy as I remember it, with people everywhere. After a short stroll we crossed the road away from La Rambla in to the Gothic Quarter, where the architecture changed dramatically. The buildings became beautiful yet moody, mostly with brown shutters adorning their windows.

Once we had explored the square, we were led in to a building and up some stairs where we were welcomed by sisters Angeles & Carmen, who run the wonderful cookery school Foodie Experience Barcelona. For three hours the wonderful sisters told us all about Spanish cuisine, and then taught us how to make Paella, Spanish Omelette, Catalan Cream and Sangria, as well as a lactose-free pudding! It was such a wonderful way to start the holiday and I will be returning next time I am in the city!

After we’d finished being chefs we headed back to the port, and jumped onboard for our first sail away!

DAY 2 – SEA DAY

After one of the best night’s sleep I had had in a while I awoke early for a tour of our ship, Crown Princess with the rest of the gang. We were taken to The Bridge, The Galley and everywhere in between, from the top deck and pool area, to the various restaurants that are dotted all across the ship. It was a really interesting experience to see the galley and bridge, often also referred to the stomach and the brain of any ship. I enjoyed messing around at The Bridge and pretending to be navigating the ship…

Then after a relaxed lunch I headed to the adults-only pool on deck 16 with Emily from London City Calling for a few hours respite before the evenings antics began!

After a quick change in my formal attire for the evening, I met the other ladies in the Atrium for the champagne waterfall. The champagne waterfall is a tradition for Princess Cruises, and it happens before dinner on the first formal night of every cruise. The staff go around handing drinks out to everyone in the Atrium whilst those that want to, have a photo with the ships Director. Then after watching copious amounts of champagne being poured we headed for a formal dinner in one of the ships many restaurants. I really enjoyed dressing formal, and it was so nice to see everyone of the boat dressed up, with women in their dresses and men in their suits and bow tie!

The highlight of the evening was certainly watching Encore in the Princess Theatre. Encore is a production show of music and glamour, set amidst the romantic splendor of a beautiful Montecito garden. Inspired by Princess Cruises’ top-rated show Bravo!, and accompanied by an impressive onstage orchestra, Encore celebrates the traditions of pop, opera and musical theatre.

DAY 3 – GIBRALTAR

After a whole day at sea and a bout of seasickness, we disembarked in Gibraltar for our first day off-board the ship! We jumped on a transfer from the port to the bottom of the Mediterranean steps, where we began our 2 hour hike to the top. The beginning of the trail starts near the “GOHNS Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society” building and then you walk up “Windmill Hill Road” until you reach the start of the Mediterranean Steps Trail. The trail starts quite level as you’ll wind along the side of the rock, but intermittently you’ll hit points of steep, switchback stairs that bring you closer and closer to the top. From the start of Mediterranean Steps trail, the route to the top is 1400m (.86 mile) with an elevation gain approximately 240m (780 ft). The terrain is rocky with large steps at times; shoes with good traction are a must.

When you reach the top of the trail, you’ll crest the rock at its highest point, near O’Hara’s Battery. Once you’ve reached the summit and you’ve taken in the view, you can either return down the rock the same way you came, or follow O’Hara Road toward a wide variety of historical and natural sites such as St. Michael’s Cave, Douglas Lookout, and Charles V Wall and take the cable car back to the bottom. This is what we did, and it was much appreciated after a hot and windy walk to the top! The views were of course to die for, offering views across to Africa on a good day, and of the country! Then after we’d taken in the views we headed back down to the town centre for a bite to eat, before exploring the town some more.

That evening we headed to Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria, located at the back of the ship, just above the wake. The restaurant was amazing, and the waiter was incredibly useful, answering all my questions about what I could and couldn’t eat (lactose intolerance). Sabatini’s offers rustic Italian cuisine featuring exquisite specialties from acclaimed chef Angelo Auriana. (Here is the Sabatini’s Princess Cruises menu)

READ MORE: Ultimate Guide to a 7-Day Cruise in the Mediterranean

DAY 4 – SEA DAY

After three days of non-stop adventures we had another day at sea, as we navigated back up the coast of Spain to Marseille, our third stop. As I had a whole day to relax, I started it with a lie-in in my room, with breakfast on my balcony, before heading down to The Lotus Spa just after lunch for a treatment with their wonderful spa staff. I opted for an Exotic Lime and Ginger Salt Glow with Massage which was incredible, and my whole body felt smooth and silky for the rest of the trip.

As if I couldn’t get more relaxed I then headed to The Sanctuary in the afternoon with Sandy Makes Sense, Teacake Travels and London City Calling. Our sunbeds were laid out right at the front of the ship, with views across the ocean. I sat there all afternoon reading my book ‘Big Magic’ before we were served an incredible Afternoon Tea by the staff. They bought us tea, coffee, scones and jam, cream cakes and much more. One of the cakes was even in the shape of a swan (you can see it below).

Then for dinner we headed to the Crown Grill, a worthy stop for any meat lovers boarding Crown Princess. Crown Grill is the line’s signature steakhouse offers an extensive menu of steaks and seafood — there’s even a selection of flavoured gourmet salts to titillate diners’ taste buds. Come very hungry, and make sure you leave room for dessert. (Here is the Crown Grill Princess Cruises Menu)

DAY 5 – MARSEILLE

For our fourth day aboard Crown Princess we embarked at one of my favourite regions, the French Riviera, on the south east coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, at the foot of the Alps. We jumped in a taxi and headed an hour away from the coast to Provence – one of the most popular holiday regions in the south of France located within the French Riviera and is famous for its sunny weather, colourful countryside, tradition, wine, food, and language. Our day was planned for us, as we embarked on a wine tour of the region, stopping off at three different vineyards, tasting as we went….

Our first stop was Domaine Lou Capelan, which looks out onto the pretty Provençal village of La Cadière d’Azur. The Lou Capelan estate produces Bandol AOP wines in Red, Rosés and Whites and welcomes both wine tasting and vineyard tours for their multiple international award-winning wines. You can take a tour of the cellar and be engrossed in an introduction to wine tasting.

Our next stop was Domaine La Garenne, also located in La Cadière d’Azur the Estate of la Garenne, it owes its fame to its red and rosé wines in the Bandol appellation. Its microclimate allows the Mourvèdre, king varietal of the Registered Designation of Origin (AOC), ensures they can produce rich red wines and outstanding rosés which stand out from the other wines of Provence. We only stopped here for a short time, before our stomachs told us it was lunch time and we jumped back on the bus.

For lunch we were treated at lunch at the award-winning Hostellerie Bérard, located in the hilltop village of La Cadière d’Azur, with panoramic views over Bandol vineyards and even a seasonal outdoor pool. Chef Jean-François Bérard owns the gastronomic restaurant which also boasts one star in the Michelin Guide and serves elegant and flavourful Mediterranean cuisine, marrying authenticity and modernity to perfection in line with the seasons. The food here was simply incredible, served beautifully, and the flavours and textures were second to none.

And for our final stop of the day we stopped at the biggest vineyard of the day, Domaines Bunan, located at Moulin de Costes. Any wine lover at large in Bandol will soon encounter the output of Domaines Bunan who are amongst the leading producers of wine in the region, and are now even stocked in Marks & Spencer. The Bunan family produce delicious, aromatic, dry white and rosé wines together with dense, dark, spicy Mourvédre based reds which are approachable from release but can age well for at least a decade.

Then after a long day we headed back to the ship, for another evening onboard Crown Princess. We got dressed up again for Formal Night and dined in our main dining room, before the incredible production Magic To Do in the Princess Theatre. Magic To Do is brought to you by the Oscar®, Grammy® and Tony® Award winning composer of Wicked, Godspell and Pippin, Stephen Schwartz, where you’ll encounter some of history’s greatest magical illusions along the way. Every show we went to was packed out and people were even sitting along the steps to catch a glimpse of the production!