Sun Princess - Mediterranean Splendor

Where this cruise calls, day by day

5 ports and 3 sea days over 7 Nights.

1. Day 1

   Barcelona

   SpainDepart

   The busiest cruise port in Europe, and for many Western Mediterranean itineraries the place the whole trip starts or ends. Barcelona is a full-scale city rather than a port town: Gaudi's unfinished basilica, a dense medieval quarter, and a working waterfront all within a few metro stops. Ships berth on a long industrial mole well outside the centre, so the day begins with a bus ride rather than a gangway stroll.

   • Sagrada Familia - book a timed entry well ahead; walk-ups are usually turned away
   • Park Guell and the Gaudi mosaics on Carmel hill
   • The Gothic Quarter and Barcelona Cathedral, on foot from Placa de Catalunya
   • La Boqueria market and a walk down La Rambla to the Columbus monument

   Getting ashore

   All cruise ships now use the Moll d'Adossat terminals roughly 3 km from the old city; the paid blue Portbus shuttle runs to the foot of La Rambla, and walking out is not practical.

   Best months

   Apr-Jun and Sep-Oct (Jul-Aug is hot, crowded and expensive)

2. Day 2 · At sea

3. Day 3

   Marseille

   FrancePort

   France's oldest city and its largest port, founded by Greek traders around 600 BC and still visibly a working, unpolished place. The Vieux-Port is the centre of gravity, with the Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica on the hill above and the limestone inlets of the Calanques to the south. Marseille also serves as the gateway to Provence, with Aix-en-Provence about 40 minutes inland.

   • Notre-Dame de la Garde and the panorama over the harbour and islands
   • MuCEM and the Fort Saint-Jean footbridges at the harbour mouth
   • Le Panier, the hillside old quarter behind the Vieux-Port
   • A boat trip into the Calanques or a coach to Aix-en-Provence

   Getting ashore

   The cruise terminals sit in the commercial port several kilometres north of the centre, so a shuttle bus to the Joliette or Vieux-Port area is effectively compulsory.

   Best months

   May-Jun and Sep-Oct (the mistral can blow cold and hard in spring)

4. Day 4

   Genoa

   ItalyPort

   Genoa is a genuine port city rather than a port with a city attached - the terminal sits on the working waterfront and the old town begins immediately behind it. What is behind it is the caruggi, a knot of medieval alleys so narrow they barely catch daylight, opening suddenly onto the marble palaces of Via Garibaldi. Grittier than most Italian calls, and better for it.

   • The Palazzi dei Rolli on Via Garibaldi, several open as the Musei di Strada Nuova
   • The Acquario di Genova at the Porto Antico
   • The striped Cattedrale di San Lorenzo and the caruggi around it
   • Focaccia and farinata from an old-town bakery, which is the local point of pride

   Getting ashore

   Ships dock at the Stazione Marittima on Ponte dei Mille, a ten-minute walk from the Porto Antico and the edge of the old town.

   Best months

   Apr-Jun and Sep-Oct

5. Day 5

   Livorno (Florence/Pisa)

   ItalyPort

   Livorno is a container and ferry port with a canal-laced old quarter called Venezia Nuova, and almost nobody comes for it. The call exists because Florence is about 90 minutes inland and Pisa about 45. Understand what that buys: a Florence excursion is roughly three hours on a coach around four hours in the city, and the Uffizi alone can eat half of that.

   • The Duomo, the Baptistery and Piazza della Signoria in Florence
   • The Uffizi, or the Accademia for Michelangelo's David - pre-booked, or you will not get in
   • The Leaning Tower and the Campo dei Miracoli at Pisa
   • Venezia Nuova's canals and the Mercato Centrale in Livorno itself

   Getting ashore

   Ships dock in Livorno's commercial port with a shuttle to Piazza del Municipio; Florence is about 90 minutes away by coach or train and Pisa about 45.

   Best months

   Apr-Jun and Sep-Oct (Jul-Aug very hot, and Florence is overwhelmed)

6. Day 6 · At sea

7. Day 7 · At sea

8. Day 8

   Rome (Civitavecchia)

   ItalyArrive

   Civitavecchia is a working port town on the Tyrrhenian coast, and it is not Rome - the city is about 80km southeast, roughly 80 minutes each way. Budget for that honestly: a Rome day is some four hours of transit bracketing whatever you actually see. The port has Fort Michelangelo on the quay and good fish-market lunches, a real option if you have done Rome before.

   • St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums, with a timed entry booked well ahead
   • The Colosseum and the Roman Forum, a short walk apart on the Termini side
   • The Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain on a walking loop of the centro storico
   • Fort Michelangelo and the Terme Taurine Roman baths, for a day that stays in Civitavecchia

   Getting ashore

   Ships dock in Civitavecchia and a free shuttle runs to the port gate at Largo della Pace, from where it is a short walk to the station and a 70-80 minute train into Rome.

   Best months

   Apr-Jun and Sep-Oct (Jul-Aug hot, and the Rome queues are brutal)