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
   Barcelona port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore

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 (Florence/Pisa) port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore

6. Day 6 · At sea

7. Day 7 · At sea

8. Day 8

   Rome (Civitavecchia)

   ItalyArrive
   Rome (Civitavecchia) port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore