Civitavecchia (Rome) to Piraeus (Athens)

Cruise overview

This cruise charts a course for some of Europe’s loveliest – and underrated – coastal towns and islands. Salt-licked Ponza is first, blissfully untouched by mass tourism, where you can get an authentic taste of island life, Italian style. Then we visit Salerno, which has all the picturesque charm of the Amalfi Coast but without the crowds, before arriving at Sicily, where the lightly smoking hulk of Mount Etna watches over everything. We call at Messina first – don’t miss the 12-minute rendition of Ave Maria played by the clock on the Duomo’s bell tower (it’s the largest mechanical and astronomical clock in the world). Then we move along the coast to Syracuse, renowned for its ancient Greek and Roman ruins. Next, it’s time to relax at sea as we spend a day crossing to Greece. Zakynthos is home to waters of astonishing clarity and color, perhaps best seen at the famed Navagio Beach with its striking shipwreck. Chania on Crete stuns with its 14th-century Venetian harbor, while car-free Spetses features lavish 200-year-old Captain’s mansions – a testament to the island’s maritime importance – jasmine-filled gardens, and working shipyards where you can see craftsmen at work. Finally, we sail to Piraeus, from where you can enjoy all that Athens has to offer.