This time next year, I’ll be busily getting ready to fly to Italy for a 14 night cruise through the Mediterranean. I’m really excited about visiting Greece again. I’ve been on a Greek cruise once, and it began on Nov. 2. This time, I’ll be going just a bit later, the cruise begins on November 14, 2021. When I went to Greece the first time, the weather was absolutely beautiful. We had slightly warm sunny days. Some days we needed a sweater, some days we didn’t. Another great aspect of visiting this part of the world in November is the amount of tourists we encountered. Going towards the end of the normal tourist season definitely has it’s advantages. We never experienced a crush of people, and with it being not so hot, we enjoyed every destination on our cruise.
I’m super excited to visit this part of the world again, for one reason, going to Greece once just wasn’t enough! Also, because of the Covid-19 quarantine, I haven’t went anywhere. I’ve missed cruising most of all. Additionally, this particular itinerary will introduce me to three new countries that I’ve never visited: Cyprus, Turkey & Israel — this cruise also visits Greece and Malta, with embarkation/debarkation in Italy. I’m looking forwards to Israel most of all. I’ll be traveling with my parents, and Israel has been on their Bucket-List for a very long time. Unfortunately, I don’t think that they are physically able to take a land tour, with motor coach traveling, changing hotels, & sightseeing every day. This itinerary is perfect for them, as they will only have to unpack once when we get on the beautiful Island Princess, and then they can rest & relax on the ship during Sea Days giving them a chance to “catch their breath” between busy sightseeing days.
14 Day Mediterranean & Israel cruise aboard the Island Princess:
Nov 14, 2021 Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy
Nov 15 A Relaxing Day At Sea
Nov 16 Katakolon (Olympia), Greece
Nov 17 Athens (Piraeus), Greece
Nov 18 Kusadasi, Turkey (for Ephesus)
Nov 19 Rhodes, Greece
Nov 20 Limassol, Cyprus
Nov 21 Nazareth/Galilee (Haifa), Israel
Nov 22 Jerusalem/Bethlehem (Ashdod), Israel
Nov 23 A Relaxing Day at Sea
Nov 24 Mykonos, Greece
Nov 25 A Relaxing Day At Sea
Nov 26 Valletta, Malta
Nov 27 A Relaxing Day At Sea
Nov 28, 2021 Rome (Civitavecchia)
After embarking the ship in the Roman port of Civitavecchia (we are contemplating visiting Tuscany before the cruise); we will get to revisit our home away from home, the Island Princess with a relaxing day at sea before our arrival in Katakolon…a Greek city that we haven’t yet visited! Then, it’s on to Athens where I will explore the Acropolis before visiting Turkey, the gateway to Asia. (this will be the closest I’ve gotten to Asia!). A return to Rhodes is next, which was one of my favorite ports on my first Greek Cruise. We’ll next visit Cyprus before spending two days in Israel. Seeing Galilee & Bethlehem will truly be a couple of memorable days! Then, the rest of the itinerary has a day of relaxing before a port! Mykonos was beautiful, and I’m excited to tour this port, as the first time I visited, I just got off the ship and explored nearby where we tendered. After Mykonos, we’ll have a day at sea, which just so happens to be Thanksgiving! We’ve celebrated Thanksgiving once before on the Island Princess and absolutely LOVED the experience! When we last visited Malta, the city had already begun decorating for Christmas, so since this visit is even later in the month, I’m hoping that it will be fully dressed for the season!
You can see my photos of my first cruise to Greece here, and my photos of my first cruise on the Island Princess here.
Another reason that I’m overly excited about this itinerary is that it is on Princess Cruises. Princess, as a lot of my long-time readers know, is my favorite cruise line. For me & my family, Princess Cruises hits every note just right. We love the food, the service, the cabins, the onboard entertainment & festivals, AND — we’ve already spent 15 nights on the Island Princess, so we know the ship!
One of the things I’m excited about is Princess Cruises Festival of the Med! With this onboard celebration, Princess Guests will celebrate the diverse cultures of the Mediterranean in a festival filled with music, food, dance and art. Learn a few steps of world-famous, local dances and practice your moves at a top deck party like no other. Study foreign language phrases that could come in handy, and test your knowledge of the region at a trivia game. Gain a greater appreciation of the spectacular Mediterranean while reveling in your time at sea.
Featured Mediterranean Activities:
Dance lessons – from basic flamenco (Spain) and cancan (France) to the tarantella (Italy) and syrtaki (Greece – the Zorba dance)
Deck dance party
Arts & crafts – making Venetian fans
Trivia contest
Language class offering basic phrases in Spanish, Italian, French and Greek Sounds fun, doesn’t it?
When I booked the Greek Cruise for November 2015, I assumed that it would be a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip. But, in actuality, Greece is such a beautiful and fascinating country, and once just wasn’t enough. My parents & I are super excited about seeing Greece again, re-visiting Malta, and seeing Israel, Turkey & Cyprus!
Now, with Princess+ pricing their premier beverage package, unlimited MedallionNet WiFi, AND Gratuities are included WITH a refundable deposit! (deposit is refundable up until the final payment date of August 24, 2021.) Click on those links to previous blogs I’ve written for more details!
I can’t be more excited to visit this beautiful part of the world again, I can’t be more excited to cruise again, and I can’t wait to see Israel with Princess cruises. If you would like additional information or your own personal quote, just give me a shout! Also, I’ve got a Facebook Event going on, where I’ll be posting regularly about the destinations and any promotions that Princess may advertise. You can check it out here. Click “interested” or “going” to get updates when I post them. I plan on posting once or twice a week!
Cleared For Take-Off! 