Another cruise vacation-with a few extras! For years, we've been adding days before and after our cruises, and it has worked out beautifully. We get to enjoy several different vacation experiences while paying for just one round-trip airfare. We're not big fans of flying, but it's a necessary evil if we want to keep exploring our beautiful planet. And after all these years, we're not ready to stop!
The original goal for this trip was simple: return to Venice for the first time since 1977! We remember Venice as fabulous, but back then we didn't have the time or money to explore much beyond the city. Now, nearly 50 years later, we're going back with a very different plan-and a much longer itinerary.
We'll spend about two weeks exploring the region before boarding our cruise. Our adventure begins with a flight into Verona, marked by the red dot next to the "L" on the map. Venice, our next stop, lies to the east, right on the water. Of course!
This map has 5 red dots marking the places we plan to visit, pre-cruise. Jet lag is always a challenge for us, so we're hoping our early-afternoon arrival (2 p.m.) and five-night stay in Verona will give us plenty of time to adjust. While in Verona we have reserved a unit with a kitchen at the Lady Verona Residence. We booked a balcony room with a river view so we can better enjoy our sundowner G&T. We have a number of activities planned for our Verona days. Our first activity is the hop-on, hop-off bus tour. We have had a lot of success getting to know a new city by getting a good overview with these bus tours.
Our second day in Verona has a very special evening in store. We're heading to the Verona Arena, one of the world's oldest Roman amphitheaters still in use. Built around AD 30, it's nearly 2,000 years old-and even older than Rome's Colosseum!
The arena once held around 30,000 spectators. Today, seating is a bit more comfortable, with room for roughly 15,000 to 22,000. We've booked tickets for Aida, featuring Stefano Poda's production. Just imagine grand marches, huge choruses, and elaborate Egyptian-themed sets in a 2,000-year-old Roman arena. This should be quite a night!
Our next Verona evening is also very special. We have booked a rather unique event; an evening cooking class. There are a number of classes offered; we chose the Pasta & Tiramisu class with wine; maybe no G&T this evening!
Also scheduled during our Verona days is a trip and tour to Lake Garda; the far left red dot on the above map. We chose the Sirmione Boat Tour with Spritz tasting.
Believe it or not, we've deliberately left plenty of open time in our schedule-for attractions we discover once we're there, or simply some R&R if jet lag catches up with us.
After five days in Verona, we'll hop on a train to Venice for a three-night stay at the Antiche Figure, conveniently located near the train station and right on the Grand Canal. We even managed to reserve a room with a canal view. When in Venice, right?
But wait-there's more! Our booking includes a complimentary bottle of Prosecco. I have a feeling I'm going to like this part of the trip!
We remember that getting around Venice can be a challenge. GPS is great, but directions can get confusing when so many of the streets are waterways. We'll ask our hotel for recommendations and hope to explore at least one of the nearby islands, perhaps Murano, Burano, or Torcello.
After three days in Venice, we'll take a bus to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia; the red square on the far right on above map. While in Ljubljana we are staying at the City Hotel.
Our first visit to Slovenia! With only three days in Ljubljana, we've decided to venture out of the city for a day trip to Lake Bled. The emerald-green lake, medieval castle perched high above the water, and little island with its historic church look spectacular. We're hoping the real thing lives up to the pictures-and that we'll have time to enjoy the scenery without rushing from one photo stop to the next.
After three days discovering Slovenia, it's back to Italy for our final stop before the big cruise. Our next stop is Trieste (the red dot below Slovenia on above map), just across the border in Italy, where we'll spend our final days before boarding the ship. Trieste is located on a strip of land bordering the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia. While in Trieste we have booked an apartment situated in the center of Old Town and less than 2 km from the cruise terminal. Trieste has become an important alternative embarkation port for cruises marketed as Venice departures. Like Venice, Trieste has a "Grand Canal", a picturesque 18th-century canal surrounded by lively cafes and historic churches. Trieste is also home to a well-preserved Roman theater, that once seated up to 6,000 spectators, is testimony that in antiquity, this was a thriving city. Gilded mosaics in San Giusto Cathedral are evidence of Byzantine influence. The Castle of San Giusto stands on the hill overlooking the city of Trieste.
One of our planned tours while in Trieste will actually take us back into Slovenia. The Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle day tour. Predjama Castle is the world's largest cave castle. Perched dramatically halfway up a 123-meter vertical cliff face, the 800-year-old fortress is famous for its intricate five-story layout and its history involving the legendary (15th century) robber knight, Erasmus. Postojna Cave features vast chambers with incredible stalactites and stalagmites. The cave tour starts with a ride on a 140-year-old underground electric mini-train before opening up to a 1 km guided walking path.
After our two-week pre-cruise stay it is then time for the main event, The Cruise. The itinerary for this cruise is fabulous; a port map to the right. This 12 day cruise covers iconic destinations across the Adriatic Sea, Italy, Montenegro, Croatia, the Greek Isles, Crete, Cypres, Turkey and Athens.
With only one sea day, this is going to be a port-packed, go-go cruise! It's another reason we're spending so much time exploring beforehand-we want to be rested and ready for all those ports, evenings, shows, and onboard fun!!
All Aboard the Enchanted Princess! We first sailed aboard the Enchanted Princess in 2023, on a Mediterranean cruise departing from Athens and enjoyed the experience enough to come back for more. With more than 1,800 passenger cabins, plenty of balcony rooms, and a seemingly endless selection of bars, lounges, restaurants, and entertainment, we're looking forward to another great voyage.
And, of course, we've already started identifying a few favorite spots for an evening drink!
The Enchanted includes plenty of bars, lounges and more...
| Day | Port | Arrival / Departure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trieste, Italy | Depart 8:00 p.m. - Embarkation |
| 2 | Split, Croatia | Arrive 11:00 a.m. ˇ Depart 9:00 p.m. |
| 3 | Kotor, Montenegro | Arrive 8:00 a.m. ˇ Depart 6:00 p.m. |
| 3 | Cruise Kotor Bay | 6:01 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. |
| 4 | Corfu, Greece | Arrive 9:00 a.m. ˇ Depart 7:00 p.m. |
| 5 | Olympia, Greece | Arrive 7:00 a.m. ˇ Depart 4:00 p.m. |
| 6 | Santorini, Greece | Arrive 9:00 a.m. ˇ Depart 8:00 p.m. |
| 7 | Chania, Crete | Arrive 7:00 a.m. ˇ Depart 4:00 p.m. |
| 8 | Rhodes, Greece | Arrive 7:00 a.m. ˇ Depart 4:00 p.m. |
| 9 | Limassol, Cyprus | Arrive 9:00 a.m. ˇ Depart 9:00 p.m. |
| 10 | at Sea | A day to relax! |
| 11 | Ephesus, Turkey | Arrive 7:00 a.m. ˇ Depart 5:00 p.m. |
| 12 | Athens, Greece | Arrive 6:00 a.m. - Disembarkation |
Split, Croatia(day #2): Diocletian's Palace & Old Town Walking Tour - Emperor Diocletian ruled the Roman Empire from 284 CE to 305 CE; 21 years. After leaving his political career he lived the last 10 years of his life in this palace. After the death of Diocletian the city was abandoned for centries.
Kotor, Montenegro(day #3): We plan to wander the medieval Old Town, walk through Venetian-era stone alleys, historic squares, and 12th-to-18th-century architecture like St. Tryphon's Cathedral and the quirky Kotor Cats Museum.
Corfu, Greece(day #4): This is our 2nd visit to Corfu and we are looking forward to a return visit to Old Town of Corfu that was inscribed as a UNESCO World Hertige Site in 2007. On the east side is a Venetian Fortresses that was built around 1383 to protect trade routes from the Ottoman Empire. Old Town is a dense network of winding, cobblestone alleyways flanked by multi-story Venetian-style buildings with arched passages and drying laundry strung overhead.
Olympia, Greece(day #5): Olympia Archaeological Tour & Museum - The Olympia Archaeological Site is the birth place of the Olympic Games. The tour will include visits to the "Temple of Zeus", built in the 5th century B.C. and only a bit smaller than the Parthenon in Athens and considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Also on the tour is visiting the "Temple of Hera", wife of Zeus and ruins of the great stadium where more than 40,000 spectators gathered for events, over 1,500 years ago.
Santorini, Greece(day #6): Santorini has a lot for a cruise passenger to see and do and all are located 650 steps from where a ship tender lands. When we first visited Santorini we did a ship excursion which was fabulous, but crowded. How crowded was made very clear when we all wanted to get a cable car ride back down to the harbor. The Santorini view are fabulous but we plan to enjoy Santorini this time from the deck of our Princess ship.
Chania, Crete(day #7): This is our 2nd visit the port of Chania. From our previous visit we remember enjoying their Old Town and harbor so that is exactly what we plan to do this time. A stroll through the narrow flower-draped alleyways to the waterfront area will be more relaxing than a go-go schedule of a ship excursion.
Rhodes, Greece(day #8): Best of Lindos and Rhodes - The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes and the Acropolis of Lindos are two of the most iconic historical landmarks on the island of Rhodes, Greece. The palace was built in the 14th century (around 1309). Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and museum featuring 24 accessible rooms (out of 158), antique 16th- and 17th-century furniture, etc. The Acropolis of Lindos dates back to the 4th century BC. The Castle of the Knights of St. John was built on top of the ancient acropolis in the early 14th century to fortify the island against pirates and invaders.
Limassol, Cyprus(day #9): Ancient Kourion, Apollo Temple & Kolossi Castle - Kolossi Castle was built around 1210 a medieval three-story limestone fortress and former Crusader stronghold. It is also known as the historic birthplace of Commandaria, the world's oldest named wine still in production. Features cliffside panoramic views of the coast and extensive ancient ruins including Roman baths and early Christian basilicas
The Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates, one of the most important religious sites of ancient Cyprus. Dedicated to Apollo Hylates, protector of the woodlands and guardian of ancient Kourion, the sanctuary offers a fascinating glimpse into the religious life of the time.
Ephesus, Turkey(day #11): This is an amazing port with must-see ancient ruins. We recently visited Ephesus in 2025 while on the Sun Princess. So on this visit we are planning a more relaxed day starting with a stroll to Pigeon Island which is connected to the mainland by a scenic causeway. This island features a beautifully restored 19th-century Kusadasi Castle. After soaking up some ancient history we plan to visit the old town bazaar located just off our ship.
Our Athens arrival is technically the end of our cruise but not the end of our 2027 European trip. When our group is called we will exit the Enchanted Princess for the last time (on this cruise) and get transportation to our Athens home for the next four days. Most rooms on a cruise ship is rather small so we decided on an apartment for Athens days, the Check Point - Acropolis View B.
We will arrive at our lodging before checkin which is fine because all we want to do is drop our luggage. After we are free of our luggage we have a morning walk of Filopappou Hill planned, located southwest of the Acropolis. This hill is a favorite spot to get great panoramic views of the Acropolis. Our walk will continue around the Acropolis into the Anafiotika neighborhood. Anafiotika is a tiny, scenic neighborhood tucked on the northeastern slope of the Acropolis hill in central Athens, Greece, designed in the whitewashed, cubic style of the Cyclades islands. This great area to find a good Greek lunch. After lunch we will do a little Plaka Shopping before returning to our lodging to checkin. Dinner in Athens is always special and we have many outside Dining options to pick from all very close to our lodging.
The next day we are planning a full day excursion outside of Athens, the Delphi Oracle, Temple of Apollo & Museum Day Tour. The temple ruins at Delphi date back to 330 BC. It housed the Oracle of Delphi, where the high priestess delivered prophecies considered by ancient Greeks to be the center of the world.
Today another Athens must-see the First Cemetery of Athens which is also very close to the Panathenaic Stadium. The cemetery is located behind the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Panathinaiko Stadium in central Athens. It is a hauntingly beautiful, peaceful and tranquil place to visit on a sunny day. The stadium is a short 10-to-15 minute walk which functions as a free open-air sculpture museum and park filled with pine trees, cypresses, Neoclassical mausoleums, and works by prominent 19th-century sculptors.