Western Mediterranean Cruise

Day 1 - Nice (Villefranche)

Arrive: Mon 27 May 2024 / Depart: Mon 27 May 2024 at 19:00

Nice, often called the Queen of the Riviera, is a delightful city that is fashionable yet relaxed and fun. Sprawling over an extensive area, Nice comprises a wonderful blend of old and new. The old town is one of the delights of the Riviera. Narrow streets and winding alleys are lined with faded 17th- and 18th-century buildings, where families sell crafts and produce. The Italian façades of modern Nice and the exuberant, early 20th-century residences, which made the city one of Europe's fashionable winter retreats, remain intact. Although not blessed with the best beaches, its pebbled sands continue to attract scores of visitors every year. Adding to the city's attractions are relics of its ancient past. Greek seafarers founded Nice around 350 BC. The Romans took control 196 years later, settling farther uphill in the area that is now Cimiez. By the 10th century, Nice was ruled by the Counts of Provence and in the 14th century fell to the House of Savoy. Although the French occupied Nice for short periods during the 18th and 19th centuries, the city did not become a definitive part of France until 1860 when Napoleon III made a deal with the House of Savoy. Nice grew in popularity during the Victorian period when the English aristocracy favored it as a winter retreat because of the mild climate. Backed by scenic mountains, the city is generally divided into the Old Town and modern Nice. The look of the old town has changed little since the 1700s. Its colorful flower market should not be missed. The celebrated, palm-lined Promenade des Anglais follows the gently curved beachfront for about three miles and visitors as well as residents enjoy strolling along its path. Everything costs more along this famed strip; expensive shops, restaurants and art galleries blend with more modest establishments. The showpiece of the Promenade des Anglais is the palatial Hotel Negresco. North of the Old Town, the stately Place Massena is the main hub of Nice. The square is surrounded by neo-classical, arcaded buildings painted in shades of ochre and red. The central part of the city contains fine restaurants and hotels and is particularly known for its pedestrian zone with many boutiques of well-known designers. North of the city center is the posh suburb of Cimiez, where several museums are located.

Day 2 - Portovenere

Arrive: Tue 28 May 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 28 May 2024 at 17:30

This tiny town on the Italian Riviera was strategically planned at the tip of a rocky peninsula overlooking the Gulf of La Spezia. Its 12th-century tall and narrow houses climb precipitously up the hillside from the sea. Many of them were at one time connected to the walls of an old citadel, which made it easy for the population to seek shelter during times of attack. Portovenere is built on different levels; visitors enjoy strolling through the narrow streets, delighting in the town's unique ambiance.

Day 3 - Florence/Pisa

Arrive: Wed 29 May 2024 at 08:00

Livorno is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital ... to add the four moors to the pedestal; the first two statues were fused in Florence in 1622 and carried on the barges along the Arno to Livorno

Day 4 - Florence/Pisa

Depart: Thu 30 May 2024 at 19:00

Livorno is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital ... to add the four moors to the pedestal; the first two statues were fused in Florence in 1622 and carried on the barges along the Arno to Livorno

Day 5 - Calvi

Arrive: Fri 31 May 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 31 May 2024 at 21:00

Calvi’s illustrious citadel dominates the city’s harbour, watching over a port bustling with luxury yachts dropping anchor, and well-heeled visitors wandering the Quai Landry’s elegant seafront promenade. Cafes and restaurants clink and clatter, while the interplaying voices of trios of Corsica’s polychronic singers provide a wonderfully evocative soundtrack. Calvi’s grand, moon-shaped bay, completes the postcard-perfect appeal, and you can wander the fringe of soft sandy beach which stretches for five miles. Or, dip into the tempting turquoise waves that lap softly against the shore, while admiring the crowning glory of Calvi’s majestic citadel. The stacked 13th-century Genoese fortress is Calvi’s heart and has played a central role in fending off invaders from across the waves throughout the city’s history. Positioned high above the port, and overlooking the sea below, there’s a labyrinth of cobbled streets tucked in behind its steep, protective walls. The clanging bells of the domed Cathedral St. Jean Baptiste echo evocatively down its stone-clad streets, and the church has a rustic beauty to its faded, sandpapered façade. Reach the ruins of a humble house – destroyed by Lord Nelson’s besiegement of Calvi - and you may raise an eyebrow at the signs proclaiming your arrival at Christopher Columbus’s birthplace. Raise your suspicions with the locals, however, to be met with pityingly smiles at your naïvety – they firmly believe the common theory that he was born in Genoa was a deliberate piece of misinformation spread by Columbus himself. Twist up through the fragrant pine trees of Chapelle de Notre Dame de la Serra for a spectacular view of Calvi’s majesty unfolding before you. Best appreciated at sunset, you can absorb the view with the last rays of the day bouncing off the tips of the waves below, as you’re embraced by the island’s ragged mountains and Calvi’s timeless beauty.

Day 6 - Toulon

Arrive: Sat 01 June 2024 at 08:30 / Depart: Sat 01 June 2024 at 18:00

Built around a sheltered bay, with 1,700-foot Mount Faron as an impressive backdrop, Toulon is an important naval port and a city of industry and manufacturing. Its large harbor serves as the base for the French navy's Mediterranean fleet and as the home to a sizeable marina, with yachts and pleasure boats adding bright splashes of color. Toulon was the site where Napoleon Bonaparte first made a name for himself in 1793 during a siege in which the English, who had taken over Toulon, were expelled. During World War II, the bulk of the French fleet anchored off Toulon was scuttled by French crews to prevent its acquisition by occupying German forces. The city was liberated in 1944 by French troops. A maze of pedestrian streets constitutes the heart of old Toulon. Shops and colorful stalls make it an attractive area to explore. Avenue de la République runs parallel to the waterfront. At the western edge of the quay is the Naval Museum featuring an excellent collection of old and new ship models, figureheads, paintings and other items related to Toulon's maritime history. The town's attractions can be seen in a fairly short time. Most visitors come here to explore the hinterland and other parts of the Riviera.

Day 7 - At Sea

Day 8 - Palma De Mallorca

Arrive: Mon 03 June 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Mon 03 June 2024 at 21:00

The Balearics are comprised of 16 islands; the three principal ones are Mallorca, Ibiza and Minorca. Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals and Arabs have invaded these islands over the centuries. Ruins show evidence of the prehistoric Talayot civilization, a megalithic culture that flourished here between 1500 BC and the Roman conquest. Today the islands are besieged by invaders of a different sort - hordes of tourists. Lying 60 miles (97 km) off the Spanish mainland, the islands' lush and rugged landscape combined with an extremely mild, sunny climate proves irresistible, especially to northern Europeans. As a result, the Balearics boast cosmopolitan resorts with lively nightlife and plenty of sports activities. Mallorca (also spelled Majorca) is the largest of the islands, with an area of more than 1,400 square miles (3626 sq.km). The scenery is magnificent, with cliffs along indented shorelines jutting out of the sea and mountain ranges sheltering the plains from harsh sea breezes. The fertile plain in the centre is covered with almond and fig trees plus olive groves with some trees more than 1,000 years old. Tall pines, junipers and oaks line the mountain slopes. Palma de Mallorca is the capital of the archipelago. A cosmopolitan city with sophisticated shops and restaurants, it also offers buildings of spectacular Moorish and Gothic architecture. In the western part of Mallorca, nestled into the mountains, lies the village of Valldemosa. It is known for its Carthusian Monastery where Frédéric Chopin and George Sand spent the winter of 1838-39.

Day 9 - Mahon, Spain

Arrive: Tue 04 June 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 04 June 2024 at 17:00

Happy to sit out of the limelight that Ibiza and Majorca bathe in, Menorca lives life at its own pace, offering endless pine-tree fringed beaches and an appealing, mellow approach. The capital of Menorca is a bashful member of Balearic Islands, which wait off of the sunny Spanish coast. With atmospheric old towns, tiny fishing villages, and unspoiled beach coves, this is one of the group’s lesser-known and explored gems – and all the richer for it

Day 10 - Collioure

Arrive: Wed 05 June 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 05 June 2024 at 21:00

The south coast of France is nothing if not beautiful. To the east you have the sparkling seas of the Riviera while to the west, the terrain becomes craggier, less built upon but no less lovely. As you travel west ports get smaller and less glossy – but remain undeniably authentic. Such is true of Collioure. This charming seaside resort might not have the mega yachts (or mega bucks) of St. Tropez and Monte-Carlo, but it certainly has a local flavour that is unique to the south-west of France. So much so that the post-impressionist movement Fauvism was immortalised here. Apparently the movement was created when artists including Matisse, Picasso and Derain arrived in 1905 and realised they could not purchase black pain in the area. They were thus forced to find a creative solution to their problem. The answer was, of course, the dotty pictures that defined 20th century art. So magnetic was the region that others flocked to the area, and even today Collioure’s church is one of the most painted locations in France, with a record 242 reproductions. So perhaps the best guide to Collioure is not the usual guide books, but rather a crash course in modern art. Little seems to have changed since the painters left the seaside village, olive and lemon groves are still abundant, grape vines still line the horizon and stone cottages still stand. Cicadas still sing, fishing boats – bringing home the region’s speciality of anchovies – still float, and life carries on very much as it must have done in 1905.

Day 11 - Barcelona

Arrive: Thu 06 June 2024 at 07:00 / Depart: Thu 06 June 2024

The infinite variety of street life, the nooks and crannies of the medieval Barri Gòtic, the ceramic tile and stained glass of Art Nouveau facades, the art and music, the throb of street life, the food (ah, the food!)—one way or another, Barcelona will find a way to get your full attention. The capital of Catalonia is a banquet for the senses, with its beguiling mix of ancient and modern architecture, tempting cafés and markets, and sun-drenched Mediterranean beaches. A stroll along La Rambla and through waterfront Barceloneta, as well as a tour of Gaudí's majestic Sagrada Famíliaand his other unique creations, are part of a visit to Spain's second-largest city. Modern art museums and chic shops call for attention, too. Barcelona's vibe stays lively well into the night, when you can linger over regional wine and cuisine at buzzing tapas bars.