View from Oia, Santorini

I had the experience of doing a Mediterranean cruise to Greece and Croatia on the Explorer of the Seas in October 2023.  The cruise went to Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia and Santorini and Mykonos in Greece.  This cruise and these ports were absolutely amazing!   Here are a few highlights/recommendations for each port:

Split, Croatia:  I recommend going to the small seaside village of Trogir.  It is so beautiful and has a castle with shopping, history, music, places to eat, etc.  It was the highlight of my visit to Split.  If you love ancient ruins, then consider visiting the Roman Ruins in the city of Salona.  It is beautiful and they are still excavating pasrts of the city.  My favorite part here was watching the young Croatian boys playing soccer in a courtyard right next to the ruins.  

Dubrovnik, Croatia:  This is a place I definitey want to return to and stay for a few days.  Dubrovnik is beautiful!!!  The city center has so much history, especially with the Bosnia and Herzegovenia war in the 1990's.  In addition to all of the history inside of the city center,  there is great shopping and food.  You could easily spend an entire day just in the city center.   If you want to swim in the Adriatic Sea, I highly recommend that small village of Cavtat.  It is picturesque and the water is crystal clear.  There is not a beach here so it is not crowded (at least not in October).  They do have lounge chairs you can rent and enjoy the sun and sea.  There are also some fun shops around the area. 

Santorini, Greece:  If you want to take a picture of the most photographed area in Greece then you wil want to go to the city of Oia.  The history and buildings are amazing.  The food is great and there is a ton of shopping, not to mention that the view is breathtaking.  For an authentic Greek meal, I highly recommend Skala Restaurant in Oia.  The food, service and view is amazing!  If you are adventurous you can enjoy a donkey ride up or down the mountain.  It is an experience you won't likely forget any tine soon.   If you love history and ancient ruins, I highly recommend visiting the Prehistoric Town of Akrotiri.  This is like the Pompeii of Greece.  This island was covered in volcanic ash for hundreds of years and was only recently discovered in 1967.  It is amazing how well the homes, pots, stairs, etc were preserved for hundreds of years. 

Mykonos:  Once again, for an amazing ancient ruins experience, I highly recommend taking the short boat ride over to the island of Delos.  The stories you will hear here and the ancient ruins you will see will be totally worth your time.  After Delos, if you would like to head to the beach there are 2 that I recommend.  If you want to bask in the sun and lay on the beach then you will want to visit Ornos.  The water is crystal clear and it is beautiful.  There are shops and places to eat or you can just sit and enjoy the sun, sea and sand.  One bus stop away (or a short walk) you can go to Korfos beach.  This is the windy side of the island wher eyou will see the kite surfers and other adventurous water activities.  If you are daring you can rent a kite surfer or you can just sit vack and enjoy watching others take on that extreme water sport.  I also highly recommend eating at Gre-cos.  I had the best Gyro I have ever had (and probably ever will have) here.  It is easy to find as it is literally right next to the main bus stop.

If you have never sailed with Royal Caribbean before, I highly recommend them.  Not only are their ships fun and they visit great destinations, but their customer service is some of the best in the industry.  

Before the cruise we had the opportunity to visit Rome and Venice.  Rome is so full of history and it is so amazing to me how you can be driving down a modern street and right in the middle of the street with be an ancient ruin.  We used Viator to do a Skip the Line tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palantine Hill.  We also used them for a Skip the line tour of Vatican City, St. Peters Basilicca and the Sistine Chapel.   All of these places are a must see while in Rome.  I also recommend doing a tour of Rome by night.  Seeing the Trevi fountain all lit up is a sight to see.

Venice: Such a magical and romantic city.  While in Venice you definitely want to do a gondolla ride, visit St Marks square, the Rialto Bridge to name a few things.  

Milan:  Seeing the Last Supper in person was such an awe-inspiring moment.  I also loved seeing the ancient buildings intermixed with modern shopping, the Gucci building, etc., right in the fashion headquarters of the world.

Lake Como:  Stunning!!!  I highly recommend doing a private boat tour of Lake Como so you don't have to waste your time constantly stopping with th water taxis.  I also recommend visiting Bellagio on Lake Como.  It is such a beautiful city with amazing views and fun shopping. 

The Mediterrean us an area I can visit over and over again. 

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