Visiting Pisa as part of your Mediterranean cruise

A popular port of call for a Mediterranean Cruise is Pisa.

Although it is famous due to its Leaning Tower, the city of Pisa also has many other great attractions and amazing buildings to view. Pisa is one of the most important historic Italian areas and one of the most visited year around as well.

It can get very busy in the summer months with tourists who are staying in the area and from all the passengers from the crusie ships.

The tower was built as the campanile (bell tower) to the catherdral which is often overlooked but well worth a visit along with the Baptistery and Cemetry. If time allows (which it does if you are on a DIY visit rather than an organsied visit by the cruise line) you can buy a combined ticket for all attractions with a timed entry to the tower.

Another one of Pisa's main characteristics is its university, established in the first years of 1340.

Visiting Rome as part of your Mediterranean Cruise (Civitavecchia)

Most of the cruise ships will dock at Civitavecchia in order to visit Rome, which is about 45 miles north west of Rome.


The organised excursions from the cruise ships can be expensive and do not allow you to pick and choose which sights to see.






We have always been adventurous and done our own thing by train. The trains from Civitavecchia take between 60 and 90mins to reach the various stations in Rome.

Check out the local information site for the latest train times.

We always walk around Rome to soak up the atmosphere although this can be tough on the feet and you definitely need a good map.

My top sites to visit in Rome are:

1. Basilica di San Pietro - www.vatican.va
2. Colosseo (Colosseum)
3. Pantheon
4. Trevi Fountain (remember '3 Coins in the Fountain?')
5. Forum

Ajaccio - Mediterranean Port of Call

Corsica and Ajaccio has a long history with the sea, the Romans first set sail for Corsica in the 3rd century. By the 15th century the island was controlled by the Genoese with the port of Ajaccio being established in 1492.

In 1768 the island was sold to France a year later the most famous son of Corsica, Napoleon Bonaparte was born to a middle class family in Ajaccio.

Corsica has changed hands many time with it being controlled by the French, English and during the second World War by the Italians and Germans. Post war the island returned to French control.

One of the most visited attractions in Ajaccio is the Maison Bonaparte, where Napoleon was born and raised, which is now a museum. Other Napoleon memorabilia can be found in the Salon Napoleonien (in the Hotel de Ville).

You will see from the map opposite, that Ajaccio itself is quite a small compact port and an easy walk from the cruise port. To the very south is a small but sandy beach (a favourite with our teenagers)

Key Mediterranean Destinations - Palma

Palma Cathedral

After a busy time at work over the past few months I am starting to look forward to my summer cruise.

With only a few weeks to go now, I have started to look at the ports we will be visiting, some are old favourites such as Naples and Livorno (for Pisa and Florence) but others will be new, such as Calvi, Corsica.

In the next few blogs I will share some of my research and also what I have learned from previous visits. I am going to start with Palma our departure port.

We have visited here a few times before. So with a few hours to spend in port before the ship sets sail in the late evening, there is plenty of time for a visit to Palma - full of leafy boulevards with tiny bars tucked down narrow sidestreets.

The historic quarter is well worth a visit with cathedral dominating the skyline, this is lit up at night and forms a great reference point as you sail out of harbour. Opposite the cathedral is The Almudaina Palace, which is also open to tourists.

If you are in port for the day then the catch the train "Tren de Soller" and trace your way through Majorca’s interior. This vintage electric train has been running since the Twenties, and it’ll take you past olive groves and dinky villages. Very relaxing and scenic trip.

Our plan this time is to visit the 14th-century Bellver Castle, which we saw from the open top bus (run by City Sightseeing) that we used to travel around Palma on the last visit.

Cruise Port Building, Palma

The bus stops outside the cruise terminal which is about 2 miles from the centre of Palma. The costs is approx 15 euros for an adult and 7.50 euros for a child and allows you to hop on and off at several places around the city. The buses run every 20-25 minutes and it takes about 90 mins to do the whole trip.


Just thinking about the first day of the cruise has got the excitment levels rising, off to check out the next port now - Ajaccio, Corsica.

Cruising the Mediterranean

A mediterranean cruise is without doubt the most varied type of cruise available. There are more than 120 seaports around the Mediterranean coastline, offering numerous combinations of cruise vacations over one-week, two-week or longer trips.


A huge clash of cultures await all who opt for a mediterranean cruise. You can visit no less than 17 different countries, including such nations as Spain, Italy, Greece and Egypt. Each nation has its own unique attractions, all of which you can sample as your cruise ship gracefully sails around the calm blue Mediterranean Sea.


More than 50 companies offer cruises along varied routes in the Mediterranean. Some companies specialize in providing Western mediterranean cruises, concentrating on ports of call around Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Morocco. Other companies offer Eastern mediterranean cruises which take in Croatia, Greece, Turkey and countries in the Middle East. Popular specialist mediterranean cruises include a tour of the North African nations, a Mediterranean islands cruise that visits the island nations of Cyprus and Malta, as well as cruises around the Greek Islands. If you're after a longer vacation, it is possible to arrange a cruise itinerary that takes you around most if not all of the Mediterranean nations.


History, culture, grand cities, ancient monuments, romantic islands and breathtaking views are all within easy reach on a mediterranean cruise. In the Western Mediterranean you can discover the traditional white Andalucian villages of Southern Spain, sample the world-famous Manzanilla sherry in Cadiz and visit the cultural hub of Europe in the shape of Barcelona, before travelling onwards to the French Riviera.


A cruise that takes in the wonderful coastline of Italy yields such treasures as the dormant volcano of Mt Vesuvius, ancient Pompeii and the stunning city of Rome. The islands of Sicily and Sardinia hold many delights too on a Western mediterranean cruise.

In the Eastern Mediterranean, cruise passengers can discover the spectacular Croatian coastline and its beautiful city - Dubrovnik, before diving southeastwards to sample classical Greece and its sultry islands. The island of Crete is always worth a visit, if only for the historic Palace of Knossos.


A visit to the holy city of Jerusalem is a worthwhile excursion from both Israeli ports - Haifa and Ashdod - on a mediterranean cruise of the Middle East. Egypt's Port Said is well worth a visit too. Port Said provides access to the world famous Suez Canal, which takes vessels into the Red Sea and onwards in to the Arabian Sea.


The Mediterranean region has seen many a civilization rise and fall. It is a crucible of human evolution and is rich in relics left over by more than 6, 000 years of occupation. If you've ever wanted to discover what it felt like to be an Egyptian pharaoh, Roman warrior or a Greek philosopher, a mediterranean cruise can give you just that opportunity..

Special Royal Treat for Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas Cruisers

Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas is due into Liverpool, UK on Thursday 17th May as part of its tour around the UK.








Another Royal visitor is also due into Liverpool on the same day, Her Majesty The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit Liverpool as part of the Diamond Jubilee tour.


Her Majesty and The Duke of Edinburgh will travel along Canada Boulevard and Mann Island at lunchtime (between 12noon and 1pm). They will then board the Yellow Duck for a tour on the water around the Salthouse and Albert Docks, before returning to the Merseyside Maritime Museum for lunch at the Dining Rooms.


If you are travelling on the Vision of the Seas, the route the Queen will take is only a short walk away from where the ship will dock, as shown on the map below.

Missing the Boat

I admit it, I hate being late for anything.

My wife drives me mad regularly by insisting we leave at the last minute when I would much rather leave 15 minutes earlier, but I still love her.

One of my worse fears is missing the boat when on a cruise.

Can you image appearing at the end of the pier just in time to see the boat pulling away and sailing off into the sunset - nightmare!

Well that is exactly what happened to these poor souls in the videos, filmed by their not too sympathetic fellow passengers.

Let's hope it never happens to us!

Quick check list

1. Check what time you have to be back on board and plan to be back well before then

2. Check what is the local time and ship time before you get off in the morning

3. If you are planning your own excursions rather than one organised by the cruise line, make sure you allow for any foul ups with public transport.

And good luck!