Are you dreaming about or planning a Mediterranean cruise? In late August 2024, Amanda went on a 7 day Mediterranean cruise around Italy and Spain, and she’s sharing her full itinerary from the trip! That’s right, this is a complete day-by-day breakdown of the entire 9 day Mediterranean cruise itinerary with nothing held back. She is including everything she loved and also everything she didn’t so you don’t make the same mistakes she did (eye roll for the scam that is tours of the Blue Grotto!).
By the end of this post, you’ll know how to maximize your time in Rome, Civitavecchia, Naples, Barcelona, Palma De Mallorca, and La Spezia! Amanda is also sharing how she spent her days at sea.
If you’re in the process of planning out your Mediterranean Cruise itinerary, be sure to check out our post on how to pack for a 7 day Mediterranean Cruise in a carry-on to make sure you don’t forget anything!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. That means at no additional cost to you, we may earn a commission from purchases which will go toward bringing you more travel tips, tricks, and tidbits!
Overview of the Itinerary & the Ship
Amanda sailed with Royal Caribbean on the Oasis of the Seas. This was her second time sailing with Royal Caribbean and she’s had a pleasant experience on both trips. Although complete confession, she would rank the Alaskan cruise she took with Royal Caribbean HIGHER than the Mediterranean one!
Amanda booked an interior room that had a balcony overlooking the central park on the ship – a park that has over 12,000 plants, flowers & trees engulfing walkways, and sitting areas bordered by restaurants and bars. This was the first time not having a traditional balcony overlooking the ocean, and it was really nice! She would consider booking this room type again, especially since it was cheaper than a traditional oceanview balcony!
The ship docked at the following ports: Civitavecchia (1hr north of Rome, Italy), Naples, Barcelona, Palma De Mallorca and La Spezia (2 hours from Florence or 30 minutes from Cinque Terre). Each port day was roughly 10 hours long which left ample time to see and experience multiple things, but trust us – that time really flies which is why we HIGHLY recommend planning your port days out in advance.
Planning port days can be very overwhelming from deciding what to do, planning travel logistics, and ensuring you arrive back on board before last call. This is especially the case on a Mediterranean cruise when you are trying to see, do, and eat everything you possibly can to make the most of it.
Our favorite go-to for booking activities is Get Your Guide – in fact, four tours during this trip were booked with Get Your Guide! Additional great alternatives are Airbnb Experiences and Viator. You can also book directly with the cruise line, but in our opinion, those are often overpriced and options can be limited. If you need more guidance on trip planning, check out our Beginner’s Guide to Planning an International Trip.
Quick note on the Royal Caribbean Key Pass service – this is a an additional service that you can upgrade to that provides the following benefits – priority access, welcome lunch on embarkation day, fast lane access, private time on the flowrider, dedicated seating at shows, voom internet access and a special breakfast on disembarkation day. Normally Amanda doesn’t upgrade for services like this nor does she purchase wifi on cruises. However, she was traveling with family that upgraded to The Key so she elected to do the same to keep the group together in fear of being separated with some of the benefits.
In Amanda’s experience and opinion, upgrading for The Key is not at all worth it. The Royal Caribbean Key cost was roughly $400 per room / $200 per person to upgrade. Most of the benefits were not actually needed or worth it, for example – the priority seating at shows opens 15 minutes before the show begins for everyone, so you can sit in the same area if you are simply early to the show. The fast lane access for certain activities was available inconsistently, and the special priority boarding was never available at any tender port. The welcome lunch was nice to have a dining room nearly to yourself instead of the crowded buffet, and the internet access was also nice but not necessary (and those two things combined are not worth $400 in Amanda’s opinion).
Now let’s dive into the day-by-day breakdown of this common Mediterranean Cruise itinerary!
Breakdown of the Itinerary
Day 1: 24 Hrs in Rome – Store luggage, check into hotel, & food tour
We recommend flying in the day before you board the ship (or sooner if you want more time to explore!). You don’t want to miss boarding the ship due to flight delays or other travel day mishaps.
If flying from the US, you will likely be taking an overnight flight and landing in Rome sometime early to midmorning. Once you land, you can either check in to your hotel and store your bags or drop your bags at a luggage storage drop so you can begin taking in all that Rome has to offer.
Amanda stayed at The Hive and absolutely loved it! The hotel is only a 10ish minute walk from the Roma Termini train station. You can purchase train tickets at the airport via ATM type machines and take a direct train from the airport to the train stations in the city (Roma Termini being a major one). The Hive has excellent AC (which can be hard to find in the city!), large beds, and large rooms. They also have a rooftop bar and spa.
Instead of the traditional route of seeing major landmarks Amanda opted for a food tour in the Trastevere neighborhood. This was HANDS DOWN one of Amanda’s favorite experiences from the ENTIRE trip. Check out our full breakdown of how to spend 24 hours in Rome to read more about this tour!
Day 2: Embarkation Day – Sunrise E-Bike Tour, train to cruise port, board & explore the ship
Amanda loves E-Bike tours, so of course she had to do a Sunrise E-Bike Tour around Rome. It’s a three hour tour around the major attractions of the city (Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, and more) and a VERY yummy breakfast stop for coffee and pastries. You can read more about this tour here.
If you’re uncertain about a bike tour, know that there is a stark difference in enjoyment between e-bike tours and regular bike tours. Earlier this year during our annual bestie trip, we did a regular bike tour that was… rough, to say the least. So choose your biking tours wisely. Amanda always suggests E-Bike tours because it’s immensely easier thanks to the electric boosts on the bike. You can read more about our bestie trip and our recommendations on Belfast, Northern Ireland here.
The cruise port is roughly a one hour train ride from Rome. We suggest booking the train ticket WITH shuttle bus. It will take you from the train station to the cruise terminal doors. It’s easy and magical. Use the train website to find your nearest station, and be sure to select Civitavecchia PORT as your destination. This will automatically include the bus ticket.
The Oasis of the Seas had dual embarkation for this itinerary, so 80% of the ship boarded in Barcelona and 20% of the ship boarded in Civitavecchia. This made for FAST boarding and available early boarding. So if you are looking to truly maximize your time onboard, you might want to arrive into Civitavecchia the day prior. It looked like a super cute town with lots to see!
Once onboard, you are welcome to go wherever you’d like on the ship. Your room likely won’t be ready until the late afternoon, but you can drop your bags at your room or have the ship take them at check in to be dropped later. We recommend packing your swimsuit and other poolside items in a day bag to easily change into and start having fun!
Day 3: Naples – Private tour to Capri, Sorrento, & Pompeii
Naples is a port that provides many options for you to choose from. You can explore Naples or take day trips to Capri, Sorrento, and Pompeii.
Amanda opted for a private tour with Naples Tour Service. They provide consultation and customization on the itinerary, provide a knowledgeable escort / tour guide for the whole day, and arrange all of the needed transportation. It truly made the day so easy and stress free. They made it possible for Amanda’s group to visit Capri, see the Blue Grotto, drive through Sorrento, take a private tour of Pompeii, and be dropped back off at the gates to the ship with 1 hour to spare before final boarding. Talk about maximizing your time in port!
Blue Grotto – this was a roller coaster experience that Amanda will likely be telling for years to come. You can read all about if Amanda thinks the Blue Grotto is worth it in this full breakdown of her experience.
Pompeii – This is a truly fascinating historical site and one we highly recommend exploring with a guide or using the audio guide to fully grasp what you are seeing. The ruins are EXPANSIVE and after spending over an hour in them, we only saw a small portion. You’ll want to plan plenty of time to explore, so don’t short yourself on timing.
Day 4: Sea Day – Escape room
There are so many different activities onboard the Oasis of the Seas! Some are included and others are available at an additional cost. For the first time, Amanda booked the escape room on the ship and can confidently say that it is the hardest escape room she has ever done, and she’s done quite a few!
Day 5: Barcelona – Parc Guell, Sagrada Familia, & food tour
Parc Guell: Another famous instagram location that is…skippable. Entering the park was free until Covid. Unfortunately, now you have to book tickets online in advance to enter. They frequently sell out of tickets, so booking in advance is crucial. It’s challenging to take in all that the park has to offer because it is full of tourists. We suggest going first thing in the morning to try to avoid the midday crowds.
If you really want to go but the general admission tickets are sold out, look for guided tours and use those as your entrance. Amanda did this, stayed for the first 15 minutes of the tour then kindly thanked the tour guide and left the group to self-explore. She didn’t feel bad doing this since at the start of the tour, the guide told the group (unprompted) that he knew at least half the group booked the tour just for the entrance and he understood if anyone chose to leave at any point.
Sagrada Familia: Another famous instagram location that is worth it – Amanda did not go in during this trip, but the people she was traveling with were in love with their experience and she has had a few other friends highly recommend it! If she could do this day over again, she’d skip Parc Guell and do Sagrada Familia instead.
Food Tour: This tour explores the Gothic Quarter which is a historic and beautiful part of the city. Each stop has both a tapas food item AND a drink option for you to try. The guide is incredibly kind and immensely knowledgeable and creates a really fun and informative tour. Amanda loved this tour!
Day 6: Palma De Mallorca – Adventure tour & a beachside restaurant
Quad Bike + Cliff Jumping + Snorkeling Guided Tour: This is another must do activity! The tour guides teach you how to drive the quad bike / ATV and make sure you feel comfortable before leading you on a 1 hour drive around the island. After a short break you head to the swim spot where you can choose to cliff jump, snorkel, swim or just take in the sun. The views are breathtaking, and the swim spot is tourist free!
Following this wonderful adventure, walk over to Al Faro Beach restaurant for a great sangria and tapas lunch. This area is filled with restaurants to choose from, walking paths along the beach, pedal bike rentals, ice cream shops, and more. It’s very easy to spend the afternoon hanging out in this area! If feeling adventurous, you can get a fish pedicure! This was Amanda’s first time getting one and it was a wild experience!
Day 7: Sea Day – Relax!
Odds are, your Mediterranean cruise itinerary is back-to-back days in port with few days at sea. If this is the case, use your last sea day to relax! You’ve earned it!
Day 8: La Spezia – Cinque Terre, Stella Marina Beach Club, & Buranco Winery
You have a few choices at the La Spezia port: You can either take a 2hr(ish) train one way to Florence, or a 30 minute(ish) train ride to the different villages that make up Cinque Terre, or explore La Spezia itself! We suggest opting for Cinque Terre. We just couldn’t justify spending 4 hours on the train for Florence!
There is a little trolley type car outside the cruise terminal waiting to pick up tourists to go to the train station. We highly suggest taking it as the walking option is entirely uphill. You can either purchase individual tickets for the specific village you want to go to within Cinque Terre or purchase a Cinque Terre Express day pass with unlimited rides between the villages & back.
For a relaxing day, we suggest taking the train to the furthest village, Monterosso, and booking a spot at any of the beach clubs. Amanda enjoyed her time spent at Stella Marina Beach Club, but there are quite a few you can choose from along the beach and most take walk-ins. If traveling during peak season though, book your spot in advance!
Following some relaxation at the beach, take a walk through the village and up a hill to the Buranco Winery for a delicious wine tasting lunch. You will receive 4 full glasses of wine paired with 4-5 tapas. It’s a gorgeous setting with amazing service. They also offer additional tours and menu items if a tasting isn’t your preference!
With your remaining time, explore any of the other villages you’d like! Keep in mind that in Corniglia, you have to ascend a long flight of stairs to get from the train station to the village. The others are a bit more accessible but you will still find massive hills and stairs as you navigate the coastline. Totally worth all the effort though!
Day 9: Disembark the ship
You can either continue the vacation after getting off the ship or head back home. Amanda opted for the latter and booked a 12:30pm flight out of the Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport. It was a 1hr(ish) train ride from the Civitavecchia train station leaving around 8:30am and she was through security at the airport and at her gate by 11am.
Whatever you decide, make sure that you aren’t making the turn around from disembarkation to catching a flight too tight. Amanda’s ship was delayed over an hour at disembarkation due to a storm the night before which caused a lot of stress, and she ended up having to reschedule the train from the port to the airport.
While cruising isn’t Amanda’s favorite way to travel because you often get sucked into tourist traps, this trip and its itinerary is still a wonderful experience! It’s best to view any Mediterranean cruise itinerary as a speed dating round of Italy and Spain to get a taste for what spots interest you most, and then plan a second trip to return and explore further.
Have you done this Mediterranean cruise itinerary or a similar one? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!
Save to Pinterest
Other Posts You May Enjoy
- Mediterranean Cruise Itinerary: 7 Days around Italy & Spain
- Capri, Italy: Is the Blue Grotto worth it?
- 24 Hours in Rome: Experiences You Can’t Miss
- Must Have Road Trip Items for Children
- Packing List for a 7 Night Cruise (in a Carry-On!)
- 9 Ways to Get Your Kids Excited For A Trip to London
