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The Cinque Terre and Other Treasures Along the Italian Coast: Secret Hideaways
Preferred
Overview
Highlights (Bullets)
CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS
- An EXCLUSIVE ITINERARY to discover the undeniable appeal of Italy
- THE MUST:
- Valletta, a Mediterranean gem
- The unexpected beauty of Calabria, an out-of-the-way destination
- Elba, a delightful Tuscan island
- The glamorous off-season Italian Riviera
Short Description
Visit the Italian coast and islands bathed in the generous Mediterranean sun. Explore villages and cities bursting with charm, and traverse isolated islands in the famous boot-shaped country. At the very end of the journey, we'll even reach Malta and the city of Valletta.
Destinations
NetherlandsAttractions & Cities Visited
AmsterdamActivities & Interests
River cruiseItinerary
Day 1 VALLETTA
Passengers are welcome to board at 6:00 p.m. We'll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail. We'll enjoy dinner on board.
Day 1 VALLETTA
Boarding.We'll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail.
Day 2 VALLETTA
This morning, the optional CLASSIC/DISCOVERY excursion is: Valletta. The splendid Maltese capital deserves a special visit. Perched on top of a steep cliff, its layout and architectural structures are remarkable. The city was built stone-by-stone by and for the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem. We'll make an exclusive stop at Saint John's Co-Cathedral.Our ship will begin to cruise to Syracuse.Presentation: Malta, a Strategic Position in the Mediterranean.
Day 2 VALLETTA
Optional CLASSIC/DISCOVERY excursion: Valletta.Our ship will begin to cruise to Syracuse.Presentation: Malta, a Strategic Position in the Mediterranean.
Day 3 SYRACUSE
This morning, the optional CLASSIC/DISCOVERY excursion is: The archaeological park in Syracuse and Ortigia. One of the most fascinating cities in Sicily—Syracuse—awaits us today. The Neapolis Archaeological Park in Syracuse contains a Roman and a Greek theater, making this one of the greatest archaeological sites in all of Italy. We'll then head to Ortigia, the small island that is the historical heart of the city. The tight-knit lanes are pleasant for strolling, and much of the island's charm lies in wandering down narrow medieval lanes, past romantically crumbling or lovingly restored baroque palaces and churches.Spend some time on your own this afternoon to visit the treasures found in the city center. Stroll its narrow medieval streets and along the beautiful harbor. The Alfeo Promenade brings you to the magnificent Castello Maniace.Our ship will begin to cruise to Vibo Marina.
Day 3 SYRACUSE
The optional CLASSIC/DISCOVERY excursion is: The archaeological park in Syracuse and Ortigia.Our ship will begin to cruise to Vibo Marina.
Day 4 VIBO MARINA
Optional CLASSIC/DISCOVERY excursion: Tropea, the pearl of the Calabria. Explore this relatively obscure region at the tip of the boot, bathed by the splendid crystal-clear Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas. Discover Tropea, the pearl of the Calabria. Perched on a rocky promontory with a cliff-side view of the sea, this small city is a veritable jewel. Visit the historical center with its Norman cathedral and enjoy a tasting of regional products. Then enjoy some free time browsing the shops along the pedestrian street or chill out at a café.We'll return on board the ship. Our ship will cruise to Elba. Take advantage of the onboard pool under the Mediterranean skies, and then join our team for an Italian cocktail demonstration on the Sun Deck.
Day 4 VIBO MARINA
Optional CLASSIC/DISCOVERY excursion: Tropea, the pearl of the Calabria.Our ship will cruise to Elba.
Day 5 AT SEA
We'll spend the day cruising the Mediterranean Sea. Take advantage of this time to participate in some of the services and activities offered on board. You might try working out in our fitness room, indulging in a massage, or just catching some rays on our Sun Deck. Presentation: The Mediterranean, a Coveted Space.Join us on the Sun Deck at the end of the day for an aperitivo serenaded by Italian music.
Day 5 AT SEA
We'll spend the entire day at sea. Join us for another onboard presentation.
Day 6 PORTOFERRAIO
Optional CLASSIC/DISCOVERY excursion: Discover the Island of Elba. The third largest Italian island is known for two things: The variety of its landscapes and as the first island of exile for Napoleon Bonaparte. After his forced abdication in 1814, Napoleon lived on the island for 300 days before escaping. Our tour of Elba will begin on foot at the historic center of Portoferraio, whose pink streets come from the limestone slabs used to pave them. Your guide will bring you to the Palazzina dei Mulini, Napoleon's official residence—now a museum housing furniture, paintings, and memorabilia once belonging to the former emperor. We'll then leave by coach for Porto Azzuro, on the eastern side of the island. Longone Fort dominates the pretty port founded by the Spanish at the beginning of the 17th century. We'll return on board the ship. Our ship will begin to cruise to La Spezia. Join us for an onboard presentation: Elba from the Reign of the Medicis to Napoleon's Arrival. Tonight is our festive gala evening.
Day 6 PORTOFERRAIO
Optional CLASSIC/DISCOVERY excursion: Discover the Island of Elba.Our ship will cruise towards La Spezia. After our tour, join us for another onboard presentation.Tonight is our festive gala evening.
Day 7 LA SPEZIA
Optional full-day excursions: - CLASSIC: The Italian Riviera. Visit the seaside resort of Santa Margherita Ligure, located in verdant luxury on a beautiful bay. Enjoy some time along the most famous stretch of the Riviera. Our excursion includes a boat tour from Santa Margherita Ligure to Portofino.(1) Arriving from the sea, you'll have a great view of the particularly photogenic harbor in a village that has become "the place to be." We'll return to Santa Margherita Ligure by boat and enjoy lunch in a restaurant. In the afternoon, we'll stop off at beautiful Sestri Levante, a once quiet fishing spot becoming increasingly popular. The Bay of Silence and the Bay of Fairy Tales cradle the city dotted with colorful, pastel facades.- DISCOVERY: The Cinque Terre by train.(2) Full-day excursion to absorb the emblematic scenery in the Cinque Terre and the spectacular, colorful fishing villages along the Italian Riviera. Discover Manarola, considered the most charming village in the Cinque Terre. Built on a cliff high above the sea, its homes cascade downhill to the small port. We'll then leave for Monterosso by train for a visit to the largest of the five Cinque Terre towns and have lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we'll continue by train towards Vernazza to stroll in the village and discover the large square surrounded by brightly colored homes and a port filled to the brim with all sorts of boats. The train will bring us back to La Spezia, where we'll return to the ship on foot.Our ship will cruise to Nice.
Day 7 LA SPEZIA
Optional full-day excursions:- CLASSIC: The Italian Riviera.(1)- DISCOVERY: The Cinque Terre by train.(2)Our ship will cruise to Nice.
Day 8 NICE
Enjoy breakfast on board this morning before disembarking at 9:00 a.m.
Day 8 NICE
Disembarkation.
Availability
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128 CroisiEurope Travel Reviews & Ratings
The Cinque Terre and Other Treasures Along the Italian Coast: Secret Hideaways
Company Reviews
Great tours and food! Exceptional customer service
I am non-EU national, and very much enjoyed the international clientele .
My flight arrived later than the prescribed boarding time, the crew had my cabin ready, and held dinner. Both land side New York office and the onboard crew were very welcoming, and most attention to detail. Special recognition to Charina, my reservation agent, and Daniel the ship's purser.
The vessel's decor is very discreet, comfortable, and relaxing -- no neon, casino, etc. The elegance one would expect from a French company.
The land tours were very comprehensive, in comfortable coaches, with sufficient rest stops. Lunches ashore were included, as appropriate. As advertised, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages were included. In-town shopping was available, but not forced.
In all, a delightful experience. I look forward to another voyage with CroisiEurope. The company offers so many unique intineraries, it may be difficult to select.
A memorable four nights on the Seine - Le Havre to Paris
The Seine scenery was gorgeous and the boat was extremely comfortable—we loved that we could stay in our cabin, relax on various decks, or attend onboard activities, including a lively dance performance by a Normandy folk troupe. Even though we were the only English speakers on the cruise, the bilingual staff were always on hand to help us, and the other passengers (mostly French with a few Belgians/Swiss) were friendly and tolerant of our basic French. After our final night sleeping aboard the boat on Quai de Grenelle in Paris, we were rather sad to depart the beautiful Renoir.
The food, tours and service on the Miguel Torga exceeded our expectations, and we felt very safe with the Covid precautions being taken on board.
We had such a wonderful time on our cruise and absolutely intend to travel with CroisiEurope again. I was especially pleased with the attention to detail regarding food preferences and requests. I have a shellfish allergy, and our kids didn’t always like what was on the menu. The chef and staff always made every effort to accommodate and please us.
Our guide Deborah on the excursions was so informative and made great suggestions for sightseeing and shopping. I liked the way the excursions were managed by touring in the morning with lunch and sailing in the afternoon. We were the only Americans on board with mostly French speakers, but everyone was friendly, and we had no communication issues with the crew. Entertainment was simple but fun with games or local talent coming aboard for flamenco or folk singing and dancing. There were only 62 passengers and no young children. Our kids were 12 & 17, and they were happy with the pool on board, which was small, but ideal for cooling off after a morning in port. They surprised our 17-year-old with a special dessert on her birthday.
We’ve been on several other riverboat cruises (Viking, Peter Dielmann, Vodohod), and they did not match the value and service provided by CroisiEurope.
This barge hotel cruise on and along the Marne river was absolutely fantastic!
The crew were very attentive and hospitable. One of the biggest, if not THE biggest, highlight of the trip was the food. Breakfast was a typical French style buffet with all the trimmings. Lunch and dinner were menus, in the French style, prepared by our Chef and paired with a variety of wines and cheeses from around France. Each meal was unique and full of variety culminating at the end of the week with our Gala Dinner.
One of the excursion highlights, and a major reason why we chose this particular cruise, was the falconry demonstration at Chateau Thierry. It was very well done and quite a moving presentation, which included an American Bald Eagle and, even more surprisingly, Storks.
If you are looking for a more intimate way to cruise, Passenger to Crew ratio was 17 - 6, consider barge hotel cruises. We are most definitely looking forward to our next barge hotel cruise experience.
It’s affordable, the atmosphere on board is unique, the routes can be very interesting.
As seasoned cruisers, knowing well all aspects of cruising on seas and rivers, we had no experience about traveling on a barge in a canal. It was also time to overcome this lack.
A number of companies offer this kind of cruising on barge with 8 to 16 passengers, however very often at exorbitant prices. Luckily, we discovered that the company CroisiEurope offers one week cruise on various canals in Europe, at very decent price, especially considering that all is inclusive (full board, all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and all excursions) on modern barges with a maximum of 22 passengers.
We opted for the barge Ms Deborah, which cruises on the canal de la Loire, with the Briare to Nevers’ route. We were looking forward to this itinerary because the proposed excursions particularly suited us. Unfortunately, only a few days before departure, we were informed that due of a lack of water in the Loire canal the Ms Deborah was switched over to the Haute Seine and Yonne for a new itinerary from Paris to Sens. Despites the fact that this new itinerary didn’t really meet our desires, especially the excursions, we decided to accept the change.
Our group of 6 persons from Switzerland was very warmly greeted by all members of the crew when arriving on the quai de Grenelle in Paris where we see the MS DEBORAH for the first time, our floating home for the week. With its two dominating colours blue and white, it is difficult not to fall in love with this beautiful small ship.
We were invited immediately for the welcome cocktail during which we met officially the crew and the other six individual passengers originating from New Zealand, England and the USA. With less time than it needs to tell, the relation between us was created, so that everyone felt part of a bunch of friends knowing each other for long time.
There is no need to present here the MS Deborah itself, as this is already thoroughly done on the Cruise Critic page.
The crew of 6 persons is composed of a captain, a sailor, a cruise director, a chef, a waitress and a cabin hostess who put all their efforts to satisfy the passengers and offer them the best possible service. The captain as well as the sailor are always trying to make passengers at ease, answer questions or even bring a drink. The lady cruise director is omnipresent, taking care of the passengers better than a mother hen would do. The talented young French chef aims to produce dishes which please everybody. His outstanding sauces and excellent desserts should be particularly praised. However, referring to comments we made during a cruise on the Seine Princess two years ago, we cannot understand that why today it is not possible to offer the choice of a light buffet at lunch instead a three or even four course menu! The always smiling and friendly Hungarian waitress was very caring and attentive, without forgetting the cabin hostess doing a great job in the cabins, the public spaces and even the kitchen. It wouldn’t be fair to name a single person as all members of the crew, without any exception, do all they can to make the cruise unforgettable.
Our one-week cruise on the barge Ms Deborah enables us today to make the following comments:
~ a cruise on a barge cannot be compared to any other kind of cruise
~ despite all the comfort offered on modern barge, one must be very aware that life on board happens at a restraint space, requiring therefore much flexibility and understanding in all aspects from all passengers
~ in our case, being only 12 passengers, we had the opportunity to take our meals on the terrace. We also never had the feeling that the boat was overcrowded. This can be different when the ship is full, especially by bad weather
~ the state of mind between the passengers who are mostly of foreign nationalities, who don’t know each other and don’t speak French, must function well right from the beginning
~ if the interrelation works, it is difficult to find a more relaxing and enjoyable way of travelling
~ the success on a barge is mainly due on the quality of its crew. Ms Deborah’s crew members have quickly created a family spirit on board, showing also that they genuinely like what they do
~ excursions can play a major role in choosing an itinerary. Not speaking French or English can be a handicap
Do we recommend to do a cruise on a barge? Yes, definitively! It’s affordable, the atmosphere on board is unique, the routes can be very interesting. In our case, this second try with CroisiEurope gives them a better note.
We are still waiting for a refund
Details
Flight & Transport Inclusions
All internal transport included (including local flights)
Group Size
Standard Group - 25 + people
Cancellation policy
INTERNET
SATELLITE CONNECTIONS
Our ship provides Internet connection via satellite while we cruise, which is different and slower than what we are used to through our regular home or office services. We cannot guarantee connection at all times. Please keep this in mind while you are enjoying your vacation with us.
TELEPHONE SERVICE
DURING CRUISE
When we are at sea, you can connect your device(s) to the onboard GSM/3G network. Your service provider will automatically send you the terms and conditions of use for this service. You will be able to make calls, send messages, or use the Internet through this network’s roaming services. The GSM network will be turned off once the ship enters a port.
WHILE IN PORT
When the ship is in a port, you will be able to receive and make calls via your international calling/service plan according to the country you are visiting.
WATCH OUT FOR SERVICE FEES
We strongly recommend that you contact your service provider before your departure; international calls and data usage can be very costly and are almost never included in basic operator packages.
PLEASE CHECK THE SETTINGS FOR YOUR DEVICE
Once you are on board, but before you connect to the Internet, please check the settings for your device(s). We request that you limit the downloading of videos and large-volume files. Automatic updates to your PC, tablet, and smartphones will affect the speed and cost of your connection. You probably have automatic updates for apps on your devices that you are not aware of. We recommend that you deactivate these updates while you are staying with us.
Additional Information
THE CROISIEUROPE DIFFERENCE
- All meals included - DRINKS INCLUDED with meals and at the bar
- Refined French cuisine - Gala dinner and evening - Welcome cocktail
- Free Wi-Fi onboard
- Headsets are included for excursions
- Official welcome from the captain and crew
- Onboard activities
- Travel assistance and repatriation insurance
- All port fees included
Rules & Other Requirements
Valid national identity card or passport required. Non-EU nationals are advised to consult their embassy or consulate.
Trip ID#:
croisieurope-LNC_AIPP
What's excluded
drinks from our special lists or drinks ordered during excursions or transfers - transfers to/from departure/arrival points - cancellation and baggage insurance - personal expenses.
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