Day 1 (SEP 7): Rome, Italy

Depart @ 5:00pm

The Eternal City endures with endless adventures, so it’s definitely worth exploring before your cruise from Civitavecchia. Rome is just an hour from the port by train, so spending a few days here is easy and convenient. Start each morning with a frothy cappuccino and a warm, flaky cornetto in an al fresco café and watch the city wake. Then head to the Palazzo Massimo, home to one of the world's biggest collections of ancient art. Or visit the thermal Baths of Diocletian, where you can see two ancient, decorated tombs dating back to the early second century AD. And of course, no visit to Rome is complete without a trip to the famous Colosseum, which once hosted gladiator contests, battle reenactments and Roman dramas. If you’re a foodie, you’re in the right city. Roman cuisine is all about simple, fresh, unfussy flavors. Think thin and crispy pizza cooked in wood ovens, homemade pasta tossed in simple sauces, crispy fried vegetables and decadent breakfast pastries often stuffed with cream.

Day 2 (SEP 8): Florence/Pisa, Italy

While traveling to Florence or Pisa, enjoy a scenic drive through the celebrated Tuscan countryside with its rolling hills, olive and cypress trees and medieval villages. After climbing Pisa's Leaning Tower, explore the atmospheric white, rose and red piazzas (squares). In Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, you can marvel at the paintings in the Uffizi Gallery and cross the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge, packed with local boutiques to poke your head into.

Day 3 (SEP 9): Santa Margherita, Italy

A Santa Margherita, Italy, vacation means inhabiting an oasis of calm and no-fuss Italian culture. The warm hospitality that Italy is famous for is very palpable here, and so is the charm. Tall palm trees line the beachfront streets, beautiful cafés come into view everywhere you look, and colorful boats float on the cerulean waters. As you wander the town, you'll feel like you're inside an Impressionist painting thanks to the classic Riviera buildings with their trompe-l'oeil frescoed exteriors that create a fairy-tale feel rarely seen elsewhere in Italy. You can choose to spend the day at a beach club like Bagni Vicini, explore the markets below the Chiesa di Santa Margherita towers or stop by the church of San Giacomo di Corte for a dose of local history. You can also take a boat to the dramatic Cinque Terre or take the 15-minute drive to Portofino for luxury shopping. Cruises to Santa Margherita, Italy, take you to the heart of the Riviera, where you can seamlessly explore the eastern Liguria coast.

Day 4 (SEP 10): Cannes, France

Get a taste of the glamorous life in Cannes, France's premier seaside resort town. Wander through the old town, and see if you can spot a celebrity walking on the cobbled streets. Or dive into the history of the area: Visit the Gothic-style Eglise Notre-Dame d'Esperance, and check out the collections of 19th-century art at the Musee de la Castre, housed inside a medieval tower.

Day 5 (SEP 11): Provence (Marseille), France

Start your Marseille adventure at the port, where fishing boats and yachts bob close to one another and the fish market Quai des Belges still sells the day's catch. Then hop on the tourist train at Quai du Port for the steep climb to the neo-Byzantine Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde. Check out MuCEM museum to trace the first footprints of Mediterranean history, then relax beside the crescent-shaped colonnade and fountain at Palais Longchamp.

Day 6 (SEP 12): Day at Sea

Day 7 (SEP 13): Valencia, Spain

Start your day in Valencia by roaming the cobblestone streets of Barrio del Carmen — walk along the 11th-century city walls built by the Moors before popping to one of the neighborhood's many restaurants for seafood-packed paella. Head to El Cabanyal, the old fishermen's quarter near the beach, to enjoy the sunshine and fresh seafood. Then, soak in the Mediterranean sun and bright-blue waters at Malvarrosa Beach.

Day 8 (SEP 14): Barcelona, Spain

Arrive @ 5:00am

Afternoons in Barcelona are best spent eating Spanish tapas in a cozy bar. Then take a Gaudí-inspired architecture crawl to see modernist wonders like Casa Milà, Casa Batlló, Park Güell and the awe-inspiring La Sagrada Família. Explore medieval dockyards at the Maritime Museum— or throw on an apron and learn the centuries-old art of Catalan cuisine in a chef-led cooking class.