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Cruising The Adriatic And Mediterranean With Viking – Trip Of A Lifetime

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MY VIKING OCEAN CRUISE

I recently experienced the thrill of cruising the Adriatic and Mediterranean with Viking Ocean Cruises for a sojourn of 21 glorious days. Amidst the cerulean seas off European shores and breathtaking panoramic views, the Viking cruise was a luxury trip of a lifetime, indulgent, relaxing and full of excitement and adventure.

 Here I’ll give you an insight into cruising the Adriatic and Mediterranean with Viking whilst exploring a myriad of coastal port towns and cities in this popular region.

I chose to take the cruise in March/April 2024, Europe’s Springtime, a pleasant time of year, that’s not too cold, not hot and humid, and off peak tourist season. It’s the official start of the cruise season in Europe.

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Cruise route - supplied by Viking
Cruising the Adriatic and Mediterranean with Viking
Staircase in Atrium - screen showing scenes related to the local destinations

Arriving in Rome, ITALY

In March 2024 my husband and I flew from Melbourne, Australia, via Doha, Qatar to Leonardo da Vinci–Rome Fiumicino Airport, excited about our much-anticipated Viking Ocean Cruise, a trip we had been talking about taking for years.

We were greeted by a Viking team at the airport and chauffeured to our pre-extension hotel stay.

Cruise Pre-Extension

Westin Excelsior Hotel, Rome
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Viking arranged our stay at Rome’s Westin Excelsior Hotel, a 5-star hotel in the central part of the city. The hotel was a stunning building located on Via Vittorio Veneto, which previously housed the United States Embassy.

We enjoyed a wonderful 2 night stay in Rome and met fellow Viking cruisers who had also chosen the same Viking pre-extension.

Viking were available in the hotel foyer all day to assist with sightseeing options in Rome. We chose to do a little exploring on our own, together with a hop-on/hop-off bus tour around the city and visited some iconic roman landmarks.

I was keen to visit the most famous landmark in Italy and booked a Colosseum tour with Get Your Guide, of which there are plenty to choose.

Tip: When booking a tour, make sure it includes entrance to the arena and not just visiting the outside areas.

Read Visiting The Colosseum In Rome and Must-See Rome’s Famous Trevi Fountain.

After our 2 day stay in Rome we were escorted by Viking to our cruise ship, called the Viking Mars, docked at Rome’s port, Civitavecchia, approximately 1 hour’s drive away.

The Viking Mars Ocean Cruise Ship

Embarkation in Civitavecchia, Port of Rome

The cruise began with embarkation, a smooth process of checking in and receiving our suite card, together with a glass of sparkling wine, and an invitation to a ‘meet and greet’ with other Australians on the cruise. 

The staff and crew were very pleasant and welcoming, and it was a seamless transition from land to ship.

One of the very first things I noticed about the ship as I walked through was how spotless everything was, clean and shiny throughout, and absolutely immaculate.

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Embarking

Our Deluxe Veranda Stateroom

We had selected a Deluxe Veranda Stateroom on the 4th level, starboard side (right) of this beautifully appointed ship, which was to be our home for the next 3 weeks.

Our suite was a standard room, elegantly furnished, with king bed, lounge, desk, ensuite, wardrobe, fridge, coffee pod machine and outdoor setting. All rooms on Viking ships have balconies.

I was beyond excited with our accommodation, albeit a tad smaller than most hotel rooms, but that’s to be expected on cruise ships. Furthermore, we did not plan on spending too much time in the room, keen to make use of the ship’s wonderful facilities.

Our luggage was delivered to our suite shortly after and we were welcomed by our steward who would be looking after our room and requirements for the duration of the journey. A lovelier girl you could not meet, friendly and caring. 

It was wonderful to be able to unpack all our luggage, store suitcases away under the bed and not have to deal with them for another 3 weeks, whilst staying on this magnificent floating hotel in the Mediterranean.

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Our suite with view of Corfu, Greece
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We set off to explore the ship and all its amenities and mingle with fellow cruisers before setting sail a few hours later.

After getting acquainted with our ship, departure was finally underway. Cruising the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas with Viking was a dream that was actually coming true.

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Explorer's Lounge at front of ship - Naples
cruising the Adriatic and Mediterranean with Viking
The Living Room
cruising the Adriatic and Mediterranean with Viking
Main pool and deck with retractable roof
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Main pool area with roof open - docked in Athens
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Infinity Pool - Athens

About The Ship

Size and features

The Viking Ocean cruise ships are relatively small compared to other ocean liners, with a maximum of 930 passengers and a crew of approximately 460. The ship never feels crowded and with its many lounges and theatres, restaurants and cocktail bars, the Viking cruise ship caters for the adult traveller.

There are no children under 18 permitted onboard, so you won’t find any pool slides, arcades, playrooms, or kids clubs here. 

Furthermore, there are no casinos on board either. Instead, you can enjoy various shows with international guests performing, dancing, movies, spa treatments, gym, pools, jacuzzis, history talks, wine and liquor tastings, high tea, a few select shops.

Electronic games tables, board games, puzzles and books were provided for entertainment, including a sports deck at the top with mini golf and table tennis. So there is more than ample to keep one busy on board during sea days.

The Norwegian ship is decorated throughout in Scandinavian style and neutral tones. Various areas on the ship have Nordic art, tapestries, artefacts and costumes displayed.

I loved spending time in the social areas having a cocktail in the many comfortable sitting areas, inside and out, with captivating views.

Wi-fi is available albeit a bit sporadic in certain parts of the ocean. Computers are also available for use so you don’t have to bring your laptop.

Most of my time on board in the evenings and sea days was spent eating, drinking, socialising and enjoying the entertainment on offer.

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shopping on board
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Library area

Restaurants On Board Viking

There are 5 restaurants to choose from on Viking, 2 which require bookings in advance, the others open for walk-ins. All are complimentary, with no extra cost involved except for special wines. I enjoyed trying all of these:

  • The World Cafe
  • Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant
  • The Chef’s Table
  • Pool Grill, and
  • Mamsen’s Norwegian Deli.

For times when we wanted to relax in our suite, we ordered Room Service, which was available 24 hours a day, with a limited menu.

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Dining in The World Cafe with a different view every day
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Seafood Bar in World Cafe
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Sushi Bar in World Cafe
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Dessert Bar on Easter Sunday in World Cafe

The World Cafe

My favourite restaurant to dine at was The World Cafe, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was a huge buffet of the highest calibre offering a vast array of popular dishes as well as local cuisines of countries we were visiting, such as Italian, Greek and Turkish foods. I was in foodie heaven with delicious dishes freshly cooked constantly.

International wines, beer and soft drinks were included with all meals, as was tea and coffee.

Have I mentioned desserts? A vast selection of cakes, mousses, puddings, slices, ice creams, cookies, and more, plus fruits and cheeses, were on offer at every lunch and dinner.

Our magnificent meals were always enjoyed with a different view every day which made mealtimes even more exciting. I always tried to grab a table by a window to devour the spectacular scenery.

The restaurant staff were some of the friendliest people and were so attentive. I found it interesting to hear about where some of the staff were from and how they came to be working on a cruise ship.

Sumptuous Food on Viking Cruise

As a big foodie, I was thrilled with the array of different cuisines and dishes on offer throughout our voyage. The food was to die for. There was something for everyone, catering for all tastebuds and dietary requirements.

Can I just add, from what I saw of the kitchens, they were immaculate. 

These photos are just some of the delicious food that was on offer. I felt obliged to sample as many of the different gastronomic delights as possible, for research purposes, of course!

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Tours and Excursions

Whilst cruising the Adriatic and Mediterranean with Viking, a variety of tours and excursions are offered with local English-speaking guides at each port destination, all very knowledgeable in the history, architecture, and cultural aspects of the cities and sites.

Note: It is advisable to book tours in advance before the cruise to avoid disappointment.

For each location there were included tours at no extra cost, and paid tours available for purchase. Some of the paid tours were longer and further away.

I found a lot of the included tours to be quite good and took you to the most popular sites and were usually not too long, which left you with time to do your own thing.

I only chose a few paid tours of specific sites I wanted to visit or activities I wanted to do. 

Inclusive and paid tours involved a combination of bus and/or walking, skip the line entry to museums, churches, mosques and archaeological sites, sample of local food, and all with in depth commentary along the way.

All tours required us to wear the voice box with lanyard and earpieces provided by Viking for enrichment of the tours, and to avoid getting lost.

Tour groups were no more than 30 people, sometimes half that many, and lasted between 1.5 hours to 5 or 6 hours, depending on the distance, and number of sites in the tour itinerary.

Most tours were of low to medium walking difficulty, and were given a rating.

We were able to sometimes make our own way back to the ship if we felt comfortable doing so, and also had some free time to wander on our own afterwards, which I love to do.

Exploring and sightseeing at each cruise port destination was the most exciting aspect of the cruise experience and visiting lots of wonderful places without any stress.

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Voice box for guided tours
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Tour groups assembling

Passengers who preferred not take a tour would stay on the ship or stroll around the port. Shuttle buses were often available at no cost, provided by the port authority or by Viking, to take us into the port town and back, every half hour or so, which was very handy.

We had the flexibility of getting on and off the ship anytime, for lunch, to rest, and then back out again, as long as we embarked by the time given in order to set sail for our next destination. I’m not sure what happens if one doesn’t arrive back in time, but I didn’t want to find out.

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Outdoor dining - docked in Kotor, Montenegro

The Adriatic and Mediterranean Sojourn

The Viking cruise route covered many of the popular Mediterranean destinations, spanning over 5 countries and 18 cities, docking at ports on the scheduled route. The ship usually remained docked overnight or a couple of nights. There is something truly magical about going to sleep in one city and waking up in another.

Rome, Chioggia, Athens, and Istanbul were the embarkation and disembarkation ports, depending if you chose to do 1 week, 2 weeks or 3 weeks of the cruise. 

However, due to rough seas and extreme winds, sometimes ships aren’t given permission to dock or the captain deems it unsafe to do so. This occurred twice on our cruise, where we were unable to dock at 2 ports as scheduled because of rough conditions. I’m not going to lie, I was a little disappointed that we missed out on places I had been looking forward to visiting, but I understand the welfare of passengers and crew is always paramount. As a seasoned traveller, I have come to expect things don’t always go according to plan.

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Docked in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Cruise Itinerary

Our fabulous 21 days cruising the Adriatic and Mediterranean had a jam-packed itinerary, visiting some of the best port cities in Southern Europe.

I’ll give you a brief outline of each destination cruise port we docked at, in order of travel, and a little information about the wonderful places in each port city and places nearby.

ITALY

1. Civitavecchia, Rome – 1 night.

Civitavecchia (Old Town) is located about an hour’s drive from Rome. There is Fort Michelangelo and the marina, plus cathedrals to visit, but we were keen to go straight to the ship.

Rome, Italy’s capital city, has a plethora of ancient Roman monuments and archaeological sites – the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, Vittoriano, Villa Borghese, Pantheon and more.

A visit to Vatican City in the centre of Rome is a must if you have time. See the Sistine Chapel, Museums, St Peter’s Basilica, St Peter’s Square and gardens.

NOTE: Being embarkation day there was little time for sightseeing, hence why we chose the Viking Pre-Extension for 2 nights in Rome prior to the cruise for touring the city’s iconic sites, as discussed above.

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Colosseum, Rome
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Neptune Fountain, Piazza Navona, Rome
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Pantheon

2. Naples – 1 night.

Naples is located in Southern Italy and is one of the largest cities in the country. The port is a major shipping stop in the Mediterranean and is a short walk to the city.

Explore the historic centre and see Sansevero Chapel, Naples Underground tunnels, Catacombs, Santa Chiara Monastery and Royal Palace of Napes. Also visit Castle Ovo.

Unfortunately I spent little time in Naples but walking tours of the city were included.

I was super excited for this cruise destination to experience the famous lost city of Pompeii, buried by volcanic eruption in the year 79 Common Era.

The drive from Naples to Pompeii is less than 30 minutes, which makes it a popular port stop. We spent half a day exploring the ruins of Pompeii with a very knowledgable guide, plus a stop in beautiful Sorrento. This was a paid Viking bus tour I selected in advance, as I didn’t want to miss out and it was magnificent.

Mount Vesuvius is looming in the background and can be toured separately, including the crater, for those game enough.

Other popular places to visit nearby  include seaside towns Positano, Amalfi and the Island of Capri.

Read blog post  You Must See Pompei.

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Piazza in Naples
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Castle Ovo, Naples
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View of the Gulf of Naples & Sorrento
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Tour of Pompeii Archaeological Site
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Sorrento

3. Messina, island of Sicily – 1 night.

Messina, a port in Sicily, is the gateway to Italy’s mainland. Messina Port is a short 5 minute walk to the historic centre where you’ll find the showstopper, Cathedral of Messina and its Astrological Clock Bell Tower.

One hour away is the nearby seaside resort town of Taormina, a very popular beach resort location and with an ancient Greek arena.

You can also visit Mount Etna, Sicily’s active volcano and the biggest in Europe, a road trip of 1.5 hours away.

Isola Bella and Blue Grotto can also be toured from Messina, via boat.

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Astrological Clock and Bell Tower of Messina Cathedral

4. Crotone – 1 night.     

Crotone is a small port city in Calabria, Southern Italy, on the Ionian Sea coast, where you’ll find the 9th century Castle and Fortress of Carlo V, King of Italy, in the old centre. 

Visit various churches, parks, museums and coastal promenade.

A short drive 30 minutes is the village called Le Castella, with a fortress and beaches.

Also, only half an hour away is the medieval village of Santa Severina.

Only 1.5 hours away is Sila National Park with lakes, mountains and wildlife to explore.

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Castle of Carlo V, Crotone
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Church of the Immaculate Conception, Crotone

5. Bari – 1 night.

Bari is a large port city, capital of the Puglia region, located on the heel of Italy. It’s one of the largest ports of the Adriatic and is close to the Balkans and Greece.

Explore Bari’s Old Town, the Norman Castle and the waterfront promenade which is one of the loveliest in Italy.

We booked the paid Viking tour to the town of Alberobello, a short distance away and I was super excited about visiting the gorgeous white cone houses of the Trulli village, a unique part of Italy and a popular day trip from Bari which was just magical.

You can also visit Polignano a Mare, a lovely resort town only 50 minutes by car.

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Bari waterfront, Italy
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Alberobello
CROATIA

6. Šibenik – 1 night.

A port city on the Adriatic Sea, Šibenik’s Old Town is car free, with narrow cobblestoned laneways to explore. Šibenik is far less touristy than other port stops on this stretch of sea, but equally as enchanting and picturesque.

I took the Viking included walking tour of the town to see St James Cathedral, Šibenik City Museum, and strolled along the waterfront.

A short drive away are ancient fortresses and Krka National Park known for its waterfalls.

Visit other Croatian cities: Trogir is 45 minutes away, Zadar is a little over an hour away and Split is about 1 hour drive from Šibenik.

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Stari Grad, Šibenik
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Šibenik Cathedral of St James
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Luca Channel of Šibenik
Back to ITALY

7. Chioggia, Venice – 2 nights.

We docked at the Port of Chioggia in Northern Italy, for 3 days. I was excited to revisit one of my favourite cities in the world.

Chioggia is now officially the cruise stop for Venice, one of the most popular destinations in the Mediterranean, as large ships are no longer allowed to dock in Venice itself. But it’s a bit of an inconvenience for cruisers wanting to spend most of their time in Venice seeing its famous landmarks. The central part of Venice is about an hour away, via ferry, bus, and walking, or a private boat ride.

The port of Chioggia offers a free shuttle to the town of Chioggia where you can take a boat/ferry.

Venice is a must-see floating city, with no roads, full of historic monuments, canals, bridges, piazzas, and laneways and it’s always busy.

Visit the most iconic Venetian sites – St Mark’s Square, Bell Tower, Doge’s Palace, St Mark’s Basilica, Rialto Bridge, Bridge of Sighs and Grand Canal.

I chose to take the short walking tour, included with Viking, as I have been to Venice before and wanted to have free time on my own. I popped into the palatial Hotel Danieli, a 14th century building and the most luxurious hotel in Venice. And the Aqua Alta book shop.

A gondola ride is a popular experience that I have previously enjoyed and recommend at least once.

You should also visit some other islands in the Venice Lagoon, if you get the chance, like Murano, Burano, Torcello or Lido. The Murano glass blowing demonstrations are fascinating.

See my Ultimate Guide To Venice.

It’s definitely worth spending time in Chioggia itself, a mini Venice, less touristy, and easy to walk around in a couple hours. I also took the included walking tour of Chioggia.

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Chioggia, Venice
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Gondolas, Venice
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Doge's Palace, Piazza San Marco, Venice
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St Mark's Basilica, Venice
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Bridge of Sighs, Venice
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Hotel Danieli foyer, Venice
Back to CROATIA

8. Split – 1 night (unable to dock).

Unfortunately, we were unable to dock in Split. 

You can visit Diocletian’s Palace and Cathedral of St Domnius, just a short walk away from Port, and of course, the harbour and nearby beach. 

An included walking tour from the port was available which I had booked.

Popular trips from Split are the Blue Lagoon and Blue Cave.

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Split harbour
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St Domnius Cathedral
MONTENEGRO

9. Dubrovnik – 1 night.

A popular cruise port of the Adriatic Sea. The old part of the city is car free. We walked on top of the historic city walls around the Old Town and toured the Minčeta Fortress, the Franciscan Monastery and its Museum, Dubrovnik Cathedral, Sponza Palace and the marina.

There are several fortresses here, many churches and other museums. Plenty of beaches are located nearby.

We took the included walking tour of Dubrovnik and explored a little on our own too.

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Grad, Dubrovnik
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Fort Lovrijenac, City Walls, Dubrovnik

10. Kotor – 1 night.

Located off the coast of the Adriatic Sea, Kotor Port is in the Gulf of Kotor, and the small town is surrounded by stunning mountains. 

Inside the Old Town city walls it is car free, with cobblestoned alleys. I took the included Viking walking tour and visited St Tryphon’s Cathedral, other churches, the Maritime Museum and piazzas, all just a few hundred metres away from port.

St John’s Old Fort and fort walls here can be seen above the town and hiked up to.

Nearby towns to visit are Perast and Budva for beaches, and Lovćen National Park for wildlife and greenery.

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Gulf of Kotor, Montenegro - Viking Mars in the background
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St Tryphon's Cathedral, Kotor, Montenegro
GREECE

11. Island of Corfu – 1 night.

One of the many beautiful Greek islands, Corfu is in the Ionian Sea. Corfu Town is a common cruise port. 

We took the included walking tour to the Old Town which is car free and easy to walk around. Spianada Square on the outer part is a large meeting place with park, fountain, sculptures and grassed area.

Other things to see are Old Fortress, New Fortress, Palace of St Michael and St George, Mouse Island and Saint Spyridon Church with its tall bell tower and St George’s Church which looks like a Doric temple.

The Archaeological Museum and the Byzantine Museum are worth a visit if you have time.

Beaches are of course one of the most popular pastimes here and there are many, the most popular are on the westside.

Visit other Greek Islands via ferry or boat. Nearest to Corfu are Paxos and Mathraki.

You can take a short ride in a ferry across the North Strait of Kerkyras to Albania.

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Outside Old Town Corfu
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Kanoni Peninsula overlooking harbour
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St Spyridon Church

12. Katakolon, Olympia – 1 night.

Located on mainland Greece, this port leads to the small town of Olympia, where you’ll find the birthplace of the Ancient Olympic Games, one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country. Here we saw extensive ruins of the many temples, gymnasiums and monuments that made up the original Olympic village and site of the Games which involved athletics, boxing, wrestling and chariot racing.

Don’t miss Olympia Museum near the archaeological site.

Our included Viking bus tour incorporated both venues.

The location is also famous for the Temple of Zeus.

Read my blog post Explore Olympica.

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Ruins at Olympia
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Ancient Olympia Archaeological Site
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Archaeological Museum of Olympia

13. Piraeus, Athens – 2 nights.

We docked at the port of Athens, called Piraeus, for a couple of days. 

Just 10 minutes away from port, Athens is renowned for one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, the Acropolis, which is comprised of the Parthenon, Erechtheon, Propylaea and Temple of Athena.

I chose to take a Viking paid tour of the Acropolis and the Museum which is located directly opposite the citadel, as they must both be visited together. A guided tour of these iconic Greek sites, with commentary, is essential to appreciate the Acropolis’ history fully.

Read my blog post The Acropolis Experience.

We walked to the nearby neighbourhood of Plaka, the most famous area in Athens, close to the Acropolis.

Also a must-see is the Panathenaic Stadium which is the site of the first Modern Olympic Games in 1896, and the National Archaeological Museum. We took an included Viking tour of these locations also.

Beaches of Athens are on the Attica Peninsula. 

Saronic Islands (Hydra, Paros) are the nearest to Athens and can be visited by boat.

Meteora Monasteries are a popular day trip from Athens but these require a full day excursion.

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Athens Marina and Stadium
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Athens Acropolis
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Panathenaic Stadium, Site of first Modern Olympics 1896
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National Archaeological Museum

14. Heraklion, Island of Crete – 1 night.

Heraklion is the main port city of Crete which is the largest Greek Island.

We visited the wonderful Koules Sea Fortress on our own and walked around the Marina.

Our included Viking walking tour took us to the renowned Heraklion Archaeological Museum and Lion Square, the heart of Heraklion. We saw the Venetian Loggia and many monumental fountains located throughout the city.

Churches to see include Agios Titos and Metropolis of Agios Minas.

In the south of the city are ruins of the ancient Knossos Palace to explore.

The best beaches are located in Chania.

Boat trips and ferry rides are also popular to other Aegean Islands near Crete such as Dia, Elafonissi and Chrissi.

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Koules Sea Fortress, Crete
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Crete Marina
Historic Venetian Loggia, Crete
Heraklion Old Town with Venetian Loggia

15. Island of Rhodes – 1 night.

Port of Rhodes, situated in Rhodes City at the top of the island, is a popular cruise stop.

We explored the glorious medieval village in Rhodes with amazing architecture, located 10 minute walking distance from port. The famous Street of the Knights is a must-see, as is he Archaeological Museum and the Castle of the Grand Masters. Our included walking tour was very good.

The island was home to the giant statue Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Ancient Wonders of the World. Rhodes is one of the best Greek Islands to visit.

Also popular here is the village of Lindos, about an hour away, for its beaches and small acropolis on the hill.

Take a boat to the Island of Symi or a ferry to Fethiye, Turkey, just 1.5 hour ride.

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Marina Mandraki and Fort of St Nicholas
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Street of The Knights, Rhodes
TURKEY

16. Kusadasi / Ephesus – 1 night.

Kusadasi is a large beach resort town on the Aegean coastline and serves as the port for the Ancient City of Ephesus archaeological site, just a short drive away.

We selected the included Viking bus tour to visit this popular destination, many acres of well-preserved Greco-Roman ruins.

The most impressive building and the main attraction here is the large monument called the Library of Celsus.

You’ll also see the ancient arena, arches, stone carvings, mosaics, and an abundance of other ruins as you wander the marble paths. The Temple of Artemis here was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

I found this ancient city to be a highlight of the cruise.

We strolled Kusadasi marina and visited the wonderful Kusadasi Castle. The city has markets, popular beaches and boat trips. Visit the Greek Island of Samos, 1.5 hours away.

Near Ephesus also is house of the Virgin Mary, her final home.

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Kusadasi Castle
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Library of Celsus, Ephesus

17. ÇanakKale / Troy – 1 night (unable to dock).

Due to rough seas, we were unable to dock at Çanakkale Port.

A short drive away is the archaeological site and ruins of the ancient city of Troy and Trojan horse replica from battle of Troy.

Also close by, the Gallipoli ANZAC Battlefields and monument of WW1.

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Trojan Horse replica, Troy

18. Istanbul – 2 nights.

Istanbul was our final port destination. An exciting historic city to explore which straddles two continents, Europe and Asia, divided by the Bosphorus Strait.

Amazing architecture, famous mosques, stunning palaces of the Ottoman Sultans, bazaars, gardens and waterways are just some of the highlights.

We took an included Viking tour as well as doing our own sightseeing.

Must-see places in Istanbul are Hagia Sofia Grand Mosque, Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Square, Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace and nearby gardens, and the extraordinary underground Basilica Cistern.

Check out my blog post Epic Sites of Istanbul for more details.

Popular day trips from Istanbul – a ferry ride to the Princess Islands, or the town of Termal for its hot springs and turkish baths.

A visit to the popular town of Cappadocia for a 2 day excursion option to end the trip is an option Viking offered which I had considered taking.

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Port of Istanbul
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Hagia Sofia Grand Mosque
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Underground Roman Basilica Cistern
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Topkapi Palace of the Ottoman Sultans

Cruise Post-Extension

After disembarking from our 21 day cruise, we were driven to our post-extension stay for 2 extra nights in Istanbul, also arranged by Viking. Our accommodation at the Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus Hotel was splendid.

I was pleasantly surprised to find our stay included a whole day tour of Istanbul sites, plus a 3 course lunch on a boat trip with live entertainment, along the Bosphorus Strait. This Post-Extension stay was great value and a fabulous way to finish our Viking cruise experience.

Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus Hotel
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Pre- and Post-Extension stays are extras offered by Viking to enjoy a little time before and after a cruise, but are not part of the actual cruise.

Extras on Viking

Almost everything is included in the cost of the Viking cruise, even things that you would normally expect to pay for, such as room service, mini bar drinks and snacks topped up daily, high tea in the afternoons, wine and beer at meals, coffees anytime, dining in formal restaurants, use of laundry and liquids, and gratuities. All these items are built in to the cost.

Anything else I asked for such as, extra coat hangers, ice bucket in the room, more water bottles, all was all included.

We only paid extra for cocktails and a few special tours, as mentioned earlier.

More Photos of Viking Mars

Here are a few more photos of the luxurious Viking Mars and our life onboard, cruising the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas.

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Formal dining at The Chef'sTable restaurant
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Formal dining at Manfredi's restaurant
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The World Cafe
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Upper Lounge
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Atrium with grand piano
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Outdoor lounges on upper deck
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Outdoor lunch on the Aquavit Deck
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Sitting area near fireplace
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Wintergarden with live musicians
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High Tea in the Wintergarden each afternoon
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Torshavn Bar
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Cruising Krka River, Croatia
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Docking in Port of Dubrovnik, Croatia
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Docked in Port of Piraeus, Athens, Greece
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Docked at Port of Katakolon, Greece
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Pool deck with retractable roof open and band performing
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Band playing in the evenings
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Singers performing on stage in theatre
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Turkish dancers performing on stage in theatre
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Nordic Spa
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Viking Mars

Final Words About The Viking Cruise

If you’re considering an Ocean Cruise in the future, I thoroughly recommend cruising the Adriatic and Mediterranean with Viking. Everything about this cruise is amazing and it more than met my expectations. Whether you choose this Viking Ocean cruise or another, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

I absolutely loved every minute of my time cruising the Adriatic and Mediterranean with Viking and I hope to do another Ocean, or River Cruise, with Viking in the future. They are a wonderful company to cruise with; professional, friendly, very well organised, with the utmost attention to every detail.

The Viking Ocean Cruise was a fabulous trip, filled with so many exciting destinations and wonderful memories I will treasure forever.

It was home for 3 weeks and we were a little sad to leave.

If you have any questions about this Viking Cruise, please feel free to ask in the comments section below.

Share it, please

Cruising the Adriatic and Mediterranean with Viking
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Cruising the Adriatic and Mediterranean with Viking

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11 Comments

  • I wish I had taken a longer Mediterranean cruise as yours sounds awesome. I would have loved to visit some of those ports in Croatia.

  • This post has solidified what I’ve known and it’s that it’s time to take my first cruise! I love the adventure you went on and all the photos. I wish I could take 21 days off from my 9-5 to do this cruise!

  • HI. I too cruised the Adriatic Sea albeit a small ship. It was a vacation to remember. I loved all of your food pictures. Thanks for an informative post with so much information.

  • We’ve visited this area, but not on a cruise. Do you feel like you have sufficient time to explore the cities where you’re stopping, such as Dubrovnik? Or, do you plan return trips to those places you’d like to explore further?

    • Hello Julia, I advise to book TOURS in advance, although you can book them on the ship also, but they may not have last minute availability. Thank you for your comment.

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