Cruise Day 6 - June 8 - Messina

We arrived at the port of Messina just before breakfast and waited to be cleared to leave the ship.

A hot, but thankfully breezy, walk around the old town showed us some photo opportunities but little in the way of shopping. Most were still closed as we made our way back for the ship around 11:30 am.

A large stone monument features two soldier statues standing together. They appear to be marching forward resolutely. The monument is surrounded by trees and bushes with a clear blue sky in the background. A building is partially visible to the right along with tall flagpoles.

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Cruise Day 5 - June 7 - Naples-Pompeii

We are in the port of Naples today with another early start. Our excursion has us travelling to Pompeii for a guided tour of the amphitheater and some of the restored ruins.

A plaster cast from Pompeii of a person lying on their side with legs bent is showcased in a museum setting. The figure is placed on a rectangular platform with supporting stands in a room lit by natural light streaming through windows.

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Cruise Day 4 - June 6 - Sea Day 1

Today is a sea day so we will be taking it easy by the pool, maybe a nap and some drinks before heading to the main dining room for dinner.

Not many pictures today but I did get one of Isola di Montecristo while we were at breakfast.

A trail of water extends from the bottom center to the horizon, where a distant island with clouds sits. The sky is clear and blue, blending seamlessly with the vast ocean surrounding the island.

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Cruise Day 3 - June 5 - Portofino

After a couple of busy days we slept in and almost missed breakfast. Had to rush to get breakfast because today is a tender port, the ship does not dock so a couple of the ship’s life rafts are used to ferry us to and from shore.

Boats moored in water in front of a row of colorful buildings with green shutters situated on a hillside lush with greenery under a partly cloudy sky. The boat named ROBALO is clearly visible among other boats tied along the waterfront. People can be seen along the shore.

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Cruise Day 2 - June 4 - Florence

We started early, very early, to get ready for today’s excursion to Florence with a 90+ minute bus ride.

Starting at the Piazza di Santa Croce we walked up to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Piazza del Duomo, before having lunch at the smallest sandwich shop we have ever seen, Panini Toscani. Excellent sandwiches would definitely recommend.

Statue of a David standing on a pedestal with other statues below him overlooking a crowded plaza filled with tourists surrounded by hills and a vast urban landscape in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

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Cruise Day 1 - June 3 - Rome

Embarkation day started early at Trevi Fountain. We were there by 6:50 am to beat the crowd along with at least 100, maybe 200, others who thought they could beat the crowd too. A few pictures and selfies and we were off to the Spanish Steps.

A grand baroque fountain with intricate sculptures and flowing water dominates the scene surrounded by a classical building with columns and statues located in a city square with people around.
Text on the building reads: CLEMENS XII PONT MAX S AVENTI PONT A QMAX EL ANNO DOMINI MDCCXXXV PONT VI PERFECTA BENEDICTUS XIV PONT MAX

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Travel Days - June 1 & 2

We left Halifax, Nova Scotia for Rome at 5 pm for our first stop on a short flight to Montreal.

Airplane wing extending into a bright blue sky flying above a layer of fluffy white clouds creating a serene view of the horizon. The airplane’s winglet shows an Air Canada logo.

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Checking in from Venice, Veneto, Italy
22 °C and Mostly Sunny

Checking in from the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Italy on our way to Ravenna. 22 °C

Sea day #2, bags packed and our last day is almost complete.

Checking in from Split, Croatia
25 °C and Sunny

Checking in from Kotor, Montenegro
23 °C and Mostly Cloudy

Checking in from Dubrovnik, Croatia
26 °C and Windy

Checking in from Brindisi, Apulia, Italy
32 °C and Mostly Sunny

Checking in from Messina, Sicily, Italy
26 °C and Sunny

Checking in from Pompeii, Campania, Italy
25 °C and Sunny

Checking in from the Tyrrhenian Sea off the coast of Italy,
20 °C and Sunny

Sea day #1, Relaxing by the pool.

Checking in from Portofino, Italy
20 °C and Sunny

Lunch back on the Constellation after touring Castello Brown.

Checking in from Florence, Tuscany, Italy
21 °C and Mostly Sunny

Checking in from Rome, Lazio, Italy
16 °C and Mostly Sunny

Almost thirteen months ago we put the deposit down on our first big trip where it is just the two of us. This is a late honeymoon and an early 20th anniversary, August in the Mediterranean is way too hot for me.

An 11 night cruise, our first (only?), around Italy and Croatia. We start in Rome, flying in a day early and finish with an extra night in Venice. We will be trying to get some touristy things just before and after the cruise.

The packing is almost done, still working on getting everything under the airline limits, and we leave in 17 hours.

Blue rectangular card displaying an airplane emoji followed by the text Italy and Croatia with a ship emoji next to it and the text In 17 hours below A circular loading icon is present on the right side. The background is a dark screen.

We hope to check in daily and post some notes and photos of each day.