Western Mediterranean on NCL Escape Rome to Barcelona

This is a travel day. Flights from the USA are 8-16 hours and a day of rest is highly recommended. After clearing customs and border protection, proceed to ground transportation and meet your NCL representative, who will pair you with a partner shuttle driver or load you on a bus. Arrive at your hotel and check in, if you are fortunate, your room will be ready and you can relax and reset your internal clock!

I highly recommend booking a tour for this day, reach out to your travel advisor for recommendations.

An NCL representative will meet you in the lobby and you'll board a bus for the 90m drive to the port. Here you'll board the cruise ship and settle into your stateroom. Typically, lunch can be found on the Lido Deck and sailing normally starts around 5 pm.

Explore your floating hotel!

Make your way to Pile Gate via taxi or organized transfer. Then a must-do is the old city walls (if you are in good enough physical health) there are 1,080 stairs of varying heights and conditions. After the 1.5-mile walk around the old walls, check out Buza Bar along the Southwestern Wall, save your legs and walk to the south end of town and circle back around on the graded walkway versus climbing the steps on the side streets. Here you can step into a literal "hole in the wall" and if the bar is open enjoy a beer with breathtaking views of the sea. After fully experiencing the old town, head to the north side of the city and board the waiting cable car to the top of Mount Surj. Atop the mountain, you can enjoy incredible views of the city below, rent an ATV for some mountain treks, or have lunch in the overlook lounge

The hop-on hop-off tour of the city is perfect for a day on the second largest Greek island.

Visit Taormina and Mount Etna. Birthplace of the cannoli.

Fresh mozzarella and a margarita pizza in the birthplace of pizza are must-do's.

Dock in the industrial port of Livorno and bus to Pisa. Visit the famed Leaning Tower of Pisa and get peer pressured into taking a silly photo. Continue on to Firenze (Florence) and marvel at the ancient buildings and shop for some handmade leather goods.

The little train right from the pier is the best way to see this enchanting city in the French Riviera. Playground of the rich and famous and home to the world renowned Cannes Film Festival.

Playground of Europe and a must stop for any members of the LGBTQ+ community. Pristine beaches and water sports during the day, world famous nightclubs in the evening. Most of the shops along downtown are focused on fashion to ensure that club goers are dressed in the latest and greatest for an unforgettable night of dancing.

Day 12: Explore the capital city of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community in Spain.

Day 13: Board the bus to either the airport or hotel if a post-trip is booked.