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Our 13 Day NCL Western Mediterranean Cruise – Review
Although it has been a few years now, since embarking on our outstanding …
🌺 NCL Western Mediterranean Cruise
My post and photos will still give you an idea of what to expect, when choosing a cruise vacation in the Mediterranean with Norwegian Cruise Line.
Our 13 night cruise onboard the 🚢 {NCL} Norwegian Cruise Line Jade, was outstanding. We visited new and exciting ⚓ Ports of call each and every day!
This cruise vacation seemed to go by far too quickly!
We did take advantage of all the great shore excursions offered at each ⚓ Port of Call, as much as we could.
Norwegian Getaway – Cruise Ship Jade
The Jade was built in 2006 and has a crew of 1078. Passenger limit is 2402, making it a perfect size for our liking. Not too small and at the same time, not too big!
I am writing this to share our fantastic vacation with you. If you have been thinking about this type of cruise, I can honestly say, it is definitely worth taking. In fact, I have a niece who worked on cruise ships for over 10 years, and she picked the; Mediterranean destination on her last engagement.
Cruising on the Mediterranean in the summer months is like no other. With spectacular views and historical ports of call, that are sure to leave you with everlasting memories.
Norwegian Cruise Line Mediterranean Cruises
Houses of Parliament London England
My wife and I accompanied with our two teenage children at the time, began our journey ✈ flying non-stop from …
to London, England.
Unfortunately, time only allowed us 2 nights in London, prior to embarking on our cruise. One could easily spend a week enjoying the many sites and attractions in the 🏰 United Kingdom.
Downtown London England
We took advantage of the ever popular 🚍 Hop On/Hop Off Sightseeing Tour Bus, which was a perfect way to see the sites of the city with our limited time. At sunset, we enjoyed a ride on the famous …
🎡 London Eye 🎡
Definitely worth the 🎟 ticket and booking in advance for a spectacular view, of London, especially watching the 🌇 sun setting during the ride.
London Eye Ferris Wheel
Europe Cruises With Norwegian Cruise Line
Boarding the Norwegian Jade in Southampton Great Britain
It was an easy 🚆 train ride from downtown London, out to the coast at Southampton where our cruise departed. Ironically, this is where my father boarded ship when he was in the 🍁 Canadian Navy during WWII.
From here, we would head south following his route stopping at ⛰ Gibraltar and then on to the Mediterranean. This is where his ship spent a great deal of time cruising, as well as in the Atlantic during war time.
NCL Cruise Ship Jade
Boarding was smooth and friendly, arriving just in time to head to the buffet for lunch.
The ship was conveniently located just over the bridge from the train station, about a 2 minute 🚕 taxi ride. If it were not for our 🧳 luggage, it would have been an easy walk to the ship.
Norwegian Mediterranean Cruise
Royal Air Force Red Arrows
As we began sailing out of Southampton, we received a special treat from the {Royal Air Forces} beautiful;
Red Arrows, performing in the skies above.
We could be so lucky! 🙂
Our 13 Night NCL Mediterranean Cruise Itinerary
✔ Day 1 – Ship departs Southampton, Great Britain;
✔ Day 2 – At Sea;
✔ Day 3 – Vigo, Spain;
✔ Day 4 – Lisbon, Portugal;
✔ Day 5 – Cadiz (Seville) Spain;
✔ Day 6 – Gibraltar;
✔ Day 7 – Malaga, Spain;
✔ Day 8 – At Sea
✔ Day 9 – Olbia, Italy;
✔ Day 10 – Naples/Pompeii, Italy;
✔ Day 11 – Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy;
✔ Day 12 – Livorno (Florence/Pisa), Italy;
✔ Day 13 – Cannes, France;
✔ Day 14 – Barcelona, Spain.
City of Vigo Spain
Arriving at our first port of call in the 🏙 City of Vigo, we were excited to disembark and enjoy our day in Spain. This is a bustling sea side port on the Atlantic Coast. Situated to the north of Portugal, Vigo is largely an industrialized city and dates all the way back to the; Roman era.
NCL Cruise Ship Jade in Vigo Spain
With lots of history and things to see and do, we enjoyed a full but relaxing day in the city. We visited; The Parque del Castro and Historic Fortress, and a lovely afternoon strolling along Vigo’s Historic Old Town.
Vigo Spain’s Beautiful Side Streets and Old Town
Enjoying the Musicians and Sites of Old Town Vigo Spain
We all had a great afternoon enjoying the sites and sounds of Vigo, on a beautiful summers day in Spain!
Second Cruise Port – Lisbon, Portugal 08:00 am – 05:00 pm
Beautiful Lisbon Portugal
Lisbon is beautiful city and the largest in Portugal, where we opted for the trip out to the; Historic Town of Sintra.
Located just 28 kilometers from Lisbon, it is named a 🏛 UNESCO World Heritage site, for its cultural significance and outstanding natural beauty.
Sintra Portugal and the Moorish Castle
With the historic remains of the 🏰 Moorish Castle a top the hillside and the charming town site, it was a great day enjoyed by all!
Third Cruise Port – Cadiz (Seville), Spain 09:00 am – 08:00 pm
Cadiz Spain Side Street
Cadiz is an ancient port city and the oldest city in Spain, dating back to the 16th century.
We chose the small historical city tour and then on to one of the regions famous beach side white villages surrounding Cadiz.
White Village Plaza Spain
This was a full day spent viewing some of the historical sites in Cadiz.
It was then on to one of the beautiful white villages located along the shores of Spain, spending the afternoon wandering the small streets and walkways. One can easily find yourself getting lost while 🚶 walking along the towns small corridors and walkways!
We then finished the day enjoying some time on the beach and surrounding area.
One of the Many White Villages in Spain
It really was like walking through a maze, as each and every tiny side street looked the same. We actually had to ask for help to get back to where our bus was parked. 🙂
Fourth Cruise Port – Gibraltar 08:00 am – 05:00 pm
City of Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory situated at the south point of the Iberian Peninsula, and entrance way to the Mediterranean Sea.
A major shipping port and full of history, Gibraltar or more commonly known as ⛰ The Rock, was great to finally see. As a matter of fact, my father said during the war, this is where naval ships would often come for supplies.
For duty free 🛍 shoppers, Gibraltar is paradise!
There are duty free shops galore to choose from and more, in the town square.
Two Monkeys in Gibraltar
We enjoyed a 🚡 Cable Car Ride to the top of ⛰ The Rock with outstanding views and of course, surrounded by free roaming 🐒 Monkeys. They are protected here and are everywhere!
They may be great to see from us visitors, but appear to be quite annoying to most locals.
We also toured inside; St. Michaels Caves. This is a system of limestone caves situated inside ⛰ {The Rock of Gibraltar}, complete with an auditorium which has superb acoustics for live performances.
Finishing off our tour of this tiny seven mile piece of territory, we were taken to the; Lighthouse at Europa Point.
Fifth Cruise Port – Malaga, Spain 08:00 am – 07:00 pm
Malaga Spain City View
It’s hard to escape history on this cruise, with Malaga being no exception. Malaga is a very large and beautiful seaside city, offering visitors a number of; museums and historical sites to visit.
Some of these include; the 11th-century Fortress of Alcazaba and the Museu Picasso Malaga. For those who love to shop, there’s the outdoor mall in the city as well, to spend time browsing.
Musician in Malaga Spain
📸 Photo above is just one of the many local musicians playing in the outdoor shopping mall
in the city.
Just another beautiful sunny summer day in the Mediterranean! 🙂
The Alcazaba Fortress of Malaga Spain
We enjoyed a tour of the city, along with the Fortress and then on to the small former fishing village of Nerja.
Now a picturesque and popular seaside resort protected by the Sierra de Almijara Mountains, Nerja is also known as ‘💎 The Jewel of the Costa del Sol’.
Picturesque Coastal Resort of Nerja Spain
It was about a 53 kilometer scenic drive from Málaga, but well worth the visit. Our tour included a wonderful lunch at a cliff side restaurant, with spectacular views!
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Sixth Cruise Port – Olbia, Italy 08:00 am – 05:00 pm
Olbia Italy and Lighthouse
Once a quaint fishing village, Olbia is now the central starting point to some of the most beautiful 🏖 beaches on the northeast coast and the sparkling … Costa Smeralda.
This is a 56 kilometer stretch of magnificent coastline and beaches.
Crystal Clear Warm Waters at La Cinta Beach Italy
Our family loved every opportunity to spend time in the water and on the beach. We chose a tour out to 🏖 La Cinta Beach. A beautiful stretch of beach that stretches for 3.2 kilometers, with crystal clear warm water
and a white sandy beach.
The beach is approximately 25 kilometers from Olbia, and was a perfect relaxing beach day in north-east Sardinia!
Seventh Cruise Port – Naples / Pompeii, Italy 08:00 am – 08:00 pm
Amalfi Village Italy
This was a fantastic day, choosing the full day – 9 hour tour. Stops included; Naples, the stunning Amalfi Coast and the Historic Site of Pompeii.
This was an amazing scenic tour which covered the stunning Amalfi coastline, with its tight switchback roads and beautiful vistas along the way.
Stunning Views Along the Amalfi Coastline
We enjoyed an excellent sit down lunch high above Sorrento, with amazing views of the town and Bay.
After lunch, we stopped for a stroll in town, enjoying this lovely beach side village overlooking the – Bay of Naples.
It was then to explore the amazing ⚱ Ruins of Pompeii.
Historic Site of Pompeii
This was an incredible experience, walking among the; Ruins of the Lost City of Pompeii. Be sure to check out my posts and photos here, of our …
It really is worth taking in, should you ever visit Naples. It was definitely one of the highlights of the many attractions we enjoyed, while on this incredible cruise vacation.
Eighth Cruise Port – Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy 08:00 am – 08:00 pm
The Colosseum and Arch of Constantine
Of course one of the main highlights of this wonderful cruise, is visiting Rome and the ⛪ Vatican. We opted for the full day tour including; Rome highlights and city tour.
This included a guided tour of the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica.
Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica
Magnificent St Peter’s Basilica Inside
This full day tour included a morning drive to many historical parts of Rome.
St Peter’s Basilica
Ninth Cruise Port – Livorno (Florence/Pisa), Italy – 08:00 am – 08:00 pm
City of Lucca Italy
Yet another full day tour on this incredible NCL Cruise!
First, we headed to the historic town of Lucca. We were free to walk through the old town and view its …
Medieval Towers, ⛪ Ancient Churches and Lucca’s many other historic buildings.
Lucca really gave you a feeling of just how old many of these villages & cities surrounding Rome are. For example, we viewed a {Romanesque Cathedral} dating back to the 12th century.
Leaning Tower Pisa Italy
It was then off to Pisa and to Miracle Square, with the famous {Leaning Tower of Pisa} and other beautiful structures, located within the plaza.
It was a pleasant day, but only recommended if you simply … Must See the Tower, in person.
Tenth Cruise Port – Cannes, France 07:00 am – 02:00 pm
City of Nice France
Arriving in Cannes, we opted for the 4 ½ hour 🚌 bus tour, taking a very scenic drive from; Cannes to Nice. A beautiful drive, giving you a glimpse of the city and taking you along the scenic …
{Promenade des Anglais.}
This is a three mile boulevard lined with 🌴 palm trees along the {Baie des Anges}.
Nice France Side Streets
Stopping in {Old Nice}, we strolled along the shoreline and the {Cours Saleya} promenade. This promenade is lined with an; outdoor market, various shops and restaurants. We had an enjoyable afternoon experiencing the sites of this beautiful part of France.
Eleventh Cruise Port – Barcelona, Spain 05:00 am
City of Barcelona Spain
Our cruise concluded in the City of Barcelona in Spain and arriving early in the morning. Our 🛫 flight time home worked out perfectly. We were able to disembark, take in a short {City Bus Tour} of Barcelona, then a direct transfer on to the ✈ airport afterwards.
Barcelona is an amazing city, but unfortunately we were only able to see but a glimpse, of what it has to offer.
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This was a wonderful vacation on Norwegian’s Western Mediterranean Cruise. It is a cruise I would certainly recommend to everyone, especially history buffs. It was a very busy cruise, full of fantastic tours and beautiful sites at each and every ⚓ Port of Call.
The crew were very helpful and friendly during the entire voyage. The meals in the buffet and dining room were excellent, with no complaints what so ever. We thoroughly enjoyed the outdoor dining area on this ship, located just off the buffet.
It was great having our meals and snacks outdoors in the open air, enjoying the beautiful sunny summer mornings and afternoons.
Check out Norwegian Cruise Line Mediterranean Cruises for their latest hot cruise deals and incentives happening now!
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😎 Safe and Healthy Travels! 😎
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