What to Expect on an Adriatic and Italy Cruise

You guys know we are avid cruisers; we’ve cruised almost every island in the Caribbean and have loved it every single time. We’ve been wanting to give European cruising a chance but honestly, I was nervous we wouldn’t like it, that we would leave each port unsatisfied. And so we held off, choosing the Caribbean or a “land” trip to Europe instead. However, last month we embarked on our first ever cruise to Europe, choosing the 9 Night Adriatic & Italy Cruise with Celebrity Cruises aboard the Celebrity Constellation. And so here are my random thoughts on what to expect on an Adriatic and Italy Cruise for those of you who are still on the fence about it like I was; hopefully this will answer a few of your questions and will help you take that leap!

THE SHIP
This was our first time aboard the Celebrity Constellation, our second Celebrity cruise. As you all know, we loved cruising with Celebrity and we were both super excited to see what this ship had to offer. The Constellation was built in 2001 and while you can read more about it here, I did want to point out a few of my favorite features: huge windows in the formal dining room (first time I’ve seen this on a cruise ships…usually it’s small porthole windows but these spanned the height of two stories), beautiful balcony rooms, modern outdoor lounge areas and delicious pastries that make you wish you could cruise forever.

THE FOOD
The Constellation gives you plenty of choices when it comes to dining. The two dining options that are included in your cruise fare are the buffet and the formal dining room (the beautiful room with all the windows). We always visited the buffet for breakfast and then had a long leisurely dinner in the evening in the formal dining room. Sometimes we’d make our way to the buffet mid-day if we were craving a salad or a snack. However, if you want to splurge on a unique and absolutely delicious experience, you can try any of the specialty restaurants available on the ship. We tried two out of the four on this cruise: Tuscan Grille and Qsine. While Tuscan Grille is a steak lovers dream (and it’s all you can eat), Qsine is all about the experience. From the moment you sit down at a table, Qsine will take you on a journey throughout different parts of the world. This is the perfect choice for a traveling foodie. p.s. If you do make it out to Qsine, be sure to try M’s Favorite – a tapas style selection that includes delicious lamb, marinated chicken, kebabs, tabbouleh and so much more.

THE ITINERARY
The itinerary for this particular cruise was what attracted me to it in the first place. It had two overnight stays, one in Dubrovnik and one in Valletta. An overnight port stay was always on my bucket list because I’d always thought it’d be cool to spend the evening/night in a port and wander back to the ship when we felt tired. And I knew the overnight stays would allow us to fully explore an area without worrying about departure time. Two overnighters in 9 days was a dream. The Constellation’s itinerary for this cruise started off in Venice, then travelled to Dubrovnik, Kotor, Valletta, Catania, Naples, ending in Rome. It was the perfect itinerary that allowed you to experience several countries with one day at sea. One thing to note…I used to be irritated over days at sea but honestly, a day at sea is needed when you cruise, especially with an destination filled itinerary like this one. You’ll be glad for the break – bring a book, lay down on some lounge chairs and enjoy your day. For a comprehensive guide on the itinerary and excursions, read my article on Cruising Itinerary Around the Adriatic and Italy.

PIN FOR LATER…

Thank you to Celebrity Cruises for hosting us this cruise. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. 

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