Photo Cred: Cruise Industry News
There are moments in life that arrive before you feel ready for them.
This one arrived as a phone call from my sister Corrina on an ordinary Tuesday morning. A Mediterranean cruise. MSC Meraviglia. May 19th. Seven nights. Balcony suite. Full drinks package. With her Aoife! Would I come?
Reader, I bought the flowy dress.
Here is the thing about travelling with your sister & her daughter. Nobody else on this earth will laugh at the same things, notice the same details, or tell you the truth about whether the dress works. Travelling with Corrina and having nineteen year old Aoife alongside us adds something else entirely. Watching the next generation experience some of these places for the first time, through young eyes with zero agenda & pure excitement, is its own kind of magic.
Three women. Six ports. Seven nights. One balcony suite with my name on it.
Why MSC Meraviglia
I had been on one cruise before this, a press trip with Sun Princess that gave me a taste of what life on the water could look like. I came home knowing I wanted more of it. When Corrina called with this one I did not need much convincing.
MSC Meraviglia is one of MSC Cruises' flagship ships, and the reviews back up the reputation. Multiple pools, a vast entertainment programme, restaurants covering every cuisine you could want, and that balcony suite which I fully intend to make the most of every single morning with a coffee and the Mediterranean at eye level.
The value on this trip genuinely stopped me in my tracks. If you have been thinking about a cruise and talking yourself out of it, go and have a conversation with the Travel Centre Dundalk before you decide. They found us something that made the decision very easy indeed.
Photo Cred: MSC
Where We Are Going: The Full MSC Meraviglia Itinerary
Six ports across the Mediterranean and North Africa, and every single one of them has something different to offer. Here is what we are working with.
Marseilles, France. Our first port of call and where a certain flowy dress will be making its debut. France's oldest city and arguably its most underrated. The Vieux-Port, the Calanques, the bouillabaisse. I have wanted to come back to Marseilles for years and this is the trip.
Livorno, Italy. The gateway to Tuscany and one of the most strategically located ports on the entire route. From Livorno you can be in Florence in under an hour, which means this port day could easily double as a Tuscan day trip if that is your thing. It very much is my thing.
Naples, Italy. Where I fully intend to eat my body weight in pizza in its city of origin. Naples gets a bad press from people who have never been and glowing reviews from everyone who has. The energy, the chaos, the food, the proximity to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. You might remember our 30k steps in Pompeii then back to the hot tub on board the Sun Princess where the steward immediately brought us cocktails! I'll remember that forever. One day is not enough but we will make it count.
Palermo, Sicily. Raw, real, and completely underrated as a Mediterranean destination. Palermo is the kind of place that gets under your skin in the best possible way. Street food markets, baroque architecture, Arab-Norman churches that will genuinely stop you in your tracks.
Tunis, Tunisia. The one that most people do not see coming on a Mediterranean itinerary, and the one I am most curious about. Tunis sits at the crossroads of Arab, Berber, Ottoman and French influences, the medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the food scene is extraordinary. This is the port that will surprise people most and I cannot wait to report back.
Barcelona, Spain. Finishing on one of Europe's greatest cities feels exactly right. Gaudí, the Gothic Quarter, La Boqueria, the kind of streets you could wander for days. Remember Corrina & I flew to Barcelona to see Kylie?? We WERE spinning around. Can't get it out of my head! Barcelona is always a good idea and an even better send-off.
Photo Cred: Me!
What Is Coming on the Blog
I will be sharing content from each port as we go across social, Insta , Facebook and in our Mums Group, and when we are back I will have full guides for every stop on the route. Real, first-hand, honest impressions from someone who was actually there, with accommodation options, things to do, where to eat, and practical tips for anyone planning the same trip.
I have also just upgraded the travel section of this blog with interactive maps and live accommodation search built into every post. So if any of these destinations are on your radar you can go from reading to booking without ever leaving the page. More on that very soon.
If you have been to any of these ports and have a tip I absolutely cannot miss, drop it in the comments below. Our community came up with some brilliant suggestions when I put the call out and I am taking notes.
The Mediterranean is waiting!
Watch this space.
Sue x🍒
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