Price based on lowest available cruise only fare for double occupancy. Subject to change at any time.
Chart a course for adventure and wonder, where elegance and sophistication mingle with storytelling and whimsy. Sister ship to the Disney Dream, the Disney Fantasy is a masterpiece of design and engineering boasting Art Nouveau allure alongside modern technological advancements. Set sail on longer itineraries—including 7-night sailings—to exotic destinations aboard this 130,000-ton marvel while enjoying Disney magic at sea.
Cruise ID: 33818
Date | Time | Price * | Booking |
---|---|---|---|
07 June 2025 | €2,753 | Call us to book | |
14 June 2025 | €2,853 | Call us to book |
* Price based on lowest available cruise only fare for double occupancy. Subject to change at any time.
Boasting even more square footage than a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom, these spacious quarters let you spread out.
Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah classifications and locations are as follows:
Specifications
Amenities
Design
Disney Cruise Line has thought of everything to ensure first-rate comfort and convenience during your voyage. Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah design features include:
Verandah
Airy and private, this sanctuary is where you can watch the sun rise, bask in ocean breezes and enjoy your morning coffee or an evening nightcap. For a larger verandah, select Stateroom Category 4E on Decks 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
Your private balcony comes equipped with:
On most adjoining accommodations, the partition between verandahs can be opened to create a larger balcony for sharing, with access between rooms. Guests may contact their stateroom host to unlock the partitions.
The perfect home away from home, this room type features generous square footage and a private place to admire the view.
Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah classifications and locations are as follows:
Specifications
Amenities
Design
Disney Cruise Line has thought of everything to ensure first-rate comfort and convenience during your voyage. Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah design features include:
Verandah
Airy and private, this sanctuary is where you can watch the sun rise, bask in ocean breezes and enjoy your morning coffee or an evening nightcap.
Your private balcony comes equipped with:
On most adjoining accommodations, the partition between verandahs can be opened to create a larger balcony for sharing, with access between rooms. Guests may contact their stateroom host to unlock the partitions.
The same square footage as a Deluxe Inside Stateroom, this room type includes a delightful porthole window.
Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom classifications and locations are as follows:
Specifications
Amenities
Design
Disney Cruise Line has thought of everything to ensure first-rate comfort and convenience during your voyage. Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom design features include:
Enjoy the most square footage of any stateroom type, combined with exclusive and attentive concierge services. Concierge Family Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah are classified as Category 03A and are located on Decks 11 and 12, Forward.
Relax in private quarters fitted with warm wood finishes, custom fabrics and carpeting, original artwork, crown moldings, genuine teak accents and a private verandah for magnificent views of the sea.
Specifications
Amenities
Upgraded Amenities
While all Disney Cruise Line staterooms feature luxury amenities and world-class service, Guests of our Concierge Suites and Staterooms enjoy an expanded range of offerings:
Design
Disney Cruise Line has thought of everything to ensure first-rate comfort and convenience during your voyage. Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah design features include:
Verandah
Airy and private, this sanctuary is where you can watch the sun rise, bask in ocean breezes and enjoy your morning coffee or an evening nightcap.
Your private balcony comes equipped with:
Expanded Main Suite Option
For large parties, add an adjoining Concierge 1-Bedroom Suite with Verandah or Concierge Royal Suite with Verandah. On adjoining accommodations, the partition between verandahs can be opened to create a larger balcony for sharing, with access between rooms.
Pre-Arrival Services
Our signature Concierge services begin before you board the ship and continue throughout your vacation and beyond. Pre-reserve many of your onboard activities and services online, up to 120 days prior to your sail date. You may also inform the Concierge Team of your preferences 130 days prior to sailing, and they will make the bookings on your behalf when the 120-day booking window opens. Requests will be processed in the order in which they are received.
A dedicated Concierge Agent is available Monday through Saturday, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Call (866) 784-1654 for personalized assistance in planning every cruise detail, including:
Please note that requests are confirmed at time of booking and cannot be guaranteed. Guests under 18 years of age must have parent or guardian permission to call this number. All experiences are subject to availability and may be subject to capacity restraints.
Shipboard Services
During your cruise, the benefits of signature Concierge service begin with priority check-in and boarding at a dedicated check-in station. Our onboard Concierge team will meet you at a private welcome reception—exclusive to Concierge Guests—and will be available to attend to your needs, questions and special requests. Enjoy assistance with:
Exclusively for Concierge Guests
As a Concierge Guest, you'll enjoy exclusive access to dedicated areas on the ship, including the Concierge Lounge. Located amid the Concierge Suites on Deck 12, this stylish, modern retreat allows Guests to relax in quiet comfort, sip a cocktail (during select hours), access the Internet (fees may apply), watch news on a large-screen TV, and enjoy complimentary food and nonalcoholic beverages offered throughout the day.
From the Lounge, Concierge Guests can access a sun deck via a private entrance. Soak up the sun at this VIP onboard oasis and savor tranquil breezes, cooling water misters, cushioned lounge chairs, and a bar stocked with water and refreshments.
Spread out in the art deco elegance of your posh new home away from home while enjoying signature Concierge services. Concierge 1-Bedroom Suites with Verandah are classified as Categories 02A and 02B, and are located on Decks 11 and 12, Forward.
Bedecked in sophisticated style, these luxurious accommodations pamper Guests with original artwork, vintage Disney hallmarks, warm wood finishes with inlaid details, tasteful furnishings and lavish marble-and-granite bathrooms.
Guests of our 1-Bedroom Suites have at their disposal:
Specifications
Amenities
Upgraded Amenities
While all Disney Cruise Line staterooms feature luxury amenities and world-class service, Guests of our Concierge Suites and Staterooms enjoy an expanded range of offerings:
Verandah
Every Concierge Suite includes a private verandah, affording Guests sweeping ocean views and bracing sea breezes. Bask in the sunshine, enjoy leisurely conversations, coffee or cocktails, or simply admire the scenery as it floats by.
Your verandah features:
Expanded Main Suite Option
For larger parties, add an adjoining Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah or Concierge Royal Suite with Verandah. On adjoining accommodations, the partition between verandahs can be opened to create a larger balcony for sharing, with access between rooms.
Pre-Arrival Services
Our signature Concierge services begin before you board the ship and continue throughout your vacation and beyond. Pre-reserve many of your onboard activities and services online, up to 120 days prior to your sail date. You may also inform the Concierge Team of your preferences 130 days prior to sailing, and they will make the bookings on your behalf when the 120-day booking window opens. Requests will be processed in the order in which they are received.
A dedicated Concierge Agent is available Monday through Saturday, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Call (866) 784-1654 for personalized assistance in planning every cruise detail, including:
Please note that requests are confirmed at time of booking and cannot be guaranteed. Guests under 18 years of age must have parent or guardian permission to call this number. All experiences are subject to availability and may be subject to capacity restraints.
Shipboard Services
During your cruise, the benefits of signature Concierge service begin with priority check-in and boarding at a dedicated check-in station. Our onboard Concierge team will meet you at a private welcome reception—exclusive to Concierge Guests—and will be available to attend to your needs, questions and special requests. Enjoy assistance with:
Exclusively for Concierge Guests
As a Concierge Guest, you'll enjoy exclusive access to dedicated areas on the ship, including the Concierge Lounge. Located amid the Concierge Suites on Deck 12, this stylish, modern retreat allows Guests to relax in quiet comfort, sip a cocktail (during select hours), access the Internet (fees may apply), watch news on a large-screen TV, and enjoy complimentary food and nonalcoholic beverages offered throughout the day.
From the Lounge, Concierge Guests can access a sun deck via a private entrance. Soak up the sun at this VIP onboard oasis and savor tranquil breezes, cooling water misters, cushioned lounge chairs, and a bar stocked with water and refreshments.
With more space than you'd find in same-class rooms on most other cruise ships, our “Standard” is superior.
Standard Inside Stateroom classifications and locations are as follows:
Specifications
Amenities
Design
Disney Cruise Line has thought of everything to ensure first-rate comfort and convenience during your voyage. Standard Inside Stateroom design features include:
Peer Through the Magical Porthole
For added Disney flavor, all Inside Staterooms feature a Magical Porthole, providing Guests with a real-time view of the ship's exterior while reflecting your stateroom's actual location, port or starboard. High-definition cameras feed live video to an LCD flat-screen monitor cleverly disguised as a porthole, with the help of a stylized frame.
Be on the lookout for enchanting surprises; you never know who—or what—might float by. Perhaps a beloved Disney character or even a pirate ship! And when it's bedtime, you can turn off your Magical Porthole with the simple flip of a switch.
Boasting more square footage than a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom, these spacious quarters sometimes feature 2 portholes.
Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom classifications and locations are as follows:
Specifications
Amenities
Design
Disney Cruise Line has thought of everything to ensure first-rate comfort and convenience during your voyage. Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom design features include:
Boasting more square footage than a Standard Inside Stateroom, these spacious quarters are classified as Category 10A. Deluxe Inside Staterooms are located on Decks 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
Specifications
Amenities
Design
Disney Cruise Line has thought of everything to ensure first-rate comfort and convenience during your voyage. Deluxe Inside Stateroom design features include:
Peer Through the Magical Porthole
For added Disney flavor, all Inside Staterooms feature a Magical Porthole, providing Guests with a real-time view of the ship's exterior while reflecting your stateroom's actual location, port or starboard. High-definition cameras feed live video to an LCD flat-screen monitor cleverly disguised as a porthole, with the help of a stylized frame.
Be on the lookout for enchanting surprises; you never know who—or what—might float by. Perhaps a beloved Disney character or even a pirate ship! And when it's bedtime, you can turn off your Magical Porthole with the simple flip of a switch.
Unparalleled luxury and personal attention combine in our very finest type of suite and our most spacious quarters. Concierge Royal Suites with Verandah are classified as Category 01A and are located on Deck 12, Forward.
A sophisticated art deco décor incorporates original artwork, vintage Disney hallmarks, warm wood finishes with inlaid details, elegant furnishings and lavish marble-and-granite bathrooms to take your cruise to superlative new heights.
Guests of our Royal Suites have at their disposal:
Specifications
Amenities
Upgraded Amenities
While all Disney Cruise Line staterooms feature luxury amenities and world-class service, Guests of our Concierge Suites and Staterooms enjoy an expanded range of offerings:
Verandah
Every Concierge Suite includes a private verandah, affording Guests sweeping ocean views and bracing sea breezes. Bask in the sunshine, enjoy leisurely conversations, coffee or cocktails, or simply admire the scenery as it floats by.
Your verandah features:
For larger parties, add an adjoining Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah or Concierge Royal Suite with Verandah. On adjoining accommodations, the partition between verandahs can be opened to create a larger balcony for sharing, with access between rooms.
Pre-Arrival Services
Our signature Concierge services begin before you board the ship and continue throughout your vacation and beyond. Pre-reserve many of your onboard activities and services online, up to 120 days prior to your sail date. You may also inform the Concierge Team of your preferences 130 days prior to sailing, and they will make the bookings on your behalf when the 120-day booking window opens. Requests will be processed in the order in which they are received.
A dedicated Concierge Agent is available Monday through Saturday, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Call (866) 784-1654 for personalized assistance in planning every cruise detail, including:
Please note that requests are confirmed at time of booking and cannot be guaranteed. Guests under 18 years of age must have parent or guardian permission to call this number. All experiences are subject to availability and may be subject to capacity restraints.
Shipboard Services
During your cruise, the benefits of signature Concierge service begin with priority check-in and boarding at a dedicated check-in station. Our onboard Concierge team will meet you at a private welcome reception—exclusive to Concierge Guests—and will be available to attend to your needs, questions and special requests. Enjoy assistance with:
Exclusively for Concierge Guests
As a Concierge Guest, you'll enjoy exclusive access to dedicated areas on the ship, including the Concierge Lounge. Located amid the Concierge Suites on Deck 12, this stylish, modern retreat allows Guests to relax in quiet comfort, sip a cocktail (during select hours), access the Internet (fees may apply), watch news on a large-screen TV, and enjoy complimentary food and nonalcoholic beverages offered throughout the day.
From the Lounge, Concierge Guests can access a sun deck via a private entrance. Soak up the sun at this VIP onboard oasis and savor tranquil breezes, cooling water misters, cushioned lounge chairs, and a bar stocked with water and refreshments.
Day 1 Civitavecchia, Italy
Italy's vibrant capital lives in the present, but no other city on earth evokes its past so powerfully. For over 2,500 years, emperors, popes, artists, and common citizens have left their mark here. Archaeological remains from ancient Rome, art-stuffed churches, and the treasures of Vatican City vie for your attention, but Rome is also a wonderful place to practice the Italian-perfected il dolce far niente, the sweet art of idleness. Your most memorable experiences may include sitting at a caffè in the Campo de' Fiori or strolling in a beguiling piazza.
Day 2 Messina, Italy
Home to the Museo Regionale of Messina, known for featuring two of Caravaggio's paintings, the city is also famous for having been the capital of the ancient kingdom of Sicily.
Day 3 Cruising
Day 4 Mykonos, Greece
Although the fishing boats still go out in good weather, Mykonos largely makes its living from tourism these days. The summer crowds have turned one of the poorest islands in Greece into one of the richest. Old Mykonians complain that their young, who have inherited stores where their grandfathers once sold eggs or wine, get so much rent that they have lost ambition, and in summer sit around pool bars at night with their friends, and hang out in Athens in winter when island life is less scintillating. Put firmly on the map by Jackie O in the 1960s, Mykonos town—called Hora by the locals—remains the Saint-Tropez of the Greek islands. The scenery is memorable, with its whitewashed streets, Little Venice, the Kato Myli ridge of windmills, and Kastro, the town's medieval quarter. Its cubical two- or three-story houses and churches, with their red or blue doors and domes and wooden balconies, have been long celebrated as some of the best examples of classic Cycladic architecture. Luckily, the Greek Archaeological Service decided to preserve the town, even when the Mykonians would have preferred to rebuild, and so the Old Town has been impressively preserved. Pink oleander, scarlet hibiscus, and trailing green pepper trees form a contrast amid the dazzling whiteness, whose frequent renewal with whitewash is required by law. Any visitor who has the pleasure of getting lost in its narrow streets (made all the narrower by the many outdoor stone staircases, which maximize housing space in the crowded village) will appreciate how its confusing layout was designed to foil pirates—if it was designed at all. After Mykonos fell under Turkish rule in 1537, the Ottomans allowed the islanders to arm their vessels against pirates, which had a contradictory effect: many of them found that raiding other islands was more profitable than tilling arid land. At the height of Aegean piracy, Mykonos was the principal headquarters of the corsair fleets—the place where pirates met their fellows, found willing women, and filled out their crews. Eventually the illicit activity evolved into a legitimate and thriving trade network. Morning on Mykonos town's main quay is busy with deliveries, visitors for the Delos boats, lazy breakfasters, and street cleaners dealing with the previous night's mess. In late morning the cruise-boat people arrive, and the shops are all open. In early afternoon, shaded outdoor tavernas are full of diners eating salads (Mykonos's produce is mostly imported); music is absent or kept low. In mid- and late afternoon, the town feels sleepy, since so many people are at the beach, on excursions, or sleeping in their air-conditioned rooms; even some tourist shops close for siesta. By sunset, people have come back from the beach, having taken their showers and rested. At night, the atmosphere in Mykonos ramps up. The cruise-boat people are mostly gone, coughing three-wheelers make no deliveries in the narrow streets, and everyone is dressed sexy for summer and starting to shimmy with the scene. Many shops stay open past midnight, the restaurants fill up, and the bars and discos make ice cubes as fast as they can. Ready to dive in? Begin your tour of Mykonos town (Hora) by starting out at its heart: Mando Mavrogenous Square.
Day 5 Piraeus, Greece
It's no wonder that all roads lead to the fascinating and maddening metropolis of Athens. Lift your eyes 200 feet above the city to the Parthenon, its honey-color marble columns rising from a massive limestone base, and you behold architectural perfection that has not been surpassed in 2,500 years. But, today, this shrine of classical form dominates a 21st-century boomtown. To experience Athens—Athína in Greek—fully is to understand the essence of Greece: ancient monuments surviving in a sea of cement, startling beauty amid the squalor, tradition juxtaposed with modernity. Locals depend on humor and flexibility to deal with the chaos; you should do the same. The rewards are immense. Although Athens covers a huge area, the major landmarks of the ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine periods are close to the modern city center. You can easily walk from the Acropolis to many other key sites, taking time to browse in shops and relax in cafés and tavernas along the way. From many quarters of the city you can glimpse "the glory that was Greece" in the form of the Acropolis looming above the horizon, but only by actually climbing that rocky precipice can you feel the impact of the ancient settlement. The Acropolis and Filopappou, two craggy hills sitting side by side; the ancient Agora (marketplace); and Kerameikos, the first cemetery, form the core of ancient and Roman Athens. Along the Unification of Archaeological Sites promenade, you can follow stone-paved, tree-lined walkways from site to site, undisturbed by traffic. Cars have also been banned or reduced in other streets in the historical center. In the National Archaeological Museum, vast numbers of artifacts illustrate the many millennia of Greek civilization; smaller museums such as the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art Museum and the Byzantine and Christian Museum illuminate the history of particular regions or periods. Athens may seem like one huge city, but it is really a conglomeration of neighborhoods with distinctive characters. The Eastern influences that prevailed during the 400-year rule of the Ottoman Empire are still evident in Monastiraki, the bazaar area near the foot of the Acropolis. On the northern slope of the Acropolis, stroll through Plaka (if possible by moonlight), an area of tranquil streets lined with renovated mansions, to get the flavor of the 19th-century's gracious lifestyle. The narrow lanes of Anafiotika, a section of Plaka, thread past tiny churches and small, color-washed houses with wooden upper stories, recalling a Cycladic island village. In this maze of winding streets, vestiges of the older city are everywhere: crumbling stairways lined with festive tavernas; dank cellars filled with wine vats; occasionally a court or diminutive garden, enclosed within high walls and filled with magnolia trees and the flaming trumpet-shaped flowers of hibiscus bushes. Formerly run-down old quarters, such as Thission, Gazi and Psirri, popular nightlife areas filled with bars and mezedopoleia (similar to tapas bars), are now in the process of gentrification, although they still retain much of their original charm, as does the colorful produce and meat market on Athinas. The area around Syntagma Square, the tourist hub, and Omonia Square, the commercial heart of the city about 1 km (½ mi) northwest, is distinctly European, having been designed by the court architects of King Otho, a Bavarian, in the 19th century. The chic shops and bistros of ritzy Kolonaki nestle at the foot of Mt. Lycabettus, Athens's highest hill (909 feet). Each of Athens's outlying suburbs has a distinctive character: in the north is wealthy, tree-lined Kifissia, once a summer resort for aristocratic Athenians, and in the south and southeast lie Glyfada, Voula, and Vouliagmeni, with their sandy beaches, seaside bars, and lively summer nightlife. Just beyond the city's southern fringes is Piraeus, a bustling port city of waterside fish tavernas and Saronic Gulf views.
Day 6 Cruising
Day 7 Naples, Italy
Naples, in the Campania region, is Italy's third largest city. Its claim to fame is the spectacular location along one of the world's most splendid bays, backed by the perfect cone of Mount Vesuvius. In addition to its beautiful setting, Naples' surprises with other outstanding attractions such as the Royal Palace, San Carlos Opera House, the impressive National Archaeological Museum and the Castel Nuovo, dating from the 13th-century. The city's central area is best explored on foot. Chaotic traffic conditions make driving around the city a very frustrating experience. Naples provides a convenient starting point for trips to such favored destinations as Pompeii, Herculaneum and Mount Vesuvius. The Isle of Capri can be reached via a 45-minute hydrofoil service. The region of Campania was home to Greeks settlers some 300 years before Rome was founded. Pompeii, too, was a Greek town before being conquered by the Romans during the 5th century BC. It was under the Romans that Pompeii flourished and grew prosperous. When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, the population of 20,000 was wiped out, but dozens of buildings were preserved under layers of cinder more than 20 feet deep. The most important finds from Pompeii are displayed in Naples' National Archaeological Museum. A visit here will no doubt enhance a visit to ancient Pompeii.
Day 8 Civitavecchia, Italy
Italy's vibrant capital lives in the present, but no other city on earth evokes its past so powerfully. For over 2,500 years, emperors, popes, artists, and common citizens have left their mark here. Archaeological remains from ancient Rome, art-stuffed churches, and the treasures of Vatican City vie for your attention, but Rome is also a wonderful place to practice the Italian-perfected il dolce far niente, the sweet art of idleness. Your most memorable experiences may include sitting at a caffè in the Campo de' Fiori or strolling in a beguiling piazza.
Day 1 Civitavecchia, Italy
Italy's vibrant capital lives in the present, but no other city on earth evokes its past so powerfully. For over 2,500 years, emperors, popes, artists, and common citizens have left their mark here. Archaeological remains from ancient Rome, art-stuffed churches, and the treasures of Vatican City vie for your attention, but Rome is also a wonderful place to practice the Italian-perfected il dolce far niente, the sweet art of idleness. Your most memorable experiences may include sitting at a caffè in the Campo de' Fiori or strolling in a beguiling piazza.
Day 2 Cruising
Day 3 Khania, Greece
The second-largest city in Crete and capital of the Homonym Prefecture, Chania is located in Minoan Kidonia at the end of the Homonym Gulf between the Akrotiri and Onicha peninsulas. Chania City is divided into two parts; the Old Town, which is comprised of several connected districts built around the old Venetian Harbour, and New Town, a larger, more modern city whose centre is situated next to, and south of, the Old Town. The Old Town is home to Venetian buildings and Turkish elements that combine to create a unique architectural style, and is considered to be the most beautiful urban district on Crete. It was once surrounded by old Venetian fortifications that separated it from the New Town; however, only the eastern and western parts remain today. Due to its compact size, Skiathos can be easily explored in just a single day.
Day 4 Piraeus, Greece
It's no wonder that all roads lead to the fascinating and maddening metropolis of Athens. Lift your eyes 200 feet above the city to the Parthenon, its honey-color marble columns rising from a massive limestone base, and you behold architectural perfection that has not been surpassed in 2,500 years. But, today, this shrine of classical form dominates a 21st-century boomtown. To experience Athens—Athína in Greek—fully is to understand the essence of Greece: ancient monuments surviving in a sea of cement, startling beauty amid the squalor, tradition juxtaposed with modernity. Locals depend on humor and flexibility to deal with the chaos; you should do the same. The rewards are immense. Although Athens covers a huge area, the major landmarks of the ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine periods are close to the modern city center. You can easily walk from the Acropolis to many other key sites, taking time to browse in shops and relax in cafés and tavernas along the way. From many quarters of the city you can glimpse "the glory that was Greece" in the form of the Acropolis looming above the horizon, but only by actually climbing that rocky precipice can you feel the impact of the ancient settlement. The Acropolis and Filopappou, two craggy hills sitting side by side; the ancient Agora (marketplace); and Kerameikos, the first cemetery, form the core of ancient and Roman Athens. Along the Unification of Archaeological Sites promenade, you can follow stone-paved, tree-lined walkways from site to site, undisturbed by traffic. Cars have also been banned or reduced in other streets in the historical center. In the National Archaeological Museum, vast numbers of artifacts illustrate the many millennia of Greek civilization; smaller museums such as the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art Museum and the Byzantine and Christian Museum illuminate the history of particular regions or periods. Athens may seem like one huge city, but it is really a conglomeration of neighborhoods with distinctive characters. The Eastern influences that prevailed during the 400-year rule of the Ottoman Empire are still evident in Monastiraki, the bazaar area near the foot of the Acropolis. On the northern slope of the Acropolis, stroll through Plaka (if possible by moonlight), an area of tranquil streets lined with renovated mansions, to get the flavor of the 19th-century's gracious lifestyle. The narrow lanes of Anafiotika, a section of Plaka, thread past tiny churches and small, color-washed houses with wooden upper stories, recalling a Cycladic island village. In this maze of winding streets, vestiges of the older city are everywhere: crumbling stairways lined with festive tavernas; dank cellars filled with wine vats; occasionally a court or diminutive garden, enclosed within high walls and filled with magnolia trees and the flaming trumpet-shaped flowers of hibiscus bushes. Formerly run-down old quarters, such as Thission, Gazi and Psirri, popular nightlife areas filled with bars and mezedopoleia (similar to tapas bars), are now in the process of gentrification, although they still retain much of their original charm, as does the colorful produce and meat market on Athinas. The area around Syntagma Square, the tourist hub, and Omonia Square, the commercial heart of the city about 1 km (½ mi) northwest, is distinctly European, having been designed by the court architects of King Otho, a Bavarian, in the 19th century. The chic shops and bistros of ritzy Kolonaki nestle at the foot of Mt. Lycabettus, Athens's highest hill (909 feet). Each of Athens's outlying suburbs has a distinctive character: in the north is wealthy, tree-lined Kifissia, once a summer resort for aristocratic Athenians, and in the south and southeast lie Glyfada, Voula, and Vouliagmeni, with their sandy beaches, seaside bars, and lively summer nightlife. Just beyond the city's southern fringes is Piraeus, a bustling port city of waterside fish tavernas and Saronic Gulf views.
Day 5 Mykonos, Greece
Although the fishing boats still go out in good weather, Mykonos largely makes its living from tourism these days. The summer crowds have turned one of the poorest islands in Greece into one of the richest. Old Mykonians complain that their young, who have inherited stores where their grandfathers once sold eggs or wine, get so much rent that they have lost ambition, and in summer sit around pool bars at night with their friends, and hang out in Athens in winter when island life is less scintillating. Put firmly on the map by Jackie O in the 1960s, Mykonos town—called Hora by the locals—remains the Saint-Tropez of the Greek islands. The scenery is memorable, with its whitewashed streets, Little Venice, the Kato Myli ridge of windmills, and Kastro, the town's medieval quarter. Its cubical two- or three-story houses and churches, with their red or blue doors and domes and wooden balconies, have been long celebrated as some of the best examples of classic Cycladic architecture. Luckily, the Greek Archaeological Service decided to preserve the town, even when the Mykonians would have preferred to rebuild, and so the Old Town has been impressively preserved. Pink oleander, scarlet hibiscus, and trailing green pepper trees form a contrast amid the dazzling whiteness, whose frequent renewal with whitewash is required by law. Any visitor who has the pleasure of getting lost in its narrow streets (made all the narrower by the many outdoor stone staircases, which maximize housing space in the crowded village) will appreciate how its confusing layout was designed to foil pirates—if it was designed at all. After Mykonos fell under Turkish rule in 1537, the Ottomans allowed the islanders to arm their vessels against pirates, which had a contradictory effect: many of them found that raiding other islands was more profitable than tilling arid land. At the height of Aegean piracy, Mykonos was the principal headquarters of the corsair fleets—the place where pirates met their fellows, found willing women, and filled out their crews. Eventually the illicit activity evolved into a legitimate and thriving trade network. Morning on Mykonos town's main quay is busy with deliveries, visitors for the Delos boats, lazy breakfasters, and street cleaners dealing with the previous night's mess. In late morning the cruise-boat people arrive, and the shops are all open. In early afternoon, shaded outdoor tavernas are full of diners eating salads (Mykonos's produce is mostly imported); music is absent or kept low. In mid- and late afternoon, the town feels sleepy, since so many people are at the beach, on excursions, or sleeping in their air-conditioned rooms; even some tourist shops close for siesta. By sunset, people have come back from the beach, having taken their showers and rested. At night, the atmosphere in Mykonos ramps up. The cruise-boat people are mostly gone, coughing three-wheelers make no deliveries in the narrow streets, and everyone is dressed sexy for summer and starting to shimmy with the scene. Many shops stay open past midnight, the restaurants fill up, and the bars and discos make ice cubes as fast as they can. Ready to dive in? Begin your tour of Mykonos town (Hora) by starting out at its heart: Mando Mavrogenous Square.
Day 6 Cruising
Day 7 Naples, Italy
Naples, in the Campania region, is Italy's third largest city. Its claim to fame is the spectacular location along one of the world's most splendid bays, backed by the perfect cone of Mount Vesuvius. In addition to its beautiful setting, Naples' surprises with other outstanding attractions such as the Royal Palace, San Carlos Opera House, the impressive National Archaeological Museum and the Castel Nuovo, dating from the 13th-century. The city's central area is best explored on foot. Chaotic traffic conditions make driving around the city a very frustrating experience. Naples provides a convenient starting point for trips to such favored destinations as Pompeii, Herculaneum and Mount Vesuvius. The Isle of Capri can be reached via a 45-minute hydrofoil service. The region of Campania was home to Greeks settlers some 300 years before Rome was founded. Pompeii, too, was a Greek town before being conquered by the Romans during the 5th century BC. It was under the Romans that Pompeii flourished and grew prosperous. When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, the population of 20,000 was wiped out, but dozens of buildings were preserved under layers of cinder more than 20 feet deep. The most important finds from Pompeii are displayed in Naples' National Archaeological Museum. A visit here will no doubt enhance a visit to ancient Pompeii.
Day 8 Civitavecchia, Italy
Italy's vibrant capital lives in the present, but no other city on earth evokes its past so powerfully. For over 2,500 years, emperors, popes, artists, and common citizens have left their mark here. Archaeological remains from ancient Rome, art-stuffed churches, and the treasures of Vatican City vie for your attention, but Rome is also a wonderful place to practice the Italian-perfected il dolce far niente, the sweet art of idleness. Your most memorable experiences may include sitting at a caffè in the Campo de' Fiori or strolling in a beguiling piazza.
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