Italy with Oceania Cruises

I took the cruise “Inspiring Italy” with Oceania Cruises (855/335-2416, oceaniacruises.com), Aug 6-16, 2019. Including air in Premium Coach (Miami-Venice and Nice-Miami, each via London) and travel insurance, I paid $8,621, booking through an AAA travel agent. The fare I paid entitled me to three shore excursions of my choosing; any others, I paid for.

Arriving in Venice, I was transferred to the MS Sirena. I had been to Venice five times and was looking for something new to do. The ship offered a motorboat excursion, “Panoramic Venice,” passing picturesque islands and landmarks and going down back canals. I was glad I took this, as I saw a different side of Venice. You really see something new when you step back and see the city rather than viewing everything up close.

The next day, our ship arrived at Ancona, founded sometime around the 4th century by the Greeks. I joined a shore excursion on which we drove through the picturesque, historic downtown and headed to the Cattedrale di San Ciriaco, built over a Roman temple that is still visible below the cathedral. The view of the city from the cathedral’s white-and-rose marble front was incredible.

An overnight sailing took us to Bari, a city divided into two sections: the picturesque Old Town, with its narrow streets and alleys lined with houses built centuries ago, and the modern new section. On a shore trip, we drove up the Adriatic coast to Trani, having some time to enjoy the Old Town before going on to Bisceglie for olive oil tasting.

Each day we had a different port. This could be tiring, as there were no sea days during which to rest.

The Sirena arrived at Crotone, dating back to around 710 BC, with its castles and lovely coastline. My shore trip headed out to the fishing village of Le Castella, where we took a short tour of the castle, reached by a causeway. Leaving the area, we visited Capo Colonna Archaeological Park, where we saw Roman artifacts, Greek statues and vases.

At Taormina, and having visited Sicily before, I wanted a new experience. Bingo! “Journey to Mt. Etna” provided a scenic drive toward the active volcano, taking us on a circuitous road passing quaint villages and lava flows to reach the dormant Silvestri craters, more than 6,000 feet above sea level. It was cool and windy, and the ash was very slippery to walk on. I was surprised to find restaurants and hotels near the rim.

At the port of Amalfi, I was in a group that took the ship’s tender to the dock and then cruised by launch about 40 minutes to beautiful Positano. We had over an hour to shop and walk around before taking the launch back to Amalfi, passing villages that dotted the mountainous coastline. Back in town, we visited the Cathedral of St. Andrew.

Civitavecchia is the port for Rome. Again, having been to Rome many times, I could look for something different and was delighted to find that Oceania had a shore tour to Bracciano Lake. Our group drove around its perimeter and arrived at the tiny town of Anguillara Sabazia, where we could sit and people-watch, eat a gelato and look at the beautiful surroundings reflected in the lake.

Portoferraio, on Elba, was a walk through history. On a drive through the rugged countryside with quaint villages, the highlight was a visit to Villa dei Mulini, once Napoleon’s residence. It had Empire-style furniture and a splendid library, and fig trees studded the Italian garden with its splendid views.

The last port of call was Portofino. I had fallen in love with this town the first time I saw it. After several visits, I found a painting of the place. I have it in my hallway, and in the frame is a photo showing the same scene as in the painting. On this visit, I took a motor tour that followed the coastline and gave a completely different perspective of the Italian Riviera.

The next day, the ship docked in Monte Carlo and we were bused to Nice, from which I caught my flight home.

This cruise was an adventure from start to finish, and the Sirena is a lovely ship. The crew and staff were helpful and friendly, and the food was fantastic. I’ve used Oceania Cruises before and find you really get your money’s worth.

I had originally decided that this would be my last cruise. For 68 years I’ve traveled, and now, at 85, I find travel to be harder and harder. Before the cruise ended, however, I had booked two more cruises on the Sirena for 2020. Then I’ll be through.

PHILIP A. SHART
Tamarac, FL