13 nights, Lisbon to Civitavecchia (Rome)
Explora's name for it: An Extended Journey to the Riviera for a New Year at Sea
This is a 13-night, one-way run from Lisbon to Rome that strings the western Mediterranean together port by port, with only one true day at sea. The pace is dense: thirteen calls in thirteen nights, so you trade slow mornings for variety. You start in Lisbon's Alfama, where the terminal drops you straight into the oldest quarter and a 10-minute walk reaches the Baixa. From there it runs the Spanish coast through Málaga, where Picasso was born and the Mercado de Atarazanas tapas counters sit a flat walk from the Alcazaba, into Ibiza's walled Dalt Vila climbing to a 14th-century cathedral, and on to Barcelona for Sagrada Família and the Gothic Quarter. The back half turns Italian: Genoa's caruggi and Paganini's violin in Palazzo Doria-Tursi, then the gateway calls.
This sailing rewards a traveler who wants range and doesn't mind a packed cadence. If you prefer to settle into one place, look elsewhere. And go in clear-eyed about the two Italian gateways: Livorno is roughly 90 minutes from Florence, and Civitavecchia is Rome's port about 80 km out, so both days are defined by the transfer and a committed inland plan. Villefranche, by contrast, is a tender port that lands you in the old town with Nice and Monaco a short train ride away, a rare Riviera call you control yourself.
EXPLORA II is all-suite and all-oceanfront.
The itinerary, port by port
13 calls over 13 nights, Lisbon to Civitavecchia (Rome). Open any port for my full day-ashore guide, what to see, when to go, and how the day actually runs.
Getting there: Flights to Lisbon (LIS) are already bookable for these dates. I watch the fare for booked clients so you book at the right moment. When to book your flights →
- Embark
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9 At Sea - Fireworks
- 10
- 11
- 12
- Disembark
Fares on this departure, decoded
Reading the fare fine print is the job. Here's what this sailing currently carries:
- Invitation to Discover More
- Explora's discovery fare, available across most of the calendar. Onboard credit where the offer applies.
- Founders Fare
- A founding-era fare on a selected set of sailings. Onboard credit where the offer applies.
- Air-Inclusive Fare
- A fare that folds airfare into the voyage price on a smaller set of sailings.
The ship and your suite
This sailing is aboard EXPLORA II, all-suite, every suite with a private ocean-front terrace. Suites run from the entry Ocean Terrace to the Owner's Residence; the right tier depends on how you travel. Compare suites → · What's included →