December 12, 2027 – December 19, 2027 · 6 nights · 7 stops
Explora's name for it: A Journey through Istanbul's Cosmopolitan Vibrancy to Rome's Timeless Wonders
The itinerary, port by port
7 calls over 6 nights, Istanbul 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 Istanbul (IST) open around January 2027, about 11 months before you sail. I track that window for booked clients and flag it the moment it is worth booking. When to book your flights →
Istanbul straddles the Bosphorus across two continents, a city layered from Byzantine Constantinople through the Ottoman Empire to the modern Turkish metropolis. Port guide →
2
Kepez
Kepez is the cruise terminal for Çanakkale, the Turkish city straddling the Dardanelles, and it exists as a gateway to two of the most storied sites in the country: the ruins of ancient Troy and the World…
Kusadasi is a Turkish Aegean resort town whose real draw lies 19 km inland: Ephesus, one of the best-preserved classical cities in the Mediterranean and once the second city of the Roman Empire. Port guide →
Heraklion is Crete's working capital, a Venetian-walled port city that holds the keys to the Minoan world: the restored palace of Knossos 5 km inland and the artifacts pulled from it. Port guide →
Syracuse was once the most powerful Greek city in the western Mediterranean, a rival to Athens, and the day splits cleanly between its two halves: the ancient Neapolis park on the mainland, with a Greek… Port guide →
Naples is a dense, loud, deeply layered Italian city where the cruise terminal sits at the foot of the historic center rather than out in an industrial port. Port guide →
Civitavecchia is Rome's deepwater port, a working harbor about 80 km northwest of the capital, and for most travelers it is the gateway rather than the destination. Port guide →
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.
Early Booking Benefit
A fare for booking far enough ahead of departure. Onboard credit where the offer applies.
The ship and your suite
This sailing is aboard EXPLORA V, 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 →
Send me the dates and the suite tier you have in mind and I'll come back with a confirmed live number and my read on the sailing within two hours. Best available price, and I make it worth more.