9 nights, Civitavecchia (Rome) to Barcelona
Explora's name for it: A Journey from Amalfi’s Cliffs to Andalusian Sun
Nine nights, eight stops, no repeated ports: this is a one-way run from Civitavecchia down through the western Mediterranean to Barcelona, and the pace is brisk. You start with Rome as your real first day, the port itself a working harbor where the FL5 regional line carries you to the Colosseum or the Vatican. From there the route trades Italian character for Spanish and Moroccan: Amalfi, a tender call where the pier sits a one-minute walk from Piazza del Duomo and the stepped lanes behind the cathedral lead to quieter Atrani; Cagliari, where you climb from the Marina district to the Castello citadel on foot; then Málaga's Atarazanas market and Tangier's walled medina, best done as a downhill loop from the kasbah back toward the port.
This itinerary rewards travelers who like to walk and work a city on their own. Most of these ports drop you within a short, flat radius of the old town, so the day is yours, not a coach's. It is less suited to anyone who wants Rome or Barcelona itself: Civitavecchia eats a day getting in, and Barcelona's Terminal H sits about 4 km out along industrial roads. If you want those cities, add land nights on either end.
Explora II is all-suite and all-oceanfront. Send me your dates and I'll talk through which side of the ship reads best for this route.
The itinerary, port by port
8 calls over 9 nights, Civitavecchia (Rome) to Barcelona. 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 Civitavecchia (Rome) (FCO) 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
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- 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.
- Spontaneous Summer Invitation
- A near-term fare on a small set of summer-season 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 →