Mediterranean Cruise Trip Report
- Gloria Palmer
- Nov 19, 2025
- 10 min read
Updated: Nov 26, 2025
Trip Report: June 7-14th, Rome. With stops Messina, Mykonos, Piraeus (Athens) and Naples.
Travel party was grandma, grandpa, dad, mom, daughter (7) and daughter (3, almost 4).
Credit Card Rewards: With the Sapphire Reserve we were able to get 1.5x points through the Chase travel portal for a portion of our trip. We booked our flights and our rooms on the front end of the trip in Rome through the Chase travel portal. We have built up these points through signup bonuses and category spending on several cards. Details on that on the Travel Resources tab.
We flew ITA direct from Chicago O'hare to Rome FCO. We arrived early the morning of the 5th. To fight jet lag, we paid (with points) for 1 room for 1 night early so that we would be able to check in as soon as we got there - great decision as the girls barely slept on the flight at all. We used the room that we reserved for the night before to refresh after the long overnight flight, and then myself and the 2 girls napped for a long time after getting little to no sleep on the plane. The rest of the group found lunch and tried to adjust to the time zone by fighting through it and then calling it an early night. It worked out for most of us with that strategy. If you have younger kids, I wouldn't count on them being able to stay awake all day after an overnight flight, so finding a solution to get a nap or into the room early is highly recommended. We stayed at the Tribune in downtown Rome - a Hyatt property. The hotel was nice, but there are very limited "family rooms" so my husband and I had to split up with 1 girl in each room for 1 night until the family room was available. (I believe that Disney transport actually picked up/dropped off there, but we didn't use them).
Speaking of transport, we used Italy Privat Excursions for 3 different transfers. Airport to Hotel (100eu), Hotel to Cruise Port (220eu), and Cruise Port to (different) Hotel (220eu). They were prompt and courteous and I would recommend. My only comment would be - if you request a car seat, I would contact them directly and ensure that they provide one. We requested a car seat for each transfer, but never got one. They are not required and I was comfortable with our 3 year old riding without, but if you are not, you may be concerned with that.
Rome (June 6th) - Colosseum tour in the morning and golf cart tour in afternoon:
Colosseum tour through Enjoy Rome AP Tours - included Gladiator Gate, Colosseum Arena, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Tour. This was good for most of us, but the kids were done after the Colosseum. Grandma's knee was beginning to hurt so she and the kids stayed behind during Palatine hill portion as it was hot and a lot of walking. We also had a very hard time finding a taxi after the tour. They were not readily available outside that area, so have a plan or number to coordinate pickup. We ended up away from where we started and we assumed there would be a taxi stand nearby - if there was, we didn't find it. Also, for anyone doing it on their own - there are (at least) 2 gates into the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill, the one further from the Colosseum had a significantly shorter line to get in.
Golf cart tour through Turtle Tours Rome - we got 2 golf carts to accommodate the group. I think this benefitted us as 1 guide would stay with the carts while the other went with us to the sites. They had recommendations for things to see, but let us completely customize where we want. It was a nice ride after a lot of walking. The girls loved the golf cart, the older one even settled in for a nap by the end of it. We did Spanish Steps, drive by of the Pantheon, a scenic overlook of the city, Trevi fountain, Vatican City and a stop for gelato. They also gave us a list of food recommendations - we didn't get to take advantage of this, but it was a nice touch.
Also in Rome - my husband had a terrible tooth pain and ended up having an emergency root canal in the middle of the night! I didn't know these types of services were available, but if you somehow end up in a similar circumstance, call Dr. Nuri at Healthy Smile in Rome - she really saved our whole trip.
Civitavecchia Cruise Port (June 7th) - This process was very smooth! We were sailing Disney Cruise Lines, on the Fantasy. This was our 2nd Disney Cruise (Gma/Gpa's first time cruising) We had 2 boarding times, so we arrived about 30 minutes late for the 1st one and 15min early for the second one (gma/gpa). As silver cruisers (and late) the 4 of us were expedited to the check in desk, but by the time it was all said and done, gma/gpa were only about 15-20min behind us getting on the ship. We were able to get into our rooms by 1:30 and a good majority of our luggage was there by 2. We packed our swimsuits in carry-ons and hit the pool before the muster drill. After muster was the sail away party and registering the kids for the kids activities. I had our bags all unpacked before the first dinner seating.
Messina, Italy (June 8th) - we booked a private excursion with Vincenzo Modica. He picked us up just outside of the port gate and we drove most of the way up the mountain and stopped at a small bakery. He introduced us to a local sweet treat "granite" which is like a fruit icee. Then we did a tour of craters on the side of Mt. Etna from an eruption in 1865. This was family friendly, the last portion of the hike was a little more steep, so grandma stayed back in the shade, but the rest of us made it up and down without too much difficulty. After this we went down the other side of the mountain to the small town of Milo where we had fresh "arancinis" which were amazing and wine and beer and relaxed for a bit in the town plaza. It was a great excursion and Vincenzo was amazing. He knew so much about the area and flora/history of Mt. Etna, a very interesting excursion for us.
Day at Sea (June 9th) - Husband and I did the mixology class, that was way more fun than we expected and would definitely do again. We also had a Remy dinner with wine pairing.
This was a splurge for us, but we were celebrating our anniversary. I'm very picky, so I was a bit nervous, but pleasantly surprised. I walked away very full and satisfied, however, we will probably never do it again based on how expensive it was.
Mykonos, Greece (June 10th) - we didn't do an excursion, but did want to take a dip in the sea. We slept in and then took the Disney provided water taxi from the pier to the old port where most of the shops/food are. It was extremely windy. There was a small beach in downtown that we did walk to and take a swim, but the water was cold and the beach isn't the sand we are used to in the states. After that we walked and shopped. Grandma/Grandpa found a restaurant that served gyros, but they weren't "walking gyros" they were table gyros so they had to assemble themselves and seemed to be overpriced. The husband, myself and kids went to Nikos. The food was good but there were some communication/service issues. They brought the kids ice cream before the food, which we didn't want, so we asked them to hold it. Then we never saw it again, had trouble flagging down a served to pay, and then the pay system wasn't working well. We ended up just leaving without the ice cream, which was fine - everyone was ready to get back to the boat. I'm glad we didn't do a sailing adventure as the water was pretty choppy by 3pm and I'm not sure anyone would have enjoyed it much that day.
Athens, Greece (June 11th) - Semi-private excursion with 1 other family through PK Travel. Again, they guide met us just outside the port gate, very easy to get to. We went to the Panathenaic Stadium, Acropolis, Plaka and then Acropolis museum for those interested. Stadium stop was short and sweet, adequate for most. As a previous track athlete I was craving a bit more, but I doubt many would feel the same. The acropolis was HOT. Grandma didn't do the climb as she was concerned with the walking and uneven surfaces, probably a good decision. It was busy, which was expected, but not terrible. The guide was great at sharing enough information for the adults but still keeping the kids engaged with games about the Greek gods and goddesses. We ate at the Plaka, where our guide gave us a quick rundown and recommendations, then half of the group went to the museum, the other half stayed at the Plaka and shopped. I took the kids to the museum - it has A/C and a stroller (which I was hoping would get my 3yo to nap in). We didn't stay long, but it was just the right amount for those of us that went. Having a guide made the experience 100x better, I would not recommend doing it solo unless you are a huge history buff. I got much more out of the whole thing by having someone talk me through the buildings, how they were built, used and changed with the different empires. Overall a great experience. Only hiccup was at the end, the "outstanding balance" that the guide was provided for both families was incorrect. She contacted the company (who was present at dropoff location) to get it corrected and ensure that we paid the appropriate amount. I believe it was a true accident, so I only mention it to remind everyone to know exactly what they are expected to pay for any private/non-DCL excursions so they don't get ripped off.
Day at Sea (June 12th) - Beer Tasting, Tequila/Margarita Tasting, Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Boutique.
Beer Tasting - this was so-so, many strange beers and they were all Belgium, most in the room did not enjoy at least 1/2 of the beers.
Tequila/Margarita tasting - similar to beer, margaritas were strange flavors, so don't expect a classic margarita.
Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Boutique - I thought that this was not a great experience for the price. We brought our own dresses, so we did the cheapest package, but I felt that we were rushed through the whole activity and they didn't set my 2 girls next to each other which was unfortunate. That being said, my 7yo says that was her favorite activity on the whole ship, which is truly what it is all about, so...cheers!
Naples, Italy (June 13th) - Private excursion through AP Travel to Herculaneum and then Pizza Making. The driver was helpful and informative along the way and also served as our translator during the pizza making. At Herculaneum we had a guide who knew EXACTLY what we should see, where we should go, and how to stay in the shade for as much as possible. We had a great experience and are so glad we chose Herculaneum over the larger Pompeii.
Pizza making was actually in Pompeii, although I thought it was supposed to be in Naples. Regardless, it was a fun activity for the family and the pizza was delicious. It really was a nice wrap up to the trip.
Civitavecchia Cruise Port disemarkment (June 14th) - This day truly could not have gone anymore smoothly, unless I had arranged our transport for earlier. With a scheduled time of ashore at 8am I assumed that it would be at least an hour before we would be off the ship and have our luggage, so I scheduled our transport for 9:30. We were off the boat before 8! We went to breakfast and our group was called before we even left the table (we were slow playing it trying to avoid sitting in a lounge - mission accomplished!) We must have been the first in our group off the ship, because the luggage area was empty, we got our bags right away and then we had to wait for our driver. I could not believe how smooth that went, it was quite impressive.
Our flight home wasn't until the 15th, so we had 1 last night at a hotel. We stayed at the Rome Marriott Park Hotel. It was a beautiful hotel with an amazing pool. We were able to get into the standard room right away at 11am, but we didn't get the family room until closer to 4. We were able to swim. Biggest downfall was there was no food in the area to go to and the pizza place on site was not open until 6:30 (I believe). We ended up getting room service, which was good, but not exactly what we wanted. Also, the website gave me the impression that a hotel shuttle was provided - rather one was available (for a charge). We scheduled a van through them and it worked out well, it just wasn't quite what I expected when I booked the rooms. Overall, a pleasant hotel, and the pool is a huge highlight.
This trip was amazing and everything we had hoped for. I had some concerns with booking independent of Disney for our excursions, but I am so glad we did. We had personalized trips and probably ended up saving some money going that way. As our 2nd Disney Cruise, we felt like we preferred the smaller ship (the Wonder) for several reasons - but I will get into that in another post. I would have liked at least 1 more day in Rome to explore, but we just weren't able to make that work. The one thing I felt that we missed out on was the Pantheon. We drove by on the golf cart tour but didn't get to go inside and I think that would have been very impressive.
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