After an overnight flight, you’ll be transferred on day 2, to the centrally located Moderate First-Class Hotel Albani. After arriving and checking in, you’ll have time to unwind and adjust to the time change. You're invited to a Welcome Orientation early that evening.

On Day 3, you’ll have a chance to take an optional tour to the Vatican. Your afternoon is free to discover Rome as you please. This evening, join the optional “Rome by Night” tour.

Today, your cruise begins after breakfast. Enjoy some additional sightseeing before you transfer to the pier in Civitavecchia, where you’ll embark the m/s Noordam for a pre-dinner departure. Settle into your stateroom and take time to discover the many exciting amenities this state-of-the-art ship features!

Your first port-of-call is Livorno, gateway to Pisa with its leaning tower and Florence with its red-roofed Duomo. Once a medieval fortified castle, Livorno is now a major commercial seaport and fishing center. Points of interest include the 16th-century cathedral and the remains of the 17th-century city wall. Also of note is the Mediceo Port, one of the most picturesque parts of town, as well as old town in Piazza Grande.

Move on from there to glitzy Monte Carlo, the see-and-be-seen place in tiny Monaco. Glittering casinos, fashionable hotels, expensive boutiques, and million dollar yachts all make up the atmosphere of this wealthy city.

Monte Carlo also boasts one of the best aquariums in Europe: the Musée Océanographique et Aquarium. Also of interest are the Japanese Gardens, the Exotic Garden, and the Condamine Market, a covered market located next to one of Monaco’s best shopping districts, the Rue Princesse. To really experience the glamour that is Monaco, head to its beaches to admire the view. This small stretch of sand is where jetsetters work on their tans and opulent yachts drop their anchors, making it one of the best people-watching destinations in the world.

Next you’ll enjoy a day of scenic cruising of Corsican fjords and the Strait of Bonifacio, which lies beside the isle of Sardinia, on your way to Barcelona.

Here you can take in a bit of local color — like Spanish tortilla and Gaudí architecture. Barcelona has it all: sophistication, romance, art, architecture, and a nightlife to rival any in the world.
   
There are many points of interest throughout the city that showcase Barcelona’s heritage, including the Gothic Quarter, which includes the beautiful Catedral de la Seu. The city is also the home of architect Antonio Gaudi, whose buildings helped define Modernisme, Spain’s version of Art Nouveau.
   
There is also a Picasso Museum, dedicated to the works of Spain’s most famous artist. The painter Salvatore Dalí also called Barcelona home. The city’s tree-lined boulevards; gardens and fountains; pedestrianized Ramblas, which connects to the harbor; and well-designed public buildings all create a backdrop of elegance for its artistic treasures.

The next port is Palma de Mallorca, a community of the autonomous Belearic Islands. The capital clearly demonstrates its long association with maritime commerce as a major Mediterranean port. The old city is beautifully situated in the middle of the broad sweep of Palma Bay, with modern developments to the east and west. Palma is overlooked by the 14th-century Castle of Belver. Other notable buildings include the golden sandstone cathedral (La Seo), the Archbishop’s Palace, the Monastery and Church of San Francisco, and the Montesion Church.

Leave Spanish shores behind for an exciting call in La Goulette, near Tunisia’s capital, the bustling medina of Tunis. Tunis also offers the Bardo Museum, famed for its collection of mosaics and major finds from nearby Carthage, once the glorious rival of Rome. Take advantage of some of North Africa’s best seafood in one of the city’s many restaurants.

Next, sail to the shipbuilding center of Palermo, which offers a welcoming return to Italy. Located on the island of Sicily, the capital is a splendid city in a grand style: opulent, vital, and full of remarkable architecture, particularly Norman and Baroque. The Palatine Chapel is one of Palermo’s treasures, featuring lavish Arab-Norman decoration and dating back to 1132. Some of the city’s other major attractions include the Orto Batanico gardens and the Museo of Archeologico Regionale, Sicily’s most important museum.

Beautifully positioned on the bay, Naples encompasses a little of everything. The old center, known as Spaccanapoli and once the heart of ancient Neapolis, is jammed with ancient churches, a medieval university, and countless cafés, all pulsating to the life of noisy street markets. Here also is the grand cathedral Duomo.

Alas, all too soon you’ll disembark in Civitavecchia, and transfer to the hotel this morning. Perhaps you’ll join one of our optional tours — the Tivoli Tour or the Christian Rome Tour. Tonight, you’ll stay at the First-Class Hilton Garden Inn Rome Airport.

The following is the day-by-day itinerary for your 15-day Mediterranean Enchantment cruise on Holland America Line’s Four-Star ms Noordam.