Sometimes a holiday is all about sightseeing, sometimes it’s about relaxing by the pool, and sometimes you manage to squeeze a little bit of everything into one trip!
Our latest adventure started with a few days in the incredible city of Rome, followed by a 7-night Mediterranean cruise aboard Enchanted Princess.
And what an amazing trip it was!
Starting Our Mediterranean Adventure in Rome
We started our holiday in Rome, and what a place! There is history and culture absolutely everywhere you look, and we certainly made the most of our time there.
We visited St Peter’s Basilica, which was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen and actually made me quite emotional.
Then came the climb up to the dome. Let’s just say 200+ steps in the August heat is not for the faint-hearted! But the views from the top were worth every single step.
We also visited the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, which were incredible to see, although ridiculously busy, and of course we couldn’t visit Rome without seeing the mighty Colosseum.
Rome was hot, busy, fascinating and absolutely exhausting, but we loved it!
And then there was the food. Pasta, pizza and gelato became a very important part of our daily routine. You can’t go to Rome and NOT eat gelato, right?!
We stayed at the lovely Cagni Roma, around a 10-minute walk from the main train terminal. This made getting around really easy and, more importantly, made our journey to the port straightforward when it was time to head off on our cruise.
After two very hot days packed with culture, history and plenty of walking, we were more than ready to swap the city streets for the sea!
Boarding Enchanted Princess in Civitavecchia
We headed to Civitavecchia, ready to board Enchanted Princess and begin our 7-night Mediterranean adventure.
The cruise itself was amazing and the itinerary was fantastic.
One of the things I love about cruising is that you can unpack once, settle into your cabin and then wake up somewhere completely different without having to pack your suitcase again.
And this itinerary certainly delivered.
Salerno: A Relaxing Beach Day
Our first stop was Salerno, with the opportunity to visit the stunning Amalfi Coast or explore Pompeii.
Normally I’d have been straight onto an excursion, but after two incredibly hot days in Rome, we decided we needed a change of pace!
We were also very conscious when planning this trip that we wanted to choose things that Sammy, who is 14, would enjoy too. As amazing as history and sightseeing are, we didn’t want him spending the entire holiday being dragged around ancient ruins.
So instead, we headed to the beach.
A swim in the sea, a cold beer and a lovely little local café with the BEST coffee were exactly what we needed. We then headed to a beach club for more food, cocktails and another swim!
It was one of those lovely holiday days where we could all just relax, have fun and enjoy being together.
Sometimes you don’t need another historic monument or guided tour. Sometimes you just need sunshine, good food, a cold drink and the sea!
Our First Sea Day on Enchanted Princess
Our first sea day gave us the chance to properly explore Enchanted Princess.
There were so many activities to choose from that you certainly couldn’t complain about being bored!
Sammy had already made friends, so he was off enjoying himself and spending most of his time in the pool.
I was really impressed with the facilities for children and teenagers too. There are three different age-specific kids’ clubs, with age-appropriate activities, PlayStations, games and chill-out areas.
This was a big plus for us. At 14, Sammy is old enough to want a bit more independence, and it was lovely seeing him make friends and have his own holiday experience while we could enjoy some time ourselves too.
It’s definitely something I’d consider when recommending a cruise to families with teenagers.
Visiting Santorini on Our Mediterranean Cruise
Then came Santorini!
And what can I say… it’s Santorini!
The views, beautiful whitewashed buildings and those incredible blue-domed churches make it such a special place.
It’s one of those destinations that you can see a hundred times in photographs, but it still doesn’t prepare you for actually being there.
Another tick off the list!
Kusadasi: Shopping and Bargaining in Turkey
Kusadasi was a little different for us.
Rather than visiting Ephesus, we decided to make this day all about shopping and putting Sammy’s bargaining skills to the test!
Ephesus is definitely somewhere I want to return to visit myself, so that has firmly gone onto my “next time” list.
But there was one thing Sammy specifically wanted to do if we were going to cruise. He wanted to go shopping in Turkey and try out his bargaining skills!
And wow… the boy did good!
He got stuck straight into it and came away with a belt, shirt, wallet and watch. By the end of the day, he’d managed to spend ALL of his money!
Although, to give him his due, he did save his last few euros to buy me a couple of bracelets, so I couldn’t really complain!
It was actually one of my favourite days because it was something Sammy really wanted to do. It also reminded me how important it is when travelling with teenagers to make sure they get to experience things they actually want to do too.
There will always be another opportunity for me to visit Ephesus, but for now I’m happy knowing Sammy got to have his Turkish shopping adventure!
Katakolon and Olympia
Katakolon was another day where things didn’t quite go to plan for me, as unfortunately I wasn’t feeling very well.
So while I stayed back and took it easy, Tristan and Sammy headed off to Olympia.
They came back saying it was really interesting and definitely something they were glad they’d seen. They loved seeing all the history and experiencing the place where the original Olympic Games took place.
Although they did agree on one thing: visiting ancient ruins in the August heat is BRUTAL!
I was quite jealous when they came back with their stories, as Olympia is somewhere I’d really like to see for myself.
So that’s another place going firmly onto my “I’ll be back!” list.
Dining on Enchanted Princess
Now let’s talk about one of the most important parts of any holiday… FOOD!
We had the Premium Package, which was fantastic because it meant we didn’t have to worry about a big surprise bill mounting up throughout the cruise.
We also had access to speciality dining options, and the food was outstanding. There was so much choice and we definitely made the most of it!
One of our absolute favourites was Rudi’s. The food was incredible and it was definitely one of those meals that you remember.
But one of my favourite things about the dining experience wasn’t actually what I ate. It was watching Sammy try so many new foods.
Being on the ship, with so much choice and so many different things to try, he really surprised us. He tried foods he probably wouldn’t normally have ordered at home and discovered new things that he now absolutely loves.
And that’s one of my favourite things about travelling. It’s not just about seeing new places, it’s about trying new things too.
The Enchanted Princess Crew
I also have to mention the staff and crew because they really were fantastic.
Everyone we came across was friendly, professional and incredibly knowledgeable in their different areas. Nothing ever seemed too much trouble, and they were always happy to help, answer questions or make recommendations.
They were brilliant with Sammy too, which was lovely to see.
It’s easy to think a cruise is all about the ship, destinations and food, but actually the people make such a huge difference to the experience.
The crew on Enchanted Princess certainly helped make our week so enjoyable.
Making Friends Onboard
One of the lovely surprises of this trip was the people we met along the way.
We met some genuinely great people onboard and during the trip, and some of them are people we will definitely be staying in touch with.
Sammy loved making friends onboard too, which made such a difference to his experience. Before long, he was off doing his own thing, meeting new people and enjoying the freedom of being on the ship.
And I think that’s one of the wonderful things about travelling. You set off thinking you’re going away for a holiday and come home with new memories, new experiences and sometimes even new friendships.
Is Enchanted Princess Good for Families and Teenagers?
So, what did I think of Enchanted Princess?
We absolutely loved it.
The ship, itinerary, food, staff, destinations and people we met all came together to make it such a fantastic holiday.
I particularly loved the way we could combine a city break in Rome with a Mediterranean cruise. We had history and culture, beaches and swimming, shopping and exploring, amazing food, cocktails, sea days and plenty of family time.
Importantly for us, we found a really good balance between doing things together and making sure Sammy had things that he genuinely enjoyed too.
At 14, he’s at that age where holidays can sometimes be a bit tricky to get right! But cruising gave him the freedom to make friends, enjoy the pool, try new foods and have his own experiences, while we still got to explore some incredible destinations.
Would We Cruise on Enchanted Princess Again?
Absolutely!
There are still places on this itinerary that I want to go back and explore properly, with Ephesus and Olympia being two of them, which is just another excuse for another trip!
For me, that’s what travel is all about.
It’s not about trying to see absolutely everything in one go. It’s about making memories, discovering new places, eating far too much, laughing, relaxing, meeting wonderful people and coming home already thinking about where you’re going next!
And this trip certainly gave us plenty of memories to take home.
Rome + Enchanted Princess = one very happy family!
Until the next adventure…
Charlotte x