Best of Italy & Croatia 10 Nights • Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy to Ravenna, Italy • Celebrity Constellation

Rome, Italy: Civitavecchia was settled in 108 A.D. by the Emperor Trajan and has since served faithfully as a gateway to Rome, the capital of Italy. Once the center of the Ancient World from which emperors ruled over nearly all of western civilization, Rome is still a cultural mecca. Only a few cities in the world can boast such a well-preserved level of architecture, art, and religious iconography. There’s an enormous wealth of culture and history to discover on a cruise to Rome. Visit the ancient halls of the 50,000-seat Colosseum, gaze upon the ceilings of Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, and stroll the Capitoline Museum. Roman culinary prowess is well respected and beloved the world over. Experience authentic pizza, hearty bowls of fresh pasta, excellent cheeses, wines, seafood, and delightful desserts like tiramisu and gelato at family-run trattorias that have been preparing these traditional dishes for centuries. Walk the cobblestoned piazzas making your way to narrow side streets where you’re sure to find craftsman shops and beautiful boutiques filled with gorgeous handmade accessories and homewares for keepsakes and souvenirs.

Stroll tiny Portofino, a perfectly poised pastel village taking refuge on its own secluded peninsula. Stop at a charming café to get a bite and watch the yachts bobbing in the harbor. Explore the seductive boutiques and art galleries that line the harbor and narrow streets. Discover historic sites like the Church of St. Martin and the Castello Brown fortress. Just down the Italian Rivera awaits Cinque Terre National Park, a seascape of fishing villages carved from the cliffs. Hike through the park on 15th-century footpaths winding through olive groves and vineyards, overlooking the sparkling Mediterranean.

La Spezia, which lies between Genoa and Pisa, and is just minutes to the east of Cinque Terre-the five fishing ports that enjoy National Park status-is home to the Palio del Golfo, an annual boat race that sees the Gulf of Poets; 13 historic villages face off against one another in celebration of the annual Festa del Mare. The town also offers fantastic shopping opportunities, as well as plenty of trattorias to enjoy local, Ligurian cuisine

Framed by Mount Vesuvius along a dramatic skyline, the 2,800 year-old port city of Naples is chock full of historical sites, churches, and museums that make it an incredible place for you to explore. And in the region where pizza was first invented, you know the food is going to be incredible. Just 35 miles down the coast, Salerno offers you a rich history but also boasts a marvelous collection of parks, natural wonders, and unique vantage points to take in the beauty of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Two cities. One incredible stretch of Italian coastline.

Located on the east coast of Sicily, Catania is situated at the foot of the largest volcano in Europe, Mount Etna. Elegant, modern, and an important hub in Europe’s tech industry, Catania is also rich with baroque architecture, medieval castles, Roman era theatres, and a flourishing cultural and artistic center. The first university in Sicily was opened here in 1434. The Ursino castle built in the 13th Century is now a museum. The Piazza del Duomo, at the heart of Catania, is home to the city’s symbolic Fountain of the Elephant, constructed in 1736 from lava and an ancient Egyptian obelisk.

Kotor, Montenegro- A cruise to Kotor, Montenegro offers up some of the most well-preserved architecture in all the Adriatic coast, with landmarks such as the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon. Built in 1166, there are frescoes dating back hundreds of years, and much of the gold and silver relief work done by the city's master craftsmen of that time are held for safe keeping within its walls. Tucked at the secluded tip of a tranquil bay and watched over for millennia by the surrounding mountains, Kotor is a UNESCO World Heritage treasure.

The town’s history dates back before the epic age of Homer, but it’s the medieval wonders in Old Kotor that draw acclaim today. Marbled avenues meander with no apparent order, and, even for locals, it’s quite common to get turned around. The good news is, few places are more fun to get lost in than Kotor. Cruises to Montenegro would not be complete without sampling the local cuisine. Fresh seafood is always on the menu and the “domestic fish thick soup” is a tradition not to be missed. Old churches, shops, and bars line the avenues, and don’t be surprised to wander upon a charming piazza right out of the blue. Come summer, the lavish yachts of the ultra-rich fill the marina, presenting a striking contrast to the rustic romance and ancient beauty of Kotor.

Established 1,300 years ago on the far southern tip of the Dalmatian Coast, this city once rivaled Venice in terms of its importance. Take a walking tour to the Dominican Monastery and marvel at the finest collection of Renaissance paintings, including a painting by Titian. Prepare to be riveted when first laying eyes on the old walled city on your cruise to Dubrovnik. This land has had many invaders including the Greeks, Romans, Slavs, Romans, Hungarians, and French, to name a few, and it has resulted in a fiercely independent citizenry with dynamic cultural influences. The views of the Adriatic from its rooftops are truly awe-inspiring. If beach-going is on the agenda, make sure to wear appropriate footwear as the beaches here tend to be of the pebbly variety. That said, the beautiful emerald green waters and coves make the slight inconvenience more than worthwhile. And, there’s plenty of seafood, specifically mussels and oysters, deliciously prepared in authentic regional styles on offer at restaurants throughout town.

Split, Croatia

Lined with palm trees, this Adriatic seaside town is also a cultural mecca. Within the walls of the Diocletian Palace, you'll discover historical buildings, numerous museums, the National Theatre and a collection of old churches. Culture, beauty, natural wonder – your Split cruise has it all. The mixture of old and new is very pronounced here. Everywhere there are signs and evidence left behind from the city’s previous conquerors namely the Romans and Austro-Hungarians and there is no better place to view them than in Split’s Old City. The Old City is so otherworldly that it’s been dedicated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and you’ll encounter the most imposing Roman ruins left on Earth, including the Diocletian’s Palace which was built facing the harbor in 4 A.D. for the Roman Emperor. This sprawling, expansive structure was built to be an all-in-one fortress/imperial residence/fortified town. The Cathedral of St. Domnius stands as one of the most pristine and preserved examples of ancient Roman architecture in the world. And for a breathtaking, all-encompassing view of Split you won’t soon forget, head to Marajan Hill which is just 10 minutes outside the city.

Once you arrive in picturesque Ravenna on an Italy cruise, you have some options: Head north to Venice, west to Bologna, or explore the history and beauty of Ravenna itself. Ravenna is famous for its spectacular mosaics from the 5th and 6th century that are found in cathedrals, palaces, and public buildings everywhere.

In Venice, you’ll find a canal-filled city that is equal parts gritty and romantic, known as a fishermen’s town turned cultural hub. Venice is popular for honeymooners and international tourists alike, filling the elaborate, sinuous system of canals with the buzz of activity. Like Rome and Florence, there’s a magic to the city’s energy that sweeps you up in it, whether you’re exploring St. Mark’s Square on foot or enjoying a gondola ride along the Grand Canal before sailing on one of our cruises from Ravenna.

Bologna, the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, is considered the gastronomic center of Italy. It’s here that you’ll find some of the world’s best wines, prosciutto, cheese, and balsamic vinegar. Stroll the medieval town’s many photogenic porticoes until you arrive at Piazza Maggiore, the huge and charming public square where you can stop for a gelato or an espresso and people watch.