Funchal to Rome 

The final leg of our cruise only included eight sea days, and we visited 13 ports – an exhausting blitz across the Mediterranean Sea!

With so few sea days, this segment felt unlike part 1 or part 2. So let’s dive right into the land stuff!

Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

Known as the spring eternal island, Funchal lived up to its reputation. We saw beautiful flowers while enjoying the wide esplanade. Besides the hills and stairs, it is a great city for walking around.

In fact, we walked from the cruise pier to the downtown area which only took about 15 minutes. The marina, which abuts the urban area, reminded me of Split and Palma de Mallorca. 

Since the ship arrived before life begins in Portugal, we grabbed a coffee in a serene park and waited things out.

Across the park we spotted the sign for Blandy’s Wine Lodge. We had previously looked into tasting here, but all that was available for prebooking was expensive tours. We decided to head over to the building as soon as it opened, to see if we could beat the crowds into the tasting room and drink some madeira wine.

The tasting room was full of surly and crabby maidens, who were starting their day by yelling at tourists. At least the wine was good! The tasting room offers a few themed flights and other ways to explore the different expressions of Madeira. Madeira wine is quite famous. It was even used to toast the Declaration of Independence. There are four main grapes used for Madeira, and Boal was our favorite. We picked up a bottle at the Blandy’s store and continued on with our exploration on foot.

We had originally wanted to do a wine tour around the island, visiting some of the other houses. But on a Sunday, there are hardly any choices other than Blandy’s.

Our walk continued down the pedestrian avenue of Rua de Santa Maria. There was great art everywhere and fun painted doors.

The sun was shining hot and bright so we went to the “beach,” the Complexo Balnear da Barreirinha.

The facility is a concrete dock set out into the sea, where we relaxed on lounge chairs under an umbrella. The entry and seating only cost 14 euros. Money well spent on relaxation. 

The sea was cold so we didn’t jump in, but we did step down the ladder to cool off. The water was clear and a beautiful shade of blue. It was easy to imagine how nice a summer would be there.

As the afternoon carried on, it was time to head back to the ship. We walked back through town as we made our way back to the cruise terminal. 

Though Funchal was very crowded with tourists on a Sunday and not many places were open, I definitely would like to return to Madeira. Next time I would either stay in a different city on the island, or travel to a neighborhood far from the cruise port. 

Gibraltar, United Kingdom

We quietly sailed into the Strait of Gibraltar in the wee hours of the morning. When we woke at 6 AM we opened the drapes to see a low-hanging crescent moon over Morocco.

The sky eventually brightened and the Rock was illuminated as we turned into the port. We have been so fortunate to have consistently good weather. 

After two months of living in close quarters, we had a day mostly apart. This was my third time visiting Gibraltar, so I planned a beauty day. Corey had never climbed to the top of The Rock so he went on a hiking adventure. 

The entire Rock area is designated as the Gibraltar Nature Reserve, and an admission fee is charged no matter what method used to get up there (walking, cable car, or taxi). In turn, there are 19 “attractions” that are included in that admission charge. This page is a great guide for the various options to visit The Rock. While it discusses walking, it does not discuss climbing the Mediterranean Steps trail, which is what Corey did.

The trailhead is on the southwest side of the rock, and it loops around and up the east side, providing great views and terrain. To get there from the cruise terminal is a walk of nearly three miles, and then the trail itself is just about a mile, albeit a mile of steep stone stairs. He encountered just a handful of other hikers on the trail.

Once at the top, however, things change. A narrow one-way road is filled with dozens of taxis engaged in tours and mutual harassment of the resident Barbary macaque population. The attractions at the top of the Rock stretch all the way to the north side (and a bit east and west), so it is at least another three miles of walking to get to everything else. Midway you will encounter another crowd at the upper cable car terminus.

Corey ended up spending most of the day in the Nature Reserve and walked around 10 miles. He saw plenty of sights, but because everything is spread out and there is a good amount of detail involved (for example, in the various tunnel exhibits), he was unable to see everything in a single day.

For me, I walked around the quaint streets in the main tourist zone and quietly meandered through the Alameda Botanic Gardens. It was a free and gorgeous garden that I had nearly to myself.  

After my spa appointments I grabbed a sad toastie and cold wine. Honestly, British food is so disappointing. But because Gibraltar is nestled next to Spain there is a decent and fairly-priced wine selection around. All-in-all I covered seven miles (17,000 steps) and I did not hike. Corey met me in the afternoon.

Though the skies had been clear all day, thunderstorms rolled in as we were walking back to the ship. Large drops fell as we scurried back and I got pretty drenched. We were slowed down by the haul we picked up at Morrisons, a UK grocer with a large location in Gibraltar. We found a discount shelf with all sorts of goodies at great prices! Multiple beers, cans of Coke, and San Peligrino waters. And of course, a pack of my favorite British cookie, the Bourbon Creme!

We sat on the promenade deck for sailaway even though it was chilly. Dark purple clouds sat around Gibraltar and the setting sun created nice lighting.

It was already scenic and then the dolphins joined us, with several jumping through the ship’s wake.

Siracusa, Sicily

An old fortified city with so much history.

Siracusa (and Sicily) have been governed by many empires. It was famously Greek, and many Greek and Roman ruins can be found in the area of the city. From the cruise port, it is a short walk to Ortygia, the island that comprises the old city. There is a maze of small streets typical for these old Mediterranean cities.

We visited Palermo a year ago which is on the north side of Sicily. We were excited to explore a different city on this amazing island of culinary delights. We started our day at the Ortygia market.

The market was a bit disappointing – a long stretch of vendors along a street, but many of them have a reputation online for scamming tourists with miscalibrated scales and other tricks. There were a couple of deli / sandwich-makers at the market that were recommended, but they were not yet open for business. We stopped at a cheese shop and bought a delicious smoked provoleta, which was a great snack to have back onboard the ship. (The vendor called it provoleta, not provolone, which is a word we had previously only heard in Argentina.)

We spent the rest of the day walking around the little island, with its expensive waterfront restaurants and lovely piazzas and fountains.

There were cats everywhere. They were sunning on scooters, scurrying down alleys, and perched on counters in stores.

We stopped for lunch in a wine shop that had a deli counter, where we enjoyed a tavola (mixed platter) and all sorts of different wines. There was no menu or prices but the entire meal with wine pairing, plus a bottle of wine to go ended up only costing around €100. While we were eating, construction workers would come in and pick up various sandwiches (and have a glass of wine while they waited for them to be assembled). Also, it was a hangout for the neighborhood cats.

After walking along the water to get to the Castello Maniace at the south end of the island, we walked along the smaller pedestrian-only lanes, while dodging the rain that had come in. After crossing the bridge to leave Ortygia, we walked a little bit in the modern city, but it is not as scenic or interesting. We went to the grocery store for some of our favorite Italian products.

What we did find in the modern city was a reliable, tourist-free bar. We had started our morning there with coffee and cornetti, and decided to end the day there with liquor and cannoli.

The cannoli were filled on demand (as they should be), but were brought to the table without silverware! I flagged down the waiter and asked for a fork. He told me no, cannoli must be eaten by hand! So Italian to tell customers how they must eat their food! Eventually he brought a fork and it was easy to devour my pistachio cream filled dessert.

Athens, Greece

As we sailed away from Gibraltar, the captain informed the ship that our stop in Volos would be cancelled because of recent flooding. I was worried he would say that we had another sea day but thankfully that did not happen. He announced that we would dock overnight in Athens and that we now have two days to explore Athens instead of just one. 

Cruise ships calling on Athens dock in the nearby port of Piraeus. The port is very large and is served by both buses and the Metro, although the Metro stop may be quite a distance from your ship (as was the case for us). We ended up taking a bus and transferring to the Metro further up the line (closer to Athens). We were pleased to see that Athens transit now accepts credit cards for tap-on so there is no need to pre-purchase tickets or passes (there is farecapping so the maximum charge for the day is the cost of a daily pass).

The first day was a marathon of walking and touring around the ancient city of Athens. 

We started at the National Archaeological Museum, where we had prebooked our tickets. Once there, we followed a walking tour from the Rick Steves app to go through the exhibits, which allowed us to pause whenever we wanted extra time in a particular room. So many beautiful pieces and history to see!

We stopped for a large lunch at a spot called Restaurant Paula before starting a city walking tour, also from the Rick Steves app. We love the free walking tours on his app and we learned so much about the city. 

We had visited Athens before and toured the bulk of the ancient sites, so we focused on seeing places and sights we had not seen before. One of the highlights from the walking tour was partially climbing the Acropolis and wandering through the tiny neighborhood of Anafiotika, where small lanes turned into tight stairs and narrow sidewalks.

By late afternoon we were ready to rest our feet and enjoy local drinks in the Psirri neighborhood. It was such a hip and fun vibe. Our walk started just as the evening was settling in and it was too early for the real scene. But there were a few places open. We stopped at the Old Fashioned Bar to kill some time (did not order an old fashioned), went to Tapfield to enjoy a flight of Greek craft brews, and enjoyed a round of cocktails at Not So, watching as the streets came alive.

Time for a snack! It’s Greece, so we searched Google for a souvlaki place with high ratings and found Sarri’s Souvlaki. We were sold once we saw the large charcoal grill cooking up meat skewers. Great food, friendly service, and outstanding prices.

We finished our evening at an excellent wine bar called Heteroclito. The menu is predominantly Greek wines, with a large number of glass pour options. We tried a couple of glasses and a bottle of Greek orange wine as we sat on the patio with a view of the lit-up Acropolis. The view once the sun sets is even more stunning than during the day.

We loved having the chance to experience the Athenian buzzy nightlife, even if we did go back to the ship “early” for Greek standards. Athens is such a large city that I could visit 50 more times and do something different each time.

It was easy to take the bus back to Piraeus and enjoy a night of sleep onboard back on the ship. We spent the second day around the port city of Piraeus which is a densely populated suburb of Athens. It has its own marina with lots of super yachts, catamarans, and sail boats. It reminded me a lot of the area around Split. 

The main activity for the day was a couples massage. Afterward we took a walk around the marina and ate souvlaki for lunch. It was a nice day overall. Piraeus has some museums and some other things to see if you are stuck in the port town, but Athens is so close and offers so many neighborhoods to explore.

Heraklion, Crete

Our stop in Patmos was diverted due to heavy rain, so we had a surprise trip to another Greek island, Crete, where we were welcomed by thundershowers. We walked into town with a drizzle and when it got really stormy we stopped at a cafe for a coffee and Greek pastries. The koulouri (like a bagel) covered in sesame seeds and stuffed with feta cheese is my new favorite. 

We meandered through the old town and stopped again for another pastry. We shared the traditional bougatsa which is a custard “pie” made with phyllo dough. It tasted like the inside of tiramisu and was delicious!

Eventually we made it through the old town with more than enough time for our scheduled massage. We enjoyed our treatment so much the day before that we booked another one with the same company (they have multiple locations). 

My body had been struggling with the soft sagging mattress and pillows on the ship. So the additional massage released more tension from my neck and back. I just couldn’t seem to get the right pillow set up, even after 70 days onboard. One pillow is too small and two pillows is too tall. One of the hardest things about full time travel, for me, is the variety of beds and pillows that we deal with, which are often low quality.

After the wonderful massages we enjoyed Odos Lasithiou, a traditional locals-only restaurant just outside of the old downtown core. The menu was all in Greek and the server showed us the hot table of the daily options. The food was pretty good and the experience was really nice.

The rain had let up and we walked back to the port just before all aboard at 3:30. 

Kusadasi, Turkey

The weather was predicted to be cloudy with rain showers so we slept in and took our time going ashore. 

We have been to Kusadasi before and only planned to walk around the area close to the port. The main attraction of this town is going to the ancient ruins of Ephesus, which we did on our previous visit.

There’s not a lot to do around the port other than shopping. Just about everyone either wants to take you to Ephesus, or sell you a carpet, leather jacket, or handbag.

There is a small and authentic-seeming fish market, and restaurants nearby will cook and serve that fish. Check reviews on the restaurants, though, as there seem to be a few tourist traps.

After what seemed like a reasonable tour of the area, we headed west, away from the port.

We walked the scenic causeway out to the site of Kusadasi Castle. An admission fee is required to get into the grounds and a small museum, and the path does not allow for travel around the outside of the castle. There are gorgeous views from here, and we hung out on benches with the neighborhood cats and dogs.

The rain had held off so we continued on to Ladies Beach about a mile down the road. Formerly a beach for women, men are now allowed and the men will aggressively try to get you to dine in their restaurants. Ladies Beach is sandy which is rare for this part of the Mediterranean. But as we were arriving at the beach, fat raindrops began to fall and so we stopped under cover for lunch. Everything lining the beach seemed quite touristy and we were worried that the Ladies Beach Restaurant (and “Irish Pub” as the sign said) was going to be a poor decision. But the food was excellent! We split a plate of meatballs and a house-recipe chicken dish that reminded us of Bulgarian chicken kavarma. Protected from the rain and connected to fast Wi-Fi, we lingered for awhile.

Eventually the rain let up and we walked the length of the boardwalk and back. In nicer weather, it looked like a fine swimming beach. As far as the other establishments along the boardwalk, I would be careful to check reviews and prices before stopping for a drink, as there were a number of red flags indicating scammy tourist traps. Eventually we left and headed back to the ship, stopping at a grocery store to pick up some ayran (drinking yogurt), one of Corey’s favorite Turkish/Balkan products.

Rhodes, Greece

The old walled city of Rhodes is on the Greek island of the same name. I’m so glad I wore sneakers because most of the streets were lined with pebbles. We basically just walked around the city all day, making stops for baked goods and viewpoints. It was all enjoyable because there is so much history to soak in. This ended up being one of my favorite Mediterranean port stops.

Before the Knights Hospitaller went to Malta, they controlled the island of Rhodes. Our morning started by walking up the Street of the Knights of Rhodes, a long inclined street that served as the residential area for the Knights. The buildings are designated by the various languages used by the Knights, as those with a common tongue lived and worked together. Many of the buildings were damaged by large earthquakes and Ottoman neglect, and there was much restoration by Fascist Italy when that country controlled Rhodes in the 20th Century.

At the top (west end) of the street is the Palace of the Grand Master. The grounds are open for free but there is an admission fee to enter the building itself (which is a museum).

The rest of the morning we walked west out of the Gate d’Amboise and south through the park that runs parallel to the ramparts and walls. It was lovely to hike through greenery and pine trees while also having views of the old city and the edges of the new city. 

The city gates are still functioning entry/exit points today. Scooters, small cars, and pedestrians share the medieval bridges over the dry moat.

We lunched at Hermes Grill and it was so good. Again we had souvlaki and a Greek salad (known as a “village salad” in Greece, and which never contains lettuce).

After eating we strolled around and wound up in a wine shop that looked like it could have been in a movie set. The knowledgeable owner provided some wine tastings and educated us on Greek wines.

We explored more of the walled city plus the waterfront. For late spring it looked like they were gearing up for summer and this beach was only a ten minute walk north of the old town.

Chania, Crete

The old town of Chania nestles into an old Venetian port that is just as cute as Portofino or anything found in Italy.

But unless your ship is tendering that day, you will not be starting southeast of the city in the industrial port of Souda. Fortunately a city bus was easy to take: the transit agency had a counter set up just outside of the ship to sell tickets. And although the ticket price was the standard local price, they also provided extra buses to handle the demand into and out of town. More cities should look into this express bus style to help tourists get to the downtown core.

We spent the day walking around the town and visiting the beach.

The Chania Market is under a long period of construction and was not open when we were there. We spent some time sipping coffee, walking through the Venetian alleys, and enjoying the views at the waterfront. Lunch was a stop for a delicious pork gyro from Oasis, a small shop in the city center. 

Just east of the tourist core of Chania are a series of small bays and beaches. There was a tiny stretch of sandy beach that we considered stopping at but it was just a small strip between the seawall and the waves. Instead we walked a little further to a pebble beach with rock paths into the water. It was too chilly to actually swim but warm enough to sit by the water and relax. 

At the end of the afternoon we walked back to the last bus of the day.

If I had to choose Crete cities between Chania or Heraklion, I would visit Chania. The bay was nicer and more picturesque.

Dubrovnik, Croatia & Bar, Montenegro (cancelled)

The heavy winds of the Adriatic caused the captain to cancel these two ports.

Bar was a port where we were having trouble finding anything to do. Kotor is the usual cruise port for Montenegro and it is an old walled city. Bar is more of an industrial port town. Most of the shore excursions offered by the ship would have bussed passengers to Kotor!

Having not visited Dubrovnik before we were so bummed that this port was cancelled. We had wanted to walk the city walls, and the best option is to buy the “city pass” that includes that and a number of other sights around town. Thankfully we had waited to purchase this, or we would have wasted 40€ each for the tickets. Eek! 

Corfu, Greece

A lovely island hugging the coast of Albania, Corfu offers a variety of things to do. We had visited on a cruise three years ago and had only walked around the ancient walled town (also called Corfu).

We started to walk into the old city but decided to check in on a couple of rental car agencies to see if there was last-minute availability.

Rent4All came through with a automatic car for €30, so we decided to spend the day driving around the north part of the island. They were friendly, the car was good, and we never felt like we were being ripped off. They even drove us back to the cruise port at the end of the day!

We drove north up the east coast, past beaches just getting set up for the summer. We stopped for pastries and coffee and watched the waves.

Our first destination was Kassiopi Harbor, where there is a cute village in the shadow of an old fortress. But we were there for Dimas Caffe Bar and Swimming Pool, which we found on Google Maps. After some sneaking around on foot, we found a pool bar hidden behind an apartment complex. Apparently the pool can be used by bar customers, but we found the pool drained and not yet cleaned.

We were not impressed by the restaurants on the harbor (at least the ones that were open), so we opted to keep driving.

Our next stop was the old stone city of Perithia, located high on a hillside. It was a dramatic windy drive and stunning green landscape. 

Although the high-altitude village is now mostly abandoned by the former residents, it is far from empty during the daytimes. Fortunately, the drive may prevent large tour buses from getting there, although we definitely saw tour vans. There are also a few trails that come through the area, and it seems like a nice spot for a mountain hike.

There were a number of taverns serving lunch, and we took a table at Taverna Evdokia, for a beautiful traditional meal from a family-run restaurant.

The rest of the afternoon we drove the corkscrew roads, going up the hills to viewpoints and back down to beaches. There is a lot to look at in Corfu! Here is a short video of the scenery and driving experience on Instagram.

We ended the day just south of the old town to eat our last Greek gyros for a while, then dropped off the car with perfect timing. It was a nice day! Renting a car in port can be quite economical and it gives one the freedom to explore independently and away from the hordes. Gas cost about the same price as the rental so for about $60 USD we made our own island tour for two people.

Cefalonia (cancelled due to strong winds)

A last-minute cancellation gave us a surprise sea day, where we caught up on sleep and got some sun by the pool.

Taranto, Italy

This was another new port for us and an inaugural port for Princess. Taranto is about 60 miles south of Bari. While Bari is located on the Adriatic Coast, Taranto is located at the very bottom of the Italian boot. Not the heel or the toe, more like the arch.

It was a short day since all aboard was 3:30 PM! If we had been given more time in port, we might have taken a train to visit somewhere else.

The cruise port is a little west of the old city, which is a little island. The main part of the new city is east of the island, but there is modern development west of the island as well. The old city is connected on both sides with car and pedestrian-friendly bridges.

The old town of Taranto is comprised of a number of old decaying buildings, and it felt generally abandoned, save for a few very-touristy corridors. The cold wind blowing off the water made it feel desolate. We walked quickly through the old town and after 20 minutes arrived at the far end, where teh modern side is located.

There was a nice high street with stately and handsome buildings. These were also old, just not medieval! We tried to walk on the sunny side of the street to stay warm as we meandered down the streets admiring the architecture and pastel-hued buildings.

We then crossed back to the old town to tour the foreboding Spanish Castle on the water. Admission was free and there were some exhibits on the castle itself, the town history, and some art.

Lunch was an incredible culinary celebration of pizza from Da Michele, the legendary pizzeria from Naples. It had been our list for quite awhile so we were delighted to dine on affordable delicious pies. 

We then meandered the narrow lanes and alleys working our way back to the ship. With the way we walked we saw less passengers on our route. Most everyone did the opposite of us and so had slowly worked their way down to where we started.

The highlight for me was the beautiful church with a modest outside, the Cathedral of San Cataldo.

Overall the old city felt abandoned and could have been a set for an apocalyptic movie. There was not much open and we wondered if it’s more lively in the summer months.

Valletta, Malta

The country of Malta is an archipelago comprised of three occupied islands (Malta, Gozo, and Comino) and a number of unoccupied smaller islands. Overall small in area, the entire country is only about twice the size of Washington, D.C. The location has been historically strategic, as Malta lies in the Mediterranean corridor between Sicily and Africa. 

We visited Valletta, a town of around 100,000 people that is the capital and largest city. This was our first time visiting and one of the highlights of the entire world cruise. We had read in advance that the views sailing in would be wonderful. It was easy to be ready and up on deck for it since we docked at 12 noon. 

Unfortunately, Island Princess does not have a great look-out point that is unobstructed by glass. Unlike some other vessels we have sailed on (like Holland America’s Westerdam), Island Princess never opened its bow for guests.

So we waited on the promenade deck (Deck 7) as we slowly approached Malta. I felt like we sailed right into a Game of Thrones movie set. Sand-colored castles and fortress walls stood tall against the aqua waters.

The ship made a slow and panoramic turn to back into our spot at the pier, which revealed two other cruise ships in town.

Old-town Valletta lies at the top of a hill and it was a haul to get to the top. There were plenty of taxis, hop-on/hop-off buses, and horse-drawn carriages to whisk passengers to the nearby sights. We walked up the hill to tour the city.

With the monstrous MSC World Europa also in port (nearly 7,000 passengers), there were a ton of tourists filling all the nooks and crannies around town. 

The town was filled with quaint streets, and quainter bars and restaurants. We wandered around the avenues and alleys, enjoying food and drinks along the way. We had sandwiches at Focacceria Dal Pani that rivaled All’antico Vinaio in Florence. Warm burrata oozed out the sides but the delicately sliced mortadella and pistachio cream was perfect. The other sandwich was just as good with ham, truffle cream and buffalo mozzarella. 

Our walk eventually led us to the edge of the city. We admired the views from the Lower Barrakka Gardens just as the MSC World Europa was leaving. It was an incredible sight to see the mammoth ship sail out, as the upper decks towered over the fortress and city walls. Medieval cities would stand no chance against an invasion from modern ships!

We zigzagged back across town and enjoyed the night scene as it opened up in the various lanes, stopping for a platter and wine at a bar called Why Not. 

We walked back through the more-popular streets and squares to see the gorgeous buildings lit-up for the night. It was lovely being able to stay in town in the evening. Many cruise itineraries have guests getting back on before dinner time, and a 10 PM sailaway was a treat. It was a great ending to our 80-day trip around the world. Our actual last day was a sea day. So let’s wrap up this post with some thoughts on ship life and the world cruise in general.

Ship Life

With such few sea days during this segment, we used that time to rest up and read about the upcoming ports. The weather cooled once in the Med so we also spent less time by the pool as compared to previous segments.

It took several weeks but eventually we made friends onboard. Some folks we’d see often around the ship and then bump into each other in port: Jeremy and Price from Montana, Cindy from the Bay, Heather and Kevin (fellow Cascadians from British Columbia), and “Tiffany and Pierre”, who we hope to meet up with again after they move to Gibraltar.

Viral infections ran rampant through the passengers, and multiple folks ended up with pneumonia or bronchitis. In fact several folks disembarked and sought hospital treatment in port from the infections. Toward the end we mostly avoided crowded spaces to avoid getting sick. Masking and fresh air works, as we dodged the chesty cough that everyone else seemed to get at some point along the voyage. 

Final thoughts on world cruise 

80 days went by so quickly! We liked the wide variety of ports. People have asked what our favorite port was, but how do you choose between New Zealand, South Africa, and the Greek Islands?

The timing of hitting the Med in spring was quite enjoyable. There is less heat and fewer crowds. Yes, it rains more, but the spring flowers and the lack of sweltering heat makes up for it. 

There’s something almost magical about starting on one continent and moving to others by sea. Each day you’re somewhere new. But after 70 days I was feeling a little “ship fatigue.”

The monotony of the food, the nightly shows, and the overall schedule started to zap my energy. Perhaps I would have felt differently if the sea days were more evenly dispersed instead of in long chunks. The big thing for me by the end of the cruise was the food. We ate so many delicious fresh meats and salads in Greece that it became difficult to eat meals back onboard. Although the food was fine, it was suddenly just less appetizing. 

The service was outstanding onboard and living on board for months means more meaningful interactions. It reminded me of my ship contracts in my twenties. I genuinely hope to see some of the same smiling faces on future cruises. 

I would do a world cruise again but I think I prefer sailings that cap at around 60 days. But I think the schedule really makes a difference. One segment was heavy with sea days and our last segment was so port heavy which created an imbalance. By the end my feet hurt and I felt fatigued of walking around old cute European towns.