Barcelona & luxury cruise to France and Italy

This morning, embark on a tour of some of Gaudí’s most inspired additions to the city. The afternoon is free for you to explore at leisure.

The city of Barcelona is yours to explore until you depart on your ship in the evening. You might spend the day visiting the Picasso Museum. Made up of five 14th-century palaces, the museum holds more than 3,500 pieces of the artist’s works, including sketches, oil paintings, and ceramics with a particular focus on his early period. In the afternoon, make your way to your ship, where you can explore your ship’s 17 decks and scout out the 32 different restaurants, bars, and lounges.

Make your first port of call in Cannes on the French Riviera. This glamorous city is best known for its film festival, but it’s a destination for the glitterati year-round. If you want to indulge fully in Cannes’ reputation for luxury, you might opt for a privately chauffeured guided tour through the narrow roads of the Côte d’Azur. Or you can visit the medieval town of Saint-Paul de Vence, followed by a stop at a family vineyard for a wine tasting.

You’ll arrive in the pastel-painted town of Portofino to explore this morning. Here, you might opt to take a kayak out, following your guide along the shoreline and admiring the view from the water. Or you can join a small-group tour to visit two of the villages on the Cinque Terre. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this collection of five fishing villages is known for the sun-faded houses that seem to cling to the cliffsides over the water.

Just an hour's drive inland from the Marina de Pisa, Florence is a compact gem of a city on the banks of the Arno. Today, you can take a guided tour through the city’s highlights, from the glories of the Pitti Palace, the fortress-like ex-Medici stronghold, to the open-air museum of the Boboli Gardens. Or, leave the city to drive through the sun-gilded hills of Tuscany to a traditional farmhouse, where you’ll hunt for truffles with a trained dog.

Today, you'll land in Civitavecchia, an ancient port city that’s served Rome for 2,000 years. Delve into the living history of the capital's gastronomic culture with a guided tour of Campo de' Fiori food market, followed by a small-group cooking class to learn to make pasta. Or take a guided visit to the Vatican, including Saint Peter’s Basilica and Square. Afterwards, you could unwind on board with a drink in your ship’s rooftop garden.

Arrive today in the lively city of Naples. You might board a kayak for a guided paddle through the Bay of Naples or take a private motorboat to cruise around the wave-carved grottoes and rocky shoreline of nearby Capri. The doomed city of Pompeii is nearby, and you can join a guided exploration of its haunting streets and villas — you can choose between a walking tour and a van tour for visitors with mobility issues.

You can unwind as your ship makes its way back to Barcelona. You’ll have the whole day at sea to admire the sunlight bouncing off the Mediterranean and enjoy the ship’s many charms. With your newfound experience with European art, you might wander through the gallery. Or you can get pampered at the salon, followed by a photo shoot at the ship’s studio.

Disembark in Barcelona this morning for the next stage of your trip. You’ll have time to explore the city a bit more. You might, for example, revisit the Sagrada Família, to sit inside the basilica and take in the ever-changing play of light and shadows on the intricate and organic interior. You might visit La Boqueria Market for a leisurely lunch before you meet your driver in a private car for your two-hour trip to the Costa Brava.

After a day at leisure, you'll set sail on a sunset cruise.

You have the day to spend at leisure at your hotel, perhaps relaxing by the pool or heading into nearby Begur.

Bid farewell to the Costa Brava as you head to Barcelona for your flight. Your return flight will arrive the same day.