Take to the high seas between three storied nations.
The Italian, Balkan, and Peloponnese peninsulas all share something in common: the glittering waters of the Mediterranean that separate them. On this special version of our Italy, the Adriatic & Greek Islands Cruise, you’ll get to know them well—as well as the countries that sit along its shores. Begin in canal-crossed Venice before streaking across the Adriatic to Split, Croatia. From this historic city, you’ll move on to the iconic Greek island of Santorini, before finishing in the cradle of civilization itself—Athens. (Not ready to go home? Rome awaits on this trip’s extension!)
Your tour package includes
3 nights in handpicked hotels
7 nights aboard the Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas
10 breakfasts
6 lunches
9 dinners, some with beer or wine
2 sightseeing tours
Expert Tour Director & local guide
Private deluxe motor coach
Included highlights
St. Mark’s Square
Grand Canal
Santorini
Mykonos
Athens
Split
Diocletian’s Palace
Itinerary
Overnight Flight1 night
Day 1: Travel day
Board your overnight flight to Venice today.
Venice2 nights
Day 2: Arrival in Venice
Included meal: Welcome dinner
Welcome to Italy! Meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.
We handpick every hotel to strike the balance of comfort, location, and local charm. Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date, but these are frequently used hotels for this tour and we're confident you'll be satisfied.
This calming hotel is located on the Dorsoduro neighborhood of Venice. Guests enjoy the gym, garden, bar. Nearby you’ll find Rialto Bridge, Doge's Palace, and the Basilica S.Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.
Explorer of the Seas
Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seasons brings many different activities paired with a range of restaurants and staterooms. Enjoy thrills like the surf simulator, gliding across the ice skating rink, relaxing the day away in...
Hotel Milton Roma
This classical hotel is located in the heart of Rome. Guests enjoy the inner courtyard, bar, and convenient location. Nearby you’ll find the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and several dining options.
Round-trip flights are one more thing we handle to make your journey as smooth as possible. Our team of travel experts will find the best flight itinerary for you at a competitive rate, thanks to our partnerships with top airlines.
Add our airfare and you’ll get:
Round-trip flight for your tour
Airport transfers at your destination
A great price locked in today
24/7 support from our dedicated service team
Options for arriving early, staying longer, or requesting an upgrade
Flexible rebooking options if your tour itinerary changes
Features on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas blends a range of thrilling adventure to relaxing adult-only areas. Aboard, you’ll find inviting public spaces and well-appointed staterooms with all the comforts of home. See a detailed summary of the ship’s amenities and available cabins on their website.
In order to enter Italy, Croatia, and Greece, U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport with an expiration date extending at least six months beyond the date of reentry.
We recommend having at least two blank passport pages for entry stamps.
Beginning in 2025, U.S. and Canadian passport holders must register for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to enter many European countries.
Passport holders from over 60 visa-exempt countries (including the U.S. and Canada) will need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to visit 30 European countries. That means that even if you’ve previously traveled to any of these European countries without a visa, starting in 2025, you’ll need to get ETIAS authorization to visit them again. If you’re traveling to multiple countries with this requirement, you only need to complete the form once. All Go Ahead travelers are responsible for obtaining their own ETIAS travel authorization before departure. For more details, please visit our Help Center.
If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you must contact each destination country’s consulate for your specific entry requirements.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code MRV.
You will walk for at least 1.5 hours daily across moderately uneven terrain, including paved roads, cobblestone streets, and unpaved trails, with few hills.
Travelers should be healthy enough to participate in all included walks without assistance. Adding optional excursions may increase the total amount of walking on your tour.
You should feel comfortable managing your own baggage at times, as well as getting in and out of trains and small boats.
Go Ahead Tours and the Tour Director who accompanies your group are unable to provide special, individual mobility assistance to travelers on tour. The responsibility of the Tour Director is to ensure the group as a whole enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing, individualized assistance to any one traveler.
If you have any mobility concerns or physical restrictions, please contact our Customer Experience Team.
Round-trip flights booked through Go Ahead Tours arrive in and depart from Venice (or Rome on tour extension). A representative from Go Ahead Tours will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Please remain in the arrival lounge, as the representative might be escorting one of your fellow travelers to the bus at the time of your arrival.
Transfers to and from the airport at your destination are included for travelers who have purchased their flights through Go Ahead Tours. Travelers who purchase their own flights may request airport transfers with Go Ahead Tours for an additional cost.
Water taxis in Venice, a seven-night Mediterranean Cruise, and boat rides are included in the price of your tour. (The tour extension also includes a train ride from Venice to Rome.)
All other included transportation on this tour is by private motor coach.
Please note that our travelers are limited to one checked bag and one carry-on bag per person due to storage limitations on motor coaches and other transfers, which may include train connections or flights.
Contact your airline(s) for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flights, which may include on-tour flights in addition to your round-trip flights to and from tour. Please note that your included on-tour flights may have more restrictive baggage limits.
Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage or exceed baggage size and weight restrictions. Be advised that you are responsible for any baggage fees incurred on all flights.
Make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents in your carry-on bag.
We recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered to accommodate varying temperatures, as well as a light jacket or rainwear.
A sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers is recommended for sightseeing.
There are two formal dinners aboard the cruise ship and we recommend packing dressier attire for these evenings.
You should bring an overnight bag with you when you board the cruise ship as it can take some time for your luggage to be delivered to your room.
It is preferable not to visit churches or other religious sites with bare legs and shoulders (and entrance may be denied on this basis).
At least 60 days prior to departure, check with your doctor or healthcare provider for the latest updates and entry requirements, or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
Sun protection is very important. Bring sunscreen, sunglasses, and a broad-brimmed hat to protect your face and the back of your neck from the sun.
If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour as well as any possible delays encountered.
Please note that codeine (commonly found in headache medications) is banned in Greece, and you may face prosecution if you bring it into the country.
If you have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies please notify Go Ahead Tours at least 30 days prior to departure by logging in to your account and updating your traveler info. To update this information closer to your departure date, please call our Customer Experience Team.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code MRV.
Venice and Northern Italy are known for their meats and pastries. For more authentic meals, try local trattorias, small restaurants set away from the main piazzas. A typical Italian meal includes wines and the occasional beer, followed by a few sips of after-dinner drinks like grappa or limoncello.
In Croatia, you may like to try traditional Balkan dishes, such as duvec (vegetables and meat), moussaka (eggplant and minced meat), sarma (minced meat and rice), and raznjici (grilled veal or pork). Almost every region of the country produces its own varieties of wine, each of which are quite delicious.
Greece’s warm climate ensures a constant supply of fresh, high-quality fruits and vegetables. Salads served with aromatic olive oil, feta cheese, and oregano are plentiful. Simple grilled fish and meat are integral to Greek cuisine, as well as squid and octopus. Don't miss the spinach and cheese pies, called spanakopita.
On the tour extension, Roman food is typically freshly prepared and varies depending on the season. Must-try bites include cacio e pepe (a simple dish of pasta, cheese, and pepper) and supplí (a fried rice ball similar to Sicily's arancini).
The cruise ship offers 15 restaurants and dining options, including a wide variety of cuisines and dining atmospheres. Room service is also available 24/7.
Breakfast and lunch are open seating in the ship’s dining room. You’ll arrive at most ports of call in the morning. If you’d like to enjoy the included lunch aboard the ship, you should either wait until after you eat lunch to disembark for the day or return to the ship around lunchtime, with the option to head back to the port of call after your meal.
Dinner is served in two sittings (6:30pm and 8:30pm). Please confirm your time preference at check-in at the terminal. If you do not get the dinner sitting you would like, please speak to the dining room maitre d’ at the earliest opportunity. He or she will do their best to accommodate you.
Aboard the ship, there will be outlets for both North American standard 110 volts and European standard 220-240 volts, which take a Type I plug with three large, flat pins.
Italy operates on the European standard 220-240 volts and uses Types C, F, or L plugs with two or three small, round pins.
Croatia and Greece operate on the European standard 220-240 volts and uses Types C, E, or F plugs with two small, round pins.
We recommend packing a universal adapter, as well as a voltage converter if you plan on using your own hairdryer or other device without a built-in converter. Please keep in mind that only a limited number of adapters and converters can be borrowed on board the cruise ship.
The strength of the air conditioning in European hotels is often not as strong or as cool as what you might be used to in the U.S. or Canada. When air conditioning is available, it is usually regulated seasonally and controlled centrally by the hotel.
Your hotels may provide hairdryers, irons, and other small appliances. These amenities cannot be guaranteed in your hotels, but the cruise ship will provide a hairdryer in your room.
Wi-Fi is available in most hotels, though some charges may apply.
There is no Wi-Fi on any of the motor coaches.
Wi-Fi is available for purchase aboard the cruise ship.
Please contact your mobile service provider for information on roaming charges.
Italy and Croatia are one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and six hours ahead of Eastern Time (ET).
Greece is two hours ahead of GMT and seven hours ahead of ET.
When it’s noon in New York, it is 6pm in Italy and Croatia and 7pm in Greece.
You will use the euro on tour.
Better rates of exchange are usually available abroad, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive.
We strongly advise that you take debit/bank cards and credit cards, which can be used to withdraw cash at local banks as needed.
You can use most debit/credit cards at ATMs on the international networks Cirrus and Plus, but make sure to check with your home bank about withdrawal fees.
Inform your bank and credit card company of your travel plans so that they won’t confuse your international purchases for fraudulent charges.
International banks and businesses primarily accept debit and credit cards that work with the EMV chip system. If you do not already have at least one debit or credit card with a chip in it, we strongly recommend requesting one from your bank prior to your tour.
On board the cruise ship, you will be issued a card that will enable you to sign for most shipboard expenses, such as optional shore excursions, bar bills, and spa treatments. Your account can be settled with cash, traveler’s checks, or a major credit card such as American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club, or Discover Card. Personal checks are not cashed or accepted.
In ports of call, you may find a good supply of U.S. currency in small denominations very useful when bargaining for everything from taxi rides to souvenirs.
At the conclusion of your tour, it’s customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
We recommend tipping the equivalent of $10USD to $12USD per person per day for your Tour Director and the equivalent of $3USD per person per day for your driver.
If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD per local guide.
Tips can only be paid in cash.
Gratuities for services aboard your cruise ship are not included in the price of your tour but will be automatically charged to your on-board account. In general, this gratuity amounts to the equivalent of $20USD per person per day, which covers all service charges for ship personnel. A separate 18 percent service charge is automatically added to all bar tabs and spa services.
If you have not yet purchased your optional excursions, you may be able to do so while on your tour.
Your Tour Director will only accept cash (in USD only), Visa, or MasterCard as payment for optional excursions.
Please be advised that if you pay for an excursion by credit card while on tour, it may take up to three months for your card to be charged.
Some optional excursions may only be purchased in advance. See page four of your tour itinerary for more information.
Travelers will be able to sign up for shore excursions directly through the cruise line approximately 2 weeks prior to departure once we have received all traveler cruise documentation with their unique reservation ID.
Be sure to ask cruise representatives about shore excursions, as some are quite walking intensive. Also, please be advised that passengers who do not choose to partake in shore excursions are typically the last to disembark in that day’s port.
This tour was the perfect combination of organized tours and free time. It was extremely hot during August 2024 and we were able to tour in the morning and get out of the heat in the afternoon.
Later on, we would then go out at night to various restaurants, or on the cruise,...
Bea was Amazing! She made the trip!!
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Carmen, travelled in Aug 2024
Bea is such a gifted Tour Director, extremely knowledgeable, caring and on point!!!
The tour would not have been the same with anyone else!!!
I would take another EF Tour with BEA!!!!
EF Go Ahead Tours
Thank you for your review, we pride ourselves on having the best Tour Directors, so we are so happy to hear Bea provided an amazing...
Fabulous
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Yolanda, travelled in May 2024
We were a small but mighty group of 13 plus our Tour Director Alex.
My tour was the Mediterranean cruise: Italy, Greece and Croatia with an extension to Rome. Only seven of us continued on to Rome. By the end of the trip, we are all a close nit family helping one another.
We...
Mediterranean cruise Italy, Greece, Croatia
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Analeigh, travelled in May 2024
I just returned from this wonderful Mediterranean cruise to Italy, Greece and Croatia I had the best time, met some wonderful people. This was my first experience for a cruise, Royal Caribbean and I had a blast. I made lifelong friends and our tour Director Alexandra is totally...
busy and beautiful tour; wonderful experience
5 out of 5 stars
2nd-time traveler Frances Mary, travelled in Sep 2018
we love Venice; the cruise was great except for the amazing noise level, but that is a cultural preference, I guess. We felt we could have skipped Torricelli; made for a big, long, harder day. Also could have used more time for shopping in Santorini and Burano. Otherwise,...
Go Ahead Tours
Dear Frances,
Thank you for letting us know your impressions of your tour! We are delighted to read that it was a truly fantastic...
So much to see, so little time!
4 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Mary, travelled in May 2024
I enjoyed my land and cruise tour as a taster of various places visited. I now have a better idea of where I would return to spend more time. A lot of time was spent getting the group organized or supporting the tour leader in assisting individual group members having...
EF Go Ahead Tours
Thank you for sharing your feedback about your recent land and cruise tour with Go Ahead Tours, both in your review and with our Customer...
