• Trip: Rome and Cruise through Italy and Greece (Norwegian Breakaway)
• Dates: September 1 – 15, 2023
• Who: Me (Jess), Emily (one of my best friends), Beverly (my mom), Jeff (my stepdad), Jen (my aunt), and Megan (my sister).

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Tour next stop in Greece was another one of my Bucket List ports…. Mykonos! I was so excited. It was an early one, waking up at 6:15 and getting ready for the day’s adventure. I met Mom and Jeff for breakfast. Megan was running behind, so Mom grabbed her an omelet to scarf down before we had to get off the ship.

Mykonos is a tender port, so we needed to get in line. Mom, Jeff, Megan, and I all booked an excursion together through Shore Excursions Group – Exclusive Mykonos Old and New. We caught a tender and easily found our tour bus. From there, we were driven around to various parts of the island. We learned that Mykonos is not the best for vegetation. Between the winds and type of sand/soil, it doesn’t lend itself to tons of growth.

Our first stop was a beach on the northern part of the island. We had a few minutes to put our feet in the water and take photos. The sand was interesting, as it didn’t stick like the beach sand we’re used to in Florida.

We then drove to another part of the island and got out to see a village that houses the Monastery of Panagia Tourliani. It was honestly beautiful and had so much history.

In the same village was our snack stop, a little cafe that had delicious pastries and coffee. The shop is built around this pretty tree. We sat for a bit and snacked. There were also several vendors in the village square, but we didn’t have enough time to really shop. Well, we didn’t have any time, at all. Our guide was somewhat rushing us.

From there, we were back to the port area of the island. Our guide advised us that it would be about two hours of walking, so Mom and Jeff decided to go back to the ship. The walking tour took us along the shore, a teeny-tiny public beach, through the town, through the fort, by the large church, Little Venice, and to the windmills. At that point, our tour guide let us know the tour was over and that we were free to explore on our own. The “two hours” was only about 40 minutes, lol. It was fun and very pretty, though!

Since we were on our own, Megan and I decided to mosey our way through the town. We looked in several shops for souvenirs, perused the menus to see if any food sounded good, and generally just took our time enjoying the atmosphere. I honestly loved this little port town!

After shopping and exploring, we made our way back to the tender area and got back on the ship. We were both hungry and settled on O’Sheehans for lunch. I got fish and chips (really good) and Megan got a burger. We then went up to deck 15 to get some Mango water. Jen was in a hot tub, so we visited with her for a few minutes. The early morning was hitting me, so I went back to the room, took a shower, and got a nice long nap in (2 hours)!

I woke up around 4. Mom and Megan were heading to Bar 21, so I went with them. We sat and just chatted…. we also drank some really yummy mudslides! Emily met up with us on her way to the gym, so she joined in for a few minutes. Megan wanted to meet her there and Mom was heading to a painting class, so we all went our separate ways. I found a cozy nook to read in, while Mom painted. Towards the end of the class, I checked her progress before heading back to the room.

When I got back to the room, I discovered that our TV wasn’t working. A cord came unplugged and the thing was firmly bolted to the wall, making it difficult to fix. Once it was working again, I chilled until Emily got back and we got ready for dinner. Tonight, we were all meeting back in The Manhattan Room.

Pictured above was my dinner…. Mini Beef Tostadas (Good, but they were basically three loaded nachos); Sweet Corn and Pepper Bisque (Excellent, but mine had a LOT of diced jalapeños, so I couldn’t finish it); Braised Beef Ragu on Parpadelli pasta (beef and ricotta were excellent, didn’t eat the noodles); Pesto Gnocchi (really goo)d; Black Forest Cake (Good); Fig and Apple Cobbler with Ice Cream (really good).

After dinner, Mom, Megan, and headed up to 15 for nightly H2O. It was then back to the cabin to get ready for bed. I watched TV for a little while and called it a fairly early night.

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Italy/Greece 2023 Trip Report (September 1 – 15, 2023)
– The Beginning (Vivi Alla Giornata!)
– The Planning Process (Rome)
– The Planning Process (Greece Ports)
– The Planning Process (Italy Ports)
– Flight Confusion
– Day 0: Leave for Rome (September 1, 2023)
– Day 1: Rome Arrival and City Tour (September 2, 2023)
– Day 2: Board the Breakaway (September 3, 2023)
– Day 3: Sea Day (September 4, 2023)
– Day 4: Santorini, Greece (September 5, 2023)
– Day 5: Athens (Piraeus), Greece (September 6, 2023)
– Day 6: Mykonos, Greece (September 7, 2023)
– Day 7: Olympia (Katakolon), Greece (September 8, 2023)
– Day 8: Valletta, Malta (September 9, 2023)
– Day 9: Messina (Sicily), Italy (September 10, 2023)
– Day 10: Naples, Italy (September 11, 2023)
– Day 11: Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy (September 12, 2023)
– Day 12: Disembark and Vatican City (September 13, 2023)
– Day 13: Rome (September 14, 2023)
– Day 14: Leaving Rome (September 15, 2023) and Some Final Thoughts

Related Reviews
– IterItaly (Private Tour: Rome 3-Hour Orientation Tour)
– Shore Excursions Group (Exclusive Santorini, Oia, and Winery Tour)
– Shore Excursions Group (Hop-On, Hop-Off Athens Highlights Tour)
– Shore Excursions Group (Exclusive Mykonos Old and New)
– Shore Excursions Group (Spirit of Olympia and Magna Grecia Farm)
– Shore Excursions Group (Taormina and the Blue Grotto)
– Amalfi Driver (Private Tour: Sorrento, Positano, and Limoncello Tour)
– Bella Italia Tours (Private Tour: Florence, Pisa, and Chianti Wine Tour)