Mediterranean Cruise Recap
A Trip Years in the Making
Way back in December of 2018, my family booked an epic cruise to the Mediterranean with Viking Cruises for Summer of 2020. Well, we all know how 2020 went- Covid hit, life became locked down, travel halted, and everything was incredibly uncertain. As we waited until we could make this trip, Viking was incredible and provided some extra incentives to keep us looking forward to our journey- upgraded rooms and a pre-trip before our cruise. When Summer 2022 rolled around, we finally were about to set off and hit this grand trip of 5 countries over 2 weeks- Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Greece. This post will recap where we visited, what we loved, what we did, and what I recommend. Even if you don’t have a trip to Europe planned in the near future, I hope this trip provides some incredible wanderlust and will give you some ideas on travel opportunities for the future!
Hotel Splendid, Lake Maggiore, Italy
Lake Como, Italy
Italy- Lake Maggiore and Lake Como
Spoiler alert, but please keep reading: The Italian Lakes were hands down the Hook Family favorite part of the trip! Viking Cruises offered my family a pre-trip to our cruise to the Italian Lakes since we had to wait a few years for our trip, and these few days made the trip worth the wait. When we landed in Italy (after a crazy delay and experience in Frankfurt), we arrived in Milan and drove about an hour to Lake Maggiore where we stayed at the beautiful Hotel Splendid (pictured above) for 3 nights. On our first day, we took private boat rides around the Lake and visited historic homes on islands in and around the lake. The best part of staying on Lake Maggiore at the Hotel Spendid is the gorgeous outdoor patio and dock they had for drinking, eating and relaxing. In the mornings, I would bring my coffee outside and in the evening, I loved having a glass of Prosecco with my feet in the lake. I want to get back to the lakes and stay there just for the time to swim and relax on the lake. Lake Maggiore feels quiet and secluded, which was the perfect way to start the trip.
Day 2 on the lakes, we drove 2 hours to take a private boat tour of Lake Como. Going from our calm, peaceful lake, Lake Como is the opposite and more like the Beverly Hills of the lake district. It is busy with boats and sunbathers, the houses are large villas right on the water, and it is not uncommon to spot a celebrity. On our boat cruise, we passed George Clooney’s house, the Pope’s summer residence, the villa where John Legend and Chrissy Teigen got married, and the filming location for Lady Gaga’s House of Gucci movie. It is ritzy and glamorous to the core. We had a wonderful waterside lunch in the area of Bellagio, which I would highly recommend if you visit! If you had to make me pick, I preferred Lake Maggiore and its’ quiet charm to the flashy Lake Como. However, I was in love with the whole region!
Slovenia
We picked up our cruise in Venice, and immediately set sail for Slovenia! Slovenia feels like an extension of Italy. It has old school Mediterranean charm along the Adriatic and the architecture is heavily influenced by its’ Italian neighbors. With only 20 some miles of coastline, you are able to see Italy from certain vantage points, and then take a quick drive and overlook Croatia. Most signs on the roads or buildings are written in Slovenian and Italian, since both languages are so closely tied to their culture and economy. We first visited the small town of Piran, located right on the coast, and then went to a farmers market in the hills of a small village. Slovenia just feels like you are stepping back in time. It is charming and the people are incredibly friendly!
Zadar and Dubrovnik, Croatia
Croatia is just visually stunning! When I think back to Zadar and Dubrovnik, medieval buildings, the bluest water, and mega yachts instantly come to mind. It truly is jaw dropping. While walking around the little towns were beautiful, my favorite memory of Croatia was just sailing along the gorgeous Croatian coast, and taking in the views from the boat. If you are a Game of Thrones fan, make sure to head to Dubrovnik to get your fix. On my next trip, I would like to check out Split, one of the largest towns and is located along the coast, and Hvar, a small island on the Adriatic. I am told those 2 spots are the best places to visit. With our cruise, we set sail each night and woke up in a new port, so we were always on the move. While we didn’t get to every spot we wanted to see, it was the only way to get so many countries in during the 2 weeks away!
Montenegro
Montenegro stands for Black Mountain, which is the perfect description for this beautiful, small country! Surrounded by mountains, I mostly enjoyed the incredible view from the boat. We visited the town of Kotor on our one day in Montenegro. Truthfully, I didn’t find a lot to do in the town, but I loved waking up and having this view at breakfast. To include a ridiculous anecdote, this is one of the few towns I tried to sneak in a little shopping (we were busy!). While looking at some bags in a store and before we knew what was going on, my mom and I got lured into a back alley shop to look at fakes. Within seconds, I rushed to the door and grabbed my mom to get out. The last thing I wanted to do was be stuck in a windowless room with a strange man in Montengero with God knows what kind of shady dealings that goes on there. Luckily, we got out and back to the ship. We didn’t buy anything clearly, but I walked away with this ridiculous story! While Montenegro is beautiful, I don’t have it high on my list for a second visit.
Greece
By the time we got to Greece, I was getting a little tired and sick of the heat! We spent a quick morning in Corfu and toured Olympia, home of the Olympics (pictured far right), but I reenergized for the day I had been really looking forward to- Santorini! While I knew the views in Santorini would be incredible, I was mainly excited, because we signed up for a wine tasting tour of 3 local vineyards. If you ever make your way to Santorini, make sure to visit Santo Wines and get a glass (or bottle) of Assyrtiko, a locally made white wine. Santo Wines (pictured second from right) is the largest winery in Santorini and the views are unreal. In addition, you need to go to Oía, where you will get the incredible views of white buildings and blue dome roofs. Most of Santorini is hilly, since it is built from volcanic eruptions. If you need to make your way to the water from Oía (the top of the hill), wait in line and take the cable car to the bottom. The “death steps,” which I have nicknamed them, is the worst decision you can make. Donkeys are coming from both directions, there is donkey crap everywhere, the stones are slippery, and the steps are steep. We had people slip and drop bottles of wine as we made the treacherous journey down the hill. If there is one thing I regret doing, it is letting my family convince me to take the “death steps.” In all fairness to them, the cable car was not built to sustain the amount of tourists who would need it. We were told that the donkey industry lobbied to keep the cable car small, so it wouldn’t affect their business…you can’t make this stuff up! All in all, the wine tasting was my favorite activity on the trip…shocker!
Our trip wrapped up in Athens, where we headed to the airport and made our way home! While I feel like this post covers a lot, it really just skims the surface of our journey. Leave any questions in the comments section, and I would love to answer. This truly was a trip of a lifetime!
Thanks Mama and Papa Hook for always wanting to take your adult children on every trip!