- Pisa, Italy
- Toulon, France
- Marseille, France
- Dec 1-3, 2023
From Rome, (click here if you missed our previous story) we took a taxi to the Port of Civitavecchia to embark on our Mediterranean Explorer and Atlantic Crossing Cruise aboard Viking Neptune. This was a multi-country cruise with several port stops in Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, then an Atlantic Ocean crossing ending in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
The experience of boarding a Viking ship is exhilarating for us, like we’re stepping into a familiar and fantastic place. Having sailed with them several times previously, there’s comfort in knowing that all of their river and ocean ships have the same layout and we don’t have to learn how to get around. The cleanliness and the excellent food and service make us big fans of Viking. If you’re curious what it’s like being on a Viking ship, read my postings about our previous experiences; Checking Out a Viking Ship, Over-The-Top Brunch Buffet and Behind the Scenes of a Viking Ship.
Pisa, Italy
Our first port stop was at Livorno, Italy, a city that serves as a gateway to Pisa to see the iconic Leaning Tower. It was a long bus ride to visit one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy, but of course it was a must-see:
The famous Leaning Tower of Pisa (the Bell Tower) is the piazza’s crowning glory. Construction began in 1173 and was completed in 1399. It’s eight stories high with 207 columns ranged around it. We would have loved to go to the top but unfortunately time was not on our side 😦
Our next port stop at Nice, France was a bust and everyone was very disappointed. That would have been our chance to step into the chic city of Monte Carlo, Monaco.
We kept ourselves entertained and burned calories so we could eat more of the fantastic food!
Toulon, France
Toulon is a Mediterranean port city, and its harbor is a nice place for a stroll with views of many yachts and fishing boats. From the ship it was a five minute walk to Toulon’s bustling, colorful Cours Lafayette Market, the largest outdoor market in the region. We thought this was just an OK stop.
Marsaille, France
Our final stop on the French Riviera was in Marseille, the entrance to the Provence region. It was rainy and cold when we docked, but we went on a bus tour and I managed to get some pics:
Our visit to southern France would have been better with good weather, but “them’s the breaks”! Fortunately the sun was waiting for us in Spain and I’ll tell you more about that soon!
Au Revoir, France!
Next up: Spain
Lowes Travels 
Triple WOW!!! What a cruise!!
I feel the same way about cruising with Viking. We just finished our fourth ocean cruise. As we boarded the Viking Sea in San Juan I felt like I was coming home again. I really enjoyed your photos, especially the ones from Pisa. I climbed the tower back in 1967 or 68 as a teenager. I am looking forward to reading about the rest of your cruise. I would love to do this itinerary but I’m prone to seasickness and not sure I would enjoy crossing the Atlantic.
It must have been exciting climbing up Pisa! We wanted to do that too but time is always not on our side 🙂 Wow 4th Viking ocean cruise, and this was our 3rd so far ! They know how it works and make us happy cruisers.
I’m not sure if we’ll ever cruise big like that, but if we ever do, it’s good to see how well Viking takes care of its people. I always say that if anyone was ever going to convince TBG to cruise, it would be you two — how high are all the ceiling everywhere? 😀 Sorry you got stormed out of Nice, but you sure did make the most of all the other ports of call once again. I’m looking forward to seeing sunny Spain!
Sorry the weather kept you from Nice….We had a couple memorable moments while visiting some years ago!
You certainly managed to keep up the spirits even with the dreary weather and missed stop. I do believe your finger on the Tower is one of the best I’ve seen. It’s a must:)