Come along with us as we spend a day in Rome and eight days aboard the Viking Mars sailing the Western Mediterranean!

For the best viewing of this page on a tablet or phone, turn your device sideways.

As we were researching Western Mediterranean cruises, the Viking Iconic Western Med itinerary kept rising to the top of our list. The combination of ports — Rome, the Tuscan coast, the French Riviera, and Barcelona — along with Viking’s beautiful ships with under 1000 passengers, their included excursions, alcohol included with meals, and specialty dining at no extra charge — made it an easy choice. (Photo above is Monaco.)

The Itinerary

The Iconic Western Mediterranean is an 8-day ocean cruise sailing from Rome (Civitavecchia) or Barcelona, depending on your sailing date. Other ports of call include Livorno (gateway to Tuscany and Pisa), Monte Carlo (Monaco), Marseille (France), and Sète (France). The cruise will overnight in Livorno, as there is so much to see and do from this port. It also overnights in the last port of call (Rome or Barcelona depending on sailing date), as you will disembark here on day eight. Our itinerary was exactly as pictured below, but be aware that sometimes ports can change due to sea conditions, logistics, and other reasons on occasion. This is outlined in your cruise contract, as it is standard fine print for all cruises.

The Ship

We sailed on the Viking Mars, one of Viking’s identical ocean ships decorated in their signature Scandinavian minimalist aesthetic. Each ship carries 930 guests and 465 crew members, which means the service-to-guest ratio is genuinely exceptional. Our sailing had 864 guests. Viking ship cabins all have balconies with unobstructed views. We love that there are no casinos, no children, and no art auctions — just a beautiful ship designed for mature adults who love to travel. Each ship features the popular two-level Explorer’s Lounge, Torshavn (bar with live music and selection of Armagnacs), Aquavit Terrace (outdoor dining venue), the Star Theater, a beautiful spa and therapy pool, a small salon, and a gym, as well as the outdoor pool and the covered Wintergarden, where they serve afternoon tea each day at 4 pm.

Viking has six cabin types to choose from ranging from the most expensive Owner’s Suite, to Explorer’s Suites, Penthouse Junior Suites, Penthouse Veranda staterooms, Deluxe Veranda staterooms, and finally the least expensive Veranda staterooms. We booked a guaranteed Deluxe Veranda for this cruise, a first for us. When you book a guaranteed cabin (abbreviated as GTY), you pay for the lowest priced cabin in the category of cabin you choose. For example, Deluxe Veranda cabins are categorized as DV1 thru DV6, and all are identical. Generally speaking, although this varies by personal opinion, category 1 cabins are in a better location on the ship, such as mid-ship, for less movement with rough seas, and are priced higher that categories 2 thru 6. Category 6 cabins are generally considered less desirable locations, perhaps forward or aft, near the elevator, or above the bar or theater. That said, we love aft cabins on the very back of the ship and have sailed in them many times. Also, the crowd is older, and there is little concern about being near the elevator or above or below the bar or theater.

The big advantage of booking a GTY is that you might get an upgrade to a higher priced cabin. As is standard in the cruising industry, the ships are often slightly oversold, knowing that a certain percentage of passengers will cancel. During the last two weeks prior to sailing, Viking determines if they are oversold and begins offering some passengers free trips to voluntarily change their sailing date. As this happens, the cabins open up and the passengers who booked GTY cabins are then assigned a cabin. The availability of cabins determines the assignment for the GTY, but you are guaranteed a cabin not lower than the category you booked. Since we booked a GTY in the Deluxe Veranda category, we could be assigned any cabin in DV1 thru DV 6 or any higher priced cabin or suite. We received our cabin assignment about 72 hours before we boarded the ship, knowing that it could change by the time of embarkation. We ended up in that same cabin, 6040, a DV4, mid-ship, about three doors down from the laundry room. We could not hear any activity from the laundry room, it was a short walk to the stairs/elevator on either end, and were very pleased with the cabin. So no upgrade this time, but we will book a GTY again, knowing there are no bad cabins, and the anticipation of an upgrade was fun for us.

On Viking, your cabin determines when you are able to book shore excursions and make specialty dining reservations. The higher priced cabins have access to book excursions before the lower priced cabins. The cabin categories, amenities, and booking dates are clearly spelled out on the Viking website before you book. After booking, you will have access to the My Viking Journey section of the website, where you can book excursions, make payments, and access any other information you need. Do not be concerned if you are unable to book excursions before you sail. Once on board, you can book, adjust, and confirm everything through the Viking Voyager app or at the excursions desk. Viking guarantees one included excursion at every port of call (not one per day). 

A note about the Silver Spirits drink package: we always purchase the drink package when we cruise. Viking’s Silver Spirits package is currently $27 per guest per day and includes upgraded selections and barista made coffees from the bars with espresso machines. We get our coffee every morning at the Viking Bar on Deck 1. There is a lively debate about the drink package online, so I won’t reiterate all of it here. I will say that we find the drink package fits our needs. We enjoy the camaraderie with the bar staff, we aren’t nickeled and dimed to death on vacation, we appreciate the upgraded selections, the extra attention from the sommelier, and the chance to try things we would not try at home. Whether the package is “worth it” depends upon a lot of factors, not just making sure you consume $27 per day of drinks, as is the very tired argument. That said, the drinks are much more reasonably priced on Viking compared to other cruise lines.

The Weather

We sailed in April/May 2026. We love to travel in the off season when the weather is generally good and there are often fewer crowds. We use Weather Underground to check the weather history of the destinations we are visiting. This gives us an idea of the historical temps, plus we then check an actual forecast a few days before we leave home so we can adjust our packing if needed. We were expecting weather with highs in the 70’s F and lows around 50 F, and that is exactly what we were lucky enough to experience. We only had a bit of rain on our last day in Barcelona, and it was just a few sprinkles.

Dress Code and Packing

Viking’s dress code is “elegant casual.” This means casual wear like jeans, slacks, or shorts during the day, and smarter attire like dresses, skirts, or slacks with blouses for women, and collared shirts and trousers for men in the evening. Jeans are allowed in the World Cafe, but not in any of the sit down restaurants. That said, Viking seems to be relaxing their dress code concerning jeans, as many cruise lines have over the past few years. We saw several people in dark wash jeans in the sit down restaurants, including me, who wore some dressier trouser jeans to dinner on a couple nights. You do not necessarily need to dress up for dinner, but we like to change out of our day clothes into something nicer for evenings on the ship. You will see a few people wearing their casual clothes they had on that day for the excursions, but most people dress a little nicer in the evenings. There are no formal nights on Viking ships. We noticed on this sailing that people seemed to dress up a bit more than on the British Isles itinerary. Most of the ladies wore dresses in the evenings, and the men wore slacks with button up shirts or sweaters, and some wore casual suit jackets.

We generally pack in a carry on suitcase and a backpack each, so we tend to pack a bit lighter and plan to do some sink laundry along the way. We don’t mind, and it keeps us from checking our bags, and thus preventing them being lost by the airline. We generally pack lightweight, quick dry clothing for this purpose. We like Athleta, Gap, or Eddie Bauer/Columbia tech fabric pants, and we are fans of Merino wool tee shirts, tops, sweaters, and jackets. I like linen for warm weather destinations, so packed a pair of Athleta linen pants. I also like to wear skirts and dresses, so I packed a pleated maxi skirt for this trip. I always wear casual black slacks on flights, often Merino wool, and plan to wear them again on the trip. I don’t have a separate travel outfit for flights. Viking offers free self service laundry machines on all their ocean ships, so this helps us pack less. We both wear/wore uniforms in our careers, so we like dressing up a bit when we have the chance. To learn more about packing in a carry on and not checking bags, you can read our packing advice here. To learn more about packing for a Med cruise and get a downloadable packing list, you can read this article.

Money/Tipping

All of the countries on this itinerary are part of the European Union and use Euro currency. We simply used our debit card to access an ATM in Rome for some cash for tips for drivers, guides, and hotel staff. Alternatively, you may want to order some Euro cash from your bank before you leave home, although you will generally pay a higher rate for this. Apple Pay and Google Pay are widely accepted throughout Europe, and we use Apple Pay almost exclusively when we travel. Please see our Compete Money Guide for traveling abroad for detailed information. A note about American Express: this card is not as widely accepted in Europe as it is in the US (although it’s becoming more so), so you should consider taking an alternative credit card to be safe.

The tipping culture in Europe is different from the US. They pay their waiters and bar tenders a living wage, so they don’t rely heavily on tips to supplement their income. Generally speaking, a 10% tip is customary for good service in restaurants and bars. We like to leave the tip in cash instead of adding it to the bill when possible. In hotels, we generally tip €2 per night, and we leave the tip each morning as the housekeepers may change. 

For shore excursions, gratuities for local guides and drivers are expected for good service and not included in the cruise fare. Viking’s current recommendation is $5 (or the Euro equivalent) per guest for half day tours and $10 per guest for full day tours. Tipping for drivers is recommended at $2 to $6 per guest. Please make arrangements to get some local cash for tips. Guides are gracious and of course will accept USD, but consider that we would not accept Euros in the USA for a purchase. Gratuities for the ship’s staff and crew can be prepaid before the cruise, or added to your account and paid on the last day of your cruise. Current recommended tipping amounts are $20 per guest per day. Tips for bar service are automatically aded to your bill at the point of service, and these tips are separate from the tips for the ship’s staff and crew. Tips for spa services may be added to your bill, so check before signing. Gratuities are always at your discretion, but we prepay ours, then give a little extra to our cabin steward, and to the staff we feel made our cruise extra special.

One Day In Rome

We flew into Rome day one day before embarkation. We always recommend flying in at least one day early to give you a buffer if there are flight issues. We always book our own flights, so this is especially important, because we are responsible for getting ourselves to the cruise ship if our flights are late. We were exhausted when we arrived, as usual after an overnight flight and a time change. We took the train from the airport to Rome Termini Station (it’s easy to buy tickets at the train station in the airport, just follow the signs), and walked to our hotel from there. We use Apple or Google maps to help us find our way in a new city (we have T Mobile with an international plan). We stayed at Hotel Artemide, about a 10 minute walk from the train station. The hotel has a lovely rooftop bar and restaurant where we had our complimentary prosecco while waiting for our room to be ready. After a brief nap, we headed out for the evening.

We had already visited the Vatican and the Colosseum on a previous trip, so this time we wanted something a little more relaxed and a little more personal. We booked a sunset golf cart tour with Liv Tours, and we cannot say enough great things about them. This was actually our third time using Liv Tours in Rome, and they delivered again. We booked a 6-person shared tour, and had two other couples with us. The tour began with our guide Emmanuel passing out welcome bottles of prosecco — always a good sign. We wound past the Colosseum, stopped at the Circus Maximus, watched the Instagram crowd tossing their coins in the Trevi Fountain, admired the Pantheon, marveled at the white marble of the Victor Emmanuel II Monument, and ended the evening at the top of the Spanish Steps. Along the way we had wine and cheese, local beers from a boutique shop, and finished the evening with gelato. It was perfect — relaxed, personal, and genuinely fun. We write a daily blog post when we travel, and you can read today’s blog post here.

Monday 4/27/26 Day 1 Embarking the Ship

Viking considers the day you board the ship as day one of your trip, so you will see this reflected on their website and in this article.

We took the train to the Civitavecchia stop, a much more affordable option than a private transfer for this trip. Prices have really gone up in the past couple years since we were last here, so we saved our money and took the train. Welcome Pickups, whom we had used in 2024 for €110, wanted €300 for this transfer. When you arrive at the train station, you must then take a shuttle or a taxi to the pier, as you cannot walk directly to the pier. We planned to take the €6 shuttle, but when we arrived, there were tons of taxis waiting and they charged the same amount, so we hopped into a taxi with another couple and headed for the pier.

We checked in smoothly, dropped our bags, and boarded the Viking Mars. Viking ships are simply stunning. They are elegant without being ostentatious — clean lines, warm woods, and that calming Scandinavian palette throughout. We were quickly reminded of her sister ship the Jupiter, that we had sailed to the British Isles in 2023, and thought we could easily get our bearings. That said, we still weren’t sure which was forward and which was aft when we came out of the elevator on the day we disembarked. The struggle is real.

We spent the afternoon exploring the ship from bow to stern and unpacking. We were surprised to find a chocolate cake and a bottle of Champagne with a Happy Birthday note for Steve waiting for us in the cabin. We are celebrating his 60th birthday this week! We enjoyed an Aperol Spritz and a Gin & Tonic in the Aquavit Terrace bar, and made some friends. We headed up top for sail away as the sun dipped toward the water and the Italian coastline slowly faded behind us — a lovely way to begin.

Dinner was in The Restaurant, Viking’s main dining room, where the food and service were both excellent. We then wandered to the Explorer’s Lounge — the gorgeous two-level forward bar with floor-to-ceiling windows — where the resident guitarist Michael was playing. He was fabulous. We settled in with drinks, soaked up the atmosphere, and went to bed genuinely excited for what was ahead. You can read today’s blog post here.

Tuesday 4/28/26 Day 2 Livorno/A Day in Tuscany

Today the ship docked in the port city of Livorno for an overnight stay — always a treat, as it means no mad dash to beat the all-aboard time. We booked the 8.5 hour optional Viking tour called A Day In Tuscany. Our guide was from Livorno, and you could get a real sense of how much she loved her hometown. Livorno is a lovely town in its own right, and usually overlooked by tourists who dock here to get to Florence or deeper into Tuscany. Unfortunately, we were no exception, and would love to come back and stay a few days. Our tour took us into the heart of the Tuscan wine region to a family run winery called San Donato. We had a lovely tasting with lunch included. After explaining the wines, they set the two bottles of wine and a bottle of desert wine on the tables for us to pour ourselves, as we had a large group of 30 people at six tables. The estate was beautiful. It had been a small village that had fallen into disrepair when the family bought it and turned into a destination. The wines were amazing, and several people bought wine to take home. We may or may not have brought the rest of our table’s bottle of dessert wine back to our cabin with us. I mean, we asked, and no else really wanted it. :)

From there, we headed to the spectacular medieval hill town of San Gimignano, straight out of a fairy tale, with fourteen surviving towers rising above a perfectly preserved historic center. Our guided tour took us through the gate and into the narrow stone streets filled with Romanesque and Gothic architecture, while we admired the views of the rolling Tuscan hills stretching to the horizon. We soaked up every cobblestone moment. We had some free time to wander the streets, stop and get a drink and some gelato, and continue to enjoy the views. We had spectacular weather today, with highs in the 70s F. Expect crowds here, no matter the time of year. It’s a beautiful place and the secret is out.

Dinner that evening was at the World Café, Viking’s casual wraparound buffet restaurant at the stern. The spread is impressive, and eating with panoramic views of the harbor lights never gets old. If you like sushi, you will not be disappointed with the World Café. The salad selections are plentiful, as well as the other entrées and pizza. Desserts are hard to pass up. We tend to overeat at the buffet, so we really have to be careful here. We prefer sitting down in The Restaurant, but it can take upwards of 90 minutes to two hours for dinner there sometimes, so after our long day, the World Café hit the spot. You can read today’s blog post here.

Wednesday 4/29/26 Day 3 Livorno/Pisa and the Square of Miracles

Pisa sits about 12 miles up the Arno River from Livorno, but was once a powerful maritime republic on the seashore during the Middle Ages, and one of the great trading powers of the Mediterranean. The Square of Miracles (Piazza dei Miracoli) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing four extraordinary Romanesque monuments: the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Leaning Tower, and the Monumental Cemetery, all set on a brilliant green lawn that makes the white marble glow.

Today we took the included Pisa and the Square of Miracles tour, a guided half day tour. We climbed the famous tower the last time we were here, so opted to peel off from the tour and see the Baptistery and the Cathedral. You can easily purchases tickets for the Baptistry and the Cathedral at the kiosk in the ticket office across the lawn from the cathedral (they are not included with this tour). The beautiful Baptistery, with its stunning acoustics should not be missed, and the Cathedral is filled with art and history in equal measure. If you choose to stay in Pisa after the tour, you will need to find your own way back to the ship (12 miles), so we were sure to come back with the tour group.

Back on the ship, I had booked a massage in the spa, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. We then stopped by the Wintergarden for afternoon tea and to listen to the resident pianist play while we sipped. Viking prepares afternoon tea each day from 4 to 5 pm. They have a great selection of teas, and of course, the scones are not to be missed. We then headed to the Explorer’s Lounge to chat with friends before attending an enriching lecture on the French Riviera — a perfect way to get excited for our next port. The onboard lecture series is one of Viking’s best features and we try to never miss one. They had a resident historian on board, as well as a guest lecturer. Dinner that evening was at Manfredi’s, Viking’s Italian specialty restaurant, where we were joined by our friends. Viking ships always have a way of turning strangers into friends. We ended the night at Torshavn, Viking’s lively club and music venue, dancing and laughing until it was well past a reasonable bedtime. You can read today’s blog post here.

Thursday 4/30/26 Day 4 Monte Carlo, Monaco

Monaco is a sovereign city-state of .8 square miles — the second smallest country in the world after Vatican City — yet it punches far above its weight in glamour, history, and sheer spectacle. The Grimaldi family has ruled Monaco since 1297, making it one of the oldest ruling dynasties in Europe. Prince Charles III opened the famous Casino de Monte-Carlo in 1863 to save the principality from financial ruin, and the rest, as they say, is history. Today Monaco is home to the Formula 1 Grand Prix, some of the world’s most expensive real estate, and an impeccably manicured harbor full of super yachts.

We took the included Monaco walking tour which took us up to the top of The Rock, through the gardens of Saint Martin, and inside the Monaco Cathedral to see Princess Grace’s gravesite. We then again broke off on our own — which is one of the things we love most about Viking’s included tours. You are never locked in. We grabbed the Hop-On Hop-Off bus at the Prince’s Palace stop. Definitely get a seat up top — it’s a double decker. There are 12 stops and it’s a great way to see this terraced city, as there are lots of hills to climb on your own. Luckily, there is also a series of elevators and escalators to get you to the top.

We hopped off at the Casino de Monte-Carlo stop, and stepped inside the lobby for some photos. The Belle Époque interior is absolutely lavish: frescoed ceilings, gilded everything, and the unmistakable sense that you are somewhere extraordinary, yet way too poor to actually gamble here. We then found a lovely terrace café right outside the casino and ordered a chilled Côtes de Provence Rosé. Friends, if you are on the French Riviera, this is your wine. It sure was mine. Pale pink, perfectly crisp, and utterly delicious. (I’m sipping some now as I write this back at home.) We could have sat there all afternoon. Incidentally, the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix is coming up, and the city is busy installing the infrastructure for the races, so there are lots of fences and grand stands in place. This made it impossible to get that beautiful photo of the fountain in front of the casino. Better luck next time…

We walked down the hill a bit, took some harbor photos, and hopped on the bus again at the Bateau Bus stop to take another lap around the city. We hopped off at the Prince’s Palace stop again, bought some souvenirs, and had some gelato. There is always gelato. The Palace area is lively and filled with shops and restaurants. We walked down past the cathedral again, caught the bus at the Oceanographic Museum stop, and hopped off at the pier, or the Digue Croisières stop, where we walked the five minutes back to the ship. Perfect day in a perfectly beautiful place. We continue to be blessed with sunny, warm weather.

Back on the ship, we attended the lecture on the history of France, and had dinner in The Restaurant. As we were finishing dinner, what we thought was the most spectacular full moon rose over the sea as we sailed away from Monaco. We stood on deck and just watched how it illuminated the water. We then discovered it wasn’t quite full (thanks Google) — that would happen the next night, but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment. Today’s blog post is here.

Friday 5/1/26 Day 5 Marseille, France

Marseille is France’s second-largest city and its oldest — founded by Greek sailors around 600 BC, making it nearly 2,600 years old. It is France’s principal Mediterranean port. Marseille is gritty and gorgeous in equal measure, with a vibrant multicultural food scene, dramatic limestone formations called calanques, and a history as layered as anywhere in Europe.

The included tour gave us a wonderful overview. We visited the grand Palais Longchamp, a stunning 19th-century palace and fountain complex built to celebrate the completion of a canal that finally brought fresh water to the city — magnificent architecture. We spent several minutes here, long enough to climb to the top for views over the city. We cruised past the Cathédrale de la Major, a Neo-Byzantine structure on the waterfront, and the iconic steps of the Gare de Marseille-Saint-Charles (train station), before following the waterfront road down to Vieux-Port de Marseille (the Old Harbor) where we had a walking tour of the harbor area.

After the tour, we again broke off on our own and walked along the famous Old Harbor waterfront. We found a café and ordered — what else — a glass of Côtes de Provence Rosé with tapas, watched the fishing boats bob in the harbor, and did some people watching. I brought my laptop and worked on the blog as we sipped our wine. We slowly wound our way back to the port shuttle stop (about a 15 minute walk) and returned to the ship, very happy with our day in Marseille.

Back on board, we spent the afternoon enjoying the hot tub and therapy pool in the spa before the evening’s lecture on Salvador Dalí — a fascinating talk that had us looking forward to Spain. Dinner was sushi in the World Café, followed by drinks and live music at Torshavn. We enjoyed striking up a conversation with Michael, the guitarist, before his set began. He is immensely talented and an interesting gentleman. A good day, start to finish. Here is today’s blog post.

Saturday 5/2/26 Day 6 Sète, France

Sète is a charming fishing port and canal town on the Languedoc coast (this area is now known as Occitanie), sometimes called the “Venice of Languedoc” for its network of canals linking the Mediterranean to the Étang de Thau lagoon, as the city is spread out over a series of three islands. The town sits on the Côte d’Azur and has a distinct cultural character owing to centuries of migration from France, Italy, the north African coast, and India. You can see the different influences in the architecture as you tour the city.

The included walking tour wound us through the lovely canals, past French and Italian architecture, around city hall, through the covered market — a feast of local cheeses, olives, seafood, and produce packed with locals — and up the hill to a beautiful Italian church. Our guide, a lovely Swede who has lived in Sète for 40 years, gifted each of us a bag of Zézette de Sète — the town’s iconic pastry, a crisp, rum-scented shortbread cookie unique to Sète. It was absolutely delicious.

After the tour, we of course peeled off for drinks — more Côtes de Provence Rosé  — we couldn’t get enough of this delicious and crisp summer sipper. As we wandered through the boutiques, I found the most beautiful sunflower-pattern scarf in a small shop tucked along one of the canals. We slowly walked back to the shuttle (about a 10 minute walk) and returned to the ship.

That evening we had drinks in the Explorer’s Lounge, attended an excellent lecture on the history of Spain, and then headed to the Chef’s Table for a very special dinner: we were celebrating Steve’s 60th birthday (it’s actually a bit later, but this was his birthday cruise and we would be home by then). The Chef’s Table is Viking’s most intimate dining experience — a multi-course tasting menu with paired wines. The staff went above and beyond to make it a memorable evening. While we didn’t really love the menu that night (it rotates throughout the voyage), the service and the wines were incredible. Incidentally, because we had the Silver Spirits package, the Chefs Table included the upgraded wine selections. Later at Torshavn, I had arranged for guitarist Michael to sing Happy Birthday to Steve, and he delivered beautifully. The whole crowd chimed in. Steve is not one for attention, but he tolerated it, sort of. :) We stayed for the set with the Viking Band and the whole evening was one we will not forget. Today’s blog post is here.

Sunday 5/3/26 Day 7 Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona is one of those cities that captures you immediately. The capital of Catalonia and Spain’s second-largest city, Barcelona has been a Mediterranean powerhouse since Roman times. The city’s greatest architectural treasure is the ongoing work of Antoni Gaudí, whose organic, fantastical buildings transformed Barcelona into an open-air museum. Beyond Gaudí, Barcelona offers beautiful beaches, high end shopping, a lively nightlife, prestigious universities, inviting parks, distinct neighborhoods, and world-class food and wine, in addition to being a biotech, financial, and transportation hub.

The included tour took us past the awe-inspiring exterior of the Sagrada Família, Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece basilica that has been under construction since 1882. Even from the outside, it is staggering — a forest of stone towers and sculptural facades that seem to defy everything you think architecture can be. It appears to be melting in places. Gaudí’s unique style with no right angles is unmistakable. We also walked past a former bullfighting arena — now repurposed as a shopping center, as bullfighting has been banned in Catalonia since 2012. We visited the grand Royal Palace and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, a magnificent Gothic cathedral in the heart of the old city.

Next we peeled off from the tour and did what you must do in Barcelona: we walked La Rambla from top to bottom, soaking in the energy, the flower stalls, the people, and the general magnificent chaos of it all. We ducked into the Gothic Quarter and found our way to the Plaça Reial, a beautiful colonnaded square where we sat at a terrace restaurant and had tapas and sangria. It was the most perfect way to spend the early evening. There is a shuttle stop about a five minute walk from the bottom of La Rambla, near the Columbus monument, to take you back to the ship. The last shuttle time is 8:30 pm.

That evening was our last night aboard the Viking Mars. Upon returning from our evening in Barcelona, we headed straight to the Explorer’s Lounge. It was very lively and full of new friends we had made along the way. We raised a glass — several, actually — to an extraordinary week. There is something bittersweet about a last evening at sea. We always hate to leave, but we start looking forward to seeing our puppies and kitties and sleeping in our own bed. Here is our last blog post.

Monday 5/4/26 Day 8 Disembarking the Viking Mars

Disembarkation is always a smooth process. Viking will deliver colored luggage tags and an instruction sheet to your room the night before. The color indicates your time of disembarkation, depending upon what time you need to leave the ship for your flight or next destination. If you have larger bags and don’t want to carry them off the ship, set them outside your cabin door the evening before and Viking staff will have them waiting for you when when you disembark the next morning. You will need to retrieve them as you exit the terminal building. We had to vacate our cabin by 0830, so we headed down to the three-level atrium, as did most people, ordered a coffee, and found a place to sit until they called our group. We kept our bags with us and carried them off the ship. We had pre-arranged a transfer to the airport with Viking for $59 per person, and it was well worth it for the ease and assurance of getting to the airport on time. Viking’s logistics on and off the ship are consistently excellent, and it made the final morning easy.

Final Thoughts

The Viking Iconic Western Mediterranean delivered a beautiful and memorable trip. The combination of Rome, Tuscany, Monaco, the French Riviera, and Barcelona is genuinely unbeatable, and Viking’s thoughtful included excursions meant we never felt like we were simply standing on a curb waiting for a bus. We did find ourselves wishing for a few more days on the ship. Eight days is shorter than the typical trips we have been taking for the past few years. It felt a bit rushed for us, and we would have liked a couple of sea days interspersed with the ports for some more relaxation and time to enjoy all the ship’s amenities. That said, if you need to squeeze in a great trip in just over a week, it’s perfect.

Highlights for us: the Liv Tours sunset golf cart in Rome, the Tuscany winery day, celebrating Steve’s 60th at the Chef’s Table, the full moon sail away from Monaco, and every single glass of Côtes de Provence Rosé we managed to find along the way. The Viking Mars was beautiful, the staff was exceptional, and the Explorer’s Lounge became our second home. If you’ve been considering a Viking Mediterranean cruise, this itinerary earns our recommendation.

What We Should Have Done Differently

We don’t have many regrets about this trip. We booked this trip last minute, just a few weeks prior to the April sailing. While that isn’t a problem, it did not allow us sufficient time to book inside tickets to the Sagrada Família. Definitely buy your tickets well in advance if going inside is a priority.

We would have liked another evening at the Chef’s Table. Because we booked this cruise later, we were able to secure our one guaranteed reservation, but we were not able to book another time that worked with our other plans. For example, we like to attend the lectures, and they were at 6:30 each evening. Had we taken the time to speak with the reservations person, we might have been able to get another time that worked for us, so definitely speak to them in person, rather than trying to book on the Viking Voyager app on the ship.

Because of our booking late, the early morning shore excursions were sold out. We initially thought we would not be happy with later times, but ended up being really happy with the mid-day times. Two of our tours were in the 10 am to 2 pm range, and it gave us time to enjoy the morning, but still have enough time in the afternoon for the spa or a nap before the lectures and dinner. Our Barcelona tour at 2 pm worked out perfectly, as it gave us an evening in the city to enjoy La Rambla and sangria. If you are unable to secure the times you want before embarkation, the excursion desk will work to find times that better suit you. If that is not possible, just be flexible and make the best of it!

Like what you read? Hate it? Please leave a comment below, but don’t be bitchy. (Your email will not be shared.)