Marghera-Fusina, Italy Cruise from Venice to Villefranche-sur-Mer

Cruise line	Emerald Cruises
Ship	Emerald Kaia
Duration	18 nights
Port calls	20
Departures	1 sailings
Year built	2026
Guests	128
Cabins	64
Crew	92
Length	120 m
Beam	16 m
Cruising speed	22.0 kn

Day 1

Venice, Italy

Arrive in Venice by water, where the lagoon’s canals replace ordinary streets. St Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace anchor the celebrated Piazza San Marco. Take a vaporetto along the Grand Canal, then explore a quieter neighborhood on foot. Confirm your ship’s terminal and transfer arrangements before setting out; cruise access varies. Near Rialto, the market and bridge offer a lively glimpse of the city’s trade. Give yourself time to leave the main routes and follow smaller canals.

Day 2

Zadar, Croatia

Zadar pairs a compact old town with a clear Adriatic setting. Roman streets, Venetian gates and medieval churches tell the story of a city shaped by centuries of trade. On the seafront, the Sea Organ turns waves into music through stone pipes. Nearby, the Sun Salutation gathers solar energy and shines after dark. Beyond the walls, Nin’s salt pans and the island-dotted coast reward a closer look.

Day 3

Hvar Island Croatia, Croatia

Hvar Town combines a handsome harbor with stone lanes and a lively island setting. From the waterfront, climb to St Stephen’s Square and its Renaissance cathedral. Continue uphill to the Spanish Fortress for a commanding view over town and Pakleni Islands. Water taxis link the harbor with the nearby islands, weather and schedules permitting. Choose a table along the port, or find a quieter lane above the square. In summer, book ahead; Hvar’s waterfront is among Croatia’s busiest.

Day 4

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Spend a day inside Dubrovnik’s UNESCO-listed Old Town, best explored on foot. Walk the city walls for close views of fortifications, roofs, and harbor. Then follow Stradun to Rector’s Palace and the Franciscan monastery. Book wall access in advance during busy months, and start early in summer. Mount Srđ offers a higher view, reached by cable car or road. Leave time for side lanes; their quieter corners reveal the city’s daily rhythm.

Day 5

Otranto, Italy

Otranto brings you to Salento’s Adriatic edge, where a walled town faces the sea. Walk from the harbor into the historic center, then visit Otranto Cathedral. Its celebrated medieval floor mosaic depicts biblical scenes and figures from history. Nearby, the Chapel of the Martyrs commemorates victims of the 1480 Ottoman siege. Aragonese Castle guards the waterfront, while cafés serve seafood and regional Salento cooking. Compact and walkable, Otranto makes a rewarding port call without a long transfer.

Day 6

Giardini Naxos-Taormina, Italy

Giardini Naxos sits on Sicily’s Ionian coast, beneath Mount Etna and a short drive from Taormina. Its waterfront pairs pebble beaches with cafés, gelaterie and views across the bay. Sicily’s first Greek colony was founded here in 734 BC. A nearby archaeological park preserves traces of its ancient streets and walls. Come for a seaside day, or use the port as a gateway to Taormina. There, the Greek Theatre commands sweeping views of Etna and the coast.

Day 7

Valletta, Malta

Valletta makes a powerful first impression, its honey-coloured walls rising above Grand Harbour. Founded by the Knights of St John in 1566, Malta’s compact capital rewards exploration on foot. Enter St John’s Co-Cathedral for Caravaggio’s monumental paintings, then follow Republic Street to cafés, palaces and the Upper Barrakka Gardens. From the terraces, watch ferries cross the harbour and look towards the Three Cities. Allow time for steep lanes and quiet side streets.

Day 8

Porto Empedocle, Italy

Porto Empedocle is a working Sicilian port with an unusually distinguished neighbour: Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples. Just a short drive inland, this UNESCO-listed site preserves some of the finest Greek temples outside Greece. Closer to shore, the pale cliffs of Scala dei Turchi rise above the water near Realmonte. Come for ancient history, then linger over Sicilian seafood and the unhurried rhythms of a port town.

Day 9

Trapani, Italy

Trapani sits on Sicily’s western tip, where salt pans, fishing boats and old stone streets define the waterfront. Erice rises above the coast, reached from Trapani by cable car in about ten minutes. Stay in town for the Basilica-Santuario di Maria Santissima Annunziata and the lively lanes around the fish market. Local menus bring couscous, tuna and seafood to the table, reflecting Trapani’s long links with North Africa.

Day 10

Amalfi, Italy

Amalfi brings the coast’s drama within easy reach: cliffs, lemon terraces and a harbor backed by steep streets. Start in the old center, where the striped façade of the Cathedral of Saint Andrew rises above Piazza Duomo. Then choose your pace: browse lanes and cafés, visit the Paper Museum, or take the winding road to Ravello. Sea views come with history here, and the pleasure of seeing one of Italy’s celebrated shorelines at close range.

Day 11

Ischia Island, Italy

Ischia rewards a slower arrival: pastel façades line the harbour, while volcanic hills rise behind the Gulf of Naples. From Ischia Porto, explore thermal gardens, sandy coves and villages scented with citrus and pine. On the eastern shore, medieval Aragonese Castle stands on a rocky islet, linked to Ischia by a stone causeway. Choose a seaside lunch, then make time for a soak in waters heated by the island’s volcanic geology.

Day 12

Civitavecchia-Rome, Italy

Your ship docks at Civitavecchia, Rome’s seaport, about 50 miles northwest of the capital. Rome’s great monuments are within reach, but the port town rewards a closer look. Walk the waterfront to Forte Michelangelo, a 16th-century fortress begun under Pope Julius II; explore the old streets and market. Prefer a quieter day? The town’s seafront and nearby beaches offer an easy change of pace. Choose Rome for art and antiquity, or Civitavecchia for coastal life beyond the terminal.

Day 13

Calvi, France

Calvi rewards a day ashore with a rare pairing: a fortified Genoese citadel and a broad, pale-sand beach. Climb its steep lanes to the ramparts, where the harbor and crescent-shaped bay open beneath the Corsican hills. Below, cafés and shops line the old town, while the waterfront leads towards several kilometres of sand. Come for the views, then linger over local seafood or explore Balagne’s villages and vineyards beyond town.

Day 14

Livorno, Italy

Livorno rewards those who look beyond the cruise terminal. Its canals, built in the style of Venice, wind through historic Venezia Nuova. The seafront promenade leads to Terrazza Mascagni, where black-and-white paving frames the sea. At Mercato Centrale, locals shop beneath a vast iron-and-glass roof. Try cacciucco, the city’s rich fish stew. Florence and Pisa are within reach, but Livorno merits time of its own.

Day 15

Carrara, Italy

At Marina di Carrara, Tuscany’s marble country meets the coast. The city of Carrara sits inland beneath the Apuan Alps, where white stone has been quarried since Roman times. Visit the marble quarries, then explore the old town’s cathedral and Piazza Alberica, lined with elegant palazzi. This is a port for travelers drawn to working craft, mountain scenery and the enduring beauty of stone.

Day 16

Porto Venere, Italy

Porto Venere gives the Ligurian coast a striking address, often quieter than nearby Cinque Terre. Past pastel harbor houses, climb to Doria Castle for sweeping views across the Gulf of Poets. At the headland, the striped Church of San Pietro stands above the sea beside Byron’s Grotto. The village and Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto islands form part of a UNESCO-listed landscape worth lingering over.

Day 17

Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy

Santa Margherita Ligure pairs a working harbour with pastel façades, palm-lined promenades and the Ligurian Sea. Ferries connect the town with Portofino, while coastal paths lead toward the abbey at San Fruttuoso. Browse the shops and cafés along the waterfront, then visit the 17th-century Basilica of Santa Margherita d’Antiochia. Allow time for a seafood lunch; local menus often feature anchovies, Ligurian pesto and fresh fish.

Day 17

Portofino, Italy

Portofino is a small Ligurian harbour, framed by green hills and pastel façades. On its crescent waterfront, fishing boats share the view with polished yachts. From the piazzetta, lanes climb to Castello Brown, a former fortress overlooking the harbour and coast. Walk on to the lighthouse at Punta del Capo, or take a boat to nearby Santa Margherita Ligure. A table by the water offers the best reason to linger.

Day 18

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Monte Carlo makes a striking first impression, with superyachts in Port Hercule and the Alps rising behind the coast. A short walk leads to Casino Square, where Belle Époque architecture frames the famous casino and designer boutiques. For a quieter contrast, climb to Monaco-Ville for the Prince’s Palace, cathedral and views across the harbor. The principality is compact and easy to explore on foot, though its steep streets reward comfortable shoes.

Day 19

Villefranche-sur-Mer, France

Villefranche-sur-Mer makes an unusually graceful first impression: pastel houses rise above one of the Riviera’s deepest natural harbors. Wander the old town’s narrow lanes, then visit the 16th-century citadel and its museums. Jean Cocteau’s painted Chapel of Saint-Pierre adds a distinctive local detail. Nearby trains connect you with Nice; roads lead to Èze and the wider Côte d’Azur.

Marghera-Fusina, Italy Cruise from Venice to Villefranche-sur-Mer — 19 Days