Italy, Croatia, and Montenegro Celebrity Cruise

The Celebrity Beyond crew made our nine-night Italy, Croatia and Montenegro Cruise an unforgettable experience. The ship offered everything we could want. We sailed from May 25 through June 5, 2023, and I would 100 percent recommend Celebrity Cruises and this itinerary in particular.

The length of the cruise was ideal, with two sea days to relax and recuperate from exploring the ports. I think this cruise is best for active travelers as there was a lot of walking and climbing while in port. Our ship and Celebrity Cruises in general are geared toward couples rather than families, but we did see teens who were having a great time with activities to keep them engaged.

First, here’s an overview of the accommodations and amenities onboard. We found our AquaClass Infinite Balcony Stateroom very spacious and clean with updated, modern décor. We enjoyed the infinite veranda and having the huge window when we did not want the balcony door open. Our cabin steward was attentive and made sure we had plenty of bottled water. He also gave us a complimentary bottle of wine and made a reservation at the steakhouse when he found out my partner and I got engaged on the cruise.

Celebrity Cruises says “Wellness is so fundamental to our philosophy, we offer AquaClass staterooms for a fully immersive, next-level wellness experience.” In addition to the room’s private veranda, there is also eXhale bedding and premium bathroom amenities, unlimited access to the adults-only SEA Thermal Suite with a personal concierge, and complimentary dining at the exclusive Blu restaurant.

I would definitely recommend booking into the AquaClass level of stateroom. Not only do you get access to the Thermal Spa, which was incredibly relaxing and never too crowded, but the food in Blu is absolutely worth it! Blu’s menu was more health conscious, but it sure didn’t taste like it. Every meal we ate there was incredible. We also loved how many food options we had. The ship has four main restaurants, all serving different cuisines.

The entertainment was top notch with incredibly talented singers and dancers. A favorite was the bartender’s show at the Martini Bar with fun music playing and bartenders flipping bottles into the air and making beautiful drinks. The crowd added a great energy.

We spent most of our sea days in the Solarium adults-only (16 yrs old +) pool. Surrounded by windows and enclosed, the space was perfect when it rained because we could still be by the pool and see the ocean and scenery. My advice is to make use of the adults-only pool and other adults-only areas. While there weren’t too many kids, the non-adults-only areas tended to be much louder and more crowded. If you want more relaxation and seclusion, check out the Solarium and Lounges.

This itinerary gives travelers a great taste of a few different counties and offers a good mix of big touristy cities, like Rome and Dubrovnik, but also has lesser-known stops, like Kotor and Corfu.

In Corfu, Greece, we took the Corfu Past and Present Tour, which gave us a great overview of the area and culture through the knowledgeable guide. We visited the Agia Paraskevi, an old Byzantine nuns' monastery, the beautiful mountain village of Lakones and Corfu Town. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery and learning about Corfu’s interesting history. The old town area offered great food and shopping.

In Dubrovnik, Croatia, we took the Game of Thrones Tour, which I would highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of the show. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable about not only the show and filming locations, but also the city itself. This tour was the ideal balance of learning the history of the area and fun Games of Thrones facts. We were in Dubrovnik for 14 hours, so after our tour, we still had time to explore the walled city on our own. Dubrovnik is one of the most beautiful places I have seen and I can see why the entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We did a little window shopping before walking around the outer wall, which offered beautiful city and ocean views. We also took the Dubrovnik Cable Car to a lookout point. The views were incredible, allowing us to see the entire walled medieval city and even out into the bay. We enjoyed a mellow, beautiful hike, taking a break for a drink at the lookout point’s restaurant.

In Italy, we docked in Livorno and took a bus excursion to enjoy Florence and Pisa at our own pace. The tour gave us great maps of both cities that helped us navigate and find the attractions we wanted to visit. In Florence, I would recommend walking along the Ponte Vecchio bridge and browsing the leather shops that are everywhere in the city center. The only negative was we didn’t have as much time in each city as we would have wanted.

My advice for this cruise and itinerary is to explore every port. It doesn’t matter if you book a tour or not, make sure to get off the ship and give yourself time to walk around. That’s how we found the cable car in Dubrovnik.