The new Emerald Princess welcomed its first passengers on board on April 11, as it set sail on its maiden voyage from Rome's seaport, the town of Civitavecchia.

The 113,000-ton Emerald Princess' first cruise is a 12-day Greek Isles voyage to Venice that will take passengers to some of the most scenic spots in the Mediterranean and Aegean, including Naples/Capri, Santorini, Rhodes, Kusadasi (for Ephesus), Mykonos, Athens (Piraeus), Katakolon (for Olympia), Corfu and Dubrovnik. Thereafter the Emerald Princess will offer a series of Greek Isles and Grand Mediterranean cruises before crossing the Atlantic to Ft. Lauderdale in October.

I'll be sailing on the May 17 cruise of the Emerald Princess, embarking in Venice and crossing the Mediterranean for the next 12 days, disembarking in Barcelona on May 29. We will be visiting some of my favorite Mediterranean ports of call, including Istanbul, Athens, Rome, and Florence. It should be a great cruise, and May is a wonderful month to sail the Mediterranean!
Emerald Princess Sets Sail on Inaugural Cruise

Emerald Princess Photo Courtesy of Princess Cruises