As an avid traveler who is married to somebody who has not yet had much of a chance to explore, planning our honeymoon was a funny thing. I wanted a destination that was off the beaten path; wine tasting in South Africa, market hopping in Vietnam, or horseback riding through the Scottish highlands. My husband, Hayes, on the other hand, wanted a more classic fare. Sunbathing, bathing suits and mai tais were more up his alley. We just couldn’t come up with a plan that satisfied my love of adventure and Hayes’ need for relaxation. That’s when we decided on Windstar Cruises.
My family has been longtime Windstar fans and we’ve been cruising with them since I was in high school. We fell in love with their lesser-known port of calls, the friendly staff, and the fellow cruisers who agree: a smaller ship is better. The perks of a small ship vastly outweigh any possible con (none of which I can think of).
Fast forward a few months later, and Hayes and I were off! We chose a romantic cruise to celebrate our honeymoon – Classic Italy and Dalmatian Coast cruise. A route that was sure to have lots of sun for Hayes and exploring for me. Here are the highlights:
Sailing out of Venice, Italy and trying to count as many of the church towers from the deck as we could.
Coming back to our room after a gorgeous sunset dinner for my birthday to candles and cake from the staff (they really do have phenomenal service)
Hayes and I are major Game of Thrones fans so we totally geeked out over the filming locations in Split and Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Paddleboarding off the back of Star Breeze and around the wall of Dubrovnik, Croatia.
The late call time in Kotor, Montenegro allowed us to explore Kotor at night and have the most amazing terrace dinner in the old town.
During the day at sea, Hayes and I got our relaxation on. We sat up at the front of the bow and enjoyed the jacuzzi and sipped our umbrella drinks as our ship hugged the Sicilian coast.
In Sicily, we explored my family’s heritage by trying classic Sicilian food and drink, exploring the cliff side town of Taormina, and eating lunch on the active volcano of Mount Etna.
Windstar was the perfect honeymoon for us. Eight days of rest and relaxation plus a whole lot of adventure and once-in-a-lifetime ports. Thank you to Windstar for having us! Until next time….
When You Go
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About The Author
Ally Arrigo Collins is a travel and a lifestyle blogger who was born and raised in sunny Newport Beach, California. To learn more about Ally, visit her instagram.
