‍Bergamo Before Embarkation

Bergamo was not planned as a destination. It started as a layover connection between Lisbon and Malta. We decided to stay in the city as a “pre” for our cruise as I had studied here for a year at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia many years ago, and I wanted to show Marisa this incredible and relatively unknown city.

The Accademia Carrara museum and its Tarot exhibition, linked to the Sforza period, became the main reason to extend the stay. Inside the museum, works by Lotto, Moroni, Bellini, Titian, and Mantegna defined the visit. Rooms were quiet and spacious, which allowed long pauses in front of individual paintings.

Città Alta shaped the rest of the days. Stone streets, early restaurant seating, and church bells marked the rhythm of the upper city. Movement slowed across squares and narrow lanes. We were guided during the first afternoon by the head guide of the city, Sara Cologni. She stands out from most guides we have had. She explained in depth but in an engaging way how each local cheese was made, the value and tradition behind it, and gave a five-hour historical tour that left us deeply impressed. It is the reason we always work with private guides for our clients: they share not only knowledge but also passion and heritage.

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Arrival in Malta

Valletta had a very different atmosphere. The streets were crowded with tourists, which overwhelmed parts of the city’s beauty. Caravaggio’s works in St. John’s Co-Cathedral and Ribera in the Grand Master’s Palace were, for us, the strongest moments of the visit. We were surprised by the continued influence of English cuisine.

Our arrival one day before embarkation removed pressure from timing. This is what we always advise our cruising clients, as stress around missed embarkation is never worth it. The port area remained calm, with luggage handled separately from personal items during boarding procedures.

The harbour view during embarkation stood out, and we understood why the captain mentioned it as one of the three most beautiful departures in the world. The city rose above the water with houses built on the cliffs, and the ship moved slowly through the entrance channel into the Mediterranean Sea.

Between Land and Sea

Elba became the first clear continuation of Bergamo. Portoferraio’s streets, churches, and stone façades carried the same observational focus as earlier museum visits.

Food followed a similar thread. Pasta served inside a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano, finished with truffle, echoed earlier Italian meals in Bergamo onboard our PONANT cruise.

Stromboli and Etna appeared during sea passages. Smoke rising from the volcano at sunrise framed long stretches of open water. After leaving this volcanic region, we were greeted by a pod of dolphins. Some floating, others jumping. A rare occasion according to the crew, who had been at sea for over two months and saw the jumps, like us, for the first time.

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The Importance of a Pre-Cruise

Something we often hear back from our clients is that a pre-cruise has three clear advantages and benefits.
First, it secures arrival before embarkation. If any delays occur, the embarkation is still protected.
Second, it allows time to adjust to different time zones and creates space to rest before the cruise.
Third, it brings you into a different travel mode. At DeSalvio Travel we design trips with neuroscience in mind. By allowing space for strong sensory experiences and staying open to what unfolds during the journey, the way a trip is perceived and what is taken home from it is noticeably elevated.

Our conclusion

Our trip was an incredible experience. From the first moment in Bergamo, a city I thought I knew that surprised me with cultural and historical depth, to a voyage from Malta to Nice with PONANT.

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Full Ponant Review

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