Connie's next port of call is Messina in Sicily. Having never been here before we are keen to explore what the largest island in the Mediterranean has to offer. Of course being here on a day trip means we can only get a taste of the island. We opted to visit the town of Taormina which lies about 40 miles south of Messina in the shadow of Mount Etna.We board a coach with some fellow guests and make our way out of Messina and head south on the motorway. People ...

We wake early. Connie is already anchored off Sorrento. The port here is too small for a ship this size and so we need to tender ashore. We breakfast in the Oceanview. I opt for a low carb brekkie of omelette, freshly made at the egg station, tomatoes and mushrooms. As Elite guests, being a sister company to Royal Caribbean our Diamond Plus status gives us something similar on Celebrity Cruises, we don't have to obtain tender tickets and already have some in ...

I sleep really well but still awake early. BA have tweeted overnight basically telling us there was a 'glitch' with the baggage system at Heathrow yesterday...no s***? But they will do their best to repatriate our bags as quickly as possible. Our disadvantage is that from today we are effectively moving targets hopping from port to port for the next 8 days. I receive an email to advise my case will be onboard an Alitalia flight from Rome to Naples so hope...

It seems a lot of people have trouble pronouncing our next port of call. Civitavecchia. It is pronounced (chiv-vita-veck-ia), it just rolls off the tongue once you know how. Again as with a lot of these ports it is not that picturesque and is filled with lots of container ships and tankers. That's said it's a beautiful morning although that dogged northerly wind seems intent on hanging around and pegging the temperatures back a few degrees.I emerge out on...