Next stop on our European recap is Rhodes, Greece! This was a stop that we were really excited for because of what it is known for- gorgeous beaches!! This gorgeous Greek island is full of beautiful cove beaches with crystal clear turquoise water and cascading cliffs. Since this cruise wasn’t your typical tropical beach cruise, this was going to be our one ‘beachy’ stop where our only plan was to find a beach and soak in the sun!

This trip is one that I have looked forward to every year since I was born! Before I was even born, my mom’s side of the family has been going to the OBX for a week during the summer. We rent a couple houses (sometimes we need 3- big family!) and everyone spends the week having a blast in the Outer Banks! It used to be my mom, her siblings and all their kids, but now that time has gone by, it’s all those kids bringing their own kids now! I’ve really loved watching this family tradition continue on over the decades and now the next generation gets to carry it on!

Next stop on our European adventure is Turkey! Now, I have to admit, this was probably the place that we were least excited for. I mean, compared to places like Rome and Barcelona, I wasn’t sure how Kusadasi, Turkey was going to compare. Our stop here actually almost got cancelled altogether due to some safety issues with the port. But the main attraction here in Turkey, Ancient Ephesus, was actually pretty spectacular!

We’re kicking off the ‘Deyerles Do Europe’ series with recapping our time in the first city we visited- Athens’ Greece! This is where our cruise left from, so we actually flew in a day early and spent the night in the city. It’s definitely a different experience when you are actually staying in the city as opposed to just hopping in and out from the cruise ship. We still didn’t have too much time in this historical city, but we did get to see the main sites and they were stunning!

Oh what I would give to be back on our home away from home cruising the blue seas of the Mediterranean again! This first post recapping our amazing European getaway is all about our fabulous vessel for out trip- the Carnival Vista! The Vista is actually a brand new boat! It was only completed a few weeks before we set sail! Cue the Titanic nightmares… But it was so much and the perfect way to get around Europe!

This past month has been full of plenty of adventures! We are making our way through Europe right now, but a few weeks ago we were doing a family vacay in NYC! My parents bought a once-in-a-lifetime NYC trip for the whole family for Christmas. So my mom, all 5 kiddos (and our significant others) headed up to NYC for a trip jam-packed of all the big tourist attractions! We may have only been there a few days, but it felt like we saw it ALL! We really made the most out of our trip and had a blast! Here’s a recap of our trip!