Sailing around Tuscany

Sunset over the coast marks the cocktail hour on the Star Breeze’s top deck.

When you sail on a ship like the 208-passenger Star Breeze, a vessel nimble enough to squeeze up to almost any tiny cove or narrow gorge, it’s a good idea to bone up on the ports of call in advance.

Researching local history, anecdotal and otherwise, always adds zing to a day spent in an unfamiliar destination. If nothing else, you’ll have time to decide which shore excursions, if any, promise to be that one and only magical mystery tour.