Athens, Greece
Our historic kickoff. We’ll stay close to the city center for walkable landmarks, easy dining, and quick access to the Acropolis and museums.
- Flexible sightseeing blocks for family pace
- Comfortable shoes + heat-ready plan
Summer 2026 • Family Trip Hub
Our Summer 2026 family adventure—Athens to the Med, ending in Barcelona.
A clear home base for our 11-person family trip in July 2026: a few days in Athens, the Celebrity Xcel Mediterranean cruise, and a relaxed finish in Barcelona.
View trip highlights
July 6–19, 2026 • Jill & Max join in Barcelona
Athens • Celebrity Xcel • Barcelona
Trip highlights
Three big moments we’ll share together
A quick, friendly overview of each stop so everyone can plan, pack, and get excited. Tap into the sections below for deeper details.
Celebrity Xcel Cruise
Our floating home base across the Mediterranean. We’ll coordinate boarding details, cabin info, and daily meet-up spots.
- Shared schedule for shore days
- Plan meals and group photos
Barcelona, Spain
The grand finale with beaches, Gaudí architecture, and relaxed city strolling. We’ll build a light plan with plenty of free time.
- Easy metro routes + meetup map
- Family-friendly dining list
Athens, Greece
Our first landing spot: history, hilltop views, and a calm family rhythm.
Athens is the perfect opening chapter for the trip—a walkable city with huge history and easy, everyday joys. We get time to settle in, explore at our own pace, and share our first sunset together before we board the cruise.
The plan is to keep it light: a mix of iconic sights, casual food stops, and plenty of shade breaks. Everyone can opt in or out depending on energy levels.
Travelers & arrival paths
- Jeff and Andrew are coming from Lisbon.
- Karen, Therese, Quentin, Devin, Lauren, Morgan, and Caelan are coming from Milwaukee.
Hotel stay
- Reservation
- Hotels.com 72072998261128.
- Hotel
- The Stanley, 1 Odisseos Str., Athens.
- Stay details
- 4 Executive Suites with Jacuzzi. Breakfast included.
- Check-in
- Jul 16, 3:00–5:30 PM.
Planned activities
- Reservation
- Acropolis booking 2WSQD8PA42B2MW6.
- Date
- Jul 17 at 9:00 AM (Acropolis tickets).
- Confirmed tickets
- 9 tickets.
- Notes
- Acropolis Museum Jul 17 at 2:00 PM. Order 824074, 9 tickets.
Flights
- Reservation
- Milwaukee group: CPGMPQ.
- Routes
- AA 2134 MKE → CLT (departs 1:25 PM) and AA 326 CLT → ATH (departs 6:45 PM).
- Jeff & Andrew
- TAP Air TP7410 LIS → ATH, Jul 16 at 11:00 AM. Confirmation C9KG7R.
Family-friendly exploring
Short walking loops, scenic viewpoints, and plenty of café stops give everyone options. We can split into smaller groups without losing the big picture.
Acropolis & Museum
Plaka & Monastiraki
Lycabettus View
Quick check-in goal: everyone rested and ready for cruise embarkation day.
Mediterranean cruise
Celebrity Xcel cruise reference for Jul 18–25
This section keeps the confirmed reservation details and port-day plans in one place so we can check times, costs, and notes quickly while on the move.
Shore excursions (booked)
Jul 19 · Santorini
8:30 AM
Akrotiri and Oia
$1,178.91
Jul 21 · Ephesus
8:15 AM
Best of Ephesus
$1,619.91
Jul 23 · Valletta, Malta
9:00 AM
Malta City Sights
$611.91
Open port day
Jul 20 · Mykonos
7:00 AM–7:00 PM
Free exploration day with no group excursion booked.
Extra travel note
Jul 24
Jill and Max fly LIS → BCN on Vueling 8467.
Barcelona • Jul 25–28, 2026
Barcelona stay details for the whole family
Barcelona is our relaxed, walkable finale after the cruise. Jill and Max join us here, bringing the full group to 11 travelers. Use the notes below for check-ins, tickets, and departure reminders.
Dates & group
- Stay dates: Jul 25–28
- Jill and Max join in Barcelona
- Total travelers: 11
Hotel booking
- Gran Hotel Barcino
- Carrer de Jaume I 6
- Hotels.com booking: 72072996772502
- Check-in: Jul 25 at 3:00 PM
- Rooms: 3 Triple Rooms
Important cancellation deadline
Free cancellation ends Jul 22 at 12:01 AM. Please flag any changes before this cutoff.
Other accommodation
- Enjoybcn Dali Apartments (VRBO)
- Jill and Max check-in: Jul 24
Activity reservation
Sagrada Familia plan for the full group — Jul 26, 2026
Visit summary
- Visit Time: 10:45 AM
- Reservations: 100330182 & 100330867
- Confirmed Tickets: 11 (5 + 6)
Ticket breakdown
- Reservation 100330182: 5 tickets
- Reservation 100330867: 2 General tickets — €26.00 total
- Reservation 100330867: 4 Under 30 tickets — €24.00 total
- Reservation 100330867 total: €50.00 (6 tickets)
Departure notes
- Jul 28: all depart Barcelona
- Jeff and Andrew: BCN → LIS on Vueling 8466
Quick reference
- Hotel check-in: Jul 25 at 3:00 PM
- Sagrada Familia: Jul 26 at 10:45 AM
- Departure day: Jul 28
FAQ
Family trip questions, answered simply.
Quick guidance for our July 2026 adventure — easy to check on the go and clear enough for everyone in the group.
Who is traveling?
All 11 family members are part of the July 2026 trip, traveling together across Athens, the cruise, and Barcelona.
When does the trip happen?
The full itinerary runs in July 2026, covering Athens first, then the Celebrity Xcel cruise, followed by Barcelona.
Where is everyone joining from?
Each household is traveling from home cities and meeting up in Athens for the official start of the trip.
When do Jill and Max join?
Jill and Max join the group in Athens in time for the city stay before the cruise begins.
What is the Athens hotel?
We’re staying at the central Athens hotel selected for walkability and easy group meetups.
Which cruise ship is booked?
We’re sailing on Celebrity Xcel for the Mediterranean cruise portion of the trip.
Where are we staying in Barcelona?
The family is staying together in a Barcelona hotel/apartment base for easy access to neighborhoods and group dinners.
What key activities are already reserved?
Core reservations include major Athens highlights, cruise dining essentials, and a Barcelona group activity.