From Barcelona to Venice: We've found the most amazing Mediterranean cruise

Life can change in a summer. And who would know this better than the Spanish town of Tossa de Mar. Perched on the Mediterranean Sea, with blinding-white beaches and a 12th-century castle, the laidback settlement was relatively unknown until a few decades ago. But then Pandora and the Flying Dutchman happened.

Drawn by its steep cliffs and cinematic sunsets, American filmmaker Albert Lewin decided to film the Ava Gardner-starrer on the shores of this seaside village in the summer of 1950. And just like that ... the word was out.

First came the who's-who of Hollywood, then the reeking rich in their million-dollar yachts, then everyone else, putting the sleepy town on the global travel map within a matter of months.

But Tossa de Mar's gain turned out to be Frank Sinatra's loss. At least, temporarily.

Ol' Blue Eyes - legend has it - was in the middle of a concert in New York when he received the news that his fiancee, Gardner - well known for her "insatiable appetite for booze and boys" - was having an affair with ... ahem ... a Spanish bullfighter.

The jazz legend - they say - walked out of the concert and flew straight to Spain to reclaim his love.

I discover this most delicious slice of Hollywood history on a walking tour of Tossa de Mar. It's my first shore excursion on a 15-day cruise of the Mediterranean from Barcelona to Venice with Viking Cruises and it's totally taken me by surprise.

I was expecting everything on this voyage - from sunny beaches and historic castles to ancient abbeys and world-class galleries ... but not juicy showbiz anecdotes from yesteryears.

"The couple eventually got married but not without sending gossip mills into overdrive," my guide Menelaus tells me, grinning ear to ear, smug in the knowledge that a humble bullfighter was capable of causing so much ruckus.

As I follow Menelaus into the pedestrian-only heart of Tossa de Mar where the imposing castle is located, roads get narrower, houses older and their wrought-iron balconies more ornate.

Anyone who says Europe is too hot in August ... step aside. Today, the Med has served up the perfect 26-degree day and this place is buzzing with people, and gorgeous little boutiques selling stunning resort wear.

My eyes are fixated on the castle's honey-hued turrets rising against the spotless blue sky, when suddenly we reach an ankle-twisting cobblestoned lane that rips open the heart of the town and takes us straight to the beach.

Moments later, as I stand next to a bronze statue of Gardener - overlooking the hypnotic blue swell of the sea - I can see what drew Lewin here all those decades ago.

"Tossa de Mar is pretty much the same as it was when the movie was made," Menelaus says. "We don't want the town's silhouette to change. Very few hotels have been allowed to be built here and even for them there are strict rules."

Later that day, I discover a completely different side of Costa Brava - the Spanish coastal region where Tossa de Mar is located - as part of another excursion. The tour skirts along the coast in a 13-metre fisherman's boat dating back to 1915. The sun is beating down on my bare arms as the rickety vessel with just a dozen other people bobs along in shameless blue waters next to sky-piercing cliffs with multimillion-dollar houses.

"Truman Capote spent three summers in one of those houses writing In Cold Blood," Joan the skipper points out.

On our way back, Joan drops the anchor close to the shore, so we can enjoy a quick dip against the backdrop of our ship, Viking Sky, docked in the distance. It's not even 6pm on the second day of my cruise and I already feel like I have seen so much.

One of the greatest things about cruising is: it often takes you to places that were never on your bucket list but end up being truly unforgettable. It's serendipity at sea and for me that moment on this cruise was Monte Carlo.

The hedonistic heart of Monaco - the world's second-smallest country (after the Vatican) - is known for three things: casinos, F1 and Grace Kelly; none of which I am into.

So imagine my surprise when - on day five of the cruise - Monte Carlo suddenly pops up right next to my stateroom balcony; its breathtaking skyline ablaze in the early-morning sun.

And that's not even the most beautiful part of the city, I soon discover on yet another excellent excursion organised by Viking Cruises.

The walking tour takes me to the Old Town, with impossibly perfect houses in soothing shades of pastels, their drama heightened by impeccably manicured gardens - right down to the last blade of grass. And we're here right in time for a changing of the guard ceremony on the Palace Square.

Tourist trains that look like they're straight out of a storybook wind their way through Barbie-like neighbourhoods and cliff-top lookouts offer views of picture-perfect harbours complete with super yachts and helicopters of their own.

And as always there's an entertaining guide in tow. "That's the cheapest hotel in Monte Carlo - all rooms have windows with water views," says Elizabeth, pointing to the Remand Prison, built into a cliff, high above the sea.

But Monte Carlo is not the only surprise on this sojourn. Marseille in France, and Naples, Messina, Crotone and Bari in Italy, all offer delights of their own, not to mention heavy-hitters like Rome and Florence that also feature along the way.

There's an included excursion at every port and I join almost all of them. No wonder, towards the end of the cruise, one destination starts to blend into another. Was that church in Crotone or Messina? And that pizza - in Naples or Bari? But each place leaves some distinct memories, too.

In Bari, I weave my way through beautiful labyrinthine lanes and watch nonnas make fresh pasta. In Marseille, I shop for traditional soaps that are 72 per cent olive oil - a recipe about 600 years old. In Messina, I see the biggest - and widely considered to be the most complex - astronomical clock in the world. In Crotone, I visit a farmers market and see vegetables I have never come across before - red chillies as small as my fingernails and tomatoes with capsicum-like ridges.

And in Naples, I drive through a "very dangerous" area in a bus. "Dangerous for husbands," our guide Lome clarifies. "Because its streets are full of expensive brands - Armani, Prada, Gucci ..."

This was not meant to happen. Day three of the cruise was supposed to be Sete in France and on day 13 we were meant to dock in Sibenik in Croatia. But both port days get cancelled due to weather events. I am particularly heartbroken about Sibenik as I have never been to Croatia. But a silver lining soon emerges.

These days at sea are an excellent opportunity to slow down on this rather vigorous journey of the Mediterranean and smell the surf. And what better place to do it from than my home for two weeks, the elegant Viking Sky.

With capacity for 930 guests, the small ship is just 228 metres long but there's no dearth of gorgeous spaces to hang out.

Spread across decks seven and eight at the front of the ship, Explorer's Lounge knows how to pull a crowd. With vast curved windows, plush couches and fur throws, the swank sanctuary is a lesson in Scandi chic and the perfect place to take in the views of approaching ports.

At the other end of the ship, on deck seven, an infinity pool with glorious sea and horizon views awaits.

I spend my afternoons enjoying high tea in the ship's sunlight-drenched Wintergarden with a glass ceiling and stunning brass columns, and evenings in the Atrium, playing Scrabble as the pianist tinkles up Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata - a flute of Kir Royale never too far.

A decadent meal in one of the ship's exquisite restaurants soon follows. My favourite haunt is Manfredi's Italian Restaurant, where I enjoy the best bistecca alla fiorentina of my life, a glass of chianti in hand and views of a saffron sun sinking into the sea. What a way to toast the Med.

The ship: Viking Cruises' Viking Sky

The size: 228 metres long, 465 cabins, 930 guests

Good to know: You don't have to pack for 15 days like I did, there's a laundry on board. And remember, this is a grown-up ship, so there are no kids and no casinos in sight, or for that matter formal nights. But a dress code - "elegant casual" - applies after 6pm for all dining venues, performances and special events: dresses, skirts or pants for women, and trousers and collared shirts for men.

Get on board: Viking's 15-day Mediterranean & Italian Sojourn (from $9595 per person) is actually a combination of two separate cruises - the eight-day Iconic Western Mediterranean journey from Barcelona to Rome (from $2995 per person) and the eight-day Italian Sojourn journey from Rome to Venice (from $5095 per person). So you have the option to tackle one leg at a time, or sign up for the entire mega adventure.

Explore more: vikingcruises.com.au

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All Viking cruises include not just the essentials but select shore excursions, speciality dining and house wines, too. But, tours at the best times of the day and sought-after tables at the most desirable hours are the first to go. Follow these tips to make the most of your inclusions.

Book ahead: Book as much in advance as possible if you want a certain stateroom, and study the itinerary carefully: which ports you're visiting on what dates, and what the arrival and departure times are at each of those ports. This will help you determine what the best times are for tours and meals on board on each of those days.

Shore excursions: Depending on your room category, you can book shore excursions up to 107 days before the cruise departs. Make a note of those details as soon as you book the cruise, set a reminder and be ready on your computer to jump on those tours as soon as they go live. Included tours often take place at multiple times of the day, but I booked the first tour at each port. Why? I was in Europe in summer and the weather is the coolest first thing in the morning. The ports are also least crowded. And I was almost always back on the ship in time for lunch and a siesta, and often there was still time for me to go back to the port for an evening wander before the ship departed.

Restaurant bookings: You don't need to book ahead for the main Restaurant on deck two or the buffet at World Cafe on deck seven. But depending on your room category, you can book specialty dining options - such as The Chef's Table (set four-course meal with matching wines) and Manfredi's (top-notch Italian haunt) - up to 100 days before the cruise departs. This is where your port timetable comes in handy. You don't want to be eating at Manfredi's if you could be gallivanting in Florence, right? So pick days when the ship departs the ports around 6pm and book speciality restaurants on those evenings as soon as you can.

Spread it out: Depending on your room category, you may be able to book a specialty restaurant on multiple nights during the course of your cruise. But bear in mind The Chef's Table changes its set menu every three days, so spread those bookings.

Ask for help onboard: Don't panic if - for some reason - you can't get the tours and restaurant bookings you want. Get in touch with staff as soon as you go onboard and chances are they'll be able to help because cancellations happen all the time. I was able to book all the tours I wanted before I set sail, but dropped the ball when it came to restaurant bookings. As soon as I got onboard, however, I was able to secure specialty restaurant reservations on all the days I wanted.

The writer was a guest of Viking Cruises.