Down laneways flanked by walls adorned with mural art, people are buying their daily groceries, choosing from brightly coloured fresh fruits and vegetables shaded beneath lime green umbrellas. On the balconies of 18th-century apartment blocks, a lady is shaking clean her linen, while others are sweeping between decorative potted plants. Italian flags and blue-and-white checked Napoli World Cup bunting is draped from nearly every balustrade. The tooting from passing motorbikes reminds me to look forwards again at eye level, as we make our way through the lively, working-class district of Sanità in Naples, Italy.
I’m in Italy’s third-largest city by population on a port stop during a European cruise aboard the newly refurbished luxury ship, Crystal Serenity. The cruise brand, in operation for more than three decades, was acquired in 2022 by the Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) Travel Group, securing its two most prized vessels: Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony.
