Best lenses for cruise/ vacation Istanbul, Myconos, Valetta, Pompei & Rome

I took a 17-40 and 35F2IS to London, Bath and Stonehenge last week. The 24-70 will provide a useful range of focal lengths. Some of your ports really need very wide views. I have been to Rome, and wide works well there. I usually opt to carry the 35 when going to a museum or a place like the Vatican, since it lets you use slow shutter speeds and I can get away with lower ISOs. Most museums have plenty of light, but not all of the galleries in the Vatican. Cathedrals can be pretty dark, so IS is helpful.

Some of the rooms in the Roman baths were so dark that I had to use ISO 25000 to get the shots with my 6D and the 17-40. The IS on my 35 would have been a help, and you get the best of both worlds (almost) with the 16-35IS. If that lens were out when I bought my ultrawide, I would have gotten the lens with better optics and IS.

i like to photograph artwork in museums, and so I like the low distortion in a prime. I prefer to go out each day with just the camera and the lens it carries. I choose the lens depending on the scenes I expect to photograph. For the British museum, I used the 35 F2IS, but would have also liked an ultrawide there for the lobby area. An ultrawide was needed at the Tower of London.

I would not take a long zoom, but that is just my preference. I did miss not having a longer focal length than 40 mm, but I was generally pleased with the results I got. It can be useful to carry a pocket camera when going out at night for dinner.

If you have a lens you like, I wouldn't consider replacing it.