Destination: Mediterranean

By Brooke Franco

Destination guide to cruising the Mediterranean. - *Photo by Canva*

A Mediterranean cruise should be at the top of every traveler’s bucket list. The region offers modern cities, ancient ruins, quaint villages, historical sites, to-die-for beach getaways, and many unique activities.

The region is excellent for both first-time cruisers and seasoned sailors. However, before you cruise in the Mediterranean, you must do your homework. There’s so much to see and so many cruise options available. Therefore, narrowing down where you want to visit and what experience you want is the first step in finding the perfect cruise.

Most cruise lines, from mainstream to luxury, offer Mediterranean cruises. So, no matter your ship preferences and price point, there is an itinerary and sailing in the Mediterranean perfect for your vacation!

To help guide you with this process, let’s explore more details about cruises in the Mediterranean.

Itineraries

When to Cruise

Excursions

Member Reviews

Find a Deal

Itineraries

Cruises in the Mediterranean encompass two main regions - The western and eastern Mediterranean. The coastal positioning of many Mediterranean countries allows numerous port stop opportunities for cruise lines to visit. We believe you can’t go wrong with either region you choose to cruise!

Some shorter cruises are available in the Mediterranean, but most voyages average at least 7+ nights. In addition, you may find some cruises that visit a blend of Western and Eastern port destinations; however, these itineraries are typically longer voyages. Centrally located, Italy is commonly found on both Eastern and Western Mediterranean itineraries. Its coastal cities boarding the Adriatic, Ionian, and Tyrrhenian Seas make it a great homeport or port stop for many cruise lines.

Here’s a breakdown of the itineraries of Western vs. Eastern Mediterranean cruises:

Western Mediterranean

If you’ve dreamed of trying pizza or pasta in Italy or sampling French wines right at the source, a Western Mediterranean cruise may be the right option. The ports in this region blend a fantastic mix of culture and history with some of the world's most picturesque destinations.

Western Mediterranean cruises typically visit ports in the following countries: Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, the Balearic Islands, England, Sardinia, and Corsica. A sample of the beautiful and most popular port stops you will find on Western Mediterranean itineraries includes Palma de Mallorca, Le Havre (Paris), La Spezia (Cinque Terre), Valencia, Livorno (Florence/Pisa), Naples, Cannes, Bilbao, Ibiza, Messina, Cannes, Seville, Porto, and Funchal.

The most common Western Mediterranean homeports are Barcelona, Rome, Southampton (London), and Lisbon. With these destinations being larger metropolitan cities, it is easy to find many international flight options if you travel from overseas. In addition, cruise lines with smaller ships commonly homeport from Marseille (Provence), Genoa, Valletta, Monte Carlo, and Nice, to name a few.

Explore All Western Mediterranean Cruise Itineraries

Eastern Mediterranean

If sitting on the beach of a beautiful Greek Isle or exploring the ancient city of Kotor is more your speed, an Eastern Mediterranean cruise is for you!

Eastern Mediterranean voyages commonly call on ports Italy, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro, Turkey, Cyprus, Crete, and sometimes Israel, Morocco, Gibraltar, and the Canary Islands. The most common cruise ports in the Eastern Mediterranean tend to be Santorini, Rhodes, Dubrovnik, Venice, Istanbul, Athens, Mykonos, and Split.

The majority of Eastern Mediterranean cruises homeport from Athens, Venice, Rome and Istanbul. You will also find a handful of cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean that homeport from Ravennaa, Haifa, Dubrovnik, and Limassol.

Explore All Eastern Mediterranean Cruise Itineraries

When to Cruise

In general, summer is considered to be the best time to visit the Mediterranean because of the temperatures. You will find that several cruise lines position their vessels in the region during this time, allowing for a greater range of voyages.

However, the summertime tends to be the most crowded for Mediterranean cruises. Not only are the ships typically at capacity during this time, but you will also find larger crowds of tourists visiting popular port cities. In-the-know cruisers consider the shoulder seasons as April/May and September/October, the time between high and low seasons. These months tend to have pleasant temperatures and fewer onboard and ashore crowds.

Note, summertime in the Mediterranean can get hot! If warm weather bothers you, consider a Mediterranean voyage in the offseason from October through April.

Excursions

The Mediterranean offers a wide range of activities, sure to please travelers of all ages and interests. So whether you are a history buff, thrill junkie, or just want to relax on the beach, there’s likely something for you.

Following are a few examples of popular port activities, but keep in mind there are a lot of options for each port of call:

Western Mediterranean

Vatican and Sistine Chapel Tour in Rome, Italy

Gaudi and Sagrada Familia Tour in Barcelona, Spain

Private Walking Tour in Cannes, France

Afternoon Tea & Panoramic Bus Tour in London, England

Eastern Mediterranean

Wine Tour in Santorini, Greece

Beach Day at Jaz Beach in Kotor, Montenegro

Game of Thrones Tour in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Medieval Old Town Walking Tour in Rhodes, Greece

See All Europe Excursions from Shore Excursions Group

Below is a sample of excursions in Barcelona, but our partners at Get Your Guide offer options in virtually every Mediterranean port:

Member Reviews

Sharing your cruise experience by writing a review helps other travelers learn more about what to expect on their upcoming cruise. From onboard experience to learning about ports of call, our cruise reviews are a great source of information.

Here are a few examples of what our community members shared about their visit to the Mediterranean:

"Took a tour to Amalfi & Pompeii. Both were amazing. So beautiful. Delicious pastries in Amalfi, and tasty margarita pizza in Naples.” - KoalaJo22 on Naples, Italy

“Masada is a must!! Our guide took us to the Gardens, Dead Sea, Masada, and an interesting village called Safat.” - janmenefee on Haifa, Israel

“This island is simply gorgeous!!! A must-see, do not skip this. We did a wine and Village of Oia excursion. The wine was amazing. A lot of hills and walking!!!” - shaifamingo on Santorini, Greece

“We went to Mijas, a mountain village outside Malaga. Beautiful with quaint white-washed buildings.” - wynottb on Malaga, Spain

Explore All Member Reviews

Find a Cruise

Cruiseline.com and Shipmate make it easy to find great deals on Western and Eastern Mediterranean cruises. Use our Find a Cruise tool to search cruises to the Mediterranean by homeport, ports of call, cruise line, and more. Also, don’t forget to use the Price Drop Alert to receive an email notification if the price drops on your ship and sailing date. You can set as many price drops as you want, and the best part, it’s FREE to use!

Check out cruises from these popular Mediterranean homeports: