When you cruise the Mediterranean, it gives you a chance to visit different countries and soak in different cultures in a short period of time.

The core season is April through October, although some ships still offer winter sun trips for visitors. Prices skyrocket in July and August when European schools are on vacation, and cruises get really busy during this period. The main ports where cruises begin and end are Genoa, Barcelona, Civitavecchia, and Southampton; however, some lines give passengers the chance to join and leave at any other port on the route, therefore making Mediterranean cruises diverse and flexible.

Types of Mediterranean Cruise

Cruising in the Mediterranean offers many choices and the main ones for travelers:

  1. 7-night Central Mediterranean cruises: These are typically circular routes calling on similar ports over the summer. The itinerary usually calls on different places in Southern France, Balearic Islands, Italy, Sicily, Malta or Tunisia. These routes enable passengers to join and leave at ports closest to their specific destination.
  2. 7-night Eastern Mediterranean cruises: These operate to and from Venice mostly, and visit places in Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, Turkey, and Crete, although some will go through the base of Italy and go to destinations in Sicily and Italy.
  3. 7-night Greek islands and Turkey: These cruises sail out of ports like Athens and explore a good number of Greek islands as well as different ports in Turkey.
  4. 12 to 14-night Mediterranean cruises from ports in the United Kingdom or Northern Europe: These trips are often longer because it takes a number of sea days to get into the Mediterranean and this involves stops in France, Portugal, and Gibraltar. Certain lines like, Royal Caribbean, and Cunard offer this type of cruise.
  5. 14-night or more Repositioning cruises from ports in the United States: At the beginning and end of the Mediterranean season, majority of the cruise lines move their ships to places with warmer climates like the Caribbean and South America. These cruise lines combine the Atlantic crossing with time in the Mediterranean region, i.e. travelers coming from those regions have to experience just one long haul when cruising in this region.